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Bone Marrow Biopsy Blast % results, morphology v/s Flowcytometry

This topic has 2 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 18 years, 9 months ago by Suzanne.

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July 25, 2005 at 1:43 pm #7859

Dinesh
Member

I was diagnosed in Nov.2002 with MDS Refractory Anemia. My presen (May 2005) diagnos is MDS with excess blast- Type 2 of 16% as per BMB slides (Morphology exam, Manual counting blast cells) and 9% blast as per Flow Cytometry test (Machine counting blasr cells). Any one has experience regarding which test (morphology or Flow Cytometry) is more reliable?

Dr. Greenberg at Stanford MDS Center gives more credibility to Morphology report. Dr. Paquette at UCLA gives more credibility to Flowcytometry report.
I am under treatment at Kaiser-Bellflower, CA. VIDAZA after 8 cycles of treatment did not help to reduce blast%. Now Dr. Greenberg of Stanford and Dr. Paquette of UCLA recommends to ZARNESTRA. Any one having experience of ZARNESTRA, please comment on side effects and effect on MDS

July 25, 2005 at 5:50 pm #7860

sarah
Member

Dinesh, I am confused about flow cytometry test. Is this for blasts in perpherial blood ?

July 25, 2005 at 8:31 pm #7861

Suzanne
Member

I used to know what the flow cytometry was but have forgotten.I believe it is part of the bone marrow test. Probably someone else can answer before I find my old notes. As far as my experience with zarnestra that you asked in another post.I was using it in a trial for a different purpose-As a maintenane drug after I was already in remission from Induction and consolidation Chemo to hopefully prevent relapse. I had almost no side effects My counts were depressed slightly-not enough to worry about, Very slight discomfort in my knee joints when I climbed stairs. And after a year of taking it I had some trouble retaining information and concentrating at the very end. Everything cleared up after the end of the medicine. I believe the purpose you are thinking of using it is what it has been submitted to FDA for approval on-A chemo instead of the heavy stuff. They were hoping for fast track approval but the last I heard FDA wants phase 3 trials completed before they approve it for that use. What I remember is that it had a 30% inprovement rate used as a chemo. And that is pretty good for MDS and AML treatments. I believe the dose level is about the same as what I took. I had no trouble with it and the others I know about who took it did not either but I only know people who are doing my trial not ones who took it in place of Induction chemo. There were some that it did not help but overall the results have been very good.
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