Mutation- and MRD-informed treatment decisions for the transplant-eligible AML patient

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is classified by risk groups according to a number of genetic mutations, which may occur alone or in combination with other mutations and chromosomal abnormalities. Prognosis and appropriate therapy can vary significantly based on a patient's genetic risk group, making mutation-informed decisions crucial to successful management. However, the presence of measurable residual disease (MRD) after induction and consolidation therapy, before hematopoietic cell transplant, and during posttransplant monitoring can be even more significant to patient prognosis than their genetic subtype. Clinicians must select MRD-monitoring methods most appropriate for a patient's genetic profile and a treatment regimen that considers both a patient's primary genetic subgroup and other risk factors, including MRD information. Recent clinical trial data and drug approvals, together with advances in the validation of MRD using next-generation sequencing, require a deeper understanding of the complex AML mutation and MRD matrix, enabling more insightful monitoring and treatment decisions for intensively treated AML patients. Here, we provide an overview on methods and clinical consequences of MRD monitoring in genetic subgroups of patients with AML. As treatment options become more personalized, on-treatment MRD monitoring will become even more important to effective AML care.