Cancer is a genetic disease and is induced by the accumulation of harmful DNA mutations in cells. The mechanisms of inducing abnormal cell proliferation, differentiation and cancer production are mainly studied in three categories: activating dominant transforming proto-oncogenes by translocations and mutations, inactivating tumor suppressor gene by mutations, and disordering the DNA repair genes.  Genetic testing has now become essential for many different cancers, with the test results being used for diagnosis of certain cancers, as well as for personalized treatment. The Cancer Hotspot Panel includes 50 genes important in several different cancers analyzed in a single test. It is specially useful for Thyroid cancer, Lung cancer, Colon cancer, gastro-intestinal stromal tumors (GIST), Glioma & certain leukemias.

Genes included in the cancer hotspot panel are,