Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Español
Government Funding Lapse
Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

genomic testing

(jeh-NOH-mik TES-ting)
A laboratory method that looks for genetic changes across all the DNA (including the entire set of genes) in a person or in a specific cell type or tissue. Genomic testing is done on samples such as blood or saliva to identify inherited genetic changes that may increase the risk of developing a specific disease or condition, such as cancer. Genomic testing on a tumor sample is done to detect all the genetic changes in the cancer cells. This may help doctors learn more about the cancer, including how quickly it is likely to grow and spread and how well it may respond to certain types of treatment.
Search NCI's Dictionary of Cancer Terms