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Sending samples to CellBank

Additional samples are requested from all patients with a paediatric haematological malignancy at the following time points:

  • diagnosis
  • end of induction therapy
  • end of consolidation therapy
  • end of treatment


The following samples are requested from leukaemia patients:

  • bone marrow 3-5ml in yellow-capped ACD tube                                                                     
  • peripheral blood 3-5ml in purple-capped EDTA tube
  • CSF 10 drops (if available) in blue-capped tube

The following samples are requested from aplastic anaemia patients: (diagnosis only)

  • bone marrow 3-5ml in yellow-capped ACD tube                                                                    
  • peripheral blood 10ml in purple-capped EDTA tubes


When sending samples, please use the sample packs provided by CellBank:

  1. affix duplicate barcodes to tubes and sample information sheet
  2. complete sample information sheet as fully as possible
  3. place tubes and information sheet in the provided SafeBox and post on the day of samples being collected

FRIDAY SAMPLES - Change of procedure

Due to ongoing issues with courier collection, for samples taken on Friday or late Thursday - please refrigerate the samples and send by Royal Mail Special Delivery Safe Box on Monday.  You can order Special Delivery Safeboxes on this website and they are pre-paid.

CellBank pack items to include

Diagnostic samples (taken according to UK guidelines, below) should be sent via the usual routes and take precedence over samples for CellBank.

 

UK guidelines for sampling

The principle behind these guidelines is that all essential diagnostic samples are taken from the first pass of the bone marrow needle, a second needle pass  into the bone is then made through the same skin incision at a different angle.  This is to avoid sending ever more dilute samples for MRD and banking.


Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)

First pass (sample requirements as per local practice)

  1. Morphology
  2. Flow cytometry
  3. Cytogenetics

Second pass (in order of priority)

  1. MRD - 5ml ACD
  2. CellBank - 5ml ACD
  3. Local studies (if applicable)


Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)

First pass (sample requirements as per local practice)

  1. Morphology
  2. Flow cytometry
  3. Cytogenetics/ molecular markers

Second pass (in order of priority)

  • CellBank - 5ml ACD
  • Local studies (if applicable)