Prognostic markers in AML: focus on CBFL

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease increasing in frequency owing to an aging population. Decisions on intensive induction treatments, intensification and allografting rely on the ability to divide an apparently homogeneous group according to risk. A wide range of clinical, cytogenetic and molecular variables may be used to inform this task; here we examine those variables useful in assessing prognosis for a patient with non-acute promyelocitic AML focusing on core binding factor leukemia. In clinical practice, when counseling an individual patient with AML, a range of well-known clinical variables (age, performance status and tumor burden) and genetic variables (cytogenetic and gene mutation) must be considered to better define the prognostic risk.