An Update Regarding Seasonal Illnesses

To help prevent the spread of seasonal respiratory illnesses, we strongly encourage all visitors to wear a mask while in ambulatory clinics or inpatient units. Surgical masks are available at hospital and clinic entrances. Patients with respiratory illnesses should also wear masks. Thank you for helping protect our patients, staff, and community.

Molecular genetic tests look carefully at the genetic makeup (DNA) of cells and help pathologists confirm whether a lesion is the result of a cancerous or non-cancerous condition. One type of test is fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), which uses fluorescent dyes to identify chromosome abnormalities that are too small to be viewed under a microscope and specific gene changes in a cell. FISH is used on regular blood or bone marrow samples. Unlike standard cytogenetics testing, which may take two to three weeks to yield results, FISH provides accurate results in a matter of days. Another type is polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a highly sensitive DNA test that can detect changes too small to be visible under a microscope.