Q3: Leukemia Sampling Consideration

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Q3: Leukemia Sampling Consideration

Category: View Frequently Asked Questions
  1. Sample type: For leukemia cases in full blast phase, submit 2 mL EDTA whole blood, shipped overnight on ice packs.
  2. Assay sensitivity: Our assay detects neoplastic populations at ≥10% of nucleated cells. Provide an estimate of blast percentage from CBC, differential, smear, or flow cytometry.
  3. Estimating blast fraction:
    1. CBC with differential: Initial estimate.
    1. Peripheral blood smear: Morphologic blast count is helpful.
    1. Flow cytometry: Gold standard for blast percentage and immunophenotype.
    1. Bone marrow aspirate: Definitive blast percentage, if available.
  4. If blast fraction <10%: Consider:
    1. Collect fresh bone marrow or a later peripheral blood sample during higher disease burden.
    1. Perform leukocyte enrichment (e.g., Ficoll/PBMC) or cell sorting before DNA isolation.
    1. Accept lower sensitivity and annotate the report accordingly.
  5. Labeling & forms: Label slides with the patient’s name and/or VetOmics ID (e.g., VOC25100011) and include the VetOmics confirmation page when shipping.
  6. Shipping: Ship the tube overnight on ice to our lab.