"Shylirin" <shylirinsplinter@cox.net> wrote in message

No I agree with everything you said. I was only replying about a blood test
for lymphoma.

You could have at least remembered that this is the Christmas holiday and
that perhaps we have other things to do than to read an article for you.
For heaven's sakes, it's only been ONE day since you posted the link!

As medical technologists, I would beg to differ that we have no experience
with doctors.  All I do is work with doctors and nurses (and patients, of
course) regarding testing, orders, billing... you name it.  I agree that
you, as a patient, should study your condition.  And no, there is a lot that
physicians don't know, and some of them are indeed not very professional.
But there are a lot of good ones out there too, and if you've seen 75, I
would bet that there have been more than a couple of highly intelligent,
competent physicians in the group.

Best of luck,

Shylirin

 You could have at

Pete, we are involved in the clinical laboratory aspect and not the research
arm of testing. We generally let them iron out all the problems before
something is accepted in clinical practice.
Let them experiment with a select few people.
Assume that there are two malignant lymphoma cells in your whole body and
one of them happens to be detected with that new test, what is the next
step?
Any test is always measured within the clinical utility or clinical context.
Sometimes people like to hype their own research for grants.

Just a couple of points or comments on the cite that you had and it is hard
to really read news articles that are not really precise on what is being
done.
From the article you cited.

"The researchers found that by taking a sample of blood and doing
immunohistochemical analysis for the expression of CDK9 and CYCLIN T1"

Immunohistochemical analysis means you get a glass slide of tissue and then
use antibodies and special stains and look at the cells. They tested lymph
tissue and cross checked it for lymphoma by the classic definition.
Immunocytochemistry stains individual cells which is found in blood. The
person who wrote that above doesn't know what he is talking about.

http://www.jhc.org/cgi/content/full/49/6/685

""Basically, this new method is a very powerful tool in determining the
presence of cancer by analyzing these two molecules in the lymphoid tissue,"

Molecules?

The following Pubmed Journal report states that CDK9/cyclin T1 is found in
normal lymphoid tissue, reactive lymph nodes and is not found in mantle cell
and marginal zone lymphomas. It also varies greatly in reactivity in T cell
lymphoproliferative disorders.
If you have a mantle cell lymphoma it can't pick it up and morphology is
still needed along with other surface markers.

"Value of CD23 determination by flow cytometry in differentiating mantle
cell lymphoma from chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1
1764079&dopt=Abstract

J Pathol. 2004 Aug;203(4):946-52. Related Articles, Books, LinkOut

CDK9/CYCLIN T1 expression during normal lymphoid differentiation and
malignant transformation.

Bellan C, De Falco G, Lazzi S, Micheli P, Vicidomini S, Schurfeld K, Amato
T, Palumbo A, Bagella L, Sabattini E, Bartolommei S, Hummel M, Pileri S,
Tosi P, Leoncini L, Giordano A.

Department of Human Pathology and Oncology, University of Siena, Italy.

CDK9 is a member of the CDC2-like family of kinases. Its cyclin partners are
members of the CYCLIN T family (T1, T2a, and T2b) and CYCLIN K. The
CDK9/CYCLIN T1 complex is very important in the differentiation programme of
several cell types, controlling specific differentiation pathways. Limited
data are available regarding the expression of CDK9/CYCLIN T1 in
haematopoietic and lymphoid tissues. The aim of this study was to analyse
the expression of the CDK9/CYCLIN T1 complex in lymphoid tissue, in order to
assess its role in B- and T-cell differentiation and lymphomagenesis.
CDK9/CYCLIN T1 expression was found by immunohistochemistry in precursor B
and T cells. In peripheral lymphoid tissues, germinal centre cells and
scattered B- and T-cell blasts in interfollicular areas expressed
CDK9/CYCLIN T1, while mantle cells, plasma cells, and small resting
T-lymphocytes displayed no expression of either molecule. CDK9/CYCLIN T1
expression therefore appears to be related to particular stages of lymphoid
differentiation/activation. CDK9 and CYCLIN T1 were highly expressed in
lymphomas derived from precursor B and T cells, from germinal centre cells,
such as follicular lymphomas, and from activated T cells (ie anaplastic
large cell lymphomas). Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells of classical
Hodgkin's lymphoma also showed strong nuclear staining. Diffuse large
B-cell, Burkitt's lymphomas, and peripheral T-cell lymphomas, among T-cell
lymphoproliferative disorders, showed a wide range of values. No expression
of CDK9 or CYCLIN T1 was detected in mantle cell and marginal zone
lymphomas. However, at the mRNA level, an imbalance in the CDK9/CYCLIN T1
ratio was found in follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas
with germinal centre phenotype, and in the cell lines of classical Hodgkin's
lymphomas, Burkitt's lymphomas, and anaplastic large cell lymphoma, in
comparison with reactive lymph nodes. These results suggest that the
CDK9/CYCLIN T1 complex may affect the activation and differentiation
programme of lymphoid cells. The molecular mechanism through which the
CDK9/CYCLIN T1 complex is altered in malignant transformation needs to be
elucidated. Copyright 2004 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland

PMID: 15258998 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Here is a site where you can buy anti-CDK9
http://www.abcam.com/?datasheet=10874

And you have anti-Cyclin T1
http://www.abcam.com/?datasheet=2098

Mix the two together and go do flow cytometry or immunohistochemistry on
tissue or blood smear immunocytochemistry.

Please also be aware that, if these tests are not clinically indicated
from previous tests, i.e. a CBC (complete blood count) and/or other
hematological and histological tests and biopsies, my guess is that
insurance WILL NOT pay for them. Also, if these tests are submitted to
be billed through your medical insurance, there is a big database in
Boston that tracks all of this stuff for the insurance industry. If you
ever try to get life or private medical insurance in the future, this
database will be checked to possibly rate you/deny you on getting future
policies.

I've told people who have asked me in the past, about HIV testing
(example only) to pay cash for this type of testing, so the DB in Boston
can't track you. Genetic testing would come under this also.

Just my 0.02.

Judy Dilworth, M.T. (ASCP)
Microbiology
(I used to be a marketing rep and have talked with my life insurance man
about these issues)