Diagnostic work-up for clinical and prognostic assessment of acute leukaemia

Acute leukaemia is a neoplastic disorder of haematopoietic precursors characterized by a rapid clinical course and a relatively high early death rate in spite of recent therapeutic progress. Prompt and reliable diagnostic and prognostic assessment has a favourable impact on patient outcome. Diagnostic suspicion relies on signs and symptoms of bone marrow failure or quali-/quantitative abnormalities of blood cells, which are accurately detected by modern automated counters. Cytomorphological examination of a stained blood and bone marrow film plays a key role in the diagnostic process, with relevant additional information coming from immunophenotyping of blast cells. Cytogenetic and molecular genetic data are the basis of prognostic stratification. In this context, a coordinated intervention of specialized laboratories combining solid expertise in each field involved in the diagnostic work-up is essential; at the same time, the availability of all the required technologies at the same hospital structure would probably lack efficiency due to the low number of tests performed. The organization of laboratory networks, either at regional or national level, especially in the context of clinical trials, may offer a great opportunity for centralization of more sophisticated technologies in reference laboratories, each highly specialized in a particular field of investigation and all interconnected. The challenge for laboratory haematology is the reorganization of clinical and scientific activity according to this model, without loosing educational potential in favour of new generations of medical doctors, haematologists, biologists and laboratory technicians. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Italia.