When?
Where?
EuroClonality WORKSHOP: “Clonality assessment in Pathology” | March 4 – 6 2024
Clonality testing is an established tool in the diagnosis of malignant lymphomas. Between 5- 15% of samples submitted to pathology laboratories which are suspected to be malignant lymphomas can benefit from clonality testing, provided that this is performed in laboratories with sufficient expertise. With the introduction the IG/TR clonality assays by the BIOMED-2 group in 2003, a major step in standardization and quality improvement was set. Many laboratories throughout the world introduced the technology, resulting in questions on pitfalls in technique and the interpretation of the results.
EuroClonality/BIOMED-2 workshops
The EuroClonality/BIOMED-2 consortium in 2006 decided to organize annual workshops for laboratories that have introduced clonality testing using the EuroClonality/BIOMED-2 primers and protocols for the evaluation of the clonality data in routine practice. Since the vision of EuroClonality is that clonality testing can only be performed reliably when there is close interaction between the clinical molecular biologist and the hematopathologist and/or immunologists (of flow cytometry expert), these workshops are organized for such partners. Central in the workshop are the discussions of cases that the participants bring themselves. The cases are discussed from the different professionals views (morphology, molecular and clinical context), resulting in interprofessional learning. The cases are used on a hands-on basis; using microscopic views for pathology evaluation and GeneScan from clonality tests for interpretation.
The workshops are for a restricted number of persons. We invite persons to the workshop:
- who use the EuroClonality/BIOMED-2 primers and protocols or the EuroClonality NGS-based clonality protocol
- who are able to bring cases for evaluation during the workshop
- who participate as combination of pathology (or flow cytometry) and molecular biology:only a combination of two persons per institute will be accepted for the workshop. With this background, we are convinced that the workshops are a fruitful experience that will lead to improved diagnosis of malignant lymphomas.RegistrationThe registration form, including personal details and description of the cases to be presented should be received by the Workshop Secretariat ([email protected]) no later than Friday November 24, 2023.
Without submitted case-descriptions via the registration form, your registration cannot be accepted. The registrants will be informed about their provisionally acceptance for the workshop before Thursday December 22, 2023.The registration fee for participation in the workshop is €295, which should be paid after provisionally acceptance and receipt of an invoice (that will be send in a separate mail). Participants will be finally accepted only when the registration fee has been received by the Radboudumc before Thursday January 18, 2024.Participants will be informed about their final acceptance no later than Thursday January 25, 2024. Information on the program, travel to Nijmegen and hotels in Nijmegen will be provided upon acceptance of the registrants.
In the unlikely event that the workshop has to be cancelled, there will be no refunding of traveling costs or hotel costs by EuroClonality.
On behalf of the faculty of the EuroClonality Wordshop,
Dr. Patricia Groenen, clinical molecular biologist, Radboudumc, also workshop coordinator Prof. dr. Falko Fend, hematopathologist, University of Tübingen
Prof. dr. Ton Langerak, medical immunologist, Erasmusmc