Absolute lymphocyte counts refine minimal residual disease-based risk stratification in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Several studies have demonstrated the prognostic utility of absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) during therapy for a range of malignancies, with low ALC associated with adverse outcome. Here we investigated whether ALC retained independent prognostic significance with respect to minimal residual disease (MRD) status in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Procedure

We reviewed 171 cases of pediatric ALL treated on the Children's Oncology Group P9900 series of treatment trials. Variables analyzed included ALC at several time points during Induction, age at diagnosis, cytogenetics, initial white blood cell count, and MRD status at Day 29 of Induction (MRD-29).

Results

We found high ALC at Induction Day 29 (ALC-29) to be an independent, clinically sig

SUBMITTER: Rabin KR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3290726 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature