Diagnostic Characterization of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia and Targeted Therapy in this Leukemia

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) was first described as an entity in1957 in Norway and is characterized by a translocation between the promyelocytic leukemia gene (PML) on chromosome 15 and the retinoic acid receptor-alpha (RAR-alpha) gene on chromosome 17, has become a model for targeted treatment of cancer. Advances in our understanding of the fundamental biology of this disease have led to the development of tools for diagnosis, monitoring of minimal residual disease, and detection of early relapse. Differentiation therapy with all-trans retinoic acid in combination with chemotherapy has significantly improved survival in patients with APL. Moreover, arsenic trioxide, which induces differentiation and apoptosis of APL cells, has become standard treatment for relapsed disease, and its role in the treatment of newly diagnosed APL is under active investigation.