Electron Microscopy & Molecular Pathology

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Overview of Services

 

 

Ultrastructural diagnosis

The department operates the only Transmission Electron Microscope available in Cyprus. It offers a centralized ultrastructural diagnostic service in histopathology, that contributes to the correct histopathological diagnosis of many diseases. These include neuromuscular and kidney diseases, cilliary and skin disorders as well as the diagnosis of undifferentiated neoplasms. The department has a special interest in the diagnosis of mitochondrial myopathies so it has a close collaboration with the Neuropathology Department at CING.

Predisposition to hereditary cancer

The department offers a range of Molecular Genetic tests, that diagnose genetic predisposition to common types of hereditary cancer. These include analysis of the following genes:

  • BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that predispose to the hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome.
  • APC and MYH genes that predispose to the Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) syndrome.
  • Mis-match repair genes (MLH1, MSH2, PMS1, PMS2 and MSH6) that predispose to the Hereditary Non-Polyposis Cancer syndrome known as HNPCC.
  • p53 gene that predisposes to the Li-Fraumeni syndrome.
  • K-ras gene that is commonly activated in several human tumours.
  • In addition to the molecular genetic tests for diagnosisng patients with HNPCC, Microsattelite Instability (MSI) as well as the immunohistochemical expression of the above MMR genes is evaluated in colorectal tumours.

In order to execute the above diagnostic services the department has a long standing collaboration with the Bank of Cyprus Oncology Centre and the Nicosia General Hospital, which are the two main centres that diagnose and manage cancer patients in Cyprus.

Cancer Genetics Clinic

An integral part of delivering the services outlined in section 1.2 above, is the Cancer Genetics Clinic which has been established at CING in collaboration with the Head of the Clinical Genetics Department. The Clinic offers Genetic Counseling to individuals and families, affected with cancer predisposition genes.