Risk assessment in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and a normal karyotype.

Purpose: The recognition of a number of leukemia-specific cytogenetic abnormalities and their role as independent prognostic factors have provided considerable insights into leukemia pathogenesis and have paved the way to adopt risk-adapted treatment. However, approximately 50% of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have a normal karyotype. There has therefore been much interest in identifying molecular markers that could help to improve the prognostic stratification of patients with normal-karyotype AML.