Quest extends access to cancer testing services in India

Quest Diagnostics, the world's leading provider of diagnostic information and services, Monday announced that hospitals, physicians and patients across India will now be able to broadly access its cancer diagnostic testing services.

Quest Diagnostics India has expanded the ability to access cancer diagnostics services following a successful pilot of the introduction of these services to patients and oncologists in New Delhi.

The company has expanded its marketing, service and logistics operation in order to provide cancer testing services to 25 metros and Tier I cities across the country, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kochi, a company release said here.

Quest Diagnostics, headquartered in the US, provides the services in India through its full service laboratory in Gurgaon, India and esoteric testing laboratories based in the US.

Recently introduced services include testing to help detect haematological, or blood, cancers using next-generation sequencing, an advanced technique that identifies mutations and variants in an individual's DNA or genome.

Another service is a test that assesses the ROS1 gene mutation status to help determine a patient's response to a certain lung cancer therapy. The company also provides testing for breast, cervical, prostate, soft tissue, bone and several other cancers.

"The incidence of cancer cases is on the rise in India. Today, patients and the treating physician need accurate and reliable diagnostic insights in order to make the right treatment decision," said Mukul Bagga, managing director, Quest Diagnostics India.