Erschienen in:
16.01.2017 | Editorial
Challenges and Promises of Genetic Stratification of Risk in Multiple Myeloma
verfasst von:
Hara Prasad Pati, Prashant Sharma
Erschienen in:
Indian Journal of Hematology and Blood Transfusion
|
Ausgabe 1/2017
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Excerpt
Multiple myeloma resembles solid tumours at several levels: it develops and progresses through a well-delineated sequence of pre-malignant and asymptomatic stages, it represents a genetically highly complex and heterogeneous disease, and the laboratory diagnosis of its genetic abnormalities stringently mandates specific testing of the malignant cells, and not the other non-neoplastic marrow components [
1]. Also, in contrast to acute leukemias, a focussed testing approach using a single technique i.e. fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH)-based cytogenetic studies, is highly informative in myeloma. However, FISH is best performed on flow cytometrically sorted plasma cells, or in conjunction with cytoplasmic immunoglobulin staining to ensure specificity [
2]. Conventional metaphase cytogenetics in contrast is easier, but has a diminishing role in this disease since it primarily indicates plasma cell proliferation and is insensitive to several of the genetic lesions [
3]. Newer molecular level techniques holding out the promise of greater prognostic information also loom on the horizon. …