CUHK Study Confirms a New Biomarker to Predict Relapse Risk of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

The CUHK research team. Professor Li Chi-kong (L), Research Professor of the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, CUHK; Professor Albert Martin Li Man-chim (C), Department Chairperson and Director of Hong Kong Hub of Pediatric Excellence, CUHK; and Professor Leung Kam-tong, Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at CU Medicine (R). Xiaolong/The Epoch Times

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common children’s cancer. A study by the School of Medicine at CUHK confirmed that a protein called CD9 is closely related to the prognosis of children with ALL and can be used as an independent biomarker to predict the risk of recurrence, helping to identify high-risk patients and find appropriate treatment options as early as possible to reduce the risk of recurrence and improve survival rate.

According to CUHK, ALL accounts for about 30 percent of all children’s cancers, 90 percent of which are B-cell leukemia (B-ALL), and 10 percent are T-cell leukemia (T-ALL). Currently, there are about 50 new cases in Hong Kong every year.