title: Clinical implications and prognostic role of minimal residual disease detection in follicular lymphoma.
abstract: The identification of patients at high risk of relapse is a critical goal of modern translational research in oncohematology. Minimal residual disease (MRD) detection by polymerase chain reaction-based methods is routinely employed in the management of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Current knowledge indicates that it is also a useful prognostic tool in several mature lymphoproliferative disorders and particularly in follicular lymphoma (FL). Based on this evidence clinical trials employing MRD-based risk stratification are currently ongoing in FL. In this review the 'state of the art' of MRD evaluation in FL is discussed. A short description of technical issues and recent methodological advances is provided. Then, the bulk of the review focuses on critical take-home messages for clinicians working in the field. Finally, we discuss future perspectives of MRD detection and more generally outcome prediction in FL.
authors.affiliation: Hematology Division I, Azienda ospedaliera San Giovanni Battista, Città della Salute e della Scienza, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lobetti-Bodoni
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mantoan
authors.forename: Luigia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monitillo
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Genuardi
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Drandi
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barbero
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bernocco
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boccadoro
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ladetto
keywords: Bcl-2; follicular lymphoma; minimal residual disease; next-generation sequencing; polymerase chain reaction