Cytogenetics in the diagnosis of hematologic malignancies

Practical uses of cytogenetic analysis in hematopoietic disorders include the following: confirm/establish a diagnosis of chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) confirm/predict blast crisis of CML help in diagnosis/prognosis of acute leukemia confirm/establish remission or relapse in acute leukemia help in diagnosis/prognosis of myelodysplastic states evaluate post-bone marrow transplant recipients help in diagnosis of some lymphoproliferative disorders aid researchers in discovery of critical gene loci that may eventually result in more effective treatment. Cytogenetic laboratories and molecular genetic laboratories should be in close communication to recommend the most appropriate studies in any given case and to avoid expensive duplication of work.