Laboratory Assessments of Pediatric Leukemia

Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, representing about 25% of pediatric malignancies. Survival rates have improved dramatically, especially in cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, where personalized, laboratory-guided treatments now achieve cure rates near 90%. Because diagnosis, risk assessment, treatment selection, and monitoring all rely heavily on specialized laboratory testing—and because these technologies continue to evolve—there is a strong need for a comprehensive reference in this field. This book was written to fulfil that need. The text provides an up-to-date overview of laboratory assessments in pediatric leukemia across 21 chapters. Chapter 1 reviews disease classification, diagnosis, and treatment, highlighting the essential roles of laboratory evaluation. Chapters 2–12 cover a wide range of diagnostic and monitoring tests, from basic blood counts to advanced molecular techniques such as long-read sequencing. Chapters 13–15 explore prognostic and predictive biomarkers in acute lymphoblastic and acute myeloid leukemia. Chapters 16–18 address laboratory testing related to CAR T-cell therapy and stem cell transplantation. Chapter 19 discusses coagulation abnormalities associated with leukemia, while Chapters 20 and 21 describe two rare types of leukemia in children. Laboratory Assessments of Pediatric Leukemia is a comprehensive reference for pathologists, laboratory professionals, and researchers, as well as an updated resource for pediatric oncologists, hematologists, trainees, and other clinicians treating pediatric leukemias. Since most of these assessments are not exclusive to pediatric leukemia and are also relevant to adult leukemia and possibly other malignancies, this book will be beneficial for adult oncologists, hematologists, and other medical professionals or researchers.