Information is available for:

• Healthcare providers – hematologists, clinical nurse specialists and pharmacists
• APL patients, their family, friends and carers (care-givers), and APL patient advocacy groups

We intend specific information for these specific user groups, although any user can access all information on this site. Some of the material is intended for everyone.

The European APL Platform will enhance understanding of the nature and management of APL so that diagnosis and treatment of APL is optimized.

APL Disease Summary

• Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a rare subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) characterized by a very abrupt onset and high early mortality rates (up to 30% in the “real world”)
• The phenomenon of early mortality is related to the onset of severe, often fatal internal bleedings, which usually occur within the first days after diagnosis or even before a diagnosis is established and therefore before treatment istitution
• Early recognition and prompt treatment of APL with aggressive supportive therapy and specific targeted agent or chemotherapy can greatly reduce the severe bleeding risk associated with this disease
• The discovery of those target agents has allowed to achieve high cure rates in APL, which is currently regarded as the most curable form acute leukemia in adults.

Statement of the European APL Network

The European APL Network are a collaborative group of academic and clinical key opinion leaders, who have substantially contributed to APL research and development of highly effective treatment stratagems over the past 30 years. The European APL Network complements their research efforts by directly sharing advice on best practice for healthcare professionals, guidance for patients and their personal advocates and also for patient advocacy groups, through this European APL Platform.