Several variant <i>RARA</i> translocations have been reported in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) of which the t(11;17)(q23;q21), which results in a <i>ZBTB16-RARA</i> fusion, is the most widely identified and is largely resistant to therapy with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). Here, RARA is linked to acute promyelocytic leukemia.