Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: where are we going and how do we get there?

Improved supportive care, more precise risk stratification, and personalized chemotherapy based on the characteristics of leukemic cells and hosts (eg, pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenetics) have pushed the cure rate of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia to near 90%. Further increase in cure rate can be expected from the discovery of additional recurrent molecular lesions, coupled with the development of novel targeted treatment through high-throughput genomics and innovative drug-screening systems. We discuss specific areas of research that promise to further refine current treatment and to improve the cure rate and quality of life of the patients.Ching-Hon Pui, Charles G. Mullighan, William E. Evans and Mary V. Rellin