In a nutshell
This review aimed to investigate the prognostic value of minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
This review concluded that MRD is a good predictor of outcomes in these patients.
Some background
Ph+ ALL is an aggressive type of leukemia that has a poorer prognosis. Minimal residual disease (MRD) positivity is a small number of cancer cells left in the body after cancer treatment. It is often used in patients with blood cancers as a predictor of outcomes. MRD in these patients has the potential in informing individual treatment decisions. However, it was unknown if MRD can be used as a potent clinical tool for assessing the prognosis of patients with Ph+ ALL.
Methods & findings
This review analyzed data from 27 previous studies that involved 3289 patients with Ph+ ALL. Treatments included various chemotherapy combinations, with or without targeted therapy, followed by allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT; stem cells transplanted from matched donors).
Overall, MRD positivity was associated with a 2-times lower survival with complications from ALL. It was also associated with a 2.34 times lower survival.
The bottom line
This review concluded that MRD can be used as a good predictor of outcomes in patients with Ph+ ALL.
The fine print
Many new treatment protocols were not evaluated in this study.
Published By :
PLOS ONE
Date :
Aug 27, 2021
