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Detection of minimal residual disease in all: biology, methods, and applications

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Book cover Molecular Genetics and Therapy of Leukemia

Part of the book series: Cancer Treatment and Research ((CTAR,volume 84))

Abstract

Progress in the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has been dramatic during the last three decades [1]. Unfortunately, although the disease is initially responsive to combination chemotherapy in the vast majority of cases — i.e., complete remissions are attained — contemporary therapies result in a cure in only about 60%–70% of children [2]. The complete remission rate for adults (above the age of 18) is slightly lower, but the outcome is worse due to a higher relapse rate, often occurring early during treatment. One criterion for complete remission is that the bone marrow contain fewer than 5% blasts. However, a patient in remission may harbor up to 1010 malignant cells in the bone marrow that must be eradicated or controlled by therapy to achieve the desired outcome of cure [3,4]. The inability to assess this potentially large amount of leukemia in a patient who is in ‘remission’ has necessitated empiric strategies for deciding the duration and intensity of therapy necessary to control the disease. Thus, strategies to identify the tumor burden during remission, often termed minimal residual disease or MRD, have been applied in an effort to improve our understanding of the nature of the disease and its response to therapy during this period.

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Authors
  1. W. Mark Roberts
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  2. Zeev Estrov
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  3. Geoffrey R. Kitchingman
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  4. Theodore F. Zipf
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Doulevard, Box 55, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Emil J. Freireich M.D.

  2. Department of Hematology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Box 61, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Hagop Kantarjian M.D.

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© 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston

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Roberts, W.M., Estrov, Z., Kitchingman, G.R., Zipf, T.F. (1996). Detection of minimal residual disease in all: biology, methods, and applications. In: Freireich, E.J., Kantarjian, H. (eds) Molecular Genetics and Therapy of Leukemia. Cancer Treatment and Research, vol 84. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1261-1_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1261-1_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8537-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-1261-1

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