Glossary Term:
Title
RT-PCR or reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction
Phonetic
re-<b>verse </b>tran-<b>scrip</b>-shun puh-<b>lim</b>-er-ace
Description
A very sensitive test (also called RT-PCR) for finding cancer-related genetic changes (mutations), such as those that happen in some cancers. It can detect very small numbers of cancer cells in blood or tissue samples that would be missed by other tests. RT-PCR looks closely at ribonucleic acid (RNA) for changes that might help determine best treatment choices and response to treatment .