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Understanding BCR-ABL1 Quantitative Gene Fusion Analysis

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Hi All,

I need to understand BCR-ABL1 Quantitative Gene Fusion Analysis.

My father got it tested it three time over last three years but i dont understand the parameters defined.

Can some one please help me in understanding these terms and what is the current status with my father health.

Report 1st: 28/11/2017 01:54 PM
Observed Copies of ABL1 67024.867
Observed Copies of BCR-ABL1 2.905
BCR-ABL1/ABL1 Ratio 0.00004
BCR-ABL1/ABL1 % Ratio 0.00430
Conversion factor for IS 0.540
BCR-ABL1/ABL1 IS % RATIO 0.00241
Log10 BCR-ABL1/ABL1 IS Ratio -2.618
TRANSCRIPT DETECTED p210

Report 2nd: 11/06/2018 04:02 PM
Observed Copies of ABL1 81783.945
Observed Copies of BCR-ABL1 17.682
BCR-ABL1/ABL1 Ratio 0.00022
BCR-ABL1/ABL1 % Ratio 0.02160
Conversion factor for IS 0.540
BCR-ABL1/ABL1 IS % RATIO 0.01210
Log10 BCR-ABL1/ABL1 IS Ratio -1.917
TRANSCRIPT DETECTED p210

Report 3rd: 04-03-2019 04:00 PM
Observed Copies of ABL1 159286.891
Observed Copies of BCR-ABL1 18.781
Ratio of BCR-ABL1/ABL1 (IS %): 0.006%
Conversion factor for IS 0.54193
Assay Sensitivity/LOD: 1.76 copies of BCR-ABL1
transcript.

Hi,

You can read our PCR Primer for Patients, which will help you learn about PCR tests and how to interpret them.

https://www.cmlsupport.org.uk/node/20097

Your fathers results are very good. Both most recent tests were of high quality (copies of Abl1 > 100,000) and his IS (international standard) results are 0.012% and 0.006% (lower is better). The general consensus is that once your results are below 0.1% then that is a safe place to be, so your father is doing very well considering his results are more than 10 times lower than that.

His most recent results is the most valid, so the way to think of it is that 6 cells in 100,000 tested were positive for CML. That's a very low number.

Is there anything specific in the set of results you'd like me to explain?

David.

... it also means his father will never die from CML. His results are in the 'noise' of the test - almost indistinguishable from "undetected".