The flow cytometric analysis of cells from patients with known or suspected hematological malignancy encompasses issues of specimen triage (is the test necessary?), technology (actual laboratory performance of the test), medical interpretation (analysis of technical data in the medical context of the patient), and reporting of the results in a manner meaningful to the treating physician.
For the purpose of this report, the technical aspects of flow cytometric immunophenotyping are defined by the following components: (1) acquisition of the patient specimen and transport to the laboratory, (2) sample preparation and staining, (3) instrument quality control and quality assurance, and (4) data acquisition on the flow cytometer and data storage. Unlike the more esoteric aspects of the analysis and interpretation of immunophenotypic patterns in hematological malignancy, there is some consensus opinion established regarding many of the technical aspects common to this and other applications of clinical flow cytometry. Previous consensus proceedings have addressed, particularly, issues of instrumentation and specimen handling as they relate to analysis of leukemia, lymphoma (21,59) and lymphocyte subset analysis for monitoring patients with HIV infection (11,44,45,52).
This report also reiterates important points made in the previous work and elaborates on issues specific to the flow cytometric analysis of hematopoietic malignancies not previously discussed. It should be understood that the recommendations of this conference are presented as a basis for further discussion and enhancement.
It also should be noted that the recommendations presented by this committee strongly reflect discussion and recommendations by the other core committees involved in the formulation of this consensus regarding the utility of flow cytometry for the analysis of hematological malignancies. This is particularly true for issues such as antibody panel selection and validation and importance of fluorescence standardization and quantification, as well as a number of other topics that reflect upon the technical aspects of the test.