Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Still a pending matter

摘要

New genetic abnormalities affecting risk assess- ment and patient stratification have been reported in B-cell precursor (BCP) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) defining novel subtypes. Some of these subtypes have been included in the most recent World Health Organization classification. 1 Almost 10 years ago, two independent studies identified a subset of pediatric ALL characterized by a specific gene expression profile similar to that of Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome-positive ALL. 2,3 This novel ALL subtype, called Ph-like ALL or BCR-ABL1-like ALL, is a frequent ALL subtype that com- prises up to 15% of pediatric BCP-ALL. Its incidence reaches 25% in adolescents and young adults and 20% in adults and it is generally recognized as being associated with a poor prognosis at any age