Highlights

Consolidation of a joint EHA, ISLH Diagnostic Hematology Workshop during EHA2025 Congress

Coordinated by John Frater (ISLH), Monika Bruggemann, and Francesco Buccisano for 2025

EHA-ISHL Diagnostic Workshop, EHA2025 Congress, Milan

Session 1: New innovations in red blood cell diagnostics.

  • Chairs: John Frater
  • Molecular diagnostic strategies in hemoglobin and red blood cell disorders – Cornelis Harteveld (Netherlands)
  • Innovations in automated classification of red blood cells -image processing and machine learning – Anna Merino (Spain)
  • Genetic testing in sickle cell disease – Yves Pastore (Canada)

Session 2: Myeloid neoplasms: Leukemic stem cells in AML – Practical exploitation

  • Chairs: Margarita Guenova, Francesco Buccisano
  • Building a reliable and validated test to identify LSC in AML – Tom Reuvekamp (Netherlands)
  • Practical application of LSC enumeration in the clinical setting – Adriana Plesa (Frnce)
  • Molecular profiling of LSC: Technical feasibility and clinical applications – Elisa Donato (Germany)

Session 3: Lymphoid neoplasms: Modern diagnostic approaches in lymphoid malignancies

  • Chairs: Elizabeth Macintyre, Monika Brüggemann
  • Diagnosis and classification of mature B-cell neoplasms – The role of NGS – Alexander Tzankov (Switzerland)
  • PET/CT or circulating tumor DNA for response assessment? – Marie-Hélène Delfau (France)
  • The value of transcriptome sequencing in ALL – Lorenz Bastian (Germany)

Participation in Diagnostic Regulatory and Policy/Advocacy, including via the BioMed Alliance IVD TF

Continued involvement in the COMBINE project https://health.ec.europa.eu/medical-devices-topics-interest/combined-studies_en , which aims to improve regulatory complexity between Clinical Trials and Medical Devices Regulations, primarily CTR and IVDR (P. Staber and E. Macintyre).

EHA continues to be an active member of both the BioMed Alliance Board (E. Macintyre was president from 2024-25) and its IVD Task Force, within the regulatory committee (Monika Bruggemann and Marie-Christine Bene). An IHI (Innovative Health Initiative) proposal on Improved exploitation of External Quality Assessment for both CE-IVD and In-House-IVD, iQuAL, was submitted by the IVD TF and retained for consideration. (https://www.ihi.europa.eu/shape-our-future-research/propose-ideas)

Discussion with the UEMS Laboratory Medicine Specialty sections on specialist recognition

EHA leadership held preliminary discussions with the UEMS Laboratory Medicine and Medical Microbiology sections on the different possibilities for diagnostic training recognition and chose to prioritize recognition by UEMS of the “General Hematology” category, which includes both clinical and laboratory hematology.

Successful request for EHA funding for an OD-SWG meeting

“Integrated diagnostics and Implementation Science in Hematological Malignacies”, to be held in Nice, France, on April 8-10, 2027.

Strategic agenda 2026

Development of the OD-SWG Strategic agenda for Board approval in 2026.

Rare Cancers Forum

Along with other societies in rare disease networks, EHA was invited to join the Cancer Mission Rare Cancers Forum and proposed disparities in access to diagnostics as one of its priority topics. This was selected as a work package, led by EHA, to be developed in 2026. EHA will be represented by Jan Trka and Elizabeth Macintyre.

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