Correct Diagnosis is Key to Successful Treatment

Penn Medicine’s excellent diagnostics and expert physicians provide patients with the best chance of a successful outcome.  Effective medical treatment is based on an accurate diagnosis of each patient’s disease.  As one of the nation’s top medical centers, Penn Medicine offers patients the latest, state-of-the-art diagnostic tools and tests. But technology is only as good as the people using it, and Penn physicians are experts at reviewing and interpreting test results. In fact, Penn physicians and researchers invented much of the current diagnostic technology and continue to look for ways to expand its uses.

Advances in Imaging

Medical care and treatment depends on the ability to see inside the body quickly and accurately. At Penn, the radiologists interpreting these images often specialize in just one field—such as heart images, brain images, or gastrointestinal images. Because Penn radiologists specialize in a specific area, readings are more accurate. In addition, because of this specialization, Penn radiologists are looking for physiological and molecular changes in the body, such as blood flow and glucose metabolism, as well as anatomical changes.   Penn has a long history of excellence in imaging. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania is home to the first department of radiology in the United States. Many imaging technologies now in use were developed and perfected at Penn.

Radiologists continue to look for new ways to see what is happening inside the body—and why.  Right now, Penn radiologists are working to advance several technologies.

• Arterial spin labeling (ASL). This technology developed at Penn is now being licensed around the world as a non-invasive method for viewing cerebral blood flow in the brain.
• Spiral CT (see related article about diagnosing lung cancer on page 4).  Helical CT images provide high-resolution views with less radiation exposure to patients. Along with lung cancer, this technology is being used to diagnose vascular abnormalities and diseases. 
• Positron emission tomography (PET) for detecting Alzheimer’s disease (see related story on page X). A compound developed at Penn helps detect brain plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

“Penn has traditionally emphasized research in addition to clinical care,” said R. Nick Bryan, MD, PhD, chair of Penn Radiology. “As one of the leading research institutes in the country, we are leaders in developing new imaging technology as well as bringing in the latest technological advances to help make difficult diagnosis in our patients.”

Developing Personalized Diagnostics

The Human Genome Project, an international scientific research project, identified and mapped the approximately 20,000 to 25,000 genes in human DNA, and determined the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up the human genome. The project ushered in a revolution in personalized medicine, and nowhere is that more apparent that at Penn Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.
“By finding and studying gene mutations, we will eventually have information that helps us identify cancer causing mutations and how they react to treatment for every cancer patient. It will be a terrific resource,” said David B. Roth, MD, PhD, chair of pathology and laboratory medicine at Penn. Additionally, predictive testing for mutations in genes that may predispose individuals to disease will provide more accurate risk assessment and has the potential for great impact on prevention, early detection and early intervention.
The Penn laboratory where the Philadelphia Chromosome was discovered is expanding to include a new Center for Personalized Diagnostics. Both a research and patient care center, its plans are to provide diagnostic gene sequencing and other genome-wide diagnostic tools for patients.  The goal is to provide clinicians with information regarding their patient’s disease, so that a customized treatment regimen can be directed to the driving mutations specific for their patient.

“Personalized diagnostics are an important part of personalized medicine,” said Dr. Roth, “and Penn has the vision to see that this is next step in providing the best outcomes for patients. Large-scale gene sequencing is a laborious process, but the enormous results are worth it.”

For more information or to schedule an appointment with a Penn Medicine physician, visit PennMedicine.org or call 800-789-PENN (7366).