Monitoring Measurable Residual Disease in ALL and AML

In ALL evaluation of molecular treatment response, assessment of minimal residual disease, nowadays named measurable residual disease (MRD), is a substantial independent predictor of outcome, as proven by randomized studies (Conter et al. 2010; Gökbuget et al. 2012; Bassan and Spinelli 2015). Consequently, MRD is implemented in virtually all clinical protocols in order to supplement or to redefine multifactorial risk stratification with optional customized treatment intensity. The detection of leukemic cells below the limit of classical cytomorphology is feasible by either disease-specific alterations of the immune phenotype or unique genetic features. Several competing and complementing MRD methods have been developed with preference application according to clinical protocols (Van der Velden et al. 2007; van Dongen et al. 2015).