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http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-1/Test-gives-insight-into-prognosis-in
-patients-with-plasma-cell-malignancies--finds-Mayo-Clinic-study-4542-1/

Date:10/24/2007
ROCHESTER, Minn. -- A new Mayo Clinic study due to be presented at the annual
meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics in San Diego this week shows
that a chromosome test called FISH is better than conventional methods in
identifying chromosomal genetic abnormalities associated with plasma cell
malignancies. This improved chromosomal analysis may help physicians better
assess a patients prognosis and likelihood to respond to a given treatment.

Plasma cell proliferative disorders, or PCPD, account for approximately 10
percent of all blood born cancers that range from the very slow-growing
smoldering myeloma to a very aggressive plasma cell leukemia.

The study will be presented by Ryan Knudson of the Mayo Clinic Cytogenetics
Laboratory at 6:30 p.m., CDT, Wednesday, Oct. 24.

FISH, which stands for fluorescence in situ hybridization, detected chromosomal
abnormalities in 67 percent of 1,548 patients with suspected PCPD. Conventional
chromosomal analysis detected abnormalities in only 10 percent of the same
patients. The FISH test is designed to detect genetic abnormalities in plasma
cells whereas other conventional methods typically looks within any cell type
that is present, says the lead author of the study, Rhett ketterling, M.D., a
Mayo Clinic pathologist and geneticist who specializes in chromosomes and
chromosomal abnormalities.

This test is a marked improvement over conventional chromosomal analysis and
has become readily accepted into the diagnostic algorithm in patients with PCPD
at Mayo Clinic and at other leading academic institutions, Dr. ketterling says.

The test should be applied to patients diagnosed with PCPD, particularly
multiple myeloma, to determine the presence of genetic abnormalities that could
offer insight into prognosis, he states.