A Program for Monitoring Minimal Residual Disease Following Treatment of Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia or High Grade Myelodysplastic Syndrome
Summary
This study is being performed to develop assays to determine the impact of the therapy patients receive for treatment of AML or MDS and to determine if these tests can identify those patients who are at a greater risk for having their disease relapse.
Detailed description
Following therapy, the majority of patients with AML and many patients with MDS will achieve a remission that is defined by the lack of any evidence of the disease when viewing bone marrow samples under a microscope. Despite the absence of disease by this method, many patients in remission will still have what is referred to as Minimal Residual Disease when more sensitive methods are applied. The presence of Minimal Residual Disease following therapy does not guarantee that the patient will experience a relapse. This is likely a result of the failure of these techniques to examine those cells that are responsible for disease relapse. Recent data suggests that in the majority of patients with AML or MDS only a minor population of the malignant cells are capable of maintaining the disease and are likely responsible for relapse following therapy. This minor population of cells can be identified by the proteins they have on their surface. This study tests the ability to identify Minimal Residual Disease following therapy by performing special assays that specifically target this minor population of malignant cells.
Outcome measures
Primary
Identification of Minimal Residual Disease after treatment for disease
To test the ability to identify Minimal Residual Disease following therapy by performing special assays that specifically target this minor population of malignant cells by evaluating the expression of cell surface antigens previously shown to be informative.
Time frame: 2 years
Eligibility criteria
Study locations (1)
University of Rochester Medical Center
Rochester, New York, 14642