Which patients should I transplant with acute lymphoblastic leukemia?

Comparison of a modified pediatric protocol versus a hyper-CVAD protocol in adolescents and young adults with Philadelphia-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A multicenter retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

The outcomes of Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have improved dramatically whereas outcomes for ALL amongst adolescents and young adults (AYA) have lagged behind. The introduction of pediatric-like regimens to manage adult ALL has shown promising outcomes across several analyses.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this analysis, we aimed to retrospectively compare the differences in outcomes among patients aged 14-40 years with Philadelphia-negative ALL treated with a Hyper-CVAD protocol versus a modified pediatric protocol.

RESULTS

A total of 103 patients were identified with 58 (56.3%) in the modified ABFM group and 45 (43.7%) in the hyper-CVAD group. The median duration of follow-up for the cohort was 39 months (range 1-93). There were significantly lower rates of MRD persistence after consolidation (10.3% vs. 26.7%, P = 0.031) and transplantation (15.5% vs. 46.6%, P < 0.001) in the modified ABFM group. 5-year OS rates (83.9% vs. 65.3%, P = 0.036) and DFS rates (67.4% vs. 44%, P = 0.014) were higher in the modified ABFM groups. The incidence of grade 3 and 4 hepatotoxicity (24.1% vs. 13.3%, P < 0.001) and osteonecrosis (20.6% vs. 2.2%, P = 0.005) were higher in the modified ABFM group.

CONCLUSION

Our analysis demonstrates that the use of a pediatric modified ABFM protocol demonstrated superior outcomes compared to the hyper-CVAD regimen in the treatment of Philadelphia-negative ALL amongst AYA patients. However, the modified ABFM protocol was associated with an increased risk of certain toxicities including high grade liver toxicity and osteonecrosis.

Characteristics and Outcome of Elderly Patients (>55 years) with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Simple Summary

Disease-specific mortality of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) increases with age. So far, only a few analyses have investigated disease characteristics of elderly patients (>55 years) with newly diagnosed ALL. The aim of our retrospective study was to evaluate the treatment results of 93 elderly patients who received intensive chemotherapy between May 2003 and October 2020. We identify poor performance status and older age at the time of diagnosis as risk factors for inferior outcomes, while ALL immunophenotype, BCR::ABL1 status, the complexity of karyotype, and intensity of treatment did not significantly affect overall survival (OS). With 17.3% of patients dying while in complete remission (CR), an event-free survival (EFS) and OS of 32.9% and 47.3% at 3 years, our data suggest that intensive treatment of elderly ALL patients is feasible but associated with significant toxicity. These results underline the need for novel, less toxic treatment approaches for this vulnerable cohort of patients.

Abstract

Prognosis of elderly ALL patients remains dismal. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the course of 93 patients > 55 years with B-precursor (n = 88) or T-ALL (n = 5), who received age-adapted, pediatric-inspired chemotherapy regimens at our center between May 2003 and October 2020. The median age at diagnosis was 65.7 years, and surviving patients had a median follow-up of 3.7 years. CR after induction therapy was documented in 76.5%, while the rate of treatment-related death within 100 days was 6.4%. The OS of the entire cohort at 1 and 3 year(s) was 75.2% (95% CI: 66.4–84.0%) and 47.3% (95% CI: 36.8–57.7%), respectively, while the EFS at 1 and 3 years(s) was 59.0% (95% CI: 48.9–69.0%) and 32.9% (95% CI: 23.0–42.8%), respectively. At 3 years, the cumulative incidence (CI) of relapse was 48.3% (95% CI: 38.9–59.9%), and the CI rate of death in CR was 17.3% (95% CI: 10.9–27.5%). Older age and an ECOG > 2 represented risk factors for inferior OS, while BCR::ABL1 status, immunophenotype, and intensity of chemotherapy did not significantly affect OS. We conclude that intensive treatment is feasible in selected elderly ALL patients, but high rates of relapse and death in CR underline the need for novel therapeutic strategies.

The Race of CAR Therapies: CAR-NK Cells for Fighting B-Cell Hematological Cancers

Simple Summary

Over the last few years, CAR-T cells have arisen as one of the most promising immunotherapies against relapsed or refractory hematological cancers. Despite their good results in clinical trials, there are some limitations to overcome, such as undesirable side-effects or the restraints of an autologous treatment. Therefore, CAR-NK cells have emerged as a good alternative for these kinds of treatments. This review discusses the advantages of CAR-NK cells compared to CAR-T cells, as well as the different sources and strategies in order to obtain these CAR-NK cells.

Abstract

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are the most common leukemias in children and elderly people, respectively. Standard therapies, such as chemotherapy, are only effective in 40% of ALL adult patients with a five-year survival rate and therefore new alternatives need to be used, such as immunotherapy targeting specific receptors of malignant cells. Among all the options, CAR (Chimeric antigen receptor)-based therapy has arisen as a new opportunity for refractory or relapsed hematological cancer patients. CARs were designed to be used along with T lymphocytes, creating CAR-T cells, but they are presenting such encouraging results that they are already in use as drugs. Nonetheless, their side-effects and the fact that it is not possible to infuse an allogenic CAR-T product without causing graft-versus-host-disease, have meant using a different cell source to solve these problems, such as Natural Killer (NK) cells. Although CAR-based treatment is a high-speed race led by CAR-T cells, CAR-NK cells are slowly (but surely) consolidating their position; their demonstrated efficacy and the lack of undesirable side-effects is opening a new door for CAR-based treatments. CAR-NKs are now in the field to stay.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children and adolescents with nonremission acute lymphoblastic leukemia

BACKGROUND

The appropriateness of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in children and adolescents with leukemia in whom complete remission is not possible remains unclear. This retrospective analysis aimed to investigate the outcomes associated with HSCT, and the risks of HSCT in children and adolescents with nonremission acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

PROCEDURE

Data from the Japan Society for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation registry on 325 patients with nonremission ALL (aged <21 years, with blasts in the peripheral blood and/or bone marrow) who had undergone HSCT between January 2001 and December 2015 were evaluated. To assess survival, we developed a scoring system using significant adverse pre-HSCT variables.

RESULTS

Overall, 247 patients died. The median length of follow up among survivors was 1145 days, and the 3-year overall survival was 22% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 18-27%). A low performance score, presence of >25% bone marrow blasts, T-cell phenotype, poor-risk or normal cytogenetics, and history of HSCT were predictors of a poor outcome. Patients scoring 0-1 (n = 109), 2 (n = 91), and 3-7 (n = 125) had a 3-year overall survival of 41% (95% CI: 31-51%), 21% (95% CI: 13-31%), and 7% (95% CI: 3-12%), respectively.

CONCLUSION

These results support HSCT in certain nonremission patients. Even in patients without complete remission, outcomes differed according to pre-HSCT factors. A scoring system could help determine the appropriateness of HSCT in children and adolescents with nonremission ALL.

Clinical significance of increased PML-RARa transcripts after induction therapy for acute promyelocytic leukaemia

Objective: To analyze the clinical and biological significance of the acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) whose PML-RARa transcripts increased after induction therapy.Methods: We analyzed 9 cases of APL whose PML-RARa transcripts increased after induction treatment and compare them with APL whose PML-RARa transcripts decreased.Results: The only factor affecting increased PML-RARa transcripts was the induction protocol. The cases of increased PML-RARa transcripts received induction treatment mainly based on ATRA and ATO. The evaluation of bone marrow aspirate cytology showed that the cell percentage from myelocyte to segmented neutrophil of the patients with increased PML-RARa transcripts was significantly higher than that of the patients with decreased PML-RARa transcripts. In the follow-up, MRD in 9 cases was consistently negative.Conclusions: Our studies showed the increased PML-RARa transcripts after induction treatment had different clinical significance from the decreased PML-RARa transcripts.

Hematological malignancies and molecular targeting therapy

Recent genetic analysis using next-generation sequencing (NGS) vastly improved the understanding of molecular mechanism of hematological malignancies. Many molecular targeting drugs have since been used in the clinic, which is timely as clinical outcomes using conventional chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) reached a plateau. The first memorable success in this field was imatinib, a first-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), which has been applied in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) since 2001. Imatinib drastically changed CML treatment and many CML patients no longer require HSCT. Recently, the second generation TKIs, dasatinib, nilotinib, and ponatinib, have also been available for CML patients. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is sub-categorized based on cytogenetic or molecular genetic abnormalities. Chemotherapy and HSCT combined with TKI improved the event-free survival rate from 20% to 80% in Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome-positive ALL. Reportedly, another Ph-like ALL subgroup with poor prognosis can also be treated by TKIs; additionally, cell therapies that include bispecific T-cell engagers or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T therapy are emerging. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogenous disease and FMS-like related tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3)-internal tandem duplication, is the most robust marker for poor prognosis. Several first-generation TKIs have been studied for clinical use. Notably, chemotherapy plus midostaurin improved survival compared with chemotherapy alone. Therefore, midostaurin was approved to treat adult AML patients with FLT3-ITD in 2017. Gemtuzumab ozogamicin, a selective anti-CD33 antibody-calicheamicin conjugate, is approved for clinical practice. Many molecular targeting agents are now being used for hematological malignancies.

Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Young Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A United States Population-Level Analysis

In this population-based evaluation of adolescents and young adults (AYA) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), we describe patterns of care (POC) and outcomes regarding hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in first complete remission (CR1). Data were abstracted from the 2013 United States Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results POC study; newly diagnosed AYA ALL were included. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated associations with HCT in CR1; Cox proportional hazards regression evaluated survival associations. Of 399 AYAs with ALL included, 102 (28.5%) underwent HCT in CR1. High-risk cytogenetics (odds ratio [OR] = 4.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.02-7.83) and hyper-cyclophosphamide, vincristine, adriamycin, and dexamethasone (CVAD) induction (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.07-3.16) were associated with HCT in CR1. Two-year cumulative incidence of relapse, relapse-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS) of the entire cohort were 28.3% (95% CI = 23.4-33.4), 69.3% (95% CI = 63.6-74.3%), and 84.1% (95% CI = 79.7-87.5), respectively. Two-year RFS was significantly higher in patients receiving CR1 HCT relative to chemotherapy (83.6%, 95% CI = 72.6-90.5% vs. 64.3%, 95% CI = 57.5-70.3), but no difference was seen in 2-year OS (88.9%, 95% CI = 80.8-93.7 vs. 82.5%, 95% CI = 77.2-86.7). Treatment at a nonteaching hospital was independently associated with inferior OS (hazard ratio = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.23-3.76). Although the ALL landscape is changing, these data provide a snapshot of the use and outcomes of HCT for AYA ALL across the United States.