In the context of acute leukemia, what is minimal residual disease?

Minimal residual disease (MRD) refers to the small number of cancer cells that may remain in a patient’s body after treatment and are undetectable using standard diagnostic methods. It is crucial in the context of acute leukemia because measuring MRD provides significant insights into how well a patient is responding to therapy. The presence of MRD indicates that while the treatment may have led to a complete remission—meaning there is no apparent disease—the underlying disease has not been entirely eradicated.

The ability to detect MRD is a powerful tool for monitoring disease status and predicting outcomes. If MRD is present, it can suggest a higher risk of relapse, which means that patients might benefit from additional therapies to help clear these residual cells. Assessing MRD is therefore considered one of the most significant measures of response to therapy in acute leukemia, guiding further treatment decisions.

The other options, while related to leukemia and its treatment, do not accurately convey the concept of MRD. Complete remission indicates the absence of detectable disease but does not consider the microscopic presence of leukemic cells. Initial detection of leukemic cells pertains to the diagnosis and not to the residual disease after treatment. Lastly, categorizing MRD as an incurable stage misrepresents its status, as detecting