Identifying Cancer Genes in in Blood and Bone Marrow Samples From Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Identification of Target Genes for Diagnosis and Prognosis of AML Using a Custom-Design Microarray

RATIONALE: Studying samples of blood and bone marrow in the laboratory from patients with cancer may help doctors learn more about changes that occur in DNA and identify genes related to cancer. It may also help doctors diagnose cancer and predict how patients will respond to treatment.

PURPOSE: This research study is identifying cancer-related genes in blood and/or bone marrow samples from patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

OBJECTIVES:

• To identify and validate individual genes for diagnosis of three major translocations in acute myeloid leukemia.
• To correlate transcript expression data in the various translocations with age, sex, race, response to treatment, and survival and with other known mutations.

OUTLINE: Blood and/or bone marrow samples previously procured from patients on CALGB-9665 are obtained from the CALGB Leukemia Tissue Bank from patients enrolled on CALGB AML treatment studies. Mononuclear cells are isolated from samples and mRNA is extracted. Gene expression profiles are analyzed via custom mRNA microarray and confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR.

• Enrolled on CALGB acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment studies AND concurrently enrolled on Leukemia Tissue Bank Protocol CALGB-9665

• Short-term or long-term survivor

• Bone marrow and/or peripheral blood obtained at diagnosis

• Leukemia is one of the following cytogenetic subtypes:

  • t(8;21)
  • t(15;17)
  • inv(16)