Molecular diagnosis and measurement of minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with
chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is essential for clinical management. In the era of tyrosine
kinase inhibitor therapy molecular tests including BCR-ABL1 transcript monitoring and
kinase domain mutation analysis are the main tools used to inform choice of treatment,
appropriate dosage and even whether therapy can be safely withdrawn. Quantitation of BCR-
ABL1 oncogene transcript by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) is currently the gold …

ABSTRACT Introduction: Fusion of BCR-ABL1 genes causes chronic myeloid leukemia
(CML). As a reliable marker of disease burden, it also serves as the target of tyrosine kinase
inhibitors (TKIs). New more sensitive molecular diagnostic tools for BCR-ABL1 can
contribute to therapeutic decision-making, especially in considering drug discontinuation for
patients enjoying prolonged deep molecular response. Areas covered: Several novel
platforms are transforming CML molecular diagnostics to enable faster point-of-care devices …