Clinical Information

It is frequently useful to obtain DNA from clinical samples containing a hematopoietic neoplasm at the time of diagnosis so appropriate material is available for molecular analysis should subsequent testing be required. For example, when a diagnosis of acute myelogenous leukemia is made, there is a delay before karyotype information, which determines whether testing for molecular prognostic markers is necessary, is available. After this delay, the diagnostic sample is usually no longer available, or the DNA has degraded to such an extent that it is no longer adequate for testing. Thus, it is useful to obtain DNA on such specimens promptly at diagnosis and retain it until it is known whether additional testing is necessary.