MANILA, Philippines - The diagnosis of a disease begins with the study of the symptoms, followed by the observation of certain organs. But what if, in order to find the cause of a disease, physicians have the capability to look deeper: from the organ down to its cells down to its very blueprint?
Premier health institution Makati Medical Center recently inaugurated two new laboratories that will revolutionize the way diseases are diagnosed and treated: the Molecular Pathology Laboratory and the Anatomic Pathology Laboratory, both under the Department of Pathology and Laboratories.
According to Dr. Demetrio Valle Jr., head of the Molecular Pathology Lab, molecular pathology refers to “the analysis of DNA and RNA to diagnose disease, predict the occurrence of disease, and predict the prognosis, or likely outcome, of diagnosed disease in order to guide therapy.â€
MakatiMed is the first hospital in the country to set up Molecular Pathology as a separate section, Valle said. “The set-up of the room and the environment of the Molecular Pathology Laboratory conform to international standards,†he said.
MakatiMed’s Molecular Pathology Lab is equipped with negative pressure and <10,000 ppm clean rooms, ensuring uncompromised sample specimens and quality, accurate test results.
Among the tests offered at the lab are molecular microbiology tests for various viruses, molecular hematopathology tests for various blood disorders, molecular cytogenetics for chromosomal abnormalities, HPV (human papillomavirus) Genotyping separating high- and low-risk genotypes, molecular oncology for cancers, and DNA sequencing for DNA profiling and for establishing paternity.
Anatomic Pathology, on the other hand, is a branch of medicine concerned primarily with tissue- and cell-based evaluation and diagnosis of various medical conditions.
The Anatomic Pathology Lab is headed by Dr. Francisco Narciso. According to Dr. Emmanuel de la Fuente, active consultant of the Anatomic Pathology Lab, anatomic pathology “is also an indispensable aid in the guidance of treatment and management of illness, especially in cancer research and therapy.â€
The laboratory combines traditional tissue analysis with molecular studies and cutting-edge apparatus. With a floor area of 250 square meters, it is the largest laboratory space in the country dedicated solely for anatomic pathology.
“It is also the first in the nation to offer the Dual in-situ hybridization (DISH) modality for HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, a protein that promotes the growth of cancer cells) or neu gene amplification testing in breast and gastric cancer, and its predicted response to specialized chemotherapy,†said De la Fuente.
The Anatomic Pathology Lab boasts of results and interpretations that have been externally validated to be at par with stringent world-wide standards; fully automated tissue processing, including staining and coverslip machines that allow for faster, more efficient, and reproducible preparation of tissue sections; and the Ventana machine, a fully automated instrument that allows for daily processing of special studies at controlled conditions that result in more accurate and efficient output.
For more information on the Molecular and Anatomic Pathology laboratories, call 888-8999, visit www.makatimed.net.ph, or e-mail at mmc@makatimed.net.ph.