Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a distinct subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) that is characterized by a balanced translocation between chromosomes 15 and 17 [t(15;17)], which results in the fusion of the promyelocytic leukemia (PML) and retinoic acid receptor α (RARA) genes.1,2 Historically, APL was a fatal disease because of the high relapse rates with cytotoxic chemotherapy alone and a significant bleeding risk secondary to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).
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