32 replies to this topic

[eithne01]

I saw my onc today and was hoping for pcru but I got MMR instead,My onc is delighted therefore so am I.

My PCR is .02.is that really good?

CML dx Oct.2009.

[CallMeLucky]

Congratulations, that is a major milestone in this battle, you should feel really good about it.

[Trey]

The PCR raw numbers are not understandable without relating them to something.  If your Onc says it is MMR, then that is very good for the 18 month point.

[eithne01]

Trey,hope you are well,thank you so much for your reply.Getting a positive reply from you is right up there

with my onc.You'd think i'd be more clued in by now.

[eithne01]

Thank you so much.

[hannibellemo]

Congratulations! That is very good news!

Pat

[jrsboo]

Hmm, my latest PCR was done last week, and it came back as Indeterminate.  Is that the same as MMR?  or PCRU?

Caroline

[Trey]

Sad to say it is more likely a test failure.  Need a re-do.  Expletives follow....

[eithne01]

Sorry  Caroline it means you need another PCR test.I'm surprised they didn't do it when you were there.

Hopefully you will get PCRU or MMR.It's the waiting that does my head in.(3month turnaround)

[GerryL]

Hi Caroline,

You should talk to your doc about getting another test done.

I had the same comment on my last BMB - unfortunately my specialist went on extended holiday just before those results came out. So I've had to wait 4 months for him to come back. Getting my blood taken for a PCR test this weekend - then just have to wait another 4 weeks to see him, results will give me something to talk to him about.

Gerry

[eithne01]

how do you guys get your PCR results so fast?

[GerryL]

I live in Australia, so not sure if that makes a difference.

I'm a bit new to the testing process for PCR, but if I remember correctly about a week after my second BMB doc rang to tell me the marrow was clear (I asked about MMR). He said it might be in the next lot of results. A week later he rang me to tell me I had achieved CCR (he seemed pretty happy - I asked about MMR). He said to ring back in a week for those results and promptly went on holiday. I rang them back - they never called me back, called them back the next week - still didn't hear from them. So I got the results sent to my GP, when we looked through the results it said BCR-ABL not detected, but then there were a few additional comments along with a suggestion for further testing. So have no idea where I was in relation to MMR from that test. All in all it seemed about 3 or 4 weeks to get the results.

[VickiW]

I live in the "middle of nowhere" and my blood must be shipped to Milwaukee and I get my Quantitative PCR results usually in 3 days (including travel time).

Same "shipping" for a BMB.  Usually takes that 5 to 7 days.

Maybe I am just their favorite

[CallMeLucky]

eithne,

I'm not sure if you meant 3 weeks or 3 months.  PCR results do not take 3 months to come back.  Results for a PCR should be back in 1-2 weeks, 3 tops.  The blood sample can't sit around too long, so it has to be processed in a reasonable amount of time.  If you are not getting your results back for 3 months, that would appear to be an issue with the way your doctor's office communicates test results.  I'm guessing you have appointments every three months and you get the results when you go for your next appointment so your doctor can discuss them with you.  That's all well and good for the doctor, but puts a burden on you wondering what the results are.  With my doctor I usually wait about two weeks after blood draw and I call to ask what the results of the test were.  A nurse calls me back to discuss.  Fortunately I haven't had any bad news or I suspect the doctor would call herself.  After they tell me the results, I request they fax a copy to me for my own review and record keeping.  If I see something I don't understand I can ask questions here or send an email to my doctor's nurse.

I don't think it is fair you should have to wait three months for your results.  I would have a talk with the doctor and work out a better way to get the infromation from them in a more timely manner.

[Tedsey]

Congratulations!  Hope you are feeling great!

Teds

[Tedsey]

Gerry,

I am so sorry you have to go through all this with your onc.  It makes me angry.  You deserve to have an excellent report.  I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

Teds

[jrsboo]

Ok, here is the whole test result.  And the reason I get it so fast, I go to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and the lab is in the building.  The results for CBCs are in in under an hour, PCR takes a day, I will let you know about BMB after the 5th:

INTERPRETATION

Peripheral blood (14 April 2011): INDETERMINATE for BCR/ABL p210 transcripts (see comment).

COMMENT

One of two duplicate assays was positive at a very low level, and the other was negative. This is most likely due to a very low level of transcripts. Clinical correlation is required to determine the significance of this result.

BCR/ABL RESULT HISTORY

Draw Date

Days Post TX

Quantitative p210

BCR/ABL to ABL Ratio (%)

Specimen Type

*04/14/2011

Pre Transplant

INDETERMINATE

Peripheral Blood

_____________________________________________

And just for Trey (since I think he is the only one this will make sense to--but maybe there are others lurking out there that will understand as well):

____________________________________________________

NOTE: On December 1, 2010 the UWMC Molecular Hematopathology Laboratory instituted a new method using the Cepheid GeneXpert Dx system for Quantitative BCR/ABL testing in patients known to have the b2:a2 (e13:a2) or b3:a2 (e14:a2) type of BCR/ABL fusion gene, which encodes the p210 fusion protein. Because the new method uses ABL as the endogenous control gene and our previous method used G6PDH as the control, these values cannot be compared to one another. If you have questions concerning what this change means for your patient, please call the laboratory and talk to one of our Hematopathologists.

--Caroline

[Buzzm1]

Congrats on your progress eithne

Received an email from my onc with my PCR results this morning.

She said don't miss a day of Gleevec

I think she must be counting my pills..lol

Don't know if anyone else, other than me, feels that they need to take a day off on occasion.

my bad, there's usually one day in a month, where my regimen slips

Keep up the progress, it's the journey, not the destination

[Buzzm1]

Hi eithne,

RE: My PCR is .02

In your PCR results, did it state what your log reduction was calculated to be?