Fudan-Cinpathogen Study Shows Chronic Lymphoid Neoplasms Are More Common In Shanghai Than Thought

Main Category: Lymphoma / Leukemia
Also Included In: Blood / Hematology;  Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 05 Aug 2008 - 1:00 PST

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

A prospective study of 728 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma from a single laboratory in Shanghai, China published online in the International Journal of Hematology shows significant differences in frequency of subtypes of lymphoma and other lymphoid neoplasms between China and the West. The report also reveals that chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), previously thought to be rare in China, is more common than suggested in earlier reports.

This publication is eighth in a series reporting research conducted by Cinpathogen scientists in collaboration with Fudan University, the University of Colorado, and Cincinnati Children's Hospital, that characterizes the features and frequency of hematopoietic disorders in China.

"Our study has increased medical knowledge and allowed us to help individual patients by sharing technological advancements," said Dr. Richard D. Irons, Cinpathogen CEO and the principal investigator of the project. "We are obtaining a better understanding of the prevalence of hematopoietic diseases in China, while at the same time having an impact on people's lives by providing the citizens of Shanghai the same advanced diagnostics that patients at modern Western medical centers receive."

A unique aspect of the 4 year Shanghai study is that diagnosis and classification were performed by a single central laboratory according to WHO (2001) criteria. This month's publication presents the results of the largest prospective case series of lymphoid neoplasms in China published to date. "It serves as an example that high-quality, state-of-the-art research is possible in China," explained Dr. Irons.

Cinpathogen operates the Fudan-Cinpathogen Clinical and Molecular Research Center providing diagnostics to patients from over 30 Shanghai area hospitals and conducting translational research on hematopoietic and lymphoid disorders in China. The Center offers specialized clinical capabilities that meet Western standards in the fields of hematology, molecular pathology, cytogenetics and flow cytometry.

Cinpathogen