'The Critical Role of the Clinical Lab'

Clinical laboratory professionals dealing with cancer in 2025 have a broad and varied menu of tools available to them. Even so, challenges remain. More research, and more equitable application of the benefits of that research, are needed to defeat the disease—and the clinical lab plays a critical role in that work.

“According to the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2024, decreasing mortality rates for many common cancers are contributing to the growing population of cancer survivors in the US and worldwide,” writes Michael Schubert, PhD, in our Cancer feature. “But the news is not all good—cancer incidence in younger adults is rising.” 

In contrast, the adoption of digital pathology has been slow, says Deborah Sesok-Pizzini, MD, MBA, chief medical officer at Labcorp. Learn more about the challenges and opportunities of digital pathology. We also speak with Mike Kuisma, MSc, on improving intraoperative frozen section consultations using whole slide imaging.

Every year, clinical laboratories are expected to do more with less and are turning to automation. Our Automation feature explores the future of automated systems in biobanking, while Bill Peters, president of NuAire, discusses the biggest challenges of integrating automation systems into biosafety cabinets.

Similarly, learn more about how automated liquid handling platforms can help labs optimize their day-to-day operations . 

While the US federal government again postponed lab test rate cuts proposed by PAMA, this annual exercise merely delays the inevitable, writes Tyler Radke, MLS(ASCP)CM, in our Business feature. Radke outlines several strategies to protect and increase lab revenue in 2025 and prepare for future cuts.

Many genetic therapies have entered clinical trials, ushering in a new era of potentially long-lasting treatments. Our Precision Medicine feature highlights remarkable progress in targeted gene therapies for inherited retinal diseases, which have now improved sight for some. Speaking of genes, Annemarie Watson, CEO of Covaris, discusses how to improve sample prep for whole genome sequencing.

Also, don’t miss our Emerging Technologies Guide.

We hope you’ll join us virtually for our upcoming digital forums. Register for free access to all of our events with our All-Inclusive Pass at ClinicalLab.com/Digital-Forums.