American Society of Hematology partners with AMEH and NCI to improve the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia in Mexico

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A workshop is today serves as a unique project that brings together the American Society of Hematology (ASH), the Agrupación Mexicana para el Estudio de la Hematología (AMEH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in pursuit of a common goal: improving the care of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The key to the successful treatment of AML, a type of blood cancer is characterized by a rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells, is for changes in the chromosomes of the leukemia cells - using molecular cytogenetic search analysis. In 2009, leaders of AMEH ASH approached concerns the cytogenetic examination to the Mexican medical not sufficient just to diagnosis and treatment of patients with AML was right. ASH enlisted the help of the NCI's Office of Latin American Cancer program development (OLACPD), which its expertise on cytogenetic tests as part of a pilot program to standardize and improve the quality of tests in these labs agreed. After a competitive selection process, four laboratories - two in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Morelia - were selected to take part in. Supervision on the two year project is composed by a Steering Committee of scientists, and ASH, AMEH and NCI.

"The recent scientific literature has stressed that understand meaning, the types of chromosomal abnormalities be most effective in patients with AML to their treatments fit", said David Gomez Almaguer, MD, PhD, President of AMEH and member of the Steering Committee. "We believe that by increasing the standards of the cytogenetic tests ultimately better outcomes for patients with AML, leads these laboratories, this program which is the most common form of leukaemia in adults, acute as well as one of the most common forms of leukaemia in children."

Today's workshop includes presentations on the standardization Protocol and processes. Following the workshop, the four participating laboratories cytogenetic data in the paediatric Oncology network will enter database (pond), a tool for the collection of clinical data managed hospital, which allows users in multiple locations around the world by St. Jude children's research, to share their data in a secure online environment. A Scientific Subcommittee of experts from ash, AMEH and NCI will periodically review the data and provide each laboratory with a quarterly summary of their performance compared with objective metrics. Laboratories that meet the objective metrics not receive advice from the Scientific Subcommittee to improve performance help.

"Our goal is to create a sustainable program, with the hope that finally these four laboratories as models of to other staff in all Mexico, train are used", said Michelle Le Beau, PhD, an expert in cytogenetics, represents the ashes on the Steering Committee. "We are optimistic that this joint effort will lead to significant, measurable improvements in the accuracy of cytogenetic testing for AML in Mexico."

The following labs have been selected, to the pilot, based on the number of AML cases and percentage of anomalies that normally occur, as its success rate, available resources such as personnel and equipment, and geographical distribution structures participate in:

-Laboratorio de análisis de Oncohematología, Mexico City
-Nuevo hospital civil, Guadalajara
-Laboratorios Mendel, Morelia
-Genética y Estudio pre y postnatal, Mexico City

The US Mexican Cytogenetic Laboratory standardization will pilot a joint partnership between La Agrupación Mexicana para el Estudio de la Hematología, the American Society of Hematology and the US National Cancer Institute sponsored. The pilot is supported in part by a generous grant from the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation. St. of Jude children's research hospital has kindly offered his Pediatric Oncology network database for data management.

Source:
American Society of Hematology
Agrupación Mexicana para el Estudio de la Hematología (AMEH)