Some time ago, there was talk by researchers of creating an international scale for PCR results, so that results could be compared regardless of the lab/hospital/country where they were analysed.
From looking at research, and from comments in other support groups, it seems that many hospitals abroad are beginning to use this scale. They have worked out individual conversion factors to 'translate' their figures.
Does anyone know what the latest position is here in the UK?
Regards to all
Janet
Hi Janet,
I am sure the UK CML clinicians that belong to the European Leukaemia Network (ELN) have been involved in this project to get a standarised test set up. I know that the Hammersmith Lab is pretty much one of the best in the world, and there are others in the UK.
This would be a good topic for the UK CML Patient Seminar in November... hope you are able to go?
Sandy
Hi,
In addition to getting an international standardized PCR test established (which is still a long way off) it would be very useful if they could also standardize how the PCR results are reported. Some labs report results as a log reduction, others as a percentage of bcr/abl and others as a numerical value. Maybe they should do this first so that we not comparing apples to oranges.
Zavie
