A panel of extremely diverse genetic alterations occur during cancerous transformation including deletions, chromosomal rearrangements, gene amplification, chromosome loss and point mutations to name a few.

Some of these alterations lead to the modification of the expression and/or structure of the products encoded by the altered genes. Nonetheless, a single gene alteration cannot induce the transformation of a normal cell into a tumor cell; multiple independent genetic abnormalities are required. Accumulating synergizing genetic alterations is the only way to induce a tumor
phenotype.

When it comes to molecular diagnostic, these genes may be considered as prognostic markers (patients carrying the mutation have a better or worse prognosis than patients lacking the alteration), as predictive markers (the mutation is associated with a better response to a given treatment or, conversely, is associated with resistance), or as therapeutic targets (the altered gene is the direct target of a treatment).

To identify the genetic abnormalities with added diagnostic value, Ipsogen uses two robust technological approaches:

• Highly sensitive quantitative PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) that accurately detects and measures molecular modifications of cancerous cells,
  
  
• DNA microarrays, miniaturized devices that have the ability to determine the genomic profile of a tumor with previously unreachable resolution.