It is widely recognized that early detection is the key to successful cancer treatment and such aggressive intervention demands accurate screening tools, and various new biomarkers are finally offering a wealth of possibilities. Traditional diagnostic tests for cancer have numerous drawbacks such as expensive and invasive protocols, lack of specificity, and poor sensitivity. At CHI's recent 'PepTalk 2008' meeting, the results of studies on markers for lung, pancreatic, and a variety of malignancies were scrutinized. The need for early diagnosis is a significant driver in the search for new cancer biomarkers. There is a strong relationship between telomerase and tumor development because telomerase is expressed in more than 85 percent of cancers, as revealed in the studies of Edouard Nice, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research. Dr. Nice and his colleagues are working with Sienna Cancer Diagnostics to move technology forward for the magnetic head telomerase procedure. Sienna recently announced a licensing agreement with Geron for worldwide exclusive rights to develop telomerase for the market of in vitro diagnostics. Nigel Clarke, Ph.D., director of endocrinology at Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute, explained that the combination of the physical separation capabilities of liquid chromatography with the mass analysis capabilities of mass spectrometry is a powerful diagnostic tool that is alive and well. According to Leigh Anderson, Ph.D., CEO of the Plasma Proteom Institute, there is no guiding theory of biomarker science, which is totally empirically based. The protein-based in vitro diagnostics industry is just one percent of the pharmaceutical business, even though cancer biomarkers are critically important in early detection. This might explain why, after years of investigation, the number of clinically successful biomarkers obtained through proteomics is zero. An emphasis on diagnosis rather than therapy is necessary to move cancer treatment forward.