Patterns of ABL Mutation in Asian With Imatinib Resistant Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and Ph Positive Acute Lymphocytc Leuekmia Patients (AMICA): A Retrospective Feasibility Study

Awareness of the significance of BCR-ABL mutations is generally low across Asia. This is partly due to historical limitations in capabilities for mutation testing. While numerous mutation studies have been done in non-Asian populations, there are very few published reports on mutations in Asians. CML management in Asia therefore continues to be largely intuitive.

Anecdotal reports, suggest that there may differences in the presence or absence of mutations at the time of initial diagnosis and their occurrence during imatinib treatment. At present, however, we have no comprehensive formal knowledge of the actual nature of mutations in Asians. There are moves towards the establishment of CML registries that will capture the pattern of mutations among Asian patients.

In recent years, several laboratories in the region have been performing mutation analysis. However, no systematic evaluation of or report on these data has been undertaken. This study therefore intends to collect documented mutation data in Asian CML and Ph positive ALL patients from identified Asian institutes. While this is a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of mutation information, the study will provide the first comprehensive formal report on mutations in Asian CML and Ph positive ALL patients. The collecting information has the potential better to inform the clinical management of CML and Ph positive ALL in Asia according to the mutation result and possibly future research in these patients.