Minimal residual disease (MRD) is of major importance in onco-hematology, particularly in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MRD measures the amount of leukemia cells remaining in a patient after treatment, and is an essential tool for disease monitoring, relapse prognosis, and guiding treatment decisions. Patients with a negative MRD tend to have superior disease-free and overall survival rates. Considerable effort has been made to standardize MRD practices. A variety of techniques, including flow cytometry and molecular methods, are used to assess MRD, each with distinct strengths and weaknesses. MRD is recognized not only as a predictive biomarker, but also as a prognostic tool and marker of treatment efficacy. Expected advances in MRD assessment encompass molecular techniques such as NGS and digital PCR, as well as optimization strategies such as unsupervised flow cytometry analysis and leukemic stem cell monitoring. At present, there is no perfect method for measuring MRD, and significant advances are expected in the future to fully integrate MRD assessment into the management of AML patients.

Background In young women with venous thromboembolism (VTE) related to weak transient risk factors, it remains unknown whether stress levels and intimate partner violence (IPV) are associated with recurrence. The VTE-WEAK study aims to investigate the association between perceived stress and IPV with a recurrence of VTE in women with a first episode of VTE due to combined oral contraceptives, pregnancy-puerperium, minor trauma/fracture, brief surgery, infection or brief immobility, and not using antithrombotic prophylaxis. Material and Methods We performed a multicenter, international, observational, retrospective study on women referred for thrombophilia screening who were subsequently monitored. Patients were aged 18 to 55 years old and free of high-risk thrombophilia. When a recurrence of VTE was suspected for the first time, the perceived stress level and IPV were evaluated using self-administrated PSS-10 and Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) questionnaires. Results We monitored 7,754 women over 43,880 patients–years. A first suspected recurrence occurred in 4,772 women, among whom 1,316 had an objectively confirmed recurrence. The perceived stress level and an IPV situation were both independent risk factors for recurrence: moderate stress: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.630 (1.415–2.468); high perceived stress: aOR 10.03 (7.528–13.36); IPV: 1.953 (1.546–2.468), p < 0.0001. Conclusion The perceived level of stress and IPV are associated with a recurrence of VTE when suspected. The mechanisms and clinical consequences of a possible stress coagulopathy require investigation.