A molecular marker has been identified that quickly helps to distinguish between whether patients have a fast or slow growing form of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The findings could enable patients with aggressive disease to start treatment sooner.

Scientists examined a gene called ZAP-70 in CLL cells for methylation. When the gene in leukemia cells is methylated, patients are likely to have the slow-progressing form of CLL, and when the ZAP-70 gene is unmethylated, patients are likely to have aggressive disease and should consider beginning treatment immediately.

The study, led by scientists at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC–James; Columbus, OH, USA), focused on CLL, a malignancy expected to occur in 16,000 Americans this year and cause 4,600 deaths.

Currently, doctors must simply observe newly diagnosed patients to determine which type of CLL they have. This can delay the start of treatment in patients with aggressive disease, or it can lead to treating patients who do not yet require it.

“This study demonstrates that ZAP-70 methylation status is a highly predictive, reproducible biomarker of poor prognosis in this disease, and a clinically useful prognostic test for CLL,” said principal investigator Dr. John Byrd, a CLL specialist, and professor of Medicine, of Medicinal Chemistry and of Veterinary Biosciences at the OSUCCC–James.

The findings are published in the June 2012 edition of Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute