Promyelocytic leukemia/retinoic acid receptor alpha or PML-RARA refers to an abnormal gene sequence that is associated with a specific type of leukemia. This test detects and measures PML-RARA in the blood or bone marrow to determine if an individual has acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). PML-RARA represents the rearrangement of genetic material on two chromosomes.