[Prognosis prediction for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia--review]

Contemporary risk-directed therapy has advanced the cure rate for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia to near 80%. Molecular genetic analyses of leukemic cells and pharmacogenetic studies of the host are providing a rational base for further improvement of treatment efficacy and the reduction of complications. Early treatment response, as defined by the measurement of minimal residual disease, reflects both the drug responsiveness of leukemic cells and host pharmacogenomics, which is the most reliable prognostic indicator for gauging the intensity of treatment. High-throughput technologies in genomics and proteomics promise to identify risk classification and systems that incorporate well-established clinical parameters, genetic lesions of leukemic cells as well as early treatment response. The risk factors and systems of assessment in prognosis prediction for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia were summarised in this review.