Clearance of circulating leukemic blasts during induction therapy to predict treatment response regardless of cytogenetic risk or age in adult acute myeloid leukemia.

e18522Background: Despite the development of prognostic factors for stratification models in AML patients, treatment response in individual patient has not been predicted accurately. Early assessment of individual response is of great practical significance in determining the timing of interim bone marrow biopsy and guide further chemotherapy. Our study investigates whether the timing of circulating blasts (CBs) clearance during induction therapy can predict treatment response in AML patients. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 59 AML patients who received standard cytarabine and anthracycline regimen during induction between January, 2000- 2011 at William Beaumont Health System. Patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia or history of myelodysplastic syndrome were excluded. AML is considered refractory if morphological evaluation, flow cytometry or cytogenetic study was positive in the post induction bone marrow results. Response to induction therapy was assessed according to Cancer and L...