title: The role of minimal residual disease measurements in the therapy for CLL: is it ready for prime time?
abstract: With the advent of multiple highly effective treatment options, minimal residual disease (MRD) measurements gained interest as a prognostic marker in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This article provides a model explaining the clinical significance of MRD in different clinical situations and reviews available data to support that model. Factors with a possible impact on the clinical significance of MRD are discussed: technique for MRD quantification, treatment regimen, clinical response, time-point for sampling, and the additional impact of molecular risk features. Also described are data supporting the use of MRD assessments as a surrogate end-point in randomized clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Medicine, University Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24116, Germany. s.boettcher@med2.uni-kiel.de
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Böttcher
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hallek
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ritgen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kneba
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D011379:Prognosis; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous