Not long ago, the concept of tumor markers was based on the determination of relatively robust products originating from the cancer cells; with the analytical tools available a decade ago, almost none (with the exception of myeloma proteins) of these markers were truly specific for malignant growth. A new tool, trivially called the ?gene chip? (although it has no relation to a microprocessor) is expected to change it all. Tumors have unique genetic programs operating inside their cells and some of the proteins they express are released into the circulation and become detectable. The chance to identify thousands of genes in a short time allows the determination of the molecular profile of a tumor, makes possible an early diagnosis and eventually an individually tailored, targeted therapy.
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