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Risk-directed childhood leukemia treatment takes a step forward
Corresponding author Ching-Hon Pui, M.D., St. Jude Oncology Department chair, helped discover how genomic analysis can improve outcomes for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Comprehensive genomic analyses have helped researchers identify more than 20 subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) based on the genetic mutations that drive the disease. Research led by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists showed that combining these data with leukemia response measurements improves prediction of relapse risk.
Currently, patients’ response to treatment influences the type of therapy administered for ALL. This risk-directed approach involves assessing minimal residual disease, the level of leukemic cells in the blood or bone marrow of patients at defined points during treatment