In acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) patients with the long (L)-type promyelocytic leukaemia-retinoic acid receptor ? fusion gene (PML-RARA), three alternative splicing isoforms can be detected: E5(+)E6(+), E5(-)E6(+), and E5(-)E6(-).     ///    This study is the first to demonstrate that alternative splicing of L-type PML-RARA is associated with time to achieve complete remission (CR) in APL. 