The goal: a gene-based prognostic test, one that could predict years in advance which tumor will metastasize and kill you.

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In their prognostic framing, they point to the harm the Kyoto Protocol and all regulation will do to the economy.

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Elsewhere, Celera Diagnostics, Abbott Labs and closely held Genomic Health also are pursuing prognostic gene tests for prostate cancer (and other tumors).

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Prolaris, a prostate cancer prognostic that Meldrum thinks has the potential earning power of BRACAnalysis, is still groping for guidelines from urological societies.

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"We have seen patients make remarkable improvements after being in a coma for a long time, but the best prognostic indicator is how one does over time, " Black said.

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Someday the ability to measure the level of stem cells in a tumor could lead to new prognostic tests that predict when a cancer is likely to accelerate, helping doctors customize treatment.

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