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Molecular Monitoring

  • Chronic Leukemias (J Goldman, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Hematologic Malignancy Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

More and more potent therapeutic approaches demand more and more sophisticated response monitoring. Soon after the introduction of the first tyrosine-kinase inhibitor (TKI) for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treatment, real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) became the gold standard to follow the kinetics of reduction of disease burden and allow prognostic stratification. Continuous therapeutic improvement has led to increasingly ambitious treatment endpoints (now culminating in the possibility of achieving treatment free remission), which, in turn, has led to more and more refined measurement and definition of molecular response (MR) levels. Here, we will review the evolution of molecular response definitions and terminology, how specific MR levels currently provide key checkpoints in the context of optimal patient management, how molecular monitoring can best be performed nowadays and what future trends for further technological improvement can be.

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Conflict of Interest

Dr. Simona Soverini has been a consultant for Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Ariad.

Dr. Gianantonio Rosti has been a board member for Novartis, BMS, and Ariad and a consultant for Novartis and BMS. Dr. Rosti has received honoraria from Novartis, BMS, Ariad, and Pfizer.

Dr. Michele Baccarani has been a board member and consultant and received honoraria from Novartis, BMS, Pfizer, and Ariad. Dr. Baccarani had travel/accommodations expenses covered or reimbursed by Novartis.

Dr. Giovanni Martinelli has been a consultant for Pfizer, BMS, Ariad, and Novartis.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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  1. Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Institute of Hematology “L. e A. Seràgnoli”, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 9, 40138, Bologna, Italy

    Simona Soverini, Gianantonio Rosti, Michele Baccarani & Giovanni Martinelli

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  1. Simona Soverini
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  2. Gianantonio Rosti
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Correspondence to Simona Soverini.

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Soverini, S., Rosti, G., Baccarani, M. et al. Molecular Monitoring. Curr Hematol Malig Rep 9, 1–8 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11899-013-0192-z

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