Objectives	To describe the general methodologies of laboratory testing in order to judiciously order appropriate tests To be able to appropriately use laboratory diagnostic testing for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with cancer, as well as understand the limitations of testing
Key Concepts	Interpret laboratory testing in patients with cancer and those being evaluated for cancer Demonstrate an understanding of the role of laboratory testing for the diagnosis and management of patients including establishing disease prognosis and response to therapy Recognise the availability of relevant laboratory diagnostic tests and the application of those tests for specific clinical scenarios Describe the components and relevance of common laboratory tests, such as the complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, and microbiology cultures Recognise the balance between utility and costs of diagnostic and prognostic laboratory testing, including biomarkers Recognise the balance among testing sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for different testing populations for diagnostic testing Recognise the importance of laboratory quality practises, including controls (positive, negative), assessment of data quality, and limitations of techniques Describe pertinent uses of relevant biomarkers in an appropriate clinical context Demonstrate an understanding of the appropriate sample type for various laboratory tests Recognise the importance of sample handling and processing Define adequate frequencies of repeat laboratory diagnostic analyses in different clinical settings Demonstrate an understanding of general microbial identification techniques and other infectious disease-related testing modalities Distinguish current technologies, including molecular methodologies with emerging diagnostic applicability, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and quantitative reverse transcription-PCR, interference with gene expression (small interfering ribonucleic acids, short hairpin ribonucleic acids, overexpression), the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats system, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, basic cytogenetic techniques (fluorescence in situ hybridisation and karyotype), immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, Sanger sequencing and next-generation sequencing, single-cell technologies, liquid biopsies: circulating tumour cells, circulating cell-free DNA
Skills	Demonstrate the ability to: Assess critically, interpret, and discuss specific laboratory parameters Evaluate costs of laboratory tests in relation to their clinical relevance Use laboratory findings and other diagnostic procedures in clinical decision making Discuss complex laboratory results with laboratory physician colleagues Discuss and interpret laboratory findings with regard to clinical consequences Explain the results of laboratory tests to patients and colleagues Understand the limitations of laboratory testing