title: Re-induction therapy decisions based on day 14 bone marrow biopsy in acute myeloid leukemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The decision to re-induce patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) based on results of the day 14 bone marrow (BM) biopsy is variable and lacks evidence based data. The aim of our review was to evaluate the accuracy of a day 14 BM biopsy in determining the need for re-induction chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-four patients with newly diagnosed de novo AML treated with induction chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed for the purpose of evaluating treatment decisions and outcomes based on their day 14 BM biopsy. Response to therapy in this analysis was based on morphology alone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 74 patients undergoing standard induction, 45 patients (61%) had no evidence of leukemia on their day 14 BM biopsy. Eighteen patients (24%) had definitive residual disease (RD), and 11 patient's (15%) were classified as indeterminate response (IR). Fifteen patients with RD and one with IR underwent re-induction chemotherapy. However, thirteen patients (3 RD and 10 IR) were observed until count recovery without any re-induction therapy. Eleven of these 13 patients who were observed eventually attained a morphologic complete remission (CR), including two patients with RD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A day 14 BM biopsy may have suboptimal sensitivity for the detection of residual leukemia. Some patients with an IR on day 14 may not require re-induction chemotherapy, but instead, may benefit from careful observation until count recovery to avoid the mortality and morbidity associated with re-induction chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Tod A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Carlos M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: DeCastro
authors.forename: Louis F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Diehl
authors.forename: Jon P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gockerman
authors.forename: Anand S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lagoo
authors.forename: Zhiguo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Joseph O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Rizzieri
authors.forename: Arati V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D060828:Induction Chemotherapy; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies