Should adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia be treated as old children or young adults? Comparison of the French FRALLE-93 and LALA-94 trials

Should adolescents and young adults with Hodgkin lymphoma be treated as children or adults?

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is one of the most common cancers in adolescents and young adults (AYA). Paediatric and adult therapeutic strategies diverge while sharing the common objective: maintaining optimal efficacy with less long-term toxicity. However, few studies have compared the outcome of AYA treated according to one or the other approaches. Among the 148 patients aged 15-25 years, treated at Saint-Louis Hospital for newly diagnosed HL between 2012 and 2018, 71 were treated according to an adult protocol and 77 were treated according to a paediatric one. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were, respectively, 100% and 85%, with no significant difference between treatment groups (85% in paediatric vs. 86% in adult, p = 0.7). Overall, the 5-year PFS was 100% for early favourable stages and 78% for advanced stages. A higher risk of short-term steroid and vincristine-related toxicities was observed in paediatric regimen, whereas a higher risk of late toxicities was expected in adult regimen, due to higher anthracyclines, procarbazine, bleomycin and radiotherapy exposure. These results confirm the excellent outcome of AYA patients with HL, whatever the treatment strategies. They justify a tailor-made therapeutic decision and highlight the importance of managing AYA patients in dedicated units with trained professionals.

Avascular necrosis in older adolescents and adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with FRALLE protocols: a multicenter analysis of incidence, risk factors and morbidity

Paediatric-inspired acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) regimens have led to improved leukaemic outcomes in adults. However, avascular necrosis (AVN) has emerged as a debilitating orthopaedic complication. AVN is likely multifactorial, with corticosteroids and asparaginase therapy playing key roles in its pathogenesis. We assessed the incidence and potential risk factors for AVN, in older adolescent and adult patients with ALL treated with the FRALLE-93 protocol across three Australian tertiary centres. AVN occurred in 24% of 59 patients, primarily affecting hip and knee joints. Diagnosis occurred at a median of 11.7 months from commencement of chemotherapy. No association was identified between AVN risk and sex, age, BMI, smoking status and vitamin D level. The majority of patients required orthopaedic intervention (64%). Approximately two thirds had chronic pain or impaired mobility. AVN risk in adult patients with ALL receiving FRALLE protocols appears at least comparable to rates reported in paediatric cohorts.

A pediatric-inspired regimen for adolescent and adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a prospective study from China

Several international centers have used and reported on pediatric-inspired regimens to treat adolescent and adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph- ALL). However, there is a lack of prospective data from the Chinese population. We performed a prospective study with a pediatric-inspired regimen (IH-2014 regimen) to treat adolescent and adult Ph- ALL patients in our center. From 2014 to 2021, a total of 415 patients aged between 14 and 65 years (median age, 27 years) were included in this study. After a median follow-up of 40.8 months, the 5-year overall survival, disease-free survival, and event-free survival rates were 53.8%, 51.1% and 45.0%, respectively. The regimen was generally well tolerated and safe, and the overall chemotherapy-related mortality was 3.6%. Age ≥40 years and persistent detectable minimal residual disease (MRD) after induction were independent prognostic factors. Traditional risk factors for adult patients combined with post-induction MRD had predictive significance for survival and relapse, which is helpful in the selection of subsequent treatment. Patients with high-risk factors who can achieve a deep MRD response after induction do not derive benefit from allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

A Review of GO-AJA's Impact on Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer in France: A Decade of Progress and Challenges

The "Groupe Onco-hématologie Adolescents Jeunes Adultes" (GO-AJA) born in 2012 is a French collaborative group. It focuses on heterogeneity and unmet needs for AYA with cancer. This article highlights GO-AJA's achievements and future prospects, emphasizing its role in structuring a professional national network, improving AYAs' comprehensive care and strengthening the roles of coordinating nurses. It also covers AYA multidisciplinary tumor boards, guidelines edition, education and training. Challenges persist, including limited AYA clinical trials and territorial inequalities in care access and team resources. Future success hinges on increased medical community awareness, stakeholders investment, and European collaborations.

Immunophenotypic Characteristics and Cytogenetic Analysis of Adolescent and Young Adult B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Correlations With Clinicopathological Parameters

Introduction Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has suboptimal survival rates for adolescents and young adults (AYA) as compared to children. Very limited studies have been conducted on AYA patients in India. This study aimed to identify the cytogenetic and immunophenotype characteristics of B-cell ALL (B-ALL) in AYA patients and determine its correlation with clinicopathological parameters in the Southern India region. Method The study was a prospective study conducted for three years, from June 2019 to May 2022, in India. Newly diagnosed 90 patients with AYA (13-40 years) ALL were recruited. A B-ALL diagnosis was made based on morphology with cytochemical stains and immunophenotype by flow cytometry (FCM). Cytogenetic analysis was also performed using karyotyping and fluorescent in situ hybridization to identify chromosomal aberrations. The cytogenetics results were correlated with immunophenotyping and clinicopathological characteristics. Variables were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square test using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0 (Released 2011; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results The mean age was 22.68 ± 8.06 years. It was observed that the most common structural chromosomal abnormality for AYA was t(9;22) in 14 (15%) cases, followed by 6q deletions in seven (8%) cases, t(1;19) in four (4%) cases, and t(12;17) and t(6;14) in two (2%) cases each. In addition, t(3;12), t(2;11), t(12;21), t(1;9), t(2;12), and t(X;10) were found in one (1%) case each. The most common numerical abnormality was hyperdiploidy (15; 17%), followed by hypodiploidy (10; 11%). Further, myeloid antigen expression of CD33 was the most common aberrantly expressed marker found in 20 (28%) cases, followed by CD15 in three cases (5%), CD13 in three (4%) cases, and CD11b in two (3%) cases. It was also observed that in Ph+ve cases, CD33 and CD13 were most commonly expressed in three (33%) and two (17%) cases, respectively. In contrast, in Ph-ve patients, their expressions were lesser at 17 (27%) and one (2%) cases, respectively. In addition, leukemia-associated immunophenotype pattern (LAIP) markers CD44 6 (86%) and CD123 5 (55%) were also found to be significantly associated with Ph+ve, whereas their values in the Ph-ve group were lesser at 25 (42%) and 9 (17%), respectively. Our data also showed that older age wassignificantly associated with Ph+ve with a median age of 30 years (p = 0.012). In comparison, the median age of Ph-ve was only 21 years. Conclusion Our study established that the incidence of cytogenetic abnormalities for AYA was consistent with previously reported data. This study reaffirms that Ph+ve cases have significant associations with MyAg (CD13), LAIP (CD123 and CD44), and older age for the South Indian population.

Monitoring measurable residual disease in paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia using immunoglobulin gene clonality based on next-generation sequencing

BACKGROUND

Assessment of measurable residual disease (MRD) is an essential prognostic tool for B-lymphoblastic leukaemia (B-ALL). In this study, we evaluated the utility of next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based MRD assessment in real-world clinical practice.

METHOD

The study included 93 paediatric patients with B-ALL treated at our institution between January 2017 and June 2022. Clonality for IGH or IGK rearrangements was identified in most bone marrow samples (91/93, 97.8%) obtained at diagnosis.

RESULTS

In 421 monitoring samples, concordance was 74.8% between NGS and multiparameter flow cytometry and 70.7% between NGS and reverse transcription-PCR. Elevated quantities of clones of IGH alone (P < 0.001; hazard ratio [HR], 22.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.1-69.1), IGK alone (P = 0.011; HR, 5.8; 95% CI, 1.5-22.5), and IGH or IGK (P < 0.001; HR, 7.2; 95% CI, 2.6-20.0) were associated with an increased risk of relapse. Detection of new clone(s) in NGS was also associated with inferior relapse-free survival (P < 0.001; HR, 18.1; 95% CI, 3.0-108.6). Multivariable analysis confirmed age at diagnosis, BCR::ABL1-like mutation, TCF3::PBX1 mutation, and increased quantity of IGH or IGK clones during monitoring as unfavourable factors.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this study highlights the usefulness of NGS-based MRD as a routine assessment tool for prognostication of paediatric patients with B-ALL.

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a haematological malignancy characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of immature lymphoid cells. Over past decades, significant progress has been made in understanding the biology of ALL, resulting in remarkable improvements in its diagnosis, treatment and monitoring. Since the advent of chemotherapy, ALL has been the platform to test for innovative approaches applicable to cancer in general. For example, the advent of omics medicine has led to a deeper understanding of the molecular and genetic features that underpin ALL. Innovations in genomic profiling techniques have identified specific genetic alterations and mutations that drive ALL, inspiring new therapies. Targeted agents, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunotherapies, have shown promising results in subgroups of patients while minimizing adverse effects. Furthermore, the development of chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy represents a breakthrough in ALL treatment, resulting in remarkable responses and potential long-term remissions. Advances are not limited to treatment modalities alone. Measurable residual disease monitoring and ex vivo drug response profiling screening have provided earlier detection of disease relapse and identification of exceptional responders, enabling clinicians to adjust treatment strategies for individual patients. Decades of supportive and prophylactic care have improved the management of treatment-related complications, enhancing the quality of life for patients with ALL.

Effect of sustained measurable residue disease negativity and post-remission treatment selection on the prognosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults

BACKGROUND

To explore the effects of monitoring measurable residual disease and post-remission treatment selection on the clinical outcomes of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in adults.

METHODS

Between September 2010 and January 2022, adult patients with B-ALL who received combination chemotherapy, with or without allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), were included in the retrospective study, which was approved by the Ethics Committee and the observation of Declaration of Helsinki conditions.

RESULTS

One hundred and forty-three B-ALL patients achieved complete remission (CR) were included in the study, of whom 94 patients (65.7%) received allo-HSCT in first complete remission (CR1). Multivariate analysis showed that the most powerful factors affecting OS were transplantation (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.540, p = 0.037) and sustained measurable residue disease (MRD) negativity (HR = 0.508, p = 0.037). The subgroup analysis showed that the prognosis of the allo-HSCT group was better than that of the chemotherapy group, regardless of whether MRD was negative or positive after two courses of consolidation therapy. After consolidation therapy, the prognosis of patients with positive MRD remained significantly better in the allo-HSCT group than in the chemotherapy group. However, no significant difference was observed in the prognosis between the allo-HSCT and chemotherapy groups with negative MRD after consolidation therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

B-ALL patients who achieve sustained MRD negativity during consolidation therapy have excellent long-term outcomes even without allo-HSCT. Allo-HSCT is associated with a significant benefit in terms of OS and DFS for patients who were with positive MRD during consolidation therapy.

Real-World Outcomes of Adolescents and Young Adults with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study

Purpose: Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are typically treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP). However, a standard of care for managing adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with DLBCL is lacking. We examine treatment approaches and outcomes of this population. Methods: We included 90 AYAs (15-39 years) diagnosed with DLBCL between 2008 and 2018 in three tertiary centers in Peru. Overall response rates (ORR) were available for all patients. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The median age at diagnosis was 33 years, 57% were males, 57% had good performance status (Lansky/Karnofsky ≥90), and 61% were diagnosed with early-stage disease (Ann Arbor stages I-II). R-CHOP (n = 69, 77%) was the most frequently used first-line regimen, with an ORR of 91%. With a median follow-up of 83 months, the 5-year OS and PFS among all patients were 79% and 67%, respectively. Among the patients who received R-CHOP, the 5-year OS and PFS were 77% and 66%, respectively. Of the 29 (32%) patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) disease, 83% received second-line treatment and only 14% underwent consolidation therapy with autologous transplantation. The 3-year OS for R/R DLBCL was 36%. Conclusion: Our data show that AYAs with DLBCL who received conventional therapy had comparable outcomes to those observed in studies conducted among the adult population. However, the prognosis for AYAs with R/R disease was dismal, indicating the unmet need for developing and increasing access to novel treatment modalities in AYAs.

PASS-ALL study of paediatric-inspired versus adult chemotherapy regimens on survival of high-risk Philadelphia-negative B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia with allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation

This PASS-ALL study was designed to explore the effect of paediatric-inspired versus adult chemotherapy regimens on survival of adolescents and young adults (AYA) with high-risk Philadelphia chromosome-negative B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (HR PH-ve B-cell ALL) eligible for allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The PASS-ALL study is a multicentre, observational cohort study, and 143 patients with HR B-cell PH-ve ALL were enrolled from five centres-77 patients allocated in the paediatric-inspired cohort and 66 in the adult cohort with comparable baseline characteristics. Of the 143 patients, 128 cases underwent allo-HSCT. Three-year leukaemia-free survival (LFS) in the paediatric-inspired cohort was 72.2% (95% CI 60.8%-83.6%) compared with 44.6% (95% CI 31.9%-57.3%; p = 0.001). Furthermore, time-to-positive minimal residual disease (TTP-MRD) post-HSCT was marked different, 3-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 25.9% (95% CI 15.8%-37.2%) in paediatric cohort and 45.4% (95% CI 40.0%-57.9%) in adult cohort (p = 0.026). Finally, the 3-year OS rate was 75.3% (95% CI 64.9%-85.7%) for the paediatric-inspired cohort and 64.1% (95% CI 51.8%-76.4%) for the adult cohort (p = 0.074). On a multivariate analysis, paediatric-inspired regimen is a predictive factor for LFS (HR = 2.540, 95% CI 1.327-4.862, p = 0.005). Collectively, our data suggest that paediatric-inspired chemotherapy pre-HSCT results in deeper and durable MRD response reduces relapse post-HSCT and improves survival in HR B-cell PH-ve ALL patients with allo-HSCT.

Child Health and the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Workforce: 2020-2040

Pediatric hematology-oncology (PHO) is 1 of the oldest recognized pediatric subspecialities. PHO physicians care for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults with all types of cancer and nonmalignant blood conditions, in many cases temporarily assuming the role of a primary care physician because of the complexity and intensity of treatment. However, the number of clinically active PHO subspecialists needed to care for children in the United States remains unknown. Recent papers suggest a potential oversaturation of PHO physicians in some geographic areas. This article is part of a Pediatrics supplement focused on projecting the future supply of the pediatric subspecialty workforce. It draws on information available in the literature, data from the American Board of Pediatrics, and findings from a new microsimulation model estimating the future supply of pediatric subspecialists through 2040. The model predicts a workforce growth in PHO subspecialists of 66% by 2040. Alternative scenarios, including changes in clinical time and fellowship size, resulted in a difference in growth of ±18% from baseline. The model also forecasts significant geographic maldistribution. For example, the current workforce is concentrated in the Northeast Census region and the model predicts the New England Census division will have a 2.9-fold higher clinical workforce equivalent per 100 000 children aged 0 to 18 years than the Mountain Census division by 2040. These findings suggest potential opportunities to improve the PHO subspecialty workforce and the outcomes and experiences of its patient population through educational changes, practice initiatives, policy interventions, and dedicated research.

Gaps in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Education in Oncology Fellowship Training

Purpose: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs, 15-39 years) with cancer experience disparities in care and outcomes compared with older/younger patients. AYAs receive care from medical and pediatric oncologists, however, little is known about the extent of training fellows receive. This needs assessment evaluating current AYA oncology (AYA-O) education in pediatric and medical oncology fellowship programs to identify knowledge gaps for curricular development. Methods: An anonymous, cross-sectional, web-based survey developed by pediatric and medical oncologists was sent to medical (n = 178) and pediatric (n = 119) hematology/oncology program directors (PDs) at 251 sites in the United States. PDs were asked to participate and distribute the survey to their fellows. Survey questions addressed current AYA curriculum, provider comfort, and priorities for future AYA educational content. Results: Participants from 69/251 programs responded (program response rate = 27%), including 51 PDs (32 pediatric, 19 medical oncology) and 58 fellows (33 pediatric, 25 medical oncology). Eighty-five percent of PDs (44/51) reported lacking formal AYA curricula. Of these, 80% (35/44) offer some topic-specific lectures, while 20% (9/44) provide little/no education for any topics. For nearly all topics, at least 45% of combined respondents reported little/no education. Respondents believe AYA topics are important for inclusion in future curricula. The most important topics for inclusion reported were oncofertility (82%), survivorship (78%), and communication (77%). Conclusions: There are large and actionable gaps in AYA-O education during fellowship training. Efforts are underway to develop AYA-O curriculum to provide both medical and pediatric oncology fellows with the knowledge and skills required to provide optimal AYA care.

Diagnostic and therapeutic advances in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the era of gene analysis and targeted immunotherapy

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is one of the most rapidly changing hematological malignancies with advanced understanding of the genetic landscape, detection methods of minimal residual disease (MRD), and the development of immunotherapeutic agents with good clinical outcomes. The annual incidence of adult ALL in Korea is 300-350 patients per year. The WHO classification of ALL was revised in 2022 to reflect the molecular cytogenetic features and suggest new adverse- risk subgroups, such as Ph-like ALL and ETP-ALL. We continue to use traditional adverse-risk features and cytogenetics, with MRD-directed post-remission therapy including allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. However, with the introduction of novel agents, such as ponatinib, blinatumomab, and inotuzumab ozogamicin incorporated into frontline therapy, good MRD responses have been achieved, and overall survival outcomes are improving. Accordingly, some clinical trials have suggested a possible era of chemotherapy-free or transplantation-free approaches in the near future. Nevertheless, relapse of refractory ALL still occurs, and some poor ALL subtypes, such as Ph-like ALL and ETP-ALL, are unsolved problems for which novel agents and treatment strategies are needed. In this review, we summarize the currently applied diagnostic and therapeutic practices in the era of advanced genetic analysis and targeted immunotherapies in United States and Europe and introduce real-world Korean data.

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) vs pediatric patients: survival, risks, and barriers to enrollment

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs; ages 15-39 years) with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have worse outcomes than pediatric patients with ALL. Multiple factors contribute to this differential survival. AYAs are more likely to have higher-risk leukemia biology than children with ALL. AYA patients have more choices for treatment facility and treatment protocol, as well as barriers to clinical trial enrollment, both of which can affect survival. AYAs must also navigate psychosocial factors inherent to their unique developmental stage. Furthermore, AYAs typically sustain more treatment-related toxicities than pediatric patients. Treatment on pediatric or pediatric-inspired ALL protocols at pediatric cancer centers has been associated with improved outcomes for AYAs with ALL, but there is still variation in the treatment that AYAs with ALL receive. Clinical trials focused on AYAs with ALL and individualized decision-making regarding choice of treatment facility and treatment protocol are needed to optimize the survival and long-term outcomes of this patient population.

Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients >40 Years of Age With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Reduced Intensity Versus Myeloablative Conditioning

BACKGROUND

The outcome in older patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remains unsatisfactory due to high relapse and nonrelapse mortality (NRM) rates. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) as postremission therapy has an important role in reducing relapse rate, albeit its application is limited in older adult patients due to alloHSCT-related morbidity and mortality. Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) alloHSCT has been developed as a less toxic conditioning regimen, but comparative studies with myeloablative conditioning (MAC) are limited in patients with ALL.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, RIC-alloHSCT (n = 111) was compared with MAC-alloHSCT (n = 77) in patients aged 41 to 65 y with ALL in first complete remission. MAC was predominantly applied by combining high-dose total body irradiation and cyclophosphamide, whereas RIC mainly consisted of fludarabine and 2 Gy total body irradiation.

RESULTS

Unadjusted overall survival was 54% (95% confidence interval [CI], 42%-65%) at 5 y in MAC recipients compared with 39% (95% CI, 29%-49%) in RIC recipients. Overall survival and relapse-free survival were not significantly associated with type of conditioning after adjusted for the covariates age, leukemia risk status at diagnosis, donor type, and donor and recipient gender combination. NRM was significantly lower after RIC (subdistribution hazard ratio: 0.41, 95% CI, 0.22-0.78; P  = 0.006), whereas relapse was significantly higher (subdistribution hazard ratio: 3.04, 95% CI, 1.71-5.40; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, RIC-alloHSCT has resulted in less NRM, but it was also found to be associated with a significantly higher relapse rate. These results suggest that MAC-alloHSCT may provide a more effective type of consolidation therapy for the reduction of relapse and that RIC-alloHSCT may be restricted to patients at higher risk for NRM.

Anti-Leukemic Effects of Idesia polycarpa Maxim Branch on Human B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells

Patients with pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) have a high survival rate, yet the prognosis of adults and patients with relapsed/refractory disease is relatively poor. Therefore, it is imperative to develop new therapeutic strategies. Here, we screened 100 plant extracts from South Korean Flora and investigated their anti-leukemic effect using CCRF-SB cells as a B-ALL model. The top cytotoxic extract identified in this screening was the Idesia polycarpa Maxim. branch (IMB), which efficiently inhibited the survival and proliferation of CCRF-SB cells, while having minimal to no impact on normal murine bone marrow cells. Mechanistically, the IMB-induced proapoptotic effect involves the increase of caspase 3/7 activity, which was shown to be associated with the disruption of the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) through the reduction in antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family expression. IMB also promoted the differentiation of CCRF-SB cells via the upregulation of the expression of differentiation-related genes, PAX5 and IKZF1. Given that resistance to glucocorticoid (GC) is often found in patients with relapsed/refractory ALL, we investigated whether IMB could restore GC sensitivity. IMB synergized GC to enhance apoptotic rate by increasing GC receptor expression and downmodulating mTOR and MAPK signals in CCRF-SB B-ALL cells. These results suggest that IMB has the potential to be a novel candidate for the treatment of B-ALL.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute lymphoblastic leukemia: why do adolescents and young adults outcomes differ from those of children? A retrospective study on behalf of the Francophone Society of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (SFGM-TC)

PURPOSE

In the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) landscape, adolescents and young adults (AYA) often present high-risk diseases and increased chemotherapy-related toxicity. Studies analyzing the outcomes of AYA after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are scarce. Our study aimed to compare the outcomes of children and AYA with ALL after HSCT and to determine the factors influencing potential differences.

METHOD

891 patients, from the SFGM-TC registry, aged between 1 and 25 years who received HSCT between 2005 and 2012 were included. The outcomes of AYA were compared to the ones of their younger counterparts.

RESULTS

Five-year OS and GRFS were lower in AYA: 53.1% versus 64% and 36% versus 47% (p = 0.0012 and p = 0.007, respectively). WhileCIR was similar in both groups, 5 year-treatment related mortality was higher in AYA: 19% versus 13% (p = 0.04). The lower GRFS in AYA was mainly explained by a higher chronic graft versus host disease (cGvHD) incidence: 32% versus 19% (p < 0.001). Use of peripheral blood stem cells and use of anti-thymoglobulin appeared to be the main factors impacting cGvHD occurrence in AYA.

CONCLUSION

AYA have worse outcomes than children after HSCT for ALL because of a greater risk of TRM due to cGvHD. HSCT practices should be questioned in this population.

Cytogenetic and molecular characteristics and outcomes of adult patients with early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Early T-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ETP-ALL) is a recently identified high-risk subgroup of T-cell ALL in children. However, there have been conflicting reports and limited data have been reported in adult patients. We retrospectively analyzed the cytogenetic and molecular characteristics and long-term survival outcomes of adult patients with ETP-ALL versus non-ETP-ALL. We analyzed 58 patients (median age, 35 years [range, 18-76 years]) with newly diagnosed T-cell ALL who received a uniform remission induction and consolidation chemotherapy with suitable samples for genetic analyses. If a donor was available, all patients were recommended allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) for post-remission therapy. Out of 58 patients, 21 (36.2%) had ETP-ALL. Patients with ETP-ALL were older and had a higher proportion of complex karyotype than non-ETP-ALL. Additionally, more DNMT3A mutations were detected in ETP-ALL, whereas FBXW7 mutations and CDKN2A/CDKN2B deletions were found nearly exclusively in non-ETP-ALL. The overall complete remission (CR) rates were not different between ETP-ALL (95.2%) and non-ETP-ALL (81.1%) and subsequent allo-HCT proceeding rates in CR1 were 61.9% for ETP-ALL and 43.2% for non-ETP-ALL, respectively. The overall prognosis of patients with T-ALL was poor that estimated 5-year overall survival (OS) was 33.3% for ETP-ALL and 29.5% for non-ETP-ALL. In a subgroup analysis of patients treated with allo-HCT in CR1 (n = 29), 5-year OS was 53.8% for ETP-ALL and 55.4% for non-ETP-ALL. Our data showed molecular characteristics of ETP-ALL and non-ETP-ALL and revealed that intensive chemotherapy followed by allo-HCT for post-remission therapy can contribute to preserved survival outcome of adult patients with ETP-ALL.

Improved survival of adolescents and young adults patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Aim

The outcome of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) has improved with the use of pediatric-inspired protocols in the adolescents and young adults (AYA) population. There is limited literature regarding the outcome of T-ALL/lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) AYA patients treated with pediatric protocols.

Methods

A total of 35 T-ALL/LBL-AYA patients ages between 14 and 55 years were treated with AYA-15 protocol.

Results

At a median follow-up of 5 years the overall survival, disease-free survival and event-free survival are 71%, 62% and 49.6% respectively. Toxicities were within the expected range.

Conclusion

Our single-center experience real-world data in treating T-ALL/LBL-AYA patients with pediatric-inspired protocol demonstrates encouraging results of high survival rate and excellent tolerability for patients aged 18-55 years.

Case report: Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome secondary to PEG-asparaginase-induced hypertriglyceridemia and pancreatitis

Pegylated (PEG)-asparaginase is an established treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemias that exhibits an antitumor effect by depleting asparagine, an amino acid essential for leukemia cell protein synthesis. Pancreatitis with hypertriglyceridemia is a well-established toxidrome associated with PEG-asparaginase. However, impaired pancreatic synthetic function and hormone release have rarely been reported as a result of PEG-asparaginase pancreatitis. In this report, we present a 22-year-old woman recently diagnosed with T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), who presented to the hospital with progressive weakness, confusion, blurry vision, hallucinations, and abdominal pain after induction treatment with daunorubicin, vincristine, PEG-asparaginase, and dexamethasone following the AYA protocol. She was found to have hypertriglyceridemia, acute pancreatitis, and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome. While pancreatitis and hypertriglyceridemia are commonly reported side effects of PEG-asparaginase, HHS related to these conditions has been sparsely reported. Providers should maintain awareness of this association and consider routine serial glucose monitoring of patients receiving PEG-asparaginase.

Using Teamwork to Bridge the Adolescent and Young Adult Gap

PURPOSE

Individuals diagnosed with cancer age between 15 and 39 years (adolescents and young adults [AYAs]) have not seen improvement in survival compared with children or older adults; clinical trial accrual correlates with survival. Unique unmet needs among AYAs related to psychosocial support and fertility preservation (FP) are associated with health-related quality of life.

METHODS

We enhanced existing structures and leveraged faculty/staff across pediatric/adult oncology to create novel teams focused on AYA (age 15-39 years) care at a single center, with minimal dedicated staff and no change to revenue streams. We aimed to influence domains shown to drive survival and health-related quality of life: clinical trial enrollment, physician/staff collaboration, psychosocial support, and FP. We captured metrics 3 months after patients presented to the institution and compared them before/after Program implementation using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Among 139 AYAs (age 15-39 years) from the pre-Program era (January 2016-February 2019: adult, n = 79; pediatric, n = 60), and 279 from the post-Program era (February 2019-March 2022: adult, n = 215; pediatric, n = 64), there was no change in clinical trial enrollment(P ≥ .3), whereas there was an increase in the proportion of AYAs referred for supportive care and psychology (pediatric: P ≤ .02; adult: P ≤ .001); whose oncologists discussed FP (pediatric: 15% v 52%, P < .0001; adult: 37% v 50%, P = .0004); and undergoing FP consults (pediatric: 8% v39%, P < .0001; adult 23% v 38%, P = .02).

CONCLUSION

This team-based framework has effected change in most targeted domains. To affect all domains and design optimal interventions, it is crucial to understand patient-level and facility-level barriers/facilitators to FP and clinical trial enrollment.

SOHO State of the Art Updates and Next Questions | Asparaginase-Understanding and Overcoming Toxicities in Adults with ALL

The adoption of pediatric-inspired regimens in young adults with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has significantly improved their survival outcomes. Pediatric-inspired regimens in ALL rely profoundly on delivering adequate dosing of non-myelosuppressive drugs of which asparaginase, a bacterial derived agent, is a key component. Asparaginase therapy is associated with a spectrum of unique toxicities that are observed more frequently in adult patients compared to children with ALL, and this observation has contributed to the reluctance of adult oncologists to administer the drug to their patients. Understanding the breadth of asparaginase toxicity and the associated risk factors may help in preventing severe manifestations and allow safer treatment for adults with ALL. In this review, we will discuss the different formulations of asparaginase and the appropriate dosing in adults with ALL. We will further discuss the frequency and risk factors for individual toxicities of asparaginase along with strategies for their prevention and management.

Feasibility of Delivering High-Dose Methotrexate in Adolescent and Adult All Patients: A Retrospective Study

Introduction HD-MTX is a key drug in the treatment protocols for ALL. The regimen needs to be administered with appropriate supportive measures and serum methotrexate level monitoring. A limited testing strategy is relevant in resource constraint settings since it allows a shorter duration of hospitalization. We report our experience with this strategy and its impact on the patient safety outcomes. Methods This is a retrospective study of all patients ≥ 15 years of age with newly diagnosed ALL or Lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) who were administered HDMTX (part of BFM-90 ALL protocol) at our institute between March 2013 to November 2013.The medical records were reviewed for clinical characteristics, disease-related details, HDMTX dose and cycles administered, leucovorin rescue and toxicities. Results A total of 423 cycles of HD-MTX were administered to 106 patients during the study period. The median duration for completion of all 4 cycles of HDMTX was 53 (IQR 49-60) days. The grade 3 or higher toxicities were anemia in 9.6%, neutropenia 19.4%, febrile neutropenia 5.7%, thrombocytopenia 4.4% and mucositis in 0.7%. There was statistically significant correlation between the levels at 42 h (≤ 1 mmol/L vs > 1 mmol/L) and toxicity- anemia, FN and mucositis observed more in the late clearance group. With limited sampling strategy whereby if the 42- hour level MTX level are < 1 mmol/L, 57% of patients could be discharged early. Conclusion HD-MTX can be safely administered to adolescent and adult ALL patients. A limited methotrexate level monitoring is a safe strategy that can optimize the resources better.

Cancer treatment and survivorship statistics, 2022

The number of cancer survivors continues to increase in the United States due to the growth and aging of the population as well as advances in early detection and treatment. To assist the public health community in better serving these individuals, the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute collaborate triennially to estimate cancer prevalence in the United States using incidence and survival data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer registries, vital statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, and population projections from the US Census Bureau. Current treatment patterns based on information in the National Cancer Database are presented for the most prevalent cancer types by race, and cancer-related and treatment-related side-effects are also briefly described. More than 18 million Americans (8.3 million males and 9.7 million females) with a history of cancer were alive on January 1, 2022. The 3 most prevalent cancers are prostate (3,523,230), melanoma of the skin (760,640), and colon and rectum (726,450) among males and breast (4,055,770), uterine corpus (891,560), and thyroid (823,800) among females. More than one-half (53%) of survivors were diagnosed within the past 10 years, and two-thirds (67%) were aged 65 years or older. One of the largest racial disparities in treatment is for rectal cancer, for which 41% of Black patients with stage I disease receive proctectomy or proctocolectomy compared to 66% of White patients. Surgical receipt is also substantially lower among Black patients with non-small cell lung cancer, 49% for stages I-II and 16% for stage III versus 55% and 22% for White patients, respectively. These treatment disparities are exacerbated by the fact that Black patients continue to be less likely to be diagnosed with stage I disease than White patients for most cancers, with some of the largest disparities for female breast (53% vs 68%) and endometrial (59% vs 73%). Although there are a growing number of tools that can assist patients, caregivers, and clinicians in navigating the various phases of cancer survivorship, further evidence-based strategies and equitable access to available resources are needed to mitigate disparities for communities of color and optimize care for people with a history of cancer. CA Cancer J Clin. 2022;72:409-436.

Improvements in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation outcomes for adults with ALL over the past 3 decades

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is a promising treatment for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), an intractable hematological malignancy. The trends in allo-HCT outcomes over the past 30 years were examined to verify the efficacy of evolving treatment methods and to identify further challenges. We analyzed data from a registry database that included 8467 adult ALL patients who underwent their first allo-HCT between 1990 and 2019. The period was divided into three 10-year intervals for analysis. Five-year overall survival improved from 48.2% to 70.2% in the first complete remission (CR1), from 25.6% to 44.1% in subsequent CR, and from 10.0% to 22.7% in non-CR. Nonrelapse mortality improved over the 3 decades in each disease stage. However, the relapse rate only improved in CR1 every decade (26.3% to 15.9% in CR1, 33.4% to 32.8% in subsequent CR, and 53.6% to 54.8% in non-CR). Although there were continual improvements in adjusted survival for Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive patients, the improvement was inadequate for Ph⁻ patients with t(4;11), t(8;14), t(14;18), or hypodiploidy. Allo-HCT outcomes for adults with ALL have improved over the past 30 years. Improved outcomes in the future will require more effective prevention of relapse in patients with ALL not in CR1 and in those with high-risk chromosomal abnormalities.

The current treatment approach to adolescents and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (AYA-ALL): challenges and considerations

INTRODUCTION

AYA-ALL differs from pediatric ALL in terms of clinical, biological, psychosocial factors and access to care and has an inferior outcome. It is now being recognized that pediatric-inspired protocols are superior to adult protocols for this cohort, but given the lack of randomized trials, several questions remain unanswered.

AREAS COVERED

In this review, we discuss how AYA-ALL is different from the pediatric ALL population, compare AYA ALL with ALL in middle and older age adults, review the studies that have enrolled the AYA cohort, summarize risk-stratified and response-adapted approaches, describe the biological subtypes, and review the novel agents/approaches under evaluation.

EXPERT OPINION

AYA-ALL is a complex and challenging disease that needs multidisciplinary and focused care. Well-designed clinical trials that focus on this cohort are needed to further improve the outcomes.

Effect of Treatment in a Specialized Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Setting on 5-Year Survival in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Simple Summary

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have a worse prognosis than children. In addition to differences in biology—such as higher incidence of unfavorable genetic alterations in the AYA population—this might be related to the fact that ALL patients under a certain age (often 18 years) are generally treated in special pediatric hemato-oncology settings, which is associated with improved survival, while patients above that age are treated in adult hemato-oncology care settings. Based on previous research, adult treatment settings have increasingly adopted pediatric-inspired protocols, which appear to have led to increased survival of adolescent ALL patients. This study aims to assess whether there remains an effect of treatment of ALL patients in a specialized pediatric hemato-oncology setting on 5-year survival. This study provides insight into the effects of such treatment for ALL patients, and may stimulate further research into causal relationships in other oncological conditions.

Abstract

Survival rates of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are inferior to those of pediatric ALL patients. In part, this may be caused by differences in treatment setting. Generally, children are treated in specialized pediatric hemato-oncology settings, whereas AYAs are treated in adult hemato-oncology settings. Since 2005, adult treatment protocols have included pediatric-inspired chemotherapy, which has been the standard of care for AYAs from 2008 onwards. This study aims to assess whether, despite protocols in both settings having become more similar, there remains an effect of treatment in specialized pediatric hemato-oncology settings on 5-year survival for ALL patients in the Netherlands. We used nationwide registry data (2004–2013) on 472 ALL patients aged between 10 and 30 years old. A fuzzy regression discontinuity design was applied to estimate the treatment effect using two-stage least squares regression with the treatment threshold at 17 years and 7 months of age, adjusting for sex, age at diagnosis, and immunophenotype. We found a risk difference of 0.419 (p = 0.092; 95% CI = −0.0686; 0.907), meaning a 41.9 percentage point greater probability of surviving five years after diagnosis for ALL patients treated in specialized pediatric hemato-oncology settings. Our results suggest that ALL patients around the threshold could benefit from increased collaboration between pediatric and adult hemato-oncology in terms of survival.

VANDA regimen followed by blinatumomab leads to favourable outcome in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in first relapse

Adults with relapsed or refractory B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (R/R BCP-ALL) have very poor outcome. Blinatumomab as single agent has shown activity in R/R BCP-ALL. We aimed to assess the activity of blinatumomab in concomitant association with intensive chemotherapy. Seventeen patients with R/R BCP-ALL were treated with combination of blinatumomab and VANDA (etoposide, cytarabine, mitoxantrone, dexamethasone and asparaginase) regimen. Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 14/17 patient (82%) and 11/17 (65%) were transplanted. One-year leukaemia-free survival was 58.8% for the whole cohort and 90.9% for transplanted patients. These preliminary data suggest that the VANDA-blinatumomab salvage regimen leads to a very high rate of CR and HSCT in suitable patients.

Asparaginase in the Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Adults: Current Evidence and Place in Therapy

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a rare hematologic malignancy resulting in the production of abnormal lymphoid precursor cells. Occurring in B-cell and T-cell subtypes, ALL is more common in children, comprising nearly 30% of pediatric malignancies, but also constitutes 1% of adult cancer diagnoses. Outcomes are age-dependent, with five-year overall survival of greater than 90% in children and less than 20% in older adults. L-asparaginase, an enzyme not found in humans, depletes serum levels of L-asparagine. As leukemic cells are unable to synthesize this amino acid, its deprivation results in cell death. The success of asparaginase-containing regimens in the treatment of pediatric ALL, and poor outcomes with conventional cytotoxic regimens in adults, have led to trials of pediatric or pediatric-inspired regimens incorporating asparaginase in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) and adult populations. Initially purified from Escherichia coli, newer formulations of asparaginase have been developed to address short half-life, high immunogenic potential, and manufacturing difficulties. Unfamiliarity with asparaginase use and management of its unique toxicities may result in treatment-decisions that negatively impact outcomes. In this review, we address the current use of asparaginase in the treatment of ALL, with an emphasis on its role in the treatment of adults, key clinical trials, recognition and management of toxicities, and ongoing directions of study.

Impact of locus of care on outcomes in adolescents and young adults with osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma treated at pediatric versus adult cancer centers: An IMPACT cohort study

BACKGROUND

Location of cancer care (LOC; pediatric vs. adult center) impacts outcomes in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with some cancer types. Data on the impact of LOC on survival in AYA with osteosarcoma (OSS) and Ewing sarcoma (EWS) are limited OBJECTIVES: To compare differences in demographics, disease/treatment characteristics, and survival in a population-based cohort of AYA with OSS or EWS treated at pediatric versus adult centers METHODS: The Initiative to Maximize Progress in Adolescent Cancer Therapy (IMPACT) cohort captured demographic, disease, and treatment data for all AYA (15-21 years old) diagnosed with OSS and EWS in Ontario, Canada between 1992 and 2012. Patients were linked to provincial administrative health care databases. Outcomes were compared between patients treated in pediatric versus adult centers.

RESULTS

One hundred thirty-seven AYA were diagnosed with OSS (LOC: 47 pediatric, 90 adult) and 84 with EWS (38 pediatric, 46 adult). AYA treated at pediatric centers were more likely to be enrolled in a clinical trial (OSS 55% vs. 1%, p < .001; EWS 53% vs. 2%, p < .001) and received higher cumulative chemotherapy doses. Five-year event-free survival (EFS ± standard error) in OSS and EWS were 47% ± 4% and 43% ± 5%, respectively. In multivariable analysis, the impact of LOC (pediatric vs. adult center) on EFS in OSS (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.58-2.27, p = .69) and EWS (adjusted HR 1.82, 95% CI: 0.97-3.43, p = .06) was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Despite disparities in trial participation and chemotherapy doses, outcomes did not differ by LOC suggesting that AYA with bone tumors can be treated at either pediatric or adult centers.

Allogeneic transplant compared to pediatric-inspired therapy for Philadelphia chromosome-negative adolescent and adult ALL in first complete remission

BACKGROUND

Pediatric-inspired non-transplant regimens for adolescent and adult ALL patients are becoming standard in many institutions. We aimed to compare a cohort of patients receiving a pediatric-inspired protocol to a cohort of patients treated with adult type ALL therapy followed by allografting after achieving CR1.

METHOD

Eighty-five adolescent and adult ALL patients treated with CALGB 19802 protocol who received MSD transplant in CR1 were retrospectively compared to a matched cohort of 72 adolescent and adult ALL patients treated with a modified version of Children's Cancer Group (CCG) 1900 protocol.

RESULTS

The five years OS in the allo-HCT cohort was 63.1% compared to 80.2% in the pediatric-inspired chemotherapy arm (P = 0.03). The five years EFS in the allo-HCT arm was 58.8% compared to 61.6% in the pediatric-inspired chemotherapy arm (P = 0.07). The five years DFS in the allo-HCT arm was 58.8% as compared to 71.9% in the pediatric-inspired chemotherapy arm (P = 0.07). The relapse rate in the allo-HCT cohort was 30.58% compared to 21.68% in the pediatric-inspired chemotherapy arm (P = 0.16). The NRM in the allo-HCT cohort was 10.59 as compared to 6.45 in the pediatric-inspired chemotherapy arm (P = 0.3).

CONCLUSION

For adolescent and adult patients with Ph-negative ALL, pediatric-inspired chemotherapy resulted in higher OS compared to allo-HCT.

Orthopaedic adverse events among adolescents and adults treated with asparaginase for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Osteonecrosis (ON) is a complication of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) treatment with patient- (age, female sex, genetic polymorphisms, presence of metabolic syndrome) and treatment-specific (glucocorticoid type and schedule) risk factors described. The potential role of asparaginase in increasing risk of ON via effects on coagulation, lipid metabolism, and steroid clearance is now also recognised. Paediatric studies consistently identify age as a key risk factor for ON, with adolescents at higher risk than young children. Fewer studies comprehensively report on risk of ON in adults, but available evidence suggests that adolescents and young adults (AYAs) treated with corticosteroid and asparaginase-containing paediatric-inspired regimens are more at risk than older adults treated with paediatric-inspired or traditional adult regimens. There are few proven strategies to prevent or mitigate the severity of ON and other orthopaedic complications of ALL therapy. Future clinical trials should carefully ascertain orthopaedic adverse events in adults. Evidence-based guidelines should be developed for management of orthopaedic adverse events in adults being treated for ALL, especially high-risk AYAs being treated with paediatric-inspired regimens.

Pharmacotherapeutic management of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults: an update of the literature

INTRODUCTION

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a rare but potentially life-threatening heterogeneous hematologic malignancy that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment by hematologists. So far, therapeutic advances have been achieved in the management of this disease mainly by adopting pediatric-like regimens, and cure rates are significantly worse than in childhood. In T-ALL, less than 70% of adults achieve long-term survival. The prognosis after relapse is still very poor. Hence, there is urgent need to improve therapy of T-ALL by testing new compounds and combinations for the treatment of this disease.

AREAS COVERED

This review provides a comprehensive update on the most recent treatment approaches in adults with de novo and relapsed/refractory adult T-ALL.

EXPERT OPINION

Intensifying chemotherapy may reduce the incidence of recurrent disease in adult patients, but it has not come without a cost. Novel agents with selective T-ALL activity (e.g. nelarabine) may improve survival in some patient subsets. Due to modern genomic and transcriptomic techniques, various novel potential targets might change the treatment landscape in the next few years and will, hopefully alongside with cellular therapies, augment the therapeutic armamentarium in the near future.

Increased survival disparities among children and adolescents & young adults with acute myeloid leukemia: A Dutch population-based study

For many cancers, adolescents and young adults (AYAs) have a poorer prognosis than pediatric patients. Our study evaluates survival outcomes of children (0‐17 years) and AYAs (18‐39 years) diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the Netherlands between 1990 and 2015 (N = 2058) utilizing the population‐based Netherlands Cancer Registry, which includes information on therapy and site of primary treatment. Five‐ and 10‐year relative (disease‐specific) survival were estimated for all patients, children and AYAs. Multivariable analyses were performed using generalized linear models (excess mortality) and logistic regression (early mortality). AYAs with AML had a substantially lower 5‐ and 10‐year relative survival than children (5‐year: 43% vs 58%; 10‐year: 37% vs 51%). The gap in 5‐year relative survival was largest (nearly 20 percent‐points) in 2010 to 2015, despite survival improvements over time across all ages. The multivariable‐adjusted excess risk of dying was 60% higher in AYAs (95% CI: 37%‐86%). Early mortality (death within 30 days of diagnosis) declined over time, and did not differ between children and AYAs. In conclusion, AYAs diagnosed with AML in the Netherlands had a worse prognosis than pediatric patients. The survival gap seemed most pronounced in recent years, suggesting that improvements in care resulting in better outcome for children have not led to equal benefits for AYAs.

Important factors improving outcome of young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)

Four categories of important factors improving outcome of young adults and older adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are biologic type, clinical trials, pediatric vs. adult treatment regimen, and psychosocial challenges. Overall, the outcome of ALL in the age group has improved and beginning to catch up with that in children, as exemplified by CALGB 10403, a pediatric treatment regimen. Each is dependent for optimum development, however, on progress in the others. Without adequate psychosocial support and improvement, progress in clinical trials, translational research, and pediatric regimen application is impaired. Without clinical trials, advances in translational research, optimal pediatric regimen application and adequate psychosocial research are restricted. Overall, we have improved the outcome and outlook of ALL in AYAs, as exemplified by CALGB 10403, but we and our current and future patients still have a long way to go.

Mechanistic studies of PEG-asparaginase-induced liver injury and hepatic steatosis in mice

PEGylated-l-asparaginase (PEG-ASNase) is a chemotherapeutic agent used to treat pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Its use is avoided in adults due to its high risk of liver injury including hepatic steatosis, with obesity and older age considered risk factors of the injury. Our study aims to elucidate the mechanism of PEG-ASNase-induced liver injury. Mice received 1500 U/kg of PEG-ASNase and were sacrificed 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after drug administration. Liver triglycerides were quantified, and plasma bilirubin, ALT, AST, and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were measured. The mRNA and protein levels of genes involved in hepatic fatty acid synthesis, β-oxidation, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion, and white adipose tissue (WAT) lipolysis were determined. Mice developed hepatic steatosis after PEG-ASNase, which associated with increases in bilirubin, ALT, and AST. The hepatic genes Ppara, Lcad/Mcad, Hadhb, Apob100, and Mttp were upregulated, and Srebp-1c and Fas were downregulated after PEG-ASNase. Increased plasma NEFA, WAT loss, and adipose tissue lipolysis were also observed after PEG-ASNase. Furthermore, we found that PEG-ASNase-induced liver injury was exacerbated in obese and aged mice, consistent with clinical studies of ASNase-induced liver injury. Our data suggest that PEG-ASNase-induced liver injury is due to drug-induced lipolysis and lipid redistribution to the liver.

Encapsulation of Asparaginase as a Promising Strategy to Improve In Vivo Drug Performance

Asparaginase (ASNase) is a widely applied chemotherapeutic drug that is used to treat Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL); however, immune responses and silent inactivation of the drug often limit its bioavailability. Many strategies have been proposed to overcome these drawbacks, including the development of improved formulations (biobetters), but only two of them are currently on the market. Nano- and micro-encapsulation are some of the most promising and novel approaches to enhance in vivo performance of ASNase, preventing the direct contact of the enzyme with the environment, protecting it from protease degradation, increasing the enzymes catalytic half-life, and in some cases, reducing immunogenicity. This review summarizes the strategies, particularly for ASNase nano- and micro-encapsulation, and their main findings, constraints, and current gaps in the state-of-the-art knowledge. The pros and cons of the use of different nanocarriers are discussed with the idea to ultimately provide safer and more effective treatments for patients with ALL.

Outcomes in adolescent and young adult patients (16 to 30 years) compared to younger patients treated for high-risk B-lymphoblastic leukemia: report from Children's Oncology Group Study AALL0232

Adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients 16-30 years old with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (HR-ALL) have inferior outcomes compared to younger HR-ALL patients. AALL0232 was a Phase 3 randomized Children's Oncology Group trial for newly diagnosed HR B-ALL (1-30 years). Between 2004 and 2011, 3154 patients enrolled with 3040 eligible and evaluable for induction. AYA patients comprised 20% of patients (16-21 years, n = 551; 22-30 years, n = 46). 5-year event-free survival and overall survival was 65.4 ± 2.2% and 77.4 ± 2.0% for AYA patients compared to 78.1 ± 0.9% and 87.3 ± 0.7% for younger patients (p < 0.0001). Five-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 18.5 ± 1.7% for AYA patients and 13.5 ± 0.7% for younger patients (p = 0.006), largely due to increased marrow relapses (14.0 ± 1.5% versus 9.1 ± 0.6%; p < 0.0001). Additionally, induction failure rate was higher in AYA (7.2 ± 1.1% versus 3.5 ± 0.4%; p < 0.001) and post-induction remission deaths were significantly higher in AYA (5.7 ± 1.0% versus 2.4 ± 0.3%; p < 0.0001). AALL0232 enrolled the largest number of AYA B-ALL patients to date, demonstrating significantly inferior survival and greater rates of treatment-related toxicities compared to younger patients. Although treatment intensification has improved outcomes in younger patients, they have not been associated with the same degree of improvement for older patients.

Patterns of Cancer Care and Association with Survival among Younger Adolescents and Young Adults: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Younger adolescents and young adults (AYA) may receive care from either adult or pediatric oncologists. We explored patterns of care in this population and whether survival is associated with provider type.

METHODS

Utilizing the California Cancer Registry, we examined a cohort of 9,993 AYAs diagnosed with cancer aged 15 to 24 years from 1999 to 2008. Provider type (adult/pediatric) was determined by individual physician identifiers. For provider type, multivariable logistic regression models were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, diagnosis, and stage. For observed survival, Cox proportional hazard models were additionally adjusted for provider type. ORs and HR with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were determined.

RESULTS

Most patients saw adult providers (87.3% overall; 72.7% aged 15-19 years). Patients with acute leukemia, sarcoma, and central nervous system (CNS) malignancies more often saw pediatric providers [OR (95% CI) adult versus pediatric 0.48 (0.39-0.59), 0.74 (0.60-0.92), 0.76 (0.60-0.96), respectively]; those with germ cell tumors and other cancers, including carcinomas, more often saw adult providers [2.26 (1.72-2.98), 1.79 (1.41-2.27), respectively]. In aggregate and for most cancers individually, there was no survival difference by provider type [overall HR (95% CI) 1.00 (0.86-1.18)]. Higher survival was associated with pediatric providers for CNS malignancies [1.63 (1.12-2.37)] and rhabdomyosarcoma [2.22 (1.03-4.76)], and with adult providers for non-Hodgkin lymphoma [0.61 (0.39-0.96)].

CONCLUSIONS

Most AYAs 15 to 24 years old are treated by medical oncologists. In general, survival was not associated with provider type.

IMPACT

Current patterns of care for this population support increased collaboration between medical and pediatric oncology, including joint clinical trials.

Improved survival in adolescents and young adults (AYA) patients aged 14-55 years with acute lymphoblastic leukemia using pediatric-inspired protocol - a retrospective analysis of a real-world experience in 79 of patients treated at a national tertiary care referral center

Background

Treating adolescents and young adults (AYA) patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) using pediatric-inspired protocols have shown improvement in outcomes. Most data available in the literature of such protocols is derived from well-controlled clinical trials. This report aims to provide a real-world experience from using a pediatric-inspired protocol in ALL-AYA population in larger number of patients treated at a national tertiary care referral center.

Methods

Newly diagnosed Philadelphia negative ALL-AYA patients ages between 14 and 55 years of age were treated on an institutional protocol (AYA-15 protocol) adopted from a modified version of Children's Cancer Group (CCG) 1900 protocol. At the time of this publication, a total of 79 patients were treated using the AYA-15 protocol between 2015 and 2020). Event-free survival (FFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using cumulative incidence and Kaplan-Meier methods.

Results

The median age at diagnosis was 18 years (14–51 years) with 63% male patients. Complete remission (CR) at day 28 of induction was achieved in 88.6% of which 73.4% were minimal residual disease (MRD) negative. At a median follow up of 5 years, EFS, DFS and OS were 57.5%, 69.2% and 75.8% respectively. Toxicities were within the expected range with infections and transaminitis being the most common adverse events.

Conclusion

Our single-center experience real-world data in treating AYA-ALL patients with pediatric-inspired protocol demonstrates encouraging results of high survival rate and excellent tolerability for patients aged 18–55 years.

Orthopedic Toxicities Among Adolescents and Young Adults Treated on DFCI ALL Consortium Trials

Orthopedic toxicity was common in adolescent and young adult patients treated on DFCI Consortium ALL pediatric protocols.

Younger age and exposure to pegaspargase were associated with higher risk of ON, and patients with ON had superior OS.

Adolescent and young adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have superior outcomes when treated on pediatric regimens. Pediatric ALL regimens rely heavily on corticosteroids and asparaginase and are known to increase the risk of osteonecrosis (ON) and fractures in children, particularly adolescents. Orthopedic toxicity among young adults treated on pediatric-inspired regimens is not well described. Here, we report the symptomatic orthopedic toxicities of patients aged 15 to 50 years treated on sequential Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ALL Consortium protocols. Among 367 patients with a median age of 23 years (range, 15-50 years; 68% aged <30 years), 60 patients were diagnosed with ON (5-year cumulative incidence, 17%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 13-22), and 40 patients experienced fracture (5-year cumulative incidence, 12%; 95% CI, 8-15). Patients aged <30 years were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with ON (5-year cumulative incidence, 21% vs 8%; P = .004). Patients treated more recently on pegaspargase-based protocols were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with ON compared with those treated on earlier trials with native Escherichia coli asparaginase (5-year cumulative incidence, 24% vs 5%; P < .001). Of the 54 ON events for which adequate information was available, surgery was performed in 25 (46%). Patients with ON had superior overall survival (OS) compared with those without (multivariable OS hazard ratio, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.05-0.46; P = .001; ON included as a time-varying exposure). Increased rates of orthopedic toxicity in late-generation protocols may be driven by the pharmacokinetic drug interaction between pegaspargase and dexamethasone, leading to higher dexamethasone exposure.

Superior outcomes with paediatric protocols in adolescents and young adults with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Survival disparities by locus of care (LOC; paediatric versus adult) among adolescents and young adults (AYA) with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) are well documented. Whether similar disparities exist among AYA with aggressive mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) is unknown. We identified all Ontario, Canada AYA aged 15-21 years at diagnosis of B-NHL between 1992 and 2012. Demographic, disease, treatment and outcome data were chart abstracted. The impact of LOC on event-free (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were determined, adjusted for patient and disease covariates. Among 176 AYA with B-NHL, 62 (35·2%) received therapy at paediatric centres. The 5-year EFS and OS [± standard error (SE)] for the overall cohort were 72·2 [3·4]% and 76·1 [3·2]% respectively. Both EFS and OS were superior among paediatric centre AYA [EFS (± SE) 82·2 (4·9)% vs. 66·7 (4·4)%, P = 0·02; OS 85·5 (4·5)% vs. 71·1 (4·3)%, P = 0·03]. Adjusted for histology, stage and time period, adult centre AYA had inferior EFS [hazard ratio (HR) 2·4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·1-4·9, P = 0·02] and OS (HR 2·5, 95% CI 1·1-5·7, P = 0·03). Sensitivity analyses restricted to the latest time period, when most adult centre AYA received rituximab, demonstrated similar disparities. Similar to AYA with ALL, AYA with B-NHL may benefit from being treated with paediatric protocols. Studies prospectively validating these results are warranted.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Version 2.2021, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology

The NCCN Guidelines for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) focus on the classification of ALL subtypes based on immunophenotype and cytogenetic/molecular markers; risk assessment and stratification for risk-adapted therapy; treatment strategies for Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive and Ph-negative ALL for both adolescent and young adult and adult patients; and supportive care considerations. Given the complexity of ALL treatment regimens and the required supportive care measures, the NCCN ALL Panel recommends that patients be treated at a specialized cancer center with expertise in the management of ALL This portion of the Guidelines focuses on the management of Ph-positive and Ph-negative ALL in adolescents and young adults, and management in relapsed settings.

Bortezomib and rituximab in de novo adolescent/adult CD20-positive, Ph-negative pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The expression of CD20 in precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is associated with poor outcomes. The addition of rituximab to intensive chemotherapy in CD20+ ALL has led to improved outcomes in several studies. However, there is no clear evidence regarding the optimal number of doses and its benefit without an allogeneic stem cell transplant. Achieving measurable residual disease (MRD)-negative status postinduction would reduce the requirement for a transplant. Novel approaches are needed to induce a higher proportion of MRD-negative complete remission in patients with high-risk ALL. Given bortezomib's activity in relapsed ALL and its synergism with rituximab in B-cell lymphomas, the addition of bortezomib to rituximab and chemotherapy may provide an incremental benefit in CD20+ precursor B-ALL. We conducted a phase 2 study to test the activity of bortezomib and rituximab in combination with a pediatric-inspired regimen during induction therapy in newly diagnosed adolescents and adults (aged >14 years) with CD20+, Philadelphia-negative precursor B-ALL; bone marrow MRD negativity at the end of induction was the primary end point. From December 2017 through August 2019, a total of 35 patients were enrolled. End-of-induction MRD-negative status was achieved in 70.9% of patients, as opposed to 51.7% in the historical cohort treated with chemotherapy alone. MRD-negative rates improved to 87.5% post-consolidation. At a median follow-up of 21 months, event-free survival and overall survival rates were 78.8% (95% confidence interval, 66-94) and 78.7% (95% confidence interval, 65.8-94), respectively. There was no significant increase in toxicity with bortezomib and rituximab compared with the historical cohort. The incidence of neuropathy was 26% (all less than grade 3). The combination of bortezomib, rituximab, and a pediatric-inspired ALL regimen was active and well tolerated in de novo CD20+ Philadelphia-negative precursor B-ALL. This trial was registered with the Clinical Trials Registry-India as CTRI/2017/04/008393(http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials).

Why Do Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Fare Better Than Adults?

It is a new and exciting time for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). While nearly 50 years ago, only one in nine children with ALL survived with chemotherapy, nowadays nearly 90% of children have a chance of long-term survival. Adults with ALL, as well as the special category of adolescents and young adult (AYA) patients, are catching up with the new developments seen in children, but still their prognosis is much worse. A plethora of factors are regarded as responsible for the differences in treatment response, such as age, ethnicity, disease biology, treatment regimens and toxicities, drug tolerance and resistance, minimal residual disease evaluation, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation timing and socio-economic factors. Taking these factors into account, bringing pediatric-like protocols to adult patient management and incorporating new agents into frontline treatment could be the key to improve the survival rates in adults and AYA.

Pediatric-inspired chemotherapy incorporating pegaspargase is safe and results in high rates of minimal residual disease negativity in adults up to age 60 with Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Administration of pediatric-inspired chemotherapy to adults up to age 60 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is challenging in part due to toxicities of asparaginase as well as myelosuppression. We conducted a multi-center phase II clinical trial (clinicaltrials gov. Identifier: NCT01920737) investigating a pediatric-inspired regimen, based on the augmented arm of the Children’s Cancer Group 1882 protocol, incorporating six doses of pegaspargase 2,000 IU/m2, rationally synchronized to avoid overlapping toxicity with other agents. We treated 39 adults aged 20-60 years (median age 38 years) with newly-diagnosed ALL (n=31) or lymphoblastic lymphoma (n=8). Grade 3-4 hyperbilirubinemia occurred frequently and at higher rates in patients aged 40-60 years (n=18) versus 18-39 years (n=21) (44% vs. 10%, P=0.025). However, eight of nine patients rechallenged with pegaspargase did not experience recurrent grade 3-4 hyperbilirubinemia. Grade 3-4 hypertriglyceridemia and hypofibrinogenemia were common (each 59%). Asparaginase activity at 7 days post-infusion reflected levels associated with adequate asparagine depletion, even among those with antibodies to pegaspargase. Complete response (CR)/CR with incomplete hematologic recovery was observed post-induction in 38 of 39 (97%) patients. Among patients with ALL, rates of minimal residual disease negativity by multi-parameter flow cytometry were 33% and 83% following induction phase I and phase II, respectively. Event-free and overall survival at 3 years (67.8% and 76.4%) compare favorably to outcomes observed in other series. These results demonstrate pegaspargase can be administered in the context of intensive multi-agent chemotherapy to adults aged ≤60 years with manageable toxicity. This regimen may serve as an effective backbone into which novel agents may be incorporated in future frontline studies. Trial registration: https://clinicaltrials. gov/ct2/show/NCT01920737

Outcome of young adult patients with very-high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with pediatric-type chemotherapy - a single institute experience

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Adult patients of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with very high-risk (VHR) characteristics have an inferior outcome, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is usually performed. In contrast, VHR pediatric patients can be treated effectively with minimal residual disease (MRD)-guided pediatric protocols and HSCT are not always needed.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed young adult ALL VHR patients treated with the pediatric-type (TPOG-ALL-2002 VHR) regimen in our institute from 2008 to 2019 and compared the event-free survival (EFS) with patients treated with an adult-type regimen (Hyper-CVAD alternating with high dose methotrexate and cytarabine).

RESULTS

We identified 16 patients treated with the TPOG and 11 treated with the Hyper-CVAD regimen. Philadelphia chromosome-positive (n = 10) and T-cell immunophenotype (n = 11) are the most common VHR features. Compared with the Hyper-CVAD group, patients treated with the TPOG regimen showed a trend toward better EFS with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.42 (p = 0.16). Compared with untransplanted patients, HSCT showed a positive trend in the Hyper-CVAD (HR 0.22, p = 0.12) but not in the TPOG group (p = 0.37). Untransplanted patients treated initially with the hyper-CVAD regimen had a significantly worse outcome than the TPOG regimen (HR 4.19, p < 0.05). In the TPOG group, patients with negative MRD at the end of consolidation had a significantly better outcome (HR 0.12, p = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

Young adult VHR patients can be effectively treated with the TPOG-ALL-2002 protocol, and those who achieved MRD negativity before the end of consolidation have a good outcome without allogeneic HSCT.

Efficacy and safety of induction chemotherapy with daunorubicin or idarubicin in the treatment of an adult with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

BACKGROUND

Anthracyclines are dispensable components of chemotherapy of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the efficacy and safety of induction with idarubicin (IDA) or liposoma daunorubicin (L-DNR) in treatment of adults with high-risk ALL (HR-ALL) (presence of mixed lineage leukemia gene [MLL] rearrangements, t[1;19], or prednisone poor response).

METHODS

Among 58 enrolled patients, 29 cases were defined as the IDA group and the other 29 patients were put into the L-DNR group. Both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated and overall response rate (ORR) was compared between the groups.

RESULTS

The L-DNR group's OS and PFS were insignificantly higher than in the IDA group (P=0.261 and P=0.247). Although not significantly different, the ORR of adults with HR-ALL receiving L-DNR regimens was also higher than in the IDA group (P=0.085). Comprehensive cytogenetic analysis revealed that patients harboring MLL rearrangement, E2A-PBX1, and P53 mutation had poorer prognosis than others. All 58 patients experienced hematologic response in this study; however, the length of hematologic response in the IDA group was significantly longer than in the L-DNR group (P=0.005). The incidence of bleeding and infection was without significant difference between the groups (both P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

L-DNR proved to be an effective drug within a multiagent approach, which shows a favorable overall profile, as well as similar adverse events when compared with IDA in HR-ALL. Patients with E2A-PBX1 are much more sensitive to L-DNR than IDA. Despite some progress made, outcomes in MLL rearrangement or P53 mutation carriers remain unsatisfactory, and intensive treatment will be critical.

Superior survival with pediatric-style chemotherapy compared to myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in older adolescents and young adults with Ph-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia in first complete remission: analysis from CALGB 10403 and the CIBMTR

Optimal post-remission therapy for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with Ph-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first complete remission (CR1) is not established. We compared overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), relapse, and non-relapse mortality (NRM) for patients receiving post-remission therapy on CALGB 10403 to a cohort undergoing myeloablative (MA) allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in CR1. In univariate analysis, OS was superior with chemotherapy compared to MA allogeneic HCT (3-year OS 77% vs. 53%, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, allogeneic HCT showed inferior OS (HR 2.00, 95% CI 1.5-2.66, P < 0.001), inferior DFS (HR 1.62, 95% CI 1.25-2.12, P < 0.001), and increased NRM (HR 5.41, 95% CI 3.23-9.06, P < 0.001) compared to chemotherapy. A higher 5-year relapse incidence was seen with chemotherapy compared to allogeneic HCT (34% vs. 23%, P = 0.011). Obesity was independently associated with inferior OS (HR 2.17, 95% CI 1.63-2.89, P < 0.001), inferior DFS (HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.51-2.57, P < 0.001), increased relapse (1.84, 95% CI 1.31-2.59, P < 0.001), and increased NRM (HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.37-3.23, P < 0.001). For AYA ALL patients in CR1, post-remission therapy with pediatric-style chemotherapy is superior to MA allogeneic HCT for OS, DFS, and NRM.