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Multiple myeloma (MM) is more recently being recognized as a heterogeneous group of disease with variability in outcomes based on specific clinical and biologic predictors. MM patients can be broadly categorized into standard, intermediate and high risk for disease relapse, morbidity and mortality. The high-risk features include patient-specific factors such as old age, poor performance status and comorbidities; clinical features such as primary plasma cell leukemia and extramedullary disease; disease-specific biologic features such as deletion 17p, t(4;14) and high-risk gene expression profiling signatures. The current paper reviews the available data on best therapeutic approaches for high-risk MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Definite progress has been made in the exploration of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) by flow cytometry (FCM) since the publication of the World Health Organization 2008 classification of myeloid neoplasms. An international working party initiated within the European LeukemiaNet and extended to include members from Australia, Canada, Japan, Taiwan and the United States has, through several workshops, developed and subsequently published consensus recommendations. The latter deal with preanalytical precautions, and propose small and large panels, which allow evaluating immunophenotypic anomalies and calculating myelodysplasia scores. The current paper provides guidelines that strongly recommend the integration of FCM data with other diagnostic tools in the diagnostic work-up of MDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]