DNA Analysis of Bone Marrow and Blood Samples From Young Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

The Molecular Epidemiology of de Novo and Treatment Related 11q23 Leukemia in the Young

RATIONALE: Studying samples of bone marrow and blood from patients with cancer in the laboratory may help doctors learn more about changes that occur in DNA and identify biomarkers related to cancer.

PURPOSE: This laboratory study is looking at DNA in bone marrow and blood samples from young patients with acute myeloid leukemia or acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

OBJECTIVES:

• Characterize the clinical, morphologic, immunologic, cytogenetic, and molecular heterogeneity of acute lymphoblastic leukemia or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in infants and monoblastic variants of AML in young patients.
• Characterize the clinical, morphologic, immunologic, cytogenetic, and molecular heterogeneity of secondary AML in young patients.
• Compare secondary AML vs de novo AML at the level of Southern blot, breakpoint sequence, and DNA topoisomerase II cleavage sites.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Bone marrow or blood are collected and analyzed by Southern blot for chromosome 11q23 breakpoints and translocations. Samples from patients with secondary acute myeloid leukemia are also examined for MLL gene rearrangements.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 250 patients will be accrued for this study.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Diagnosis of leukemia meeting 1 of the following criteria:

  • Acute lymphoblastic leukemia OR acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (< 1 year of age at diagnosis)
  • M4 OR M5 AML (< 5 years of age at diagnosis)
  • Secondary leukemia (< 21 years of age at diagnosis)

• Bone marrow sample, peripheral blood (WBC > 10,000/mm³ and 20% peripheral blasts), or pheresis bag available

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Not specified