Program

This virtual course is designed in a two-day format to provide an introduction to the use of flow cytometry for identification of minimal/measurable residual disease (MRD) in B Lymphoblastic Leukemia/Lymphoma (B-LL). The intended audience of this course includes those performing this testing and those who are considering bringing on this testing in their laboratory settings. This course may be appropriate for students, technologists, pathologists, and flow cytometry laboratory directors or supervisors. Some familiarity with interpretation of flow cytometric data is suggested for participants in day two.

Day 1 of the course will consist of a series of didactic sessions which will provide an introduction to MRD evaluation by flow cytometry in B-LL followed by a review of critical aspects of instrument and assay set up and validation.

Students may enroll in Day 1 as a stand-alone offering or also sign up for Day 2.

Day 2 (limited enrollment; pre-requisite, course day one; prior basic understanding of how to interpret clinical flow cytometric data is suggested) is intended for participants who perform or want to bring on B-LL MRD testing by flow cytometry and will focus data analysis. During day two students will become familiar with data analysis strategies and normal patterns of maturation in states of rest and marrow regeneration post therapy. Students will review potential pitfalls including the impact of assay characteristics, specimen cellularity, limitations of gating strategies, and the impact of targeted therapies.

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PROGRAM

Day 1 (10:00 AM - 4:00 PM ET) - Live & Recorded for On-Demand Viewing
Description: Day one of this course will begin with a series of didactic sessions providing an introduction to B-LL MRD evaluation by flow cytometry followed by a description of critical aspects of instrument and assay set up and assay validation. Day one will be divided into 3 primary sessions:

• Introduction to B-LL MRD
• B-LL MRD by flow cytometry: Technical considerations including instrumentation and assay set up
• Considerations for Assay Validation in B-LL MRD by flow cytometry

Learning Objectives:

• Outline the requirements for establishing and maintaining high-quality flow cytometry testing for minimal/measurable residual disease (MRD) in B lymphoblastic Leukemia/Lymphoma (B-LL).
• Describe the clinical significance of MRD in B-LL.
• Summarize the process for bringing a B-LL MRD flow cytometry assay into the flow cytometry laboratory, from the fundamentals of panel design, to assay validation and necessary steps along the way.
• Distinguish normal and abnormal B cell precursors by flow cytometry.
• Recognize factors that may interfere with the interpretation of flow cytometric data when performing B-LL MRD testing.

Day 2 (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM ET | limited to 60 participants) - Live Only
Description: Day two will focus on data analysis in B-LL MRD by flow cytometry. On day two, students will work in small groups (with discussion facilitated by course faculty) through a series of cases presented as PDFs designed to familiarize the participant with normal patterns in states of rest and marrow regeneration. Students will learn and practice strategies for data analysis and will review potential pitfalls in evaluating data for MRD in B-LL by flow cytometry. Day one enrollment is a prerequisite for Day two.

Learning Objectives:

• Distinguish normal and abnormal B cell precursors by flow cytometry.
• Recognize factors that may interfere with the interpretation of flow cytometric data when performing B-LL MRD testing.

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FACULTY

Adam Seegmiller
Andrea Marcogliese
Bruce Greig
Paul Wallace
Sindhu Cherian
Sunita Park