Monitoring Minimal Residual Disease Following Treatment of Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) or High Grade Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) (MRD)

Hematology/oncology clinic

Inclusion Criteria:

• Are being evaluated for the diagnosis and/or treatment of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia or High Grade MDS (defined as greater than 10 percent blasts on examination of the bone marrow aspirate).
• Have not undergone prior cytotoxic therapy for AML or High Grade MDS in the past 3 months other than hydroxyurea or Revlamid.
• Have not previously received an allogeneic peripheral blood or bone marrow stem cell transplant for their disease.
• Are able to sign an informed consent. Informed consent must be signed at the time of enrollment and prior to the collection of any specimens and/or clinical data (other than PHI needed to screen and identify patients, which will be promptly discarded in a secure fashion if patient is not enrolled on study)
• Are at least 18 years of age.
• Do not have any serious medical or psychiatric illness, other than that treated by this study which would limit the ability of the patient to receive therapy or give informed consent.
• Have been informed of the investigational nature of this study and given written informed consent in accordance with institutional and federal guidelines.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects who are less than 18 years of age.
• Subjects with limited decision making capacity.
• Subjects who have received prior cytotoxic therapy, other than hydroxyurea or Revlamid, for their disease within the past three months.
• Patients with a diagnosis of CML in blast crisis, Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, or Bi-lineage leukemia.
• Subjects who have previously undergone an allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplant.
• Have an active malignancy other than AML or MDS at the time of evaluation or a prior history of treatment for a malignancy other than AML or MDS within the past 2 years.