What is "acute promyelocytic leukemia" (APL)?

What is "acute promyelocytic leukemia" (APL)?

Acute promyelocytic leukaemia, or APL, or sometimes referred to as M3 subtype of AML, is the most interesting of the AMLs or the acute myeloid leukaemias in that we have identified the actual genetic mutation that leads to the development of this cancer. Why is that important? Well, it's important because the particular mutation that's found, specifically what's called the PMLRAR alpha mutation, is susceptible to a plain vitamin, and a vitamin therapy given to these patients can convert these white blood cells, very immature white blood cells, to normal white blood cells. So, in a disease in which we give chemotherapy, which can be very damaging and dangerous to patients with acute myeloid leukaemia, patients with the M3 subtype are able to not only achieve remissions and cures with chemotherapy, but with a combination of a targeted therapy against a particular mutation, we can achieve very long term remissions.