Overview A fundamental premise of oncology—indeed of all medicine—isthateverydisease,
evenanuntreatableone, warrants a diagnosis. The light microscope, invented in the 1500s, is
still used to diagnose cancer. Peering at the surface of cells to determine their tissue of
origin renders a diagnosis. However, if we are to improve our ability to treat and defeat
cancer, we must supplement this centuries-old technology with the “molecular microscope.”
Genomic testing permits interrogation of the inside of the cell and definition of a tumor's …