Molecular diagnostic approaches are expanding what information is available for clinicians and laboratory professionals, including uncovering antimicrobial resistance, identifying pathogens missed by conventional methods, revealing cancer recurrence risks and characterizing complex tumor biology.
Two new studies relating to women's health presented at the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) 2026 Annual Meeting & Expo, taking place Nov. 10–14 in Seattle, showcase this information expansion.
This research spans infectious disease diagnostics and oncology, illustrating a wide range of diagnostic growth.
Molecular testing advances STI diagnosis and treatment
One study highlights how molecular testing can improve infectious disease diagnosis and treatment decisions.
A study by researchers at Unified Women's Healthcare and Alline (formerly Florida Woman Care) analyzed 121,966 vaginal swab specimens to better understand Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), an emerging sexually transmitted infection associated with urethritis, cervicitis and pelvic inflammatory disease.
Of 4,605 MG-positive specimens with evaluable results, 41.5% showed resistance to the antibiotic class macrolides, affecting treatment options. Automated reflex testing was implemented and achieved a median turnaround time of four days, supporting the feasibility of CDC recommended resistance-guided treatment in high-volume women's health settings.
"Mycoplasma genitalium and Macrolide Resistance Prevalence Across a Large Women's Health Cohort: Implementation of a Reflex Testing Algorithm That Supports CDC-Recommended Resistance-Guided Treatment" was led by John Fulmer, M.S., MB (ASCP) at Unified Women's Healthcare, who will give a presentation about it during a poster session at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Seattle Convention Center.
Molecular profiling offers new insights into cancer risk and tumor biology
One oncology study demonstrates how molecular profiling can reveal differences in cancer recurrence risk and tumor biology that may not be apparent through conventional classification.
A study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, profiled DNA methylation in 219 tumors to identify patterns associated with recurrence of low-grade, limited-stage, copy number–low endometrioid adenocarcinoma, the most common type of endometrial cancer.
Their data showed a spectrum of methylation changes that strongly correlated with recurrence risk. Clusters defined by methylation also showed differential enrichment in CTNNB1 and DICER1 mutations, as well as copy number gains in chromosome 1q, suggesting differences in underlying tumor biology.
These findings suggest that epigenetic profiling may help distinguish recurrence risk among patients whose tumors otherwise share similar clinical and pathologic characteristics.
"Methylomic Stratification of Recurrence Risk in Primary, Low-Grade, Copy Number-Low Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma of the Uterus" was led by Matthew Zunitch at the University of California, San Fransico, who will give a presentation about it during a poster session at 9:15 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, at the Seattle Convention Center.
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