S1 E11: How Pathologists Detect Cancer: Advances in Blood and Tissue Analysis
Meet our guest Dr. Kyle Parker of Powers Health Medical Group
Dr. Kyle Parker is a board-certified pathologist with Powers Health Medical Group, specializing in anatomical and clinical pathology as well as hematopathology. He provides diagnostic support across several Northwest Indiana hospitals, including Community Hospital in Munster, St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, and Powers Health Rehabilitation Center in Crown Point.
Dr. Parker completed his medical degree at Indiana University School of Medicine and trained in pathology at the University of Chicago. His work helps guide patient care through accurate, timely, and clinically meaningful laboratory and tissue diagnoses.
Episode Summary
In this episode of The DBT Podcast, host Dr. Neel Shah speaks with Dr. Kyle Parker, a pathologist who specializes in diagnosing blood cancers and solid tumors. Their conversation explores how modern pathology integrates advanced technologies such as flow cytometry and circulating tumor DNA analysis to identify cancers faster, more accurately, and with increasingly less invasive methods. Dr. Parker walks listeners through how biopsies are processed, why tissue still matters, how blood-based diagnostics are evolving, and what the future may hold for cancer detection.
• How pathologists collaborate with clinicians to diagnose cancers
• How flow cytometry works and why it has become such a powerful diagnostic tool
• How quickly labs can now generate results compared to past methods
• The difference between a pin-prick sample and a full blood culture
• How circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can reveal cancer-specific mutations
• Whether blood tests may eventually replace tissue biopsies
• How a pathologist determines whether a tissue sample is cancerous
Episode Highlights
(1:30) The doctors talk about flow cytometry and how they work together to determine a diagnosis.
(5:35) Learn about the progress made in cytometry
(6:20) How long did it used to take to get enough data and how long does it take now?
(6:51) How was this testing method discovered and how does it work?
(11:04) What information can be determined from a pin prick versus a blood culture?
(12:47) All of our cells have DNA in them. How is is this DNA used to cancer detected in the blood?
(14:39) Will it be possible to one day identify cancers through blood samples or will be still need tissue samples?
(16:20) There are more than 200 different types of tissue in the human body…Dr. Parker describes how he determines if a sample is cancerous.
The information shared in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for questions about your health. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. Neither the host, the guests, nor Flint Rock LLC assume any liability for actions taken based on the content of this podcast.
