Identifying Cancer Genes in in Blood and Bone Marrow Samples From Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia

OBJECTIVES:

- To identify and validate individual genes for diagnosis of three major translocations
in acute myeloid leukemia.

- To correlate transcript expression data in the various translocations with age, sex,
race, response to treatment, and survival and with other known mutations.

OUTLINE: Blood and/or bone marrow samples previously procured from patients on CALGB-9665
are obtained from the CALGB Leukemia Tissue Bank from patients enrolled on CALGB AML
treatment studies. Mononuclear cells are isolated from samples and mRNA is extracted. Gene
expression profiles are analyzed via custom mRNA microarray and confirmed by quantitative
real-time PCR.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Enrolled on CALGB acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment studies AND concurrently
enrolled on Leukemia Tissue Bank Protocol CALGB-9665

- Short-term or long-term survivor

- Bone marrow and/or peripheral blood obtained at diagnosis

- Leukemia is one of the following cytogenetic subtypes:

- t(8;21)

- t(15;17)

- inv(16)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Not specified

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics