Last update:

   14-Oct-2014
 

Arch Hellen Med, 31(5), September-October 2014, 624-630

SPECIAL ARTICLE

Diagnosis documentation and prognostic classification of myeloid and lymphoid neoplasms by molecular techniques

I. Kakkas
Department of Immunology and Histocompatibility, "Evangelismos" General Hospital, Athens, Greece

The earlier (2001) and current (2008) WHO classification of "tumours of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues" use all available information (cytomorphology, immunophenotype, genetic features, clinical features) to define these diseases. Certain genetic (cytogenetic or molecular) abnormalities are characteristic for specific diseases, and others constitute prognostic factors for several diseases; thus, for disease recognition, molecular abnormalities can be used for the prognostic classification of specific diseases. The current (2008) WHO classification documents the hematological malignancies in which molecular biological techniques have been applied for either diagnosis or prognostic classification. Regarding documentation of diagnosis, molecular biological techniques have been applied in the case of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), systemic mastocytosis and chronic eosinophilic leukemia. Regarding prognostic classification, molecular biological techniques have been applied in the case of AML, ALL and B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL).

Key words: Diagnosis, Documentation, Molecular techniques, Myeloid and lymphoid neoplasms, Prognostic classification.


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