As of June 2024, the lab is currently performing cross-validation studies to deliver a new and improved diagnostic panel using over 30-colours per tube. This new assay will provide much more precise and resolved characterization of lymphoid cells and improve specificity and sensitivity for lymphoma diagnosis. This cutting-edge technology is enabled by the lab's recent acquisition of a BD FACS Symphony A5 Spectral Enabled Flow Cytometer.

The BC Cancer immunophenotyping assay is performed on samples including blood, bone marrow, body fluids, fine needle aspirates and various body tissues. We are a high volume laboratory with nearly 6000 cases tested each year as of 2024.

The BC Cancer flow cytometry lab performs data analysis using a custom-built, automated, multi-dimensional gating algorithm for detection of immune cell subpopulations which enables all data to be considered simultaneously rather than by manual inspection of just 2 colours at a time as is typically performed by most other labs. This technology not only improves accuracy, reproducibility, and reliability of the data analysis, but does so at reduced cost.

History

1953 - Flow Cytometry was put in practice using the Coulter principle.

1980 - Explosive growth in the use of Flow Cytometry in clinical medicine.

2009 - Eight (8) colour assay is deployed on the BC FACS Canto II flow cytometer at BC Cancer.

2015 - Thirteen (13) colour assay is deployed on the BC LSR Fortessa flow cytometer at BC Cancer.

2020 – Fourteen (14) colour assay is deployed on the BD LSR Fortessa flow cytometer at BC Cancer.

2020 – Automated, multidimensional data analysis is deployed at BC Cancer.

2025 (projected) – Over 30 colour assay to be deployed on the BD FACS Symphony A5 SE flow cytometer at BC Cancer.