Induction therapy by frequent administration of doxorubicin with four other drugs, followed by intensive consolidation and maintenance therapy for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia: the JALSG-ALL93 study

Nelarabine-combined chemotherapy improves outcome of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia but shows more severe neurotoxicity: JALSG T-ALL213-O

We investigated the effectiveness and safety of nelarabine (NEL)-combined chemotherapy for newly diagnosed adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) patients. We conducted a phase II trial, T-ALL213-O, where adult T-ALL patients aged 25 to 64 were treated by a regimen based on that used in our previous study, ALL202-O. The main modifications from ALL202-O to T-ALL213-O were as follows: (1) NEL-combined chemotherapy, instead of consolidation (C)1, was used for non-complete remission (CR) patients after induction therapy (IND)1 as IND2; (2) NEL treatments were inserted into C3 and C5 on day 29. Twenty-four patients were analyzed. Ten patients did not receive NEL treatment due to therapy termination prior to C3. Three-year event-free survival (EFS) was 70%, with 52% as the lower limit of its 90% confidence interval, which exceeded the threshold of 25%; thus, the study treatment was considered effective. The CR rates by IND1, IND2, and both were 75%, 100%, and 88%, respectively. The 5-year EFS and 5-year overall survival rates were 66% and 70%, respectively, with median follow-ups of 7.7 and 7.8 years. The addition of NEL improved the CR rate but not survival, compared with T-ALL patients in ALL202-O. Severe neuropathy after NEL administration was observed at a high frequency. Seven (50%) of 14 patients treated with NEL showed grade 3 peripheral neuropathy and/or gait disturbance. The neurotoxicity was considered stronger than that previously reported. Combination therapy of NEL at this dose and intensive multidrug chemotherapy is associated with a high risk of severe neurotoxicity (JALSG T-ALL213-O, UMIN000010642).

Philadelphia Chromosome as a Clinically Favorable Prognostic Factor of B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia/Lymphoblastic Lymphoma in Transplant-Ineligible Elderly Patients in the Era of Molecular-Targeted Therapy

Background and objective There is scarce data on the treatment outcomes of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoblastic lymphoma (B-ALL/LBL) in elderly patients in the era of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), blinatumomab, and inotuzumab ozogamicin. In light of this, we aimed to address this gap in data by conducting this retrospective study. Methods Treatment outcomes were retrospectively evaluated by using data from transplant-ineligible patients aged 65 years or older with newly diagnosed B-ALL/LBL (n=29) at two hospitals in Oita, Japan between 2013 and 2023. Results The median age of the cohort was 72 (65-88) years, and 10 patients were male; 17 patients had Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive ALL, and the others had Ph-negative ALL. Dasatinib combined with prednisolone was the most common induction therapy for Ph-positive ALL (88.2%). Complete response (CR) was achieved in 93.1%, and the CR rate did not differ significantly between Ph-positive ALL (100%) and Ph-negative ALL (83.3%) (p=0.16). The median observation period was 1.52 (range: 0.03-8.98) years. Overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were significantly longer in Ph-positive ALL patients than in Ph-negative ALL patients on univariate analysis (OS: p=0.011, EFS: p=0.041). Multivariate analyses showed that the presence of Ph was significantly and independently associated with longer OS [hazard ratio (HR): 0.29, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.10-0.87, p=0.027] and EFS (HR: 0.34, 95% CI: 0.12-0.91, p=0.03). There was no difference in relapse-free survival (RFS); 13 patients (76.5%) with Ph-positive ALL were treated with ponatinib (salvage therapy, n=7; consolidation or maintenance therapy in CR, n=6). Six of seven patients (85.7%) with ponatinib salvage therapy achieved CR, and all six patients treated with ponatinib consolidation or maintenance therapy retained CR at the last follow-up. Six patients (Ph-positive ALL: n=4; Ph-negative ALL: n=2) were treated with blinatumomab, including salvage therapy for primary refractory or relapse (n=3), and consolidation therapy due to intolerance to conventional chemotherapies (n=3). Two of three patients with blinatumomab salvage therapy achieved CR, and all three patients with blinatumomab consolidation therapy maintained CR in follow-up. Two patients (Ph-positive ALL: n=1; Ph-negative ALL: n=1) were treated with inotuzumab ozogamicin for relapsed or refractory ALL. A patient with Ph-positive ALL for the third relapse achieved CR, which was sustained for three years. The other patient with Ph-negative ALL for primary refractory achieved CR but relapsed after the fourth course of inotuzumab ozogamicin. Conclusions Elderly patients with Ph-positive ALL showed significantly longer OS and EFS than those with Ph-negative ALL in the era of molecular-targeted therapy.

Changes in skeletal muscle function during chemotherapy and related factors in patients with acute leukemia

INTRODUCTION

Skeletal muscle function is an important prognostically relevant indicator in patients with acute leukemia (AL), but skeletal dysfunction during chemotherapy is not well understood. This study aimed to investigate the factors that influence changes in skeletal muscle function from before the start of chemotherapy to before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study that included 90 patients with AL who underwent chemotherapy before transplantation to perform allo-HSCT (men, 67.3%; median age, 53 years). The outcome measure was defined as changes in skeletal muscle function from before chemotherapy to before allo-HSCT, and was assessed by measuring the psoas muscle index (PMI) as skeletal muscle quantity and computed tomography values (CTV) as skeletal muscle quality using a computed tomography scanner. We examined the differences in PMI and CTV before chemotherapy and allo-HSCT, and the factors associated with changes in PMI.

RESULT

The mean PMI for before chemotherapy and allo-HSCT were 4.6 ± 1.4 cm2/m2 and 4.0 ± 1.3 cm2/m2 and significant differences were observed (p < 0.001). However, the mean CTV before chemotherapy and allo-HSCT were 47.3 ± 4.5 HU and 47.4 ± 5.0 HU, respectively, and no significant differences were found (p = 0.798). In stepwise multiple regression analysis, age and sex were identified as factors related to changes in PMI (age, p = 0.019; sex, p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

We found that skeletal muscle quantity decreased during chemotherapy in patients with AL and was influenced by male sex and older age.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

  TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: 34-096(11,243). Date of registration: September 11, 2023.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance in de novo BCR::ABL1-positive BCP-ALL beyond kinase domain mutations

ABSTRACT

A better understanding of ABL1 kinase domain mutation-independent causes of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance is needed for BCR::ABL1-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL). Although TKIs have dramatically improved outcomes, a subset of patients still experiences relapsed or refractory disease. We aimed to identify potential biomarkers of intrinsic TKI resistance at diagnosis in samples from 32 pediatric and 19 adult patients with BCR::ABL1-positive BCP-ALL. Reduced ex vivo imatinib sensitivity was observed in cells derived from newly diagnosed patients who relapsed after combined TKI and chemotherapy treatment compared with cells derived from patients who remained in continuous complete remission. We observed that ex vivo imatinib resistance was inversely correlated with the amount of (phosphorylated) BCR::ABL1/ABL1 protein present in samples that were taken at diagnosis without prior TKI exposure. This suggests an intrinsic cause of TKI resistance that is independent of functional BCR::ABL1 signaling. Simultaneous deletions of IKZF1 and CDKN2A/B and/or PAX5 (IKZF1plus), as well as deletions of PAX5 alone, were related to ex vivo imatinib resistance. In addition, somatic lesions involving ZEB2, SETD2, SH2B3, and CRLF2 were associated with reduced ex vivo imatinib sensitivity. Our data suggest that the poor prognostic value of IKZF1(plus) deletions is linked to intrinsic mechanisms of TKI resistance other than ABL1 kinase domain mutations in newly diagnosed pediatric and adult BCR::ABL1-positive BCP-ALL.

Outcomes in human T-cell leukemia virus type I carriers after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for diseases other than adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma: a Japanese national survey

Background

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus known to cause adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). There are few reports on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for HTLV-1 carriers with diseases other than ATL.

Methods

A total of 25,839 patients (24,399 adults and 1440 children) with pre-transplant HTLV-1 serostatus information recorded in the Japanese National Survey Database who had undergone their first HSCT were analyzed. We investigated the overall survival (OS), transplant-related mortality (TRM), and disease-related mortality (DRM) after HSCT in relation to HTLV-1 serologic status.

Findings

Three hundred and forty-eight patients were HTLV-1 antibody carriers. The number of HTLV-1 carriers and noncarriers among adult patients who received allogeneic HSCT (allo-HSCT) or autologous HSCT (auto-HSCT) was 237/15,777 and 95/8920, respectively, and was 16/1424 among pediatric patients who received allo-HSCT. No pediatric HTLV-1 carrier recipients undergoing auto-HSCT were identified. There were no significant differences between HTLV-1 carriers and non-carriers regarding stem cell source, disease risk, or HCT-CI score prior to allo-HSCT. Multivariate analysis of OS (P = 0.020) and TRM (P = 0.017) in adult patients showed that HTLV-1 positive status was a significant prognostic factor. In children, TRM was significantly higher (P = 0.019), but OS was not significantly different. In adult patients who underwent auto-HSCT, HTLV-1 positive status was not a significant prognostic factor. In adult allo-HSCT patients, cytomegalovirus reactivation was significantly more common in HTLV-1 carriers (P = 0.001).

Interpretation

HTLV-1 antibody positivity was shown to have a poor prognosis in OS and TRM after allo-HSCT in adult patients and in TRM after allo-HSCT in pediatric patients.

Funding

This work was supported in part by the practical research programs of the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) under grant number 17ck0106342h0001.

Impact of Body Mass Index on 5-Year Survival Rates in Patients Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

BACKGROUND

Cancer survival is associated with body mass index (BMI). However, the impact of patients' baseline characteristics on allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) outcomes remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the baseline clinical factors associated with 5-year survival rates in patients undergoing allo-HSCT.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This was a retrospective exploratory observational study. Patients (n = 113, 52 women; average age: 55 years) who underwent allo-HSCT at the Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Shizuoka Cancer Center, between January 2008 and March 2015, were included in the present study.

RESULTS

Patients with low BMI (<18.5 kg/m²) had significantly lower 5-year survival rates than those with normal (18.5-24.9 kg/m²) and high (⩾25.0 kg/m²) BMI. The 5-year survival rate was poorer for patients with sarcopenia (41.5%) than that for those without sarcopenia prior to allo-HSCT (P = .05). The 5-year survival rate was poorer for patients with geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI < 98) (34.5%) than that for those without GNRI prior to allo-HSCT (P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Low BMI before allo-HCST pre-treatment was a predictor of 5-year survival rates in this study. Patients undergoing allo-HSCT may require nutritional interventions during pre-treatment to reduce the risk of sarcopenia and GNRI (<98), which affects their survival rates.

Nrf2 Overexpression Decreases Vincristine Chemotherapy Sensitivity Through the PI3K-AKT Pathway in Adult B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Uncontrolled proliferation is an important cancer cell biomarker, which plays a critical role in carcinogenesis, progression and development of resistance to chemotherapy. An improved understanding of novel genes modulating cancer cell proliferation and mechanism will help develop new therapeutic strategies. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a transcription factor, decreases apoptosis when its expression is upregulated. However, the relationship between Nrf2 and Vincristine (VCR) chemotherapy resistance in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is not yet established. Our results showed that Nrf2 levels could sufficiently modulate the sensitivity of B-ALL cells to VCRby regulating an apoptotic protein, i.e., the Bcl-2 agonist of cell death (BAD). Chemotherapeutic agents used for the treatment of B-ALL induced Nrf2 overactivation and PI3K-AKT pathway activation in the cells, independent of the resistance to chemotherapy; thus, a potential resistance loop during treatment for B-ALL with a drug combination is established. Therefore, B-ALL patients with a high expression of Nrf2 might mean induction chemotherapy with VCR effective little.

Propensity score matching/reweighting analysis comparing autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation for B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia

We compared the outcomes of autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT) with those of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) from a human leukocyte antigen-matched related donor in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Newly diagnosed patients who underwent allo-SCT (n = 486) or auto-SCT (n = 99) after achieving first complete remission (CR) were included. Propensity score matching (PS) and an inverse probability of the treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis were applied to compensate for imbalances in baseline characteristics. The 5 years rates of overall survival (OS) among those in the PS-matched cohorts were 57% [95% confidence interval (CI) 46-67%] for those who received allo-SCT and 44% (95% CI 33-54%) for those who received auto-SCT. Multivariable, propensity score-matched, and IPTW analyses all revealed no statistically significant differences in OS between the two groups [hazard ratios (HR) 0.81, 95% CI 0.53-1.27, p = 0.36; HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.40-1.78, p = 0.65; HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.25-2.02, p = 0.53, respectively]. Prospective trials that include autologous transplantation as a treatment option are needed to examine the potential of autologous transplantation.

Optimal treatment for Philadelphia-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia in first remission in the era of high-intensity chemotherapy

The optimal treatment for Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first complete remission (CR1) has not been established in the high-intensity chemotherapy era. The outcomes of patients with Ph-negative ALL who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from a human leukocyte antigen-matched related or unrelated donor in CR1 (HSCT-MRD group and HSCT-MUD group) were obtained from a Japanese registry database. Patients aged 16-24 years and 25-65 years were analyzed separately, and their outcomes were compared to those of patients who continued high-intensity chemotherapy in CR1 in studies (202U group and 202O group) by the Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group (JALSG). In the HSCT-MRD group, patients younger than 25 years had lower overall survival (OS) than the 202U group, presumably due to the higher non-relapse mortality (NRM) in the HSCT-MRD group. Patients 25 years and older had similar OS to the 202O group. The lower relapse rate was counterbalanced by higher NRM in the HSCT-MRD group. In the HSCT-MUD group, patients in both age groups had similar OS to their corresponding groups in the JALSG studies. In conclusion, high-intensity chemotherapy may change the role of HSCT for Ph-negative ALL.

Clonal evolution detected with conventional cytogenetic analysis is a potent prognostic factor in adult patients with relapsed Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Additional cytogenetic abnormality (ACA) acquisition at relapse has been recognized as clonal evolution at the cytogenetic level, and has a significant prognostic impact on relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. We retrospectively investigated 48 relapsed Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients to clarify the clinical significance of ACA acquisition at the first relapse. Twenty-seven patients (56 %) acquired ACA at the first relapse. No significant predisposing factor for ACA acquisition was identified. Notably, patients with ACA acquisition showed a significantly lower second complete remission rate compared to those without ACA acquisition (14.8 % vs. 76.2 %, respectively; p < 0.01), and furthermore, the overall survival rates after the first relapse were significantly different between patients with and without ACA acquisition (25.9 % vs. 55.3 % at 1 year, respectively; p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis extracted ACA acquisition as the only negative prognostic factor (hazard ratio: 2.55, p < 0.01). All seven patients with ACA acquisition who underwent allogeneic transplant died within 2 years after relapse. These findings suggested that clonal evolution detected with conventional cytogenetic analysis at the first relapse triggers severe chemo-refractoriness in Ph-negative ALL cells, just like AML cells. Novel therapeutic strategies are warranted for this subset of patients.

Recurrent genetic abnormalities detected by FISH in adult B ALL and association with hematological parameters

Background

Recurrent genetic abnormalities influence prognosis in B lymphoblastic leukemia. BCR‐ABL rearrangement is associated with higher leukocyte counts and older age at presentation. Among adults, BCR ‐ABL ‐ is the commonest recurrent abnormality whereas, IgH rearrangements are rare.

Aim

Aim of this study was to identify common recurrent genetic abnormalities in adult B ALL and study their association with hematological findings.

Methods

Bone marrow and peripheral blood from patients with B acute lymphoblastic leukemia were analyzed for complete blood counts, bone marrow morphology and cytogenetic abnormalities. The study group was divided into smaller groups based on cytogenetic abnormalities. Hematological parameters and presence of recurrent genetic abnormalities was compared across age groups and gender by non parametric tests.

Results

BCR‐ABL positive group had a higher leukocyte count than BCR‐ABL negative group. Among groups 1 to 5, group 1 with gains of chromosomes was associated with leucopenia and higher age at presentation. BCR‐ABL is commonest recurrent abnormality followed by IgH rearrangements.

Conclusion

Patients with gains of chromosomes alone have low total leukocyte counts at presentation.

The impacts of BCR-ABL1 mutations in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

The prognostic impacts of BCR-ABL1 fusion gene mutations in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph + ALL) remain unknown. Using data from a nationwide Japanese registry, we have evaluated the prognostic impact of BCR-ABL1 mutations prior to the first allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). The cohort included 289 patients with a median of 48 years of age (range: 16-70). Point mutations were detected in 110 patients. Of these, 90 (82%) harbored T315I mutations, while 20 had other mutations. With a median follow-up period of 29 months (range: 1-125), outcomes after 2 years were worse with mutations than without (overall survival [OS]: 34% vs 68%, p < 0.001; relapse rate [RR]: 48% vs 18%, p < 0.001), particularly with the presence of the T315I mutation (OS: 29% vs 68%, p < 0.001; RR: 54% vs 18%, p < 0.001). OS was significantly worse in the T315I group even among the cohort with hematological (p < 0.001) or molecular complete remission (p = 0.025) as compared to the no mutation group. Multivariate analysis determined the prognostic impact of the T315I mutation (OS: hazard ratio [HR] = 2.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.5-3.3, p < 0.001; RR: HR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.5-4.2, p < 0.001). This study is the first to report on the prognostic significance of BCR-ABL1 mutations in Ph + ALL.

A multidisciplinary expert opinion on CINV and RINV, unmet needs and practical real-life approaches

Introduction: A range of combination chemotherapy regimens are currently used in clinical practice. However, international antiemetic guidelines often only categorize the emetogenic potential of single agents rather than the emetogenicity of combination chemotherapy regimens. To manage the nausea and vomiting induced by antineoplastic combinations, guidelines suggest antiemetics that are appropriate for the component drug with the highest emetogenic potential. Furthermore, antiemetic guidelines generally do not consider the influence of other factors, including individual patient characteristics, on the emetic effects of cancer treatments. Similarly, the emetogenic potential of radiotherapy is stratified only according to the site of radiation, while other factors contributing to emetic risk are overlooked.Areas covered: An Expert Panel was convened to examine unresolved issues and summarize the current clinical research on managing nausea and vomiting associated with combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy.Expert opinion: The panel identified the incidence of nausea and vomiting induced by multi-drug combination therapies currently used to treat cancer at different anatomic sites and by radiotherapy in the presence of other risk factors. Based on these data and the clinical experience of panel members, several suggestions are made for a practical approach to prevent or manage nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy regimens and radiation therapy.

Burden of hospitalization in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients treated with Inotuzumab Ozogamicin versus standard chemotherapy treatment

BACKGROUND

Inotuzumab Ozogamicin (INO), has demonstrated an improvement in overall survival, high rate of complete remission, favorable patient-reported outcomes, and manageable safety profile vs standard of care (SoC; intensive chemotherapy) for relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in the phase 3 INO-VATE trial. With a one-hour weekly dosing schedule, INO might be associated with lower healthcare system burden. This study analyses hospitalizations for INO vs SoC.

METHODS

All patients receiving study treatment in the INO-VATE trial were included. The days hospitalized during study treatment was calculated. Due to different treatment durations for INO and SoC (median of 3 vs 1 cycles), number of hospital days was mainly reported per observed patient month. Hospital days per patient month were analyzed for different treatment cycles, subgroups, and main reasons for hospitalization. Differences between treatments were analyzed by the incidence rate ratio (IRR).

RESULTS

Overall, 82.9% and 94.4% INO and SoC patients experienced at least one hospitalization. The mean hospitalization days per patient month was 7.6 and 18.4 days for INO and SoC (IRR = 0.413, P < .001), which corresponds to patients spending 25.0% and 60.5% of their treatment time in a hospital. Main hospitalization reasons were R/R ALL treatment (5.2 (INO) vs 14.0 (SoC) days, IRR = 0.368, P < .001), treatment toxicities (1.4 vs 2.8 days, IRR = 0.516, P < .001) or other reasons (1.0 vs 1.6 days, IRR 0.629, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Inotuzumab Ozogamicin treatment in R/R ALL is associated with a lower hospitalization burden compared with SoC. It is likely this lower burden has a favorable impact on healthcare budgets and cost-effectiveness considerations.

Prospective Phase 2 Study of Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation in Adult Acute Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Almost comparable transplantation outcomes have been reported with HLA-matched unrelated donor transplantation (UDT) and cord blood transplantation (CBT). We conducted a prospective phase 2 study to assess the efficacy and safety of single-unit myeloablative CBT in adult leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. Because the day 180 survival of UDT was approximately 80%, we determined the alternative hypothesis of expected day 180 survival with a successful engraftment rate of 80% and set the null hypothesis of threshold rate at 65%. Sixty-two patients (median age, 37 years) were registered, including 28 with acute myelogenous leukemia, 25 with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and 9 with myelodysplastic syndrome. Of 61 eligible patients, 52 were successfully engrafted and survived at day 180 (85%; 95% confidence interval, 74% to 93%). Single-unit CBT was judged to be effective because the null hypothesis was rejected (P < .001). Furthermore, neutrophil engraftment was observed in 57 patients (92%); the incidences of grade II-IV acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease were 30% and 32%, respectively; and the cumulative incidences of nonrelapse mortality and relapse at 2 years were 18% and 13%, respectively. The present study showed favorable survival outcomes with single-unit CBT. Therefore, this method may be considered if a well-HLA-matched UDT cannot be obtained.

Final analysis of the JALSG Ph+ALL202 study: tyrosine kinase inhibitor-combined chemotherapy for Ph+ALL

The Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group (JALSG) Ph+ALL202 study reported a high complete remission (CR) rate for Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ALL) patients treated with imatinib-combined chemotherapy. However, the long-term treatment efficacy remains uncertain. Here, we report a final analysis of the JALSG Ph+ALL202 study. The outcomes were compared with those of the JALSG ALL93 and ALL97 studies, which were conducted in the pre-imatinib era. Ninety-nine newly diagnosed Ph+ALL patients were enrolled in Ph+ALL202 (median age, 45 years; median follow-up, 4.5 years). CR was achieved in 96/99 (97%) patients. Fifty-nine of these 96 patients (61%) underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in their first CR (CR1). The 5-year overall and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 50 and 43%, respectively, which were significantly higher compared to those in the pre-imatinib era (15 and 19%, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that imatinib administration, allo-HSCT in CR1, and a white blood cell count < 30 × 10⁹/L were favorable independent prognostic factors for long-term DFS. Improved odds of receiving allo-HSCT and a lower relapse rate leaded to good long-term outcomes. The 3-year DFS tended to be higher in PCR-negative than that in PCR-positive patients (29 vs. 14%) in the non-HSCT patients, and this tendency was also seen in the allo-HSCT patients (59 vs. 50%). The higher rate of CR upon imatinib use may have contributed to these improvements.

Upfront treatment with the first and second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors in Ph-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The treatment of Ph-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) has entranced tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) era. Currently both imatinib and dasatinib are registered as the front-line treatment for Ph+ ALL, and the other 2^nd-generation TKIs are suggested as an alternative for those who failed the first-line treatment. However, it remains unclear who could benefit from the 2^nd-generation TKIs as the first-line treatment for Ph+ ALL. In this study we compared the efficacy and safety of the 1^st and 2^nd-generation TKIs in the front-line treatment of Ph+ ALL and found a trend toward better disease-free survival (DFS) in the 2^nd-generation TKIs group, though no significant difference in early response and long-term survival between the two groups. Furthermore, subgroup analysis showed that if allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) was incorporated as consolidation, the 2^nd-generation TKIs benefited patients with better DFS and overall survival (OS). The two generation TKIs were well tolerated. Higher incidence of acquiring T315I mutation was observed in the patients relapsed on the 2^nd-generation TKIs. These findings suggested front-line treatment of Ph+ ALL with the 2^nd-generation TKIs might benefit patients with better survival when allo-HSCT was incorporated as consolidation therapy; meanwhile, the higher incidence of T315I mutation in patients relapsed on the 2^nd-generation TKIs deserved further attention.

The ABCs of Immunotherapy for Adult Patients With B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

OBJECTIVE

To review the pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of Food and Drug Administration approved and promising immunotherapy agents used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

DATA SOURCES

A literature search was performed of PubMed and MEDLINE databases (1950 to July 2017) and of abstracts from the American Society of Hematology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Searches were performed utilizing the following key terms: rituximab, blinatumomab, inotuzumab, ofatumumab, obinutuzumab, Blincyto, Rituxan, Gazyva, Arzerra, CAR T-cell, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR).

STUDY SELECTION/DATA EXTRACTION

Studies of pharmacology, clinical efficacy, and safety of rituximab, ofatumumab, obinutuzumab, inotuzumab, blinatumomab, and CAR T-cells in the treatment of adult patients with ALL were identified.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Conventional chemotherapy has been the mainstay in the treatment of ALL, producing cure rates of approximately 90% in pediatrics, but it remains suboptimal in adult patients. As such, more effective consolidative modalities and novel therapies for relapsed/refractory disease are needed for adult patients with ALL. In recent years, anti-CD20 antibodies, blinatumomab, inotuzumab, and CD19-targeted CAR T-cells have drastically changed the treatment landscape of B-cell ALL.

CONCLUSION

Outcomes of patients with relapsed disease are improving thanks to new therapies such as blinatumomab, inotuzumab, and CAR T-cells. Although the efficacy of these therapies is impressive, they are not without toxicity, both physical and financial. The optimal sequencing of these therapies still remains a question.

High-dose methotrexate therapy significantly improved survival of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a phase III study by JALSG

High-dose methotrexate (Hd-MTX) therapy has recently been applied to the treatment of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) based on pediatric protocols; however, its effectiveness for adult ALL has not yet been confirmed in a rigorous manner. We herein conducted a randomized phase III trial comparing Hd-MTX therapy with intermediate-dose (Id)-MTX therapy. This study was registered at UMIN-CTR (ID: C000000063). Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-negative ALL patients aged between 25 and 64 years of age were enrolled. Patients who achieved complete remission (CR) were randomly assigned to receive therapy containing Hd-MTX (3 g/m²) or Id-MTX (0.5 g/m²). A total of 360 patients were enrolled. The CR rate was 86%. A total of 115 and 114 patients were assigned to the Hd-MTX and Id-MTX groups, respectively. The estimated 5-year disease-free survival rate of the Hd-MTX group was 58%, which was significantly better than that of the Id-MTX group at 32% (P=0.0218). The frequencies of severe adverse events were not significantly different. We herein demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of Hd-MTX therapy for adult Ph-negative ALL. Our results provide a strong rationale for protocols containing Hd-MTX therapy being applied to the treatment of adult ALL.

Inotuzumab ozogamicin in adults with relapsed or refractory CD22-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a phase 1/2 study

This study evaluated the safety, antitumor activity, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of inotuzumab ozogamicin (InO) for CD22-positive relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In phase 1, patients received InO 1.2 (n = 3), 1.6 (n = 12), or 1.8 (n = 9) mg/m² per cycle on days 1, 8, and 15 over a 28-day cycle (≤6 cycles). The recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) was confirmed (expansion cohort; n = 13); safety and activity of InO were assessed in patients receiving the RP2D in phase 2 (n = 35) and in all treated patients (n = 72). The RP2D was 1.8 mg/m² per cycle (0.8 mg/m² on day 1; 0.5 mg/m² on days 8 and 15), with reduction to 1.6 mg/m² per cycle after complete remission (CR) or CR with incomplete marrow recovery (CRi). Treatment-related toxicities were primarily cytopenias. Four patients experienced treatment-related venoocclusive disease/sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (VOD/SOS; 1 fatal). Two VOD/SOS events occurred during treatment without intervening transplant; of 24 patients proceeding to poststudy transplant, 2 experienced VOD/SOS after transplant. Forty-nine (68%) patients had CR/CRi, with 41 (84%) achieving minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity. Median progression-free survival was 3.9 (95% confidence interval, 2.9-5.4) months; median overall survival was 7.4 (5.7-9.2) months for all treated patients, with median 23.7 (range, 6.8-29.8) months of follow-up for all treated patients alive at data cutoff. Achievement of MRD negativity was associated with higher InO exposure. InO was well tolerated and demonstrated high single-agent activity and MRD-negativity rates. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01363297.

Phase II study of imatinib-based chemotherapy for newly diagnosed BCR-ABL-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia

This study investigated the efficacy of imatinib based therapy with intensified consolidation therapy in patients with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) to prevent early relapse. We conducted a phase II trial of imatinib-combined chemotherapy for newly diagnosed BCR-ABL-positive ALL in adults. Sixty-eight patients were included in the trial between October 2008 and December 2010. The median age was 49 years, with 28 patients >55 years of age. Sixty-five patients achieved CR (95.6%). The estimated 2-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 62.3% and 67.4%, respectively. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) at initial CR was performed in 43 patients. Thirty-five of 39 patients <55 years and 8 of 26 patients >55 years underwent allo-SCT at first CR. The 3-year OS in patients <55 years receiving allo-SCT at first CR, patients >55 years receiving allo-SCT at first CR, patients <55 years not receiving allo-SCT at first CR, and patients >55 years not receiving allo-SCT at first CR were 80.4%, 41.1%, 32.5%, and 52.0%, respectively (P = 0.058). The three-year EFS in each group was 76.7%, 53.6%, not reached, and 26.4%, respectively (P = 0.150). A high CR rate was observed with imatinib-based chemotherapy allowing allo-SCT in a high proportion of patients, particularly those <55 years. Moreover, intensified consolidation therapy reduced early relapse rates following induction therapy and resulted in improved OS and EFS rates following allo-SCT. This trial was registered with the UMIN (000001226).

Clinical Outcomes after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation for Adult Lymphoblastic Lymphoma

Lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) is a rare subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. There are limited reports on allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) in patients with LBL. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical outcomes of 15 adult patients with LBL who received allo-SCT at our institution. The median age at allo-SCT was 29 years (range, 18-42). Disease status at the time of transplantation was complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR), and advanced disease in 4, 4, and 7 patients, respectively. The median follow-up duration of survivors was 25 months (range, 6-106). The probabilities of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) at 2 years after allo-SCT were 37% and 24%, respectively. The respective 2-year OS and PFS rates of the 8 patients with CR or PR at the time of transplantation were 57% and 45%, while those with advanced disease were 14% and 0%. In conclusion, the treatment outcomes of allo-SCT in patients with LBL were unsatisfactory. Although outcomes were promising in patients with CR or PR at the time of transplantation, they were dismal in patients with progressive disease. Further advances in chemotherapy, both induction and salvage therapies, are needed to improve the clinical outcomes of patients with LBL.

Preventing and Managing Toxicities of High-Dose Methotrexate

: High-dose methotrexate (HDMTX), defined as a dose higher than 500 mg/m2, is used to treat a range of adult and childhood cancers. Although HDMTX is safely administered to most patients, it can cause significant toxicity, including acute kidney injury (AKI) in 2%-12% of patients. Nephrotoxicity results from crystallization of methotrexate in the renal tubular lumen, leading to tubular toxicity. AKI and other toxicities of high-dose methotrexate can lead to significant morbidity, treatment delays, and diminished renal function. Risk factors for methotrexate-associated toxicity include a history of renal dysfunction, volume depletion, acidic urine, and drug interactions. Renal toxicity leads to impaired methotrexate clearance and prolonged exposure to toxic concentrations, which further worsen renal function and exacerbate nonrenal adverse events, including myelosuppression, mucositis, dermatologic toxicity, and hepatotoxicity. Serum creatinine, urine output, and serum methotrexate concentration are monitored to assess renal clearance, with concurrent hydration, urinary alkalinization, and leucovorin rescue to prevent and mitigate AKI and subsequent toxicity. When delayed methotrexate excretion or AKI occurs despite preventive strategies, increased hydration, high-dose leucovorin, and glucarpidase are usually sufficient to allow renal recovery without the need for dialysis. Prompt recognition and effective treatment of AKI and associated toxicities mitigate further toxicity, facilitate renal recovery, and permit patients to receive other chemotherapy or resume HDMTX therapy when additional courses are indicated.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

High-dose methotrexate (HDMTX), defined as a dose higher than 500 mg/m2, is used for a range of cancers. Although HDMTX is safely administered to most patients, it can cause significant toxicity, including acute kidney injury (AKI), attributable to crystallization of methotrexate in the renal tubular lumen, leading to tubular toxicity. When AKI occurs despite preventive strategies, increased hydration, high-dose leucovorin, and glucarpidase allow renal recovery without the need for dialysis. This article, based on a review of the current associated literature, provides comprehensive recommendations for prevention of toxicity and, when necessary, detailed treatment guidance to mitigate AKI and subsequent toxicity.

Inotuzumab Ozogamicin versus Standard Therapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

BACKGROUND

The prognosis for adults with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia is poor. We sought to determine whether inotuzumab ozogamicin, an anti-CD22 antibody conjugated to calicheamicin, results in better outcomes in patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia than does standard therapy.

METHODS

In this phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned adults with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia to receive either inotuzumab ozogamicin (inotuzumab ozogamicin group) or standard intensive chemotherapy (standard-therapy group). The primary end points were complete remission (including complete remission with incomplete hematologic recovery) and overall survival.

RESULTS

Of the 326 patients who underwent randomization, the first 218 (109 in each group) were included in the primary intention-to-treat analysis of complete remission. The rate of complete remission was significantly higher in the inotuzumab ozogamicin group than in the standard-therapy group (80.7% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 72.1 to 87.7] vs. 29.4% [95% CI, 21.0 to 38.8], P<0.001). Among the patients who had complete remission, a higher percentage in the inotuzumab ozogamicin group had results below the threshold for minimal residual disease (0.01% marrow blasts) (78.4% vs. 28.1%, P<0.001); the duration of remission was longer in the inotuzumab ozogamicin group (median, 4.6 months [95% CI, 3.9 to 5.4] vs. 3.1 months [95% CI, 1.4 to 4.9]; hazard ratio, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.31 to 0.96]; P=0.03). In the survival analysis, which included all 326 patients, progression-free survival was significantly longer in the inotuzumab ozogamicin group (median, 5.0 months [95% CI, 3.7 to 5.6] vs. 1.8 months [95% CI, 1.5 to 2.2]; hazard ratio, 0.45 [97.5% CI, 0.34 to 0.61]; P<0.001); the median overall survival was 7.7 months (95% CI, 6.0 to 9.2) versus 6.7 months (95% CI, 4.9 to 8.3), and the hazard ratio was 0.77 (97.5% CI, 0.58 to 1.03) (P=0.04). In the safety population, the most frequent grade 3 or higher nonhematologic adverse events with inotuzumab ozogamicin were liver-related. Veno-occlusive liver disease of any grade occurred in 15 patients (11%) who received inotuzumab ozogamicin and in 1 patient (1%) who received standard therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The rate of complete remission was higher with inotuzumab ozogamicin than with standard therapy, and a higher percentage of patients in the inotuzumab ozogamicin group had results below the threshold for minimal residual disease. Both progression-free and overall survival were longer with inotuzumab ozogamicin. Veno-occlusive liver disease was a major adverse event associated with inotuzumab ozogamicin. (Funded by Pfizer; INO-VATE ALL ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01564784.).

Arsenic induced complete remission in a refractory T-ALL patient with a distinct T-cell clonal evolution without molecular complete remission: A case report

Currently, arsenic trioxide therapy is widely used for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), relapsed and refractory adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma and myelodysplastic syndrome. Regarding the broad antitumor activity of arsenic, certain studies have been undertaken to test its efficacy in treating acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cell lines and patients; however, to the best of our knowledge, no reports document that arsenic is able to induce the remission of T-ALL patients. The present study reports the case of young male patient diagnosed with T-ALL, with no significant response to common chemotherapy regimens, who finally achieved complete remission without minimal residual disease (as detected by flow cytometry) due to arsenic treatment. This result is encouraging, and the present study has shown that malignant TCRαβ⁺ cell clones can be detected at the molecular level using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) combined with the GeneScan technique. The result is mainly based on the T-cell receptor (TCR) Vβ1 clone (a 190-base pair PCR product that with the same complementarity determining region 3 length can be detected for all samples collected during various statuses) and on undetectable TCR Vγ subfamily members, at the time of disease diagnosis. It is important to analyze the dynamically changing TCR pool in leukemia patients during therapy. Although the molecular mechanism through which arsenic contributes to malignant clone elimination remains unclear in the case presented, the use of arsenic is expected to be effective for clinically treating refractory and relapsed T-ALL patients.

A systematic review of using and reporting survival analyses in acute lymphoblastic leukemia literature

Backgrounds

Survival analysis is commonly used to determine the treatment effect among acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients who undergo allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) or other treatments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use and reporting of survival analyses in these articles.

Methods

We performed a systematic review by searching the MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane library databases from inception to April 2015. Clinical trials of patients with ALL comparing allo-SCT compared to another treatment were included. We included only studies that used survival analysis as a part of the statistical methods.

Results

There were 14 studies included in the review. Sample size estimation was described in 4 (29 %) studies. Only 4 (29 %) studies reported the list of covariates assessed in the Cox regression and 6 (43 %) studies provided a description of censorship. All studies reported survival curves using the Kaplan-Meier method. The comparisons between groups were investigated using the log-rank test and Wilcoxon test. Crossing survival curves were observed in 11(79 %) studies. The Cox regression model was incorporated in 10 (71 %) studies. None of the studies assessed the Cox proportional hazards assumption or goodness-of-fit.

Conclusions

The use and reporting of survival analysis in adult ALL patients undergoing allo-SCT have significant limitations. Notably, the finding of crossing survival curves was common and none of the studies assessed for the proportional hazards assumption. We encourage authors, reviewers and editors to improve the quality of the use and reporting of survival analysis in the hematology literature.

Effects of conditioning intensity in allogeneic stem cell transplantation for Philadelphia chromosome‑positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia

We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ALL) who underwent first allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) at complete remission (CR) with myeloablative conditioning (MAC, n = 31) or reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC, n = 15) between 2001 and 2012. All the patients had received tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-based chemotherapy prior to allo-SCT. Overall survival (OS) rates (57 vs 63%, p = 0.53), leukemia-free survival rates (50 vs 65%, p = 0.29), and non-relapse mortality rates (39 vs 35%, p = 0.62) at 2 years were similar between the MAC and RIC groups. The minimal residual disease (MRD) status evaluated by sensitive polymerase chain reaction prior to allo-SCT did not influence the OS rate (77 vs 54%, p = 0.28) and leukemia-free survival rate (69 vs 51%, p = 0.48), irrespective of the conditioning intensity. Our data suggest that the RIC regimen may represent a sufficient intensity of therapeutic pre-transplant conditioning for patients with Ph+ALL who have maintained a hematological CR with TKI-combined chemotherapy.

Pushing the envelope-nonmyeloablative and reduced intensity preparative regimens for allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) was originally developed to allow delivery of myeloablative doses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. With better understanding of disease pathophysiology, the graft vs malignancy (GVM) effect of allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation and toxicities associated with myeloablative conditioning (MAC) regimens, the focus shifted to developing less toxic conditioning regimens to reduce treatment-related morbidity without compromising survival. Although HCT with MAC is preferred to reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) for most patients ⩽60 years with AML/myelodysplastic syndrome and ALL, RIC and nonmyeloablative (NMA) regimens allow HCT for many otherwise ineligible patients. Reduced intensity preparative regimens have produced high rates of PFS for diagnoses, which are highly sensitive to GVM. Relapse of the malignancy is the major cause of treatment failure with RIC/NMA HCT. Incorporation of novel agents like bortezomib or lenalidomide, addition of cellular immunotherapy and use of targeted radiation therapies could further improve outcome. In this review, we discuss commonly used RIC/NMA regimens and promising novel regimens.

Patient-reported quality of life after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation or chemotherapy for acute leukemia

When discussing treatment options for patients with acute leukemia, it is important to acknowledge the impact of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) or chemotherapy on quality of life (QOL). We performed a cross-sectional questionnaire study that administered SF-36, FACT-Leukemia and EuroQOL5D to 524 acute leukemia survivors, to compare patient-reported QOL between chemotherapy and allo-HCT, and to elucidate predictors of QOL. Patients who received chemotherapy alone had a better physical QOL than those who received allo-HCT. On the other hand, the allo-HCT group reported a better mental QOL. In the comparison of QOL in the allo-HCT patients according to the presence of GVHD at survey, patients who had GVHD symptoms experienced statistically and clinically significantly worse QOL than those who did not. In the allo-HCT patients without GVHD, the physical QOL was comparable to that in the chemotherapy patients, and they experienced significantly better mental and general QOL than the chemotherapy patients. GVHD and immunosuppressive drugs at survey were strongly associated with worse QOL after allo-HCT. In the chemotherapy group, a shorter time between treatment completion and survey was significantly associated with worse QOL. Further evaluation of QOL by a longitudinal assessment with quantitative and qualitative analyses are warranted.

Colony-stimulating factors for chemotherapy-related febrile neutropenia are associated with improved prognosis in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Colony-stimulating factors (CSF) have been widely used to prevent febrile neutropenia associated with chemotherapy. Due to the high intensity of chemotherapy in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), CSF as a crucial component of supportive care has played a significant role in the therapy. However, the effectiveness of CSF in treatment has not been identified by large clinical trials until now. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of CSF on the long-term outcome of adult ALL patients. A comprehensive search strategy has been conducted, which covered the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed and Web of Science. The result includes seven randomized controlled trials containing a total of 753 patients. The administration of CSF significantly reduced the mortality at the end of the follow-up (RR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.75-0.95), the mortality at day 30 (RR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.23-0.74) and the number of patients with infection or severe infections (RR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.7-0.9 and RR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.3-0.75). The addition of CSF also marginally increased the number of patients achieving CR (RR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05-1.23). The use of CSF also shortened the duration of neutropenia (median days, 8-17 to 12.5-24). In conclusion, CSFs can be administered to ALL patients during myelosuppressive chemotherapy, particularly in the induction phase.

Role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a heterogeneous disease, due to the expression of different biological and clinical risk factors, for which allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) is an effective consolidation therapy. The non-relapse mortality of alloHSCT remains significantly higher compared with that of conventional chemotherapy. Therefore, one of the main challenges in the care of ALL is to establish a more precise prognostic definition to select patients who could take advantage from an alloHSCT. Currently, the use of minimal residual disease following induction and early consolidation therapy has improved the prognostic accuracy in defining ALL risk class. In Philadelphia-positive ALL, the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors pre and post alloHSCT appears to improve outcomes significantly and, in the absence of specially designed clinical trials, alloHSCT remains the most effective post-remission therapy. Nowadays, alloHSCT can be performed according to various modalities encompassing the use of different conditioning regimens, as well as distinct donors and stem cell source, with a significant accessibility to transplant.

Should all adults with acute lymphocytic leukemia receive allogeneic stem cell transplantation in first remission?

SUMMARY 

The role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHCT) in patients with Philadelphia-chromosome negative acute lymphocytic leukemia (Ph- ALL) in first remission is controversial. Some studies suggest that AHCT in first remission yields a statistically significant small improvement in overall survival. However, novel therapies and monitoring strategies may tip the balance away from immediate consolidation with AHCT for a majority of adults with Ph- ALL. Here we compare data for AHCT with recent therapeutic and diagnostic advances for patients with newly diagnosed and with relapsed and refractory Ph- ALL. We conclude that AHCT remains appropriate for a specific group of these patients, but that a majority will do as well if not better with an initial nontransplant-based consolidation strategy.

Frequency of p190 and p210 BCR-ABL rearrangements and survival in Brazilian adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Objective

This study investigated the occurrence of the p190 and p210 breakpoint cluster region-Abelson (BCR-ABL) rearrangements in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and possible associations with clinical and laboratory characteristics and survival.

Methods

Forty-one over 18-year-old patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia of both genders followed-up between January 2008 and May 2012 were included in this study. Clinical and laboratory data were obtained from the medical charts of the patients. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using specific primers was employed to identify molecular rearrangements.

Results

At diagnosis, the median age was 33 years, and there was a predominance of males (61%). The most common immunophenotype was B lineage (76%). BCR-ABL rearrangements was detected in 14 (34%) patients with the following distribution: p190 (28%), p210 (50%) and double positive (22%). Overall survival of patients with a mean/median of 331/246 days of follow up was 39%, respectively, negative BCR-ABL (44%) and positive BCR-ABL (28%).

Conclusion

These results confirm the high frequency of BCR-ABL rearrangements and the low survival rate of adult Brazilian patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

PBSC vs BM grafts with myeloablative conditioning for unrelated donor transplantation in adults with high-risk ALL

Few studies are available that compare PBSC and BM from unrelated donors, especially in adult high-risk ALL. To determine which graft source is superior in adult high-risk ALL, we analyzed the long-term outcomes of 106 consecutive transplants from 8/8-matched or 7/8-matched unrelated donors (38 PBSC vs 68 BM). All patients received a uniform strategy of pre-transplant therapy, myeloablative conditioning and GVHD prophylaxis. At 5 years, PBSC transplants showed higher incidence of chronic GVHD than did BM transplants (74.3% vs 46.7%, P=0.001). PBSC transplants showed outcomes comparable to those of BM transplants for relapse (23.7% vs 28.1%), non-relapse mortality (18.4% vs 25.0%), disease-free survival (57.9% vs 46.9%) and OS (57.9% vs 50.0%). In a separate comparison of outcomes between the two graft sources according to the presence of a Ph chromosome, no significant advantage of PBSC over BM was found in both subgroups of patients. Our data suggest that the outcomes of unrelated donor transplantation are similar between PBSC and BM in adult high-risk ALL. Whether PBSC should be the preferred graft source for a specific subgroup of adult ALL needs to be further investigated.

Pretransplant administration of imatinib for allo-HSCT in patients with BCR-ABL-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia

We aimed to evaluate the impact of pretransplant imatinib administration on the outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in adults with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph(+)) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We retrospectively analyzed 738 patients with Ph(+) ALL that underwent allo-HSCT between 1990 and 2010 using data from the Transplant Registry Unified Management Program of the Japan Society of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation. We compared the allo-HSCT outcomes between 542 patients who received imatinib before allo-HSCT during the initial complete remission period (imatinib cohort) and 196 patients who did not receive imatinib (non-imatinib cohort). The 5-year overall survival after allo-HSCT was significantly higher in the imatinib cohort than in the non-imatinib cohort (59% vs 38%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 31-45%; P < .001). Multivariate analysis indicated that pretransplant imatinib administration had beneficial effects on overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 0.57; 95% CI, 0.42-0.77; P < .001), relapse (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.43-0.99; P = .048), and nonrelapse mortality (HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37-0.83; P = .005). In conclusion, our study showed that imatinib administration before allo-HSCT had advantageous effects on the clinical outcomes of allo-HSCT in patients with Ph(+) ALL.

IKZF1 status as a prognostic feature in BCR-ABL1-positive childhood ALL

Childhood BCR-ABL1-positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) has an unfavorable outcome and shows high frequency of IKZF1 deletions. The prognostic value of IKZF1 deletions was evaluated in 2 cohorts of BCR-ABL1-positive BCP-ALL patients, before tyrosine kinase inhibitors (pre-TKI) and after introduction of imatinib (in the European Study for Philadelphia-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia [EsPhALL]). In 126/191 (66%) cases an IKZF1 deletion was detected. In the pre-TKI cohort, IKZF1-deleted patients had an unfavorable outcome compared with wild-type patients (4-year disease-free survival [DFS] of 30.0 ± 6.8% vs 57.5 ± 9.4%; P = .01). In the EsPhALL cohort, the IKZF1 deletions were associated with an unfavorable prognosis in patients stratified in the good-risk arm based on early clinical response (4-year DFS of 51.9 ± 8.8% for IKZF1-deleted vs 78.6 ± 13.9% for IKZF1 wild-type; P = .03), even when treated with imatinib (4-year DFS of 55.5 ± 9.5% for IKZF1-deleted vs 75.0 ± 21.7% for IKZF1 wild-type; P = .05). In conclusion, the highly unfavorable outcome for childhood BCR-ABL1-positive BCP-ALL with IKZF1 deletions, irrespective of imatinib exposure, underscores the need for alternative therapies. In contrast, good-risk patients with IKZF1 wild-type responded remarkably well to imatinib-containing regimens, providing a rationale to potentially avoid hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in this subset of patients.

Human mesenchymal stromal cells deliver systemic oncolytic measles virus to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the presence of humoral immunity

Clinical trials of oncolytic attenuated measles virus (MV) are ongoing, but successful systemic delivery in immune individuals remains a major challenge. We demonstrated high-titer anti-MV antibody in 16 adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) following treatments including numerous immunosuppressive drugs. To resolve this challenge, human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) were used to efficiently deliver MV in a systemic xenograft model of precursor B-lineage-ALL. BM-MSCs were successfully loaded with MV ex vivo, and MV was amplified intracellularly, without toxicity. Live cell confocal imaging demonstrated a viral hand-off between BM-MSCs and ALL targets in the presence of antibody. In a murine model of disseminated ALL, successful MV treatment (judged by bioluminescence quantification and survival) was completely abrogated by passive immunization with high-titer human anti-MV antibody. Importantly, no such abrogation was seen in immunized mice receiving MV delivered by BM-MSCs. These data support the use of BM-MSCs as cellular carriers for MV in patients with ALL.

Comparable long-term outcomes after reduced-intensity conditioning versus myeloablative conditioning allogeneic stem cell transplantation for adult high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia in complete remission

The role of reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remains unclear because of the small sample size, short follow-up duration, various regimens for conditioning and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, and the heterogeneity of selection criteria for transplantation. We compared long-term outcomes of 60 consecutive RIC transplants (fludarabine plus melphalan) with 120 myeloablative conditioning (MAC) transplants (total body irradiation plus cyclophosphamide) for adult high-risk ALL in first or second complete remission. All transplants received a uniform strategy of pretransplant chemotherapy and GVHD prophylaxis. Compared to MAC transplants, RIC transplants had older age (46 years vs. 33 years, P < 0.001) and higher proportions of transplantation using peripheral blood (93.3% vs. 13.3%; P < 0.001) but otherwise showed similar characteristics. After a median follow-up of 67 months, RIC transplants showed comparable nonrelapse mortality (21.2% vs. 24.3%) and disease-free survival (50.8% vs. 54.9%) to MAC transplants, although relapse risk was higher (34.2% vs. 26.4%; HR, 2.07; P = 0.019) in multivariate analysis. Other independent factors associated with better outcomes were the presence of chronic GVHD and transplantation in first complete remission. Interestingly, the negative impact of RIC on relapse risk was seen only for Philadelphia-positive ALL transplants (32.7% vs. 19.6%; HR, 3.46; P = 0.020), while no difference was found between RIC and MAC for Philadelphia-negative ALL transplants (35.0% vs. 32.1%; HR, 1.39; P = 0.429). RIC can be considered as a reasonable choice for providing a sufficient long-term graft-versus-leukemia effect for adult high-risk ALL patients ineligible for MAC.