Prognostic value of minimal residual disease in relapsed childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Modeling Chemotherapy Resistant Leukemia In Vitro
Published on: February 9, 2016
Insights
Minimal residual disease monitoring in children with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia can predict treatment outcomes. Low levels of minimal residual disease (<10(-3)) at day 36 indicate a favorable prognosis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Molecular Diagnostics
- Hematology
Background:
- Minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring using quantitative PCR is crucial in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) treatment.
- Assessing MRD in relapsed childhood ALL can offer prognostic insights.
Discussion:
- This retrospective study analyzed 30 children with relapsed ALL treated under ALL-REZ BFM trials.
- The study evaluated the predictive value of MRD levels during early treatment phases for patient outcomes.
Key Insights:
- Children with MRD <10(-3) at day 36 had an event-free survival probability of 0.86.
- Children with MRD ≥10(-3) at day 36 had a 0 event-free survival probability (p<0.001).
Outlook:
- Molecular response assessment can guide treatment strategies for relapsed childhood ALL.
- Early MRD detection may enable personalized therapeutic interventions to improve long-term survival.
Abstract:
Molecular monitoring by quantitative PCR techniques of residual leukaemia cells during the first phases of treatment can predict outcome in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. We did a retrospective study of 30 children who had been treated according to the ALL-REZ BFM trials to assess whether amount of minimal residual disease during the first stages of treatment for relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia could predict outcome. In children with minimal residual disease of less than 10(-3) at day 36, probability of event-free survival was 0.86 (95% CI 0.77-0.95), compared with 0 in children with minimal residual disease of 10(-3) or greater (p<0.001). Our results suggest that information about molecular response to treatment can be used to predict long-term outcome in relapsed childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
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