Surprising Twists and Turns of a Bone Marrow Biopsy Journey

9. Alternative Diagnostic Tests

Because a bone marrow biopsy can carry risks and tends to be a painful procedure when intravenous sedation is not used, some patients may want to undergo alternative diagnostic tests. Individuals who have been diagnosed by cancer or another bone marrow disorder may not want to undergo multiple bone marrow biopsies or can be in a physical state where they are unable to undergo follow-up bone marrow biopsy. One method being used as an alternative to a follow-up bone marrow biopsy in myeloma patients uses plasma cells captured from blood samples. This test will allow the doctor to identify the stage of the myeloma, the best drug to treat it, and keep an eye out for signs of recurrence in states of remission. The presence of circulating tumor cells or CTCs in the blood, along with the presence of cell-free DNA, can be used for comprehensive genomic profiling. The combination of both of these components is what makes it possible to extract valuable information that helps with the genetic profiling of a patient's cancer.

10. Alternative Uses For Samples

The bone marrow sample taken from a patient who has had a bone marrow biopsy can be used to carry out other helpful diagnostic tests. FISH or fluorescence in situ hybridization is a test that can find genetic abnormalities or alterations in chromosomes a standard microscopy test may not detect. Flow cytometry is a test a bone marrow sample can be used for that determines if a patient's high white blood cell count is being caused by cancer. A bone marrow sample can also be used for immunophenotyping, a test that allows for the identification of certain types of abnormal cells in a patient's blood, lymph node, or bone marrow sample. Karyotype tests, which involve mapping out an individual's 46 chromosomes, their pattern, shape, number, and size can also be carried out on a bone marrow sample. A bone marrow sample can also be used to carry out a polymerase chain reaction test that can detect any cancerous cells in the blood not detected using FISH. Cytogenetic analysis, which is used to detect multiple myeloma, can be carried out on a bone marrow biopsy sample.