APL, Information and SupportInspired by Anita’s Journey through Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

I thought this article was interesting.  It =
discusses a
new leukemia diagnostic / detection technique that should help improve =
the
ability to detect extremely small residual amounts of leukemic =
cells.

I would imagine that this method might be used to =
gather a marrow
or blood sample that would then be used with a  sensitive PCR test =
for
residual leukemia.

http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedici=
ne/Pathology/Technique-May-Aid-Detection-of-Residual-Leukemia/ArticleNews=
Feed/Article/detail/632256?contextCategoryId=3D40165

PCR tests are sensitive to begin with and this =
technique
might be able to help make them even more sensitive.  My question =
is what should
be done with an even more sensitive detection method for leukemia =
cells?  

Anita’s Dr’s always seemed a bit unsure =
what to
do if a positive PCR test was to come through for her.   The =
best
answer I could ever get was that “all the Dr’s oncologists =
in our
group would talk” if a positive result came through and they would =
decide
“what do to next” together.    =

I actually liked the “all the Dr’s will =
talk
about what to do next” – that sounded =
reasonable.   
I think that answer is code for “We don’t know what to do if =
that
happens” but we’ll do our best to make a good =
decision.

My thought is that a further improvement of PCR =
sensitivity
could offer an even earlier warning of possible relapse and the need for =
more
frequent testing upon which a decision for further treatment could be =
based if
relapse became more apparent.

I’ll leave it up to you to find, but there is =
an
earlier article on this blog that discusses the fact that a few stray =
(apparent)
leukemia cells don’t always mean a relapse is certain.  =

In fact, cells that exhibit genetic markers (such =
as CD33) that
are consistent with leukemia cells are sometimes found in healthy people =
that
will never develop leukemia!   Points like this help me =
understand
why Anita’s Dr’s were loathe to explain how or what =
treatment
decision would result if a positive PCR test was to come =
in.

Anita is still doing fine, in her second here of =
nursing
school now.

Chris