Therapy for Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia: possible use of interferon on the basis of some novel concepts.

Current understanding of molecular genetics enables the establishment of new categories based on pathogenesis. Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome-positive leukemia has been reclassified into two molecularly distinct subsets, and the leukemogenesis at the cell level might be linked to the molecular changes. Therefore, treatment for leukemia patients with Ph chromosome could be based on the molecular characteristics. In this review, we discuss the strategy of treating patients with Ph-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia and the benefit of the combined modality of interferon and chemotherapy.