Leukemia – risk of which patients could relapse, identified

(Photo courtesy www.leukemia101.com) 

Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center may have discovered a better way to distinguish acute leukemia patients who require aggressive treatment to prevent recurrence from those who need only standard therapy for cure.

About 13,300 new cases of AML and 8,200 deaths from the disease are expected this year in the United States.

In about half of cases, patients’ leukemia cells have chromosome changes that help doctors determine whether standard therapy will suffice to prevent recurrence, or whether the individual needs aggressive treatment such as a stem-cell transplant or an experimental therapy.

The remaining patients have leukemia cells with chromosomes that look normal. Determining the best therapy for these individuals is much more difficult.

Researchers say that changes in levels of microRNAs, tiny molecules used by cells to help control the kinds and amount of proteins they make, might predict the risk of relapse in many adults diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). All patients in the study had leukemia cells with normal-looking chromosomes.

The research also shows that the microRNAs involved in these AML patients regulate genes involved in inflammation and immune responses, providing new insights into possible causes of the disease and providing researchers witn an opportunity to personalize treatment.

For further information, click on the following link:

http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/mediaroom/press/article.cfm?ID=3928

Elaine Warburton  www.geneticsandhealth.com