An accurate, inexpensive, and noninvasive method for the early diagnosis of cancer has been something of a holy grail among cancer researchers, but until recently a method meeting all three criteria has been elusive. Nucleic acids were first discovered in circulation in 1948, but it was not until the 1960s and 70s that patients with autoimmune disease and cancer were discovered to have higher levels of circulating DNA than were detected in in healthy persons.

The focus in this volume is on three major applications of the circulating nucleic acids detection method: cancer, fetal...

This book discusses the clinical biochemistry of commonly measured analytes. It gives hard numerical data not only for the distribution and balance of analytes, but also for differential diagnosis and treatment. For each analyte distribution, balance and assessment of status, causes and consequences of abnormal values, investigation and treatment options are presented. Every chapter begins with a brief review of the physiology and biochemistry, followed by descriptions of the changes in diseases and how biochemical tests may help in their diagnosis and management. The principle behind the...