This research trial studies molecular genetic features in blood and tissue samples from patients with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia or acute promyelocytic leukemia. Studying samples of blood and tissue from patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or acute promyelocytic leukemia in the laboratory may help doctors identify and learn more about biomarkers related to cancer.

Objectives:

1. To perform quantitative PCR using known leukemia specific markers in diagnostic bone marrow specimens of patients with newly diagnosed APL and ALL and to correlative pre-treatment copy number with other biologic and molecular features, clinical response, and treatment outcome.
2. To evaluate the expression of novel genes or microRNAs implicated in disease pathogenesis and treatment response in pretreatment blood and bone marrow specimens of patients with APL and ALL and to correlate expression level with other biological features and treatment outcome.
3. To evaluate the clinical significance of sequential quantitative MRD measurements using real-time quantitative PCR and/or flow cytometry during and following treatment of ALL and APL and correlate these findings with efficacy of novel treatment approaches and with other biological and clinical prognostic features.
4. To compare measurement of MRD in blood with bone marrow specimens in sequential remission specimens of patients receiving treatment on ALL and APL treatment trials.

• Patients with a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) entered onto CALGB treatment trials for previously untreated ALL must be enrolled on CALGB 9862. Entry on CALGB 8461 is strongly encouraged.
• Patients with a diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) enrolled on SWOG S0521 or S0535 must be enrolled on CALGB 9862.

Patients enrolled on CALGB-19802, any CALGB treatment trial, SWOG-S0521, or SWOG-S0535