Early Peripheral Blood Blast Clearance: A New Chemosensitivity Indicator for Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Su Long

doi:10.18875/2375-6683.1.103

Abstract

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly heterogeneous disease, and cytogenetics and molecular markers play important roles in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of AML. Although cytogenetic karyotypes and molecular mutations are powerful prognostic predictors for outcome of AML patients, indicators of response to initiation chemotherapy have not been identified. In childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a rapid decline of circulating leukemic blasts in response to induction chemotherapy or prednisone is one of the most important prognostic factors, not only for achieving remission but also for long-term survival [1]. Similarly, in patients with AML who have received induction chemotherapy, a rapid decrease in peripheral blood blasts (PBB) is also considered as a favorable indicator of response to chemotherapy [1-4] Citation: Su Long (2014) Early Peripheral Blood Blast Clearance: a New Chemosensitivity Indicator for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. SAJ Cancer Sci 1: 103. doi: 10.18875/2375-6683.1.103

Highlights

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly heterogeneous disease, and cytogenetics and molecular markers play important roles in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of AML
Elliott et al demonstrated that the time to clearance of peripheral blood blasts (PBB) during standard induction therapy was a strong predictor of both overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) in a group of 73 AML patients [1]
In 162 patients with AML, Arellano et al recently reported that early clearance of PBB (≤6 days) after induction chemotherapy was a predictor of early blast clearance from the marrow, complete remission (CR), RFS, and OS [4]

Summary

Introduction

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly heterogeneous disease, and cytogenetics and molecular markers play important roles in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of AML. *Corresponding author: Su Long, Cancer center, the First Hospital, Jilin University, Tel: +86-0431-88782157, Fax: +86-0431-88782688, E-mail: sulongjdyy@163.com Cytogenetic karyotypes and molecular mutations are powerful prognostic predictors for outcome of AML patients, indicators of response to initiation chemotherapy have not been identified.

Results

Conclusion