How I treat measurable (minimal) residual disease in acute leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

Abstract

Although allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is currently the standard curative treatment of acute leukemia, relapse remains unacceptably high. Measurable (minimal) residual disease (MRD) after allo-HCT may be used as a predictor of impending relapse and should be part of routine follow-up for transplanted patients. Patients with MRD may respond to therapies aiming to unleash or enhance the graft-versus-leukemia effect. However, evidencebased recommendations on how to best implement MRD testing and MRD-directed therapy after allo-HCT are lacking. Here, I describe our institutional approach to MRD monitoring for preemptive MRD-triggered intervention, using patient scenarios to illustrate the discussion.