Clinical implications of molecular genetic aberrations in acute myeloid leukemia

• Published in: Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology Vol. 135; no. 4; pp. 491 - 505
• Main Authors: Scholl, Sebastian, Fricke, Hans-Joerg, Sayer, Herbert G, Höffken, Klaus
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.04.2009; Springer-Verlag; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Antineoplastic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer Research; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins - genetics; Chromosome Aberrations; fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 - genetics; Gene Duplication; Gene Frequency; Genetics; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Hematology; Humans; Internal Medicine; Leukemia; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute - genetics; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute - mortality; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute - therapy; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Molecular Biology; Neoplasm Proteins - genetics; Oncology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Prognosis; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - genetics; Review; Survival Analysis; WT1 Proteins - genetics; AML; Mutations; Prognosis; MRD; Chromosomal aberration; Acute myelogenous leukemia; Genetics; Malignant hemopathy; Mutation; Cancer
• ISSN: 0171-5216; 1432-1335
• DOI: 10.1007/s00432-008-0524-x

The role of different cytogenetic changes has been extensively evaluated in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and cytogenetic analysis of AML blasts is essential to form prognostic subgroups in order to stratify for the extent of therapy. Nevertheless, 40-45% of AML patients lack such cytogenetic markers, i.e., cytogenetically normal AML (CN-AML). In the past decade, different molecular aberrations were identified in AML and especially CN-AML can now be discriminated into certain prognostic subgroups. This review considers the latest advances to define the prognostic impact of molecular aberrations in AML and gives insights how such molecular markers can be applied for analysis of minimal residual disease. Furthermore, therapeutic implications as well as the potential role of new methodological techniques in analyzing expression patterns of AML blasts are discussed.