title: Impact of RT-PCR monitoring on the long-term survival in acute promyelocytic leukemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of kinetics of molecular remission via retro-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay on the long-term survival in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy patients with newly-diagnosed APL in remission were involved in this study. Monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD) was performed regularly by RT-PCR assay for PML-RAR alpha during consolidation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall-survival (OS) were estimated as 46.8% +/- 8.4% and 69.9% +/- 9.4% for the whole group. Fifty-two (74.3%) patients got negative RT-PCR result at least once. Serial monitoring of RT-PCR was available in 38 cases and 24 (63.2%) patients presented with persistent negative PCR results. The achievement and continuous negative RT-PCR result was significantly related to the RFS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Achievement of negative RT-PCR in remission is associated with favorable RFS and OS. Continuous negative RT-PCR results are associated with long-term relapse-free survival and may be considered as potentially curative. RT-PCR assay for detection of MRD should be performed regularly during post-remission period as an important prognostic factor.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Hematology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University, Ruijin Hospital-Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, Joint Center for Cancer Differentiation Therapy, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics; D011379:Prognosis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017741:Survivors
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; C093476:promyelocytic leukemia-retinoic acid receptor alpha fusion oncoprotein