Theranostics

Not to be confused with Theranos.

Theranostics, or theragnostics, refers to the combination of diagnosis and therapy (treatment) of disease in a single medical intervention or technique. For example, a combination of radioactive isotopes may be administered to simultaneously identify and attack cancerous lesions. Typically theranostic approaches involve a medical imaging component, such as radiotracers, contrast agents, positron emission tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.

The term "theranostic" is a portmanteau of two words, therapeutic and diagnostic. The first known use of the term is attributed to John Funkhouser, a consultant for the company Cardiovascular Diagnostic, who used it in a press release in August 1998.

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