Molecular diagnostics in hematological disorders

Currently, the gold standards for the diagnosis and treatment of hematopoietic malignancies remain the morphologic features, karyotype and flow cytometric analysis. However, the time to correlate these standard-bearers with molecular diagnostic testing is upon us. Molecular biological techniques have, in fact, revolutionized the diagnosis and management of a wide variety of medical disorders, and have had a major impact on all medical disciplines, particularly hematology. Hematology already greatly relies on specialized molecular procedures for the diagnosis and management of patients. Molecular-genetic testing is anticipated to result in improved cytoreduction, as well as increased cure rates for these patients in the near future.