Abstract:
This study aimed to examine the number and type of cancer diagnoses made based on bone marrow aspirates (BMA) using morphology
and/or histology, over a three year period. All the data collected (2012-2015) was obtained using the Trak-Care laboratory
information system (LIS) of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS). Data was categorised into four categories including
acute leukaemias (ALs), chronic leukaemias (CLs), Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL), Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and a miscellaneous
group.
The laboratory test most frequently used to make diagnoses was bone marrow aspiration (BMA) morphology (199), followed by
flow cytometry (138), histology (113), fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) (54) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (9). In total,
the top three conditions diagnosed were acute myeloid leukaemias (AMLs), chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and B-cell acute
lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL). There was good agreement between the diagnoses made by BMA morphology, BMT histology
and flow cytometry.
Results showed that BMA morphology was the most popular diagnostic test used and that this test had excellent agreement with
BMT histology and flow cytometry diagnoses. The most frequently diagnosed conditions were the AMLs.
