title: Pre-B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Childhood.
abstract: The pre-B-cell (clgM) phenotype of childhood ALL comprises about one-fifth of newly diagnosed cases. It has a high frequency of chromosomal translocation, and is closely associated with the t(l;19)(q23;p13). The poor treatment outcome and high-risk features previously ascribed to this phenotype appear to be primarily due to the subset of cases with the t(l;19). Early results of at least one study suggest that aggressive treatment may even nullify the adverse prognostic implication of the t(l;19). Finally, molecular analyses of these cases have yielded exciting new information regarding the pathogenesis of pre-B-cell ALL with the t(l;19), and recombinant DNA technology (polymerase chain reaction) is likely to make molecular diagnosis and detection of minimal residual disease possible in the near future.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology/Oncology, St. Jude Children's, Research Hospital Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Tennessee, Memphis, College of Medicine, Memphis, Tenn and the Pediatric Oncology Group, St Louis, Mo.
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Crist
authors.affiliation: b Laboratory of Medical Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, and the Pediatric Oncology Group, St Louis, Mo, USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.affiliation: a Department of Hematology/Oncology, St. Jude Children's, Research Hospital Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Tennessee, Memphis, College of Medicine, Memphis, Tenn and the Pediatric Oncology Group, St Louis, Mo.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Pui
keywords: Pre-B ALL; immunophenotype; prognostic factors in ALL