This test is used for the diagnosis of acute promyelocyctic leukemia. It further aids in the detection of residual or recurrent APL and monitoring the level of PML/RARA in APL patients. APL accounts for 5%-10% of acute myeloid leukemia. The fusion gene PML/RARA is usually seen in a karyotype as t(15;17)(q22;q12). Messenger RNA produced from the fusion gene indicates the presence of neoplastic cells.
