Minimal residual disease in leukaemia patients - 02/09/11

Doi : 10.1016/S1470-2045(00)00418-6

Tamasz Szczepariski ^a, Alberto Orfão ^b, Vincent HJ van der Valden ^d, Jésus F San Miguel ^c, Jacques JM van Dongen ^d,^⁎

^a Department of Immunology, University Hospital Rotterdam/Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands and the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Chemotherapy, Silesian Medical Academy, Zabrze, Poland

^b Department of Hematology, University Hospital of Salamanca, Spain and the General Service of Cytometry, University of Salamanca, Spain

^c Department of Hematology, University Hospital of Salamanca, Spain

^d Department of Immunology, University Hospital Rotterdam/Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands

^* Correspondence: Professor JJM van Dongen, MD, Department of Immunology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, Netherlands. Tel: + 31 10 4088094. Fax: + 31 10 4089456

Summary

Because of developments in diagnosis of haemopoietic malignant diseases during the past two decades, routine and reliable identification of very low numbers of malignant cells, known as minimal residual disease (MRD), is now possible. Several large-scale studies have shown that monitoring of MRD in haemopoietic malignant disease predicts clinical outcome. In acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, MRD detection is useful for evaluating early response to treatment and consequently for improving stratification, including treatment reduction. In acute promyelocytic leukaemia and chronic myeloid leukaemia, MRD information at specific time points enables effective early treatment intervention. MRD monitoring is also possible in other leukaemia subtypes, but in these disorders the clinical value of MRD detection is not yet known.

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