日本小児血液・がん学会編：小児白血病・リンパ腫診療ガイドライン 2016年版．金原出版、東京、2016年、p8-35.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN®) (https://www.nccn.org/)：NCCN Guidelines Version 2.2023 Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
Stephen P Hunger, Charles G Mullighan
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Children.
N Engl J Med. 2015 Oct 15;373(16):1541-52. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1400972.
Abstract/Text
Motohiro Kato, Atsushi Manabe
Treatment and biology of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Pediatr Int. 2018 Jan;60(1):4-12. doi: 10.1111/ped.13457.
Abstract/Text
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric malignancy. In the past ALL was intractable but now the survival probability is as high as 80-90%. Improved supportive care, treatment stratification based on relapse risk, biological features of leukemic cells, and optimization of treatment regimens by nationwide and international collaboration have contributed to this dramatic improvement. While including traditional risk factors (e.g. age and leukocyte count at diagnosis), the treatment has been modified based on biological characteristics (aneuploidy and translocation) and treatment response (assessed by minimal residual disease). Treatment for pediatric ALL typically consists of induction therapy with steroids, vincristine, and asparaginase with or without anthracycline, followed by multi-agent consolidation including high-dose methotrexate and re-induction therapy. After consolidation, less intensive maintenance therapy is required for 1-2 years to maintain event-free survival. Recently, using advanced genomic analysis technology, novel sentinel genomic alterations that may provide more precise stratification or therapeutic targets, were identified. Moreover, in the last decade germline variations have been recognized as similarly important contributors to understanding the etiology and sensitivity of ALL to treatment. A more individualized approach based on genomic features (somatic and germline) and treatment response, the introduction of newly developed agents such as molecular targeted drugs or immunotherapy, and social support including long-term follow up are required for further improvement.
© 2017 Japan Pediatric Society.
Hiroto Inaba, Ching-Hon Pui
Advances in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
J Clin Med. 2021 Apr 29;10(9). doi: 10.3390/jcm10091926. Epub 2021 Apr 29.
Abstract/Text
The outcomes of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have improved remarkably during the last five decades. Such improvements were made possible by the incorporation of new diagnostic technologies, the effective administration of conventional chemotherapeutic agents, and the provision of better supportive care. With the 5-year survival rates now exceeding 90% in high-income countries, the goal for the next decade is to improve survival further toward 100% and to minimize treatment-related adverse effects. Based on genome-wide analyses, especially RNA-sequencing analyses, ALL can be classified into more than 20 B-lineage subtypes and more than 10 T-lineage subtypes with prognostic and therapeutic implications. Response to treatment is another critical prognostic factor, and detailed analysis of minimal residual disease can detect levels as low as one ALL cell among 1 million total cells. Such detailed analysis can facilitate the rational use of molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy, which have emerged as new treatment strategies that can replace or reduce the use of conventional chemotherapy.
Anja Möricke, Alfred Reiter, Martin Zimmermann, Helmut Gadner, Martin Stanulla, Michael Dördelmann, Lutz Löning, Rita Beier, Wolf-Dieter Ludwig, Richard Ratei, Jochen Harbott, Joachim Boos, Georg Mann, Felix Niggli, Andreas Feldges, Günter Henze, Karl Welte, Jörn-Dirk Beck, Thomas Klingebiel, Charlotte Niemeyer, Felix Zintl, Udo Bode, Christian Urban, Helmut Wehinger, Dietrich Niethammer, Hansjörg Riehm, Martin Schrappe, German-Austrian-Swiss ALL-BFM Study Group
Risk-adjusted therapy of acute lymphoblastic leukemia can decrease treatment burden and improve survival: treatment results of 2169 unselected pediatric and adolescent patients enrolled in the trial ALL-BFM 95.
Blood. 2008 May 1;111(9):4477-89. doi: 10.1182/blood-2007-09-112920. Epub 2008 Feb 19.
Abstract/Text
The trial ALL-BFM 95 for treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia was designed to reduce acute and long-term toxicity in selected patient groups with favorable prognosis and to improve outcome in poor-risk groups by treatment intensification. These aims were pursued through a stratification strategy using white blood cell count, age, immunophenotype, treatment response, and unfavorable genetic aberrations providing an excellent discrimination of risk groups. Estimated 6-year event-free survival (6y-pEFS) for all 2169 patients was 79.6% (+/- 0.9%). The large standard-risk (SR) group (35% of patients) achieved an excellent 6y-EFS of 89.5% (+/- 1.1%) despite significant reduction of anthracyclines. In the medium-risk (MR) group (53% of patients), 6y-pEFS was 79.7% (+/- 1.2%); no improvement was accomplished by the randomized use of additional intermediate-dose cytarabine after consolidation. Omission of preventive cranial irradiation in non-T-ALL MR patients was possible without significant reduction of EFS, although the incidence of central nervous system relapses increased. In the high-risk (HR) group (12% of patients), intensification of consolidation/reinduction treatment led to considerable improvement over the previous ALL-BFM trials yielding a 6y-pEFS of 49.2% (+/- 3.2%). Compared without previous trial ALL-BFM 90, consistently favorable results in non-HR patients were achieved with significant treatment reduction in the majority of these patients.
Kirk R Schultz, W Paul Bowman, Alexander Aledo, William B Slayton, Harland Sather, Meenakshi Devidas, Chenguang Wang, Stella M Davies, Paul S Gaynon, Michael Trigg, Robert Rutledge, Laura Burden, Dean Jorstad, Andrew Carroll, Nyla A Heerema, Naomi Winick, Michael J Borowitz, Stephen P Hunger, William L Carroll, Bruce Camitta
Improved early event-free survival with imatinib in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a children's oncology group study.
J Clin Oncol. 2009 Nov 1;27(31):5175-81. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2008.21.2514. Epub 2009 Oct 5.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: Imatinib mesylate is a targeted agent that may be used against Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), one of the highest risk pediatric ALL groups.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated whether imatinib (340 mg/m(2)/d) with an intensive chemotherapy regimen improved outcome in children ages 1 to 21 years with Ph+ ALL (N = 92) and compared toxicities to Ph- ALL patients (N = 65) given the same chemotherapy without imatinib. Exposure to imatinib was increased progressively in five patient cohorts that received imatinib from 42 (cohort 1; n = 7) to 280 continuous days (cohort 5; n = 50) before maintenance therapy. Patients with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) -identical sibling donors underwent blood and marrow transplantation (BMT) with imatinib given for 6 months following BMT.
RESULTS: Continuous imatinib exposure improved outcome in cohort 5 patients with a 3-year event-free survival (EFS) of 80% +/- 11% (95% CI, 64% to 90%), more than twice historical controls (35% +/- 4%; P < .0001). Three-year EFS was similar for patients in cohort 5 treated with chemotherapy plus imatinib (88% +/- 11%; 95% CI, 66% to 96%) or sibling donor BMT (57% +/- 22%; 95% CI, 30.4% to 76.1%). There were no significant toxicities associated with adding imatinib to intensive chemotherapy. The higher imatinib dosing in cohort 5 appears to improve survival by having an impact on the outcome of children with a higher burden of minimal residual disease after induction.
CONCLUSION: Imatinib plus intensive chemotherapy improved 3-year EFS in children and adolescents with Ph+ ALL, with no appreciable increase in toxicity. BMT plus imatinib offered no advantage over BMT alone. Additional follow-up is required to determine the impact of this treatment on long-term EFS and determine whether chemotherapy plus imatinib can replace BMT.
Martin Schrappe, Stephen P Hunger, Ching-Hon Pui, Vaskar Saha, Paul S Gaynon, André Baruchel, Valentino Conter, Jacques Otten, Akira Ohara, Anne Birgitta Versluys, Gabriele Escherich, Mats Heyman, Lewis B Silverman, Keizo Horibe, Georg Mann, Bruce M Camitta, Jochen Harbott, Hansjörg Riehm, Sue Richards, Meenakshi Devidas, Martin Zimmermann
Outcomes after induction failure in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
N Engl J Med. 2012 Apr 12;366(15):1371-81. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1110169.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: Failure of remission-induction therapy is a rare but highly adverse event in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
METHODS: We identified induction failure, defined by the persistence of leukemic blasts in blood, bone marrow, or any extramedullary site after 4 to 6 weeks of remission-induction therapy, in 1041 of 44,017 patients (2.4%) 0 to 18 years of age with newly diagnosed ALL who were treated by a total of 14 cooperative study groups between 1985 and 2000. We analyzed the relationships among disease characteristics, treatments administered, and outcomes in these patients.
RESULTS: Patients with induction failure frequently presented with high-risk features, including older age, high leukocyte count, leukemia with a T-cell phenotype, the Philadelphia chromosome, and 11q23 rearrangement. With a median follow-up period of 8.3 years (range, 1.5 to 22.1), the 10-year survival rate (±SE) was estimated at only 32±1%. An age of 10 years or older, T-cell leukemia, the presence of an 11q23 rearrangement, and 25% or more blasts in the bone marrow at the end of induction therapy were associated with a particularly poor outcome. High hyperdiploidy (a modal chromosome number >50) and an age of 1 to 5 years were associated with a favorable outcome in patients with precursor B-cell leukemia. Allogeneic stem-cell transplantation from matched, related donors was associated with improved outcomes in T-cell leukemia. Children younger than 6 years of age with precursor B-cell leukemia and no adverse genetic features had a 10-year survival rate of 72±5% when treated with chemotherapy only.
CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric ALL with induction failure is highly heterogeneous. Patients who have T-cell leukemia appear to have a better outcome with allogeneic stem-cell transplantation than with chemotherapy, whereas patients who have precursor B-cell leukemia without other adverse features appear to have a better outcome with chemotherapy. (Funded by Deutsche Krebshilfe and others.).
Valentino Conter, Claus R Bartram, Maria Grazia Valsecchi, André Schrauder, Renate Panzer-Grümayer, Anja Möricke, Maurizio Aricò, Martin Zimmermann, Georg Mann, Giulio De Rossi, Martin Stanulla, Franco Locatelli, Giuseppe Basso, Felix Niggli, Elena Barisone, Günter Henze, Wolf-Dieter Ludwig, Oskar A Haas, Giovanni Cazzaniga, Rolf Koehler, Daniela Silvestri, Jutta Bradtke, Rosanna Parasole, Rita Beier, Jacques J M van Dongen, Andrea Biondi, Martin Schrappe
Molecular response to treatment redefines all prognostic factors in children and adolescents with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia: results in 3184 patients of the AIEOP-BFM ALL 2000 study.
Blood. 2010 Apr 22;115(16):3206-14. doi: 10.1182/blood-2009-10-248146. Epub 2010 Feb 12.
Abstract/Text
The Associazione Italiana di Ematologia Oncologia Pediatrica and the Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (AIEOP-BFM ALL 2000) study has for the first time introduced standardized quantitative assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) based on immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor gene rearrangements as polymerase chain reaction targets (PCR-MRD), at 2 time points (TPs), to stratify patients in a large prospective study. Patients with precursor B (pB) ALL (n = 3184) were considered MRD standard risk (MRD-SR) if MRD was already negative at day 33 (analyzed by 2 markers, with a sensitivity of at least 10(-4)); MRD high risk (MRD-HR) if 10(-3) or more at day 78 and MRD intermediate risk (MRD-IR): others. MRD-SR patients were 42% (1348): 5-year event-free survival (EFS, standard error) is 92.3% (0.9). Fifty-two percent (1647) were MRD-IR: EFS 77.6% (1.3). Six percent of patients (189) were MRD-HR: EFS 50.1% (4.1; P < .001). PCR-MRD discriminated prognosis even on top of white blood cell count, age, early response to prednisone, and genotype. MRD response detected by sensitive quantitative PCR at 2 predefined TPs is highly predictive for relapse in childhood pB-ALL. The study is registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00430118 for BFM and NCT00613457 for AIEOP.
Martin Schrappe, Maria Grazia Valsecchi, Claus R Bartram, André Schrauder, Renate Panzer-Grümayer, Anja Möricke, Rosanna Parasole, Martin Zimmermann, Michael Dworzak, Barbara Buldini, Alfred Reiter, Giuseppe Basso, Thomas Klingebiel, Chiara Messina, Richard Ratei, Giovanni Cazzaniga, Rolf Koehler, Franco Locatelli, Beat W Schäfer, Maurizio Aricò, Karl Welte, Jacques J M van Dongen, Helmut Gadner, Andrea Biondi, Valentino Conter
Late MRD response determines relapse risk overall and in subsets of childhood T-cell ALL: results of the AIEOP-BFM-ALL 2000 study.
Blood. 2011 Aug 25;118(8):2077-84. doi: 10.1182/blood-2011-03-338707. Epub 2011 Jun 30.
Abstract/Text
The prognostic value of MRD in large series of childhood T-ALL has not yet been established. Trial AIEOP-BFM-ALL 2000 introduced standardized quantitative assessment of MRD for stratification, based on immunoglobulin and TCR gene rearrangements as polymerase chain reaction targets: Patients were considered MRD standard risk (MRD-SR) if MRD was negative at day 33 (time point 1 [TP1]) and day 78 (TP2), analyzed by at least 2 sensitive markers; MRD intermediate risk (MRD-IR) if positive either at day 33 or 78 and < 10(-3) at day 78; and MRD high risk (MRD-HR) if ≥ 10(-3) at day 78. A total of 464 patients with T-ALL were stratified by MRD: 16% of them were MRD-SR, 63% MRD-IR, and 21% MRD-HR. Their 7-year event-free-survival (SE) was 91.1% (3.5%), 80.6% (2.3%), and 49.8% (5.1%) (P < .001), respectively. Negativity of MRD at TP1 was the most favorable prognostic factor. An excellent outcome was also obtained in 32% of patients turning MRD negative only at TP2, indicating that early (TP1) MRD levels were irrelevant if MRD at TP2 was negative (48% of all patients). MRD ≥ 10(-3) at TP2 constitutes the most important predictive factor for relapse in childhood T-ALL. The study is registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov; "Combination Chemotherapy Based on Risk of Relapse in Treating Young Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia," protocol identification #NCT00430118 for BFM and #NCT00613457 for AIEOP.
Ajay Vora, Nick Goulden, Rachel Wade, Chris Mitchell, Jeremy Hancock, Rachael Hough, Clare Rowntree, Sue Richards
Treatment reduction for children and young adults with low-risk acute lymphoblastic leukaemia defined by minimal residual disease (UKALL 2003): a randomised controlled trial.
Lancet Oncol. 2013 Mar;14(3):199-209. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(12)70600-9. Epub 2013 Feb 7.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: Minimal residual disease (MRD) is the most sensitive and specific predictor of relapse risk in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) during remission. We assessed whether treatment intensity could be adjusted for children and young adults according to MRD risk stratification.
METHODS: Between Oct 1, 2003 and June 30, 2011, consecutive children and young adults (aged 1-25 years) with ALL from the UK and Ireland were recruited. Eligible patients were categorised into clinical standard, intermediate, and high risk groups on the basis of a combination of National Cancer Institute (NCI) criteria, cytogenetics, and early response to induction therapy, which was assessed by bone marrow blast counts taken at days 8 (NCI high-risk patients) and 15 (NCI standard-risk patients) after induction began. Clinical standard-risk and intermediate-risk patients were assessed for MRD. Those classified as MRD low risk (undetectable MRD at the end of induction [day 29] or detectable MRD at day 29 that became undetectable by week 11) were randomly assigned to receive one or two delayed intensification courses. Patients had received induction, consolidation, and interim maintenance therapy before they began delayed intensification. Delayed intensification consisted of pegylated asparaginase on day 4; vincristine, dexamethasone (alternate weeks), and doxorubicin for 3 weeks; and 4 weeks of cyclophosphamide and cytarabine. Computer randomisation was done with stratification by MRD result and balancing for sex, age, and white blood cell count at diagnosis by method of minimisation. Patients, clinicians, and data analysts were not masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was event-free survival (EFS), which was defined as time to relapse, secondary tumour, or death. Our aim was to rule out a 7% reduction in EFS in the group given one delayed intensification course relative to that given two delayed intensification courses. Analyses were by intention to treat. This trial is registered, number ISRCTN07355119.
FINDINGS: Of 3207 patients registered in the trial overall, 521 MRD low-risk patients were randomly assigned to receive one (n=260) or two (n=261) delayed intensification courses. Median follow-up of these patients was 57 months (IQR 42-72). We recorded no significant difference in EFS between the group given one delayed intensification (94·4% at 5 years, 95% CI 91·1-97·7) and that given two delayed intensifications (95·5%, 92·8-98·2; unadjusted odds ratio 1·00, 95% CI 0·43-2·31; two-sided p=0·99). The difference in 5-year EFS between the two groups was 1·1% (95% CI -5·6 to 2·5). 11 patients (actuarial relapse at 5 years 5·6%, 95% CI 2·3-8·9) given one delayed intensification and six (2·4%, 0·2-4·6) given two delayed intensifications relapsed (p=0·23). Three patients (1·2%, 0-2·6) given two delayed intensifications died of treatment-related causes compared with none in the group given one delayed intensification (p=0·08). We recorded no significant difference between groups for serious adverse events and grade 3 or 4 toxic effects; however, the second delayed intensification course was associated with one (<1%) treatment-related death, and 74 episodes of grade 3 or 4 toxic effects in 45 patients (17%).
INTERPRETATION: Treatment reduction is feasible for children and young adults with ALL who are predicted to have a low risk of relapse on the basis of rapid clearance of MRD by the end of induction therapy.
FUNDING: Medical Research Council and Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Ajay Vora, Nick Goulden, Chris Mitchell, Jeremy Hancock, Rachael Hough, Clare Rowntree, Anthony V Moorman, Rachel Wade
Augmented post-remission therapy for a minimal residual disease-defined high-risk subgroup of children and young people with clinical standard-risk and intermediate-risk acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (UKALL 2003): a randomised controlled trial.
Lancet Oncol. 2014 Jul;15(8):809-18. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(14)70243-8. Epub 2014 Jun 9.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: No randomised study has shown whether stratification of treatment by minimal residual disease (MRD) response improves outcome in children and young people with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). We assessed whether children and young people with clinical standard and intermediate-risk ALL who have persistent MRD at the end of induction therapy benefit from augmented post-remission therapy.
METHODS: Between Oct 1, 2003, and June 30, 2011, we enrolled eligible patients aged 1-24 years and initially categorised them into clinical standard-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups on the basis of a combination of National Cancer Institute criteria, cytogenetics, and early morphological response to induction therapy. Clinical standard-risk and intermediate-risk patients with MRD of 0·01% or higher at day 29 of induction (MRD high risk) were randomly assigned (1:1) to standard therapy (treatment regimens A and B) or augmented post-remission therapy (regimen C). Compared with standard therapy, the augmented treatment regimen (regimen C) included an additional eight doses of pegylated asparaginase, 18 doses of vincristine, and escalated-dose intravenous methotrexate without folinic acid rescue during interim maintenance courses. Computer randomisation was used for treatment allocation and was balanced for sex, age (<10 years vs ≥10 years), and white blood cell count at diagnosis (<50 × 10(9)/L vs ≥50 × 10(9)/L) by minimisation. Patients, clinicians, and data analysts were not masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcomes were event-free survival and overall survival. Analyses were by intention to treat. This trial is registered with Current Controlled Trials, number ISRCTN07355119.
FINDINGS: 533 MRD high-risk patients were randomly assigned to receive standard (n=266) or augmented (n=267) post-remission therapy. After a median follow-up of 70 months (IQR 52-91), 5-year event-free survival was better in the augmented treatment group (89·6% [95% CI 85·9-93·3]) than in the standard group (82·8% [78·1-87·5]; odds ratio [OR] 0·61 [95% CI 0·39-0·98], p=0·04). Overall survival at 5 years was numerically, but not significantly, higher in the augmented treatment group (92·9% [95% CI 89·8-96·0]) than in the standard therapy group (88·9% [85·0-92·8]; OR 0·67 [95% CI 0·38-1·17], p=0·16). More adverse events occurred in the augmented treatment group than in the standard group (asparaginase-related hypersensitivity in 18 [6·7%] in the augmented group vs two [0·8%] in the standard group and asparaginase-related pancreatitis in eight [3·0%] vs one [0·4%]; intravenous methotrexate-related mucositis in 11 [4·1%] vs three [1·1%] and methotrexate-related stomatitis in 48 [18·0%] vs 12 [4·5%]).
INTERPRETATION: Our findings suggest that children and young people with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and 0·01% or more MRD at the end of remission induction therapy could benefit from augmented post-remission therapy. However, the asparaginase and intravenous methotrexate used in the augmented treatment regimen is associated with more adverse events than is the standard post-remission treatment regimen.
FUNDING: Medical Research Council and Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
J A Ortega, M E Nesbit, M H Donaldson, R E Hittle, J Weiner, M Karon, D Hammond
L-Asparaginase, vincristine, and prednisone for induction of first remission in acute lymphocytic leukemia.
Cancer Res. 1977 Feb;37(2):535-40.
Abstract/Text
L-Asparaginase was added to vincristine and prednisone for induction of first remission in 815 children with acute lymphocytic or acute undifferentiated leukemia. This combination resulted in an overall remission rate of 93%. The addition of L-asparaginse to the standard induction regimen using prednisone and vincristine did not significantly increase the morbidity or mortality rate during the induction period. The most common side effect was transient L-asparaginase-induced hyperglycemia. The safe administration of L-asparaginase i.m. and the dose efficacy of 6000 I.U./sq m were confirmed. For these reasons, L-asparaginase should be combined with vincristine and prednisone for the initial induction of children with acute lymphocytic or acute undifferentiated leukemia.
M Clarke, P Gaynon, I Hann, G Harrison, G Masera, R Peto, S Richards, Childhood ALL Collaborative Group
CNS-directed therapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Childhood ALL Collaborative Group overview of 43 randomized trials.
J Clin Oncol. 2003 May 1;21(9):1798-809. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2003.08.047.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: A collaborative meta-analysis was performed to clarify the relative effects on relapse and survival of different types of therapies directed at the CNS in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were sought for each individual patient in all trials started in or before 1993 that included unconfounded randomized comparisons of such treatments. Log-rank survival analyses were performed for each trial, and overall results for groups of trials addressing similar questions were obtained from the totals of the observed minus expected number of events and their variances.
RESULTS: Radiotherapy and long-term intrathecal therapy gave similar outcomes, with no significant difference in event-free survival despite random assignment of treatment to 2,848 patients, 1,001 of whom suffered relapse or death. Intravenous methotrexate reduced non-CNS rather than CNS relapses, and hence, the addition of intravenous methotrexate to a treatment regimen including radiotherapy or long-term intrathecal therapy improved event-free survival, with a 17% reduction in the event rate (95% confidence interval, 6% to 27%; P =.003). The event-free survival at 10 years in these trials was 61.9% without intravenous methotrexate and 68.1% with intravenous methotrexate. There was no significant difference in survival (14% death rate reduction; P =.09). There were insufficient randomly assigned patients to adequately address other questions, such as effect of different doses. No evidence was found of differences, between trials or between subgroups of different types of patients, in the relative effects of treatment.
CONCLUSION: Radiotherapy can be replaced by long-term intrathecal therapy. Intravenous methotrexate gives some additional benefit by reducing non-CNS relapses.
Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia Collaborative Group (CALLCG)
Beneficial and harmful effects of anthracyclines in the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Br J Haematol. 2009 May;145(3):376-88. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2009.07624.x. Epub 2009 Feb 22.
Abstract/Text
Anthracyclines are used to treat childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) but non-randomized studies suggest that cardiotoxicity may be a problem. Individual patient data from trials in childhood ALL that randomized anthracyclines or methods of reducing cardiotoxicity were analysed by standard meta-analysis methods. Results were grouped and combined according to: addition of an anthracycline to standard therapy, type of anthracycline, mode of administration, and the use of a cardioprotectant. Data from 958 patients in 4 trials, recruiting between 1972 and 1984, showed that addition of an anthracycline reduced bone marrow relapse and, non-significantly, non-bone marrow relapse, resulting in an increased relapse-free interval. However there was a non-significant increase in induction failures, and in deaths in first remission. Event-free survival at 5 years was 56.7% with anthracycline versus 52.8% without (Odds Ratio = 0.91; 95% Confidence Interval = 0.76-1.10; P = 0.3). There were no significant differences found in other treatment comparisons. The limited data from trials did not demonstrate differences in clinically evident cardiotoxicity. Anthracyclines are effective against bone marrow relapse but have not been shown to significantly increase event free survival in childhood ALL. The evidence on type of anthracycline, method of administration or use of cardioprotectant was insufficient to be able to rule out important differences.
Inge M van der Sluis, Lynda M Vrooman, Rob Pieters, Andre Baruchel, Gabriele Escherich, Nicholas Goulden, Veerle Mondelaers, Jose Sanchez de Toledo, Carmelo Rizzari, Lewis B Silverman, James A Whitlock
Consensus expert recommendations for identification and management of asparaginase hypersensitivity and silent inactivation.
Haematologica. 2016 Mar;101(3):279-85. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2015.137380.
Abstract/Text
L-asparaginase is an integral component of therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, asparaginase-related complications, including the development of hypersensitivity reactions, can limit its use in individual patients. Of considerable concern in the setting of clinical allergy is the development of neutralizing antibodies and associated asparaginase inactivity. Also problematic in the use of asparaginase is the potential for the development of silent inactivation, with the formation of neutralizing antibodies and reduced asparaginase activity in the absence of a clinically evident allergic reaction. Here we present guidelines for the identification and management of clinical hypersensitivity and silent inactivation with Escherichia coli- and Erwinia chrysanthemi- derived asparaginase preparations. These guidelines were developed by a consensus panel of experts following a review of the available published data. We provide a consensus of expert opinions on the role of serum asparaginase level assessment, indications for switching asparaginase preparation, and monitoring after change in asparaginase preparation.
Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation.
Sumit Gupta, Cindy Wang, Elizabeth A Raetz, Reuven Schore, Wanda L Salzer, Eric C Larsen, Kelly W Maloney, Len A Mattano, William L Carroll, Naomi J Winick, Stephen P Hunger, Mignon L Loh, Meenakshi Devidas
Impact of Asparaginase Discontinuation on Outcome in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group.
J Clin Oncol. 2020 Jun 10;38(17):1897-1905. doi: 10.1200/JCO.19.03024. Epub 2020 Apr 10.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: Asparaginase (ASNase) is an important component of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment, but is often discontinued because of toxicity. Erwiniachrysanthemi ASNase (Erwinia) substitution was approved in 2011 for allergic reactions. Erwinia has, however, been intermittently unavailable because of drug supply issues. The impact of Erwinia substitution or complete ASNase discontinuation is unknown.
METHODS: Patients aged 1-30.99 years in frontline Children's Oncology Group trials for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia between 2004 and 2011 (National Cancer Institute [NCI] standard risk [SR]: AALL0331; NCI high risk: AALL0232) were included. The number of prescribed pegaspargase (PEG-ASNase) doses varied by trial and strata. Maintenance therapy did not contain ASNase. Landmark analyses at maintenance compared disease-free survival (DFS) among those receiving all prescribed PEG-ASNase doses versus switching to Erwinia but receiving all doses versus not receiving all ASNase doses.
RESULTS: We included 5,195 AALL0331 and 3,001 AALL0232 patients. The cumulative incidence of PEG-ASNase discontinuation was 12.2% ± 4.6% in AALL0331 and 25.4% ± 0.8% in AALL0232. In multivariable analyses, NCI high-risk patients not receiving all prescribed ASNase doses had inferior DFS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2 to 1.9; P = .002) compared with those receiving all prescribed PEG-ASNase doses. Patients with Erwinia substitution who completed subsequent courses were not at increased risk (HR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.7 to 1.6; P = .69). NCI SR patients who discontinued ASNase were not at elevated risk (HR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.9 to 1.6; P = .23), except when restricted to those with slow early response, who were prescribed more ASNase because of therapy intensification (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.7; P = .03).
CONCLUSION: Discontinuation of ASNase doses is associated with inferior DFS in higher-risk patients. Our results illustrate the severe consequences of Erwinia shortages.
日本小児血液・がん学会編：小児白血病・リンパ腫診療ガイドライン 2016年版．金原出版、東京、2016年、p38-54.
Ursula Creutzig, Marry M van den Heuvel-Eibrink, Brenda Gibson, Michael N Dworzak, Souichi Adachi, Eveline de Bont, Jochen Harbott, Henrik Hasle, Donna Johnston, Akitoshi Kinoshita, Thomas Lehrnbecher, Guy Leverger, Ester Mejstrikova, Soheil Meshinchi, Andrea Pession, Susana C Raimondi, Lillian Sung, Jan Stary, Christian M Zwaan, Gertjan J L Kaspers, Dirk Reinhardt, AML Committee of the International BFM Study Group
Diagnosis and management of acute myeloid leukemia in children and adolescents: recommendations from an international expert panel.
Blood. 2012 Oct 18;120(16):3187-205. doi: 10.1182/blood-2012-03-362608. Epub 2012 Aug 9.
Abstract/Text
Despite major improvements in outcome over the past decades, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains a life-threatening malignancy in children, with current survival rates of ∼70%. State-of-the-art recommendations in adult AML have recently been published in this journal by Döhner et al. The primary goal of an international expert panel of the International BFM Study Group AML Committee was to set standards for the management, diagnosis, response assessment, and treatment in childhood AML. This paper aims to discuss differences between childhood and adult AML, and to highlight recommendations that are specific to children. The particular relevance of new diagnostic and prognostic molecular markers in pediatric AML is presented. The general management of pediatric AML, the management of specific pediatric AML cohorts (such as infants) or subtypes of the disease occurring in children (such as Down syndrome related AML), as well as new therapeutic approaches, and the role of supportive care are discussed.
C Michel Zwaan, Edward A Kolb, Dirk Reinhardt, Jonas Abrahamsson, Souichi Adachi, Richard Aplenc, Eveline S J M De Bont, Barbara De Moerloose, Michael Dworzak, Brenda E S Gibson, Henrik Hasle, Guy Leverger, Franco Locatelli, Christine Ragu, Raul C Ribeiro, Carmelo Rizzari, Jeffrey E Rubnitz, Owen P Smith, Lillian Sung, Daisuke Tomizawa, Marry M van den Heuvel-Eibrink, Ursula Creutzig, Gertjan J L Kaspers
Collaborative Efforts Driving Progress in Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
J Clin Oncol. 2015 Sep 20;33(27):2949-62. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2015.62.8289. Epub 2015 Aug 24.
Abstract/Text
Diagnosis, treatment, response monitoring, and outcome of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have made enormous progress during the past decades. Because AML is a rare type of childhood cancer, with an incidence of approximately seven occurrences per 1 million children annually, national and international collaborative efforts have evolved. This overview describes these efforts and includes a summary of the history and contributions of each of the main collaborative pediatric AML groups worldwide. The focus is on translational and clinical research, which includes past, current, and future clinical trials. Separate sections concern acute promyelocytic leukemia, myeloid leukemia of Down syndrome, and relapsed AML. A plethora of novel antileukemic agents that have emerged, including new classes of drugs, are summarized as well. Finally, an important aspect of the treatment of pediatric AML--supportive care--and late effects are discussed. The future is bright, with a wide range of emerging innovative therapies and with more and more international collaboration that ultimately aim to cure all children with AML, with fewer adverse effects and without late effects.
© 2015 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Takashi Taga, Daisuke Tomizawa, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Souichi Adachi
Acute myeloid leukemia in children: Current status and future directions.
Pediatr Int. 2016 Feb;58(2):71-80. doi: 10.1111/ped.12865.
Abstract/Text
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) accounts for 25% of pediatric leukemia and affects approximately 180 patients annually in Japan. The treatment outcome for pediatric AML has improved through advances in chemotherapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), supportive care, and optimal risk stratification. Currently, clinical pediatric AML studies are conducted separately according to the AML subtypes: de novo AML, acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), and myeloid leukemia with Down syndrome (ML-DS). Children with de novo AML are treated mainly with anthracyclines and cytarabine, in some cases with HSCT, and the overall survival (OS) rate now approaches 70%. Children with APL are treated with an all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)-combined regimen with an 80-90% OS. Children with ML-DS are treated with a less intensive regimen compared with non-DS patients, and the OS is approximately 80%. HSCT in first remission is restricted to children with high-risk de novo AML only. To further improve outcomes, it will be necessary to combine more accurate risk stratification strategies using molecular genetic analysis with assessment of minimum residual disease, and the introduction of new drugs in international collaborative clinical trials.
© 2015 Japan Pediatric Society.
Daisuke Tomizawa, Shin-Ichi Tsujimoto
Risk-Stratified Therapy for Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
Cancers (Basel). 2023 Aug 18;15(16). doi: 10.3390/cancers15164171. Epub 2023 Aug 18.
Abstract/Text
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is the second most common type of leukemia in children. Recent advances in high-resolution genomic profiling techniques have uncovered the mutational landscape of pediatric AML as distinct from adult AML. Overall survival rates of children with AML have dramatically improved in the past 40 years, currently reaching 70% to 80% in developed countries. This was accomplished by the intensification of conventional chemotherapy, improvement in risk stratification using leukemia-specific cytogenetics/molecular genetics and measurable residual disease, appropriate use of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and improvement in supportive care. However, the principle therapeutic approach for pediatric AML has not changed substantially for decades and improvement in event-free survival is rather modest. Further refinements in risk stratification and the introduction of emerging novel therapies to contemporary therapy, through international collaboration, would be key solutions for further improvements in outcomes.
R F Stevens, I M Hann, K Wheatley, R G Gray
Marked improvements in outcome with chemotherapy alone in paediatric acute myeloid leukemia: results of the United Kingdom Medical Research Council's 10th AML trial. MRC Childhood Leukaemia Working Party.
Br J Haematol. 1998 Apr;101(1):130-40.
Abstract/Text
359 eligible children with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) entered the MRC AML 10 trial between May 1988 and March 1995. Patients received four courses of intensive induction and consolidation chemotherapy, with or without subsequent autologous (A-BMT) or allogeneic (allo-BMT) bone marrow transplant. There were randomized comparisons of thioguanine versus etoposide in induction and of A-BMT versus not. Allo-BMT was recommended for patients with a HLA-matched sibling and was evaluated by donor versus no donor comparison. The complete remission rate was 92%. In first remission there were 20 deaths during consolidation chemotherapy and 11 after BMT (8/61 allo-BMTs. 1/60 A-BMTs and 2/4 matched unrelated donor transplants). The relapse rate was low, decreasing from 26% in the first year to 2% in the fourth. Long-term outcome was excellent with survival at 7 years from entry of 56% and event-free survival of 48%. There were no significant differences between thioguanine and etoposide, whereas both A-BMT and allo-BMT reduced relapse risk but did not produce a significant survival benefit. It appears that over half the children entered into AML 10 are cured, a result which compares favourably with other reported series. We conclude that four courses of intensive chemotherapy are an effective approach to the treatment of paediatric AML, which avoids the acute toxicity and long-term side-effects of BMT and also avoids the need for prolonged maintenance therapy or cranial irradiation.
Brenda E S Gibson, David K H Webb, Andrew J Howman, Siebold S N De Graaf, Christine J Harrison, Keith Wheatley, United Kingdom Childhood Leukaemia Working Group and the Dutch Childhood Oncology Group
Results of a randomized trial in children with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia: medical research council AML12 trial.
Br J Haematol. 2011 Nov;155(3):366-76. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2011.08851.x. Epub 2011 Sep 9.
Abstract/Text
The Medical Research Council Acute Myeloid Leukaemia 12 (MRC AML12) trial (children) addressed the optimal anthracenedione/anthracycline in induction and the optimal number of courses of consolidation chemotherapy. 504 children (<16 years) with AML were randomized between mitoxantrone/cytarabine/etoposide or daunorubicin/cytarabine/etoposide as induction chemotherapy and 270 entered a second randomization between a total of four or five courses of treatment. Ten-year event-free (EFS) and overall survival (OS) was 54% and 63% respectively; the relapse rate was 35%. There was no difference in complete remission rate between the induction regimens, but there was a benefit for mitoxantrone with regard to relapse rate [32% vs. 39%; Hazard ratio (HR) 0·73; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·54, 1·00] and disease-free survival (DFS; 63% vs. 55%; HR 0·72; 95% CI 0·54, 0·96). However, this did not translate into a better EFS or OS (HR 0·84; 95% CI 0·63, 1·12). Results of the second randomization did not show a survival benefit for a fifth course of treatment (HR 1·01; 95% CI 0·63, 1·62), suggesting a ceiling of benefit for conventional chemotherapy and demonstrating the need for new agents. EFS was superior compared to the preceding trial AML10, partly due to fewer deaths in remission, highlighting the importance of supportive care.
2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
U Creutzig, J Ritter, M Zimmermann, J Hermann, H Gadner, D B Sawatzki, C M Niemeyer, D Schwabe, B Selle, J Boos, J Kühl, A Feldges
Idarubicin improves blast cell clearance during induction therapy in children with AML: results of study AML-BFM 93. AML-BFM Study Group.
Leukemia. 2001 Mar;15(3):348-54.
Abstract/Text
In the randomized trial AML-BFM 93 we compared 60 mg/m2/day daunorubicin with 12 mg/m2/day idarubicin for 3 days each, combined with cytarabine and etoposide during induction. Results showed a significant better blast cell reduction in the bone marrow on day 15 in patients of the idarubicin arm (25 of 144 = 17% of patients with > or = 5% blasts compared to 46 of 149 = 31% of patients after daunorubicin, Pchi2 = 0.01). This was, however, mainly seen in high risk patients treated with idarubicin (19% vs 38%, Pchi2 = 0.007). Cardiotoxicity, WHO grade 1-3 shortening fraction reduction after induction occurred in 6% patients in both arms. Bone marrow toxicity differed slightly with a median recovery time of neutrophils >500/microl of 25 days (daunorubicin) compared to 27 days (idarubicin), P = 0.05. In the total group of patients probabilities of 5 years event-free survival and disease-free survival were similar for patients treated with daunorubicin or idarubicin (49% +/- 4% vs 55% +/- 4% and 57% +/- 4% vs 64% +/- 4%, P logrank 0.29 and 0.15, respectively). However, in patients presenting with more than 5% blasts on day 15 there was a trend for a better outcome after treatment with idarubicin (P logrank 0.06). Together with the early effect seen for high risk patients these results indicate a better efficacy of idarubicin than of daunorubicin during induction with a similar rate of toxicity.
Alan S Gamis, Todd A Alonzo, Soheil Meshinchi, Lillian Sung, Robert B Gerbing, Susana C Raimondi, Betsy A Hirsch, Samir B Kahwash, Amy Heerema-McKenney, Laura Winter, Kathleen Glick, Stella M Davies, Patti Byron, Franklin O Smith, Richard Aplenc
Gemtuzumab ozogamicin in children and adolescents with de novo acute myeloid leukemia improves event-free survival by reducing relapse risk: results from the randomized phase III Children’s Oncology Group trial AAML0531.
J Clin Oncol. 2014 Sep 20;32(27):3021-32. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2014.55.3628.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: To improve survival rates in children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we evaluated gemtuzumab-ozogamicin (GO), a humanized immunoconjugate targeted against CD33, as an alternative to further chemotherapy dose escalation. Our primary objective was to determine whether adding GO to standard chemotherapy improved event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) in children with newly diagnosed AML. Our secondary objectives examined outcomes by risk group and method of intensification.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Children, adolescents, and young adults ages 0 to 29 years with newly diagnosed AML were enrolled onto Children’s Oncology Group trial AAML0531 and then were randomly assigned to either standard five-course chemotherapy alone or to the same chemotherapy with two doses of GO (3 mg/m2/dose) administered once in induction course 1 and once in intensification course 2 (two of three).
RESULTS: There were 1,022 evaluable patients enrolled. GO significantly improved EFS (3 years: 53.1% v. 46.9%; hazard ratio [HzR], 0.83; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.99; P.04) but not OS (3 years: 69.4% v. 65.4%; HzR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.13; P = .39). Although remission was not improved (88% v. 85%; P = .15), posthoc analyses found relapse risk (RR) was significantly reduced among GO recipients overall (3 years: 32.8% v. 41.3%; HzR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.91; P = .006). Despite an increased postremission toxic mortality (3 years: 6.6% v. 4.1%; HzR, 1.69; 95% CI, 0.93 to 3.08; P = .09), disease-free survival was better among GO recipients (3 years: 60.6% v. 54.7%; HzR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.67 to 1.02; P = .07).
CONCLUSION: GO added to chemotherapy improved EFS through a reduction in RR for children and adolescents with AML.
気賀沢寿人:小児急性骨髄性白血病の治療の進歩.日小血会誌 2000; 14 : 288−97.
Ichiro Tsukimoto, Akio Tawa, Keizo Horibe, Ken Tabuchi, Hisato Kigasawa, Masahiro Tsuchida, Hiromasa Yabe, Hideki Nakayama, Kazuko Kudo, Ryoji Kobayashi, Kazuko Hamamoto, Masue Imaizumi, Akira Morimoto, Shigeru Tsuchiya, Ryoji Hanada
Risk-stratified therapy and the intensive use of cytarabine improves the outcome in childhood acute myeloid leukemia: the AML99 trial from the Japanese Childhood AML Cooperative Study Group.
J Clin Oncol. 2009 Aug 20;27(24):4007-13. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2008.18.7948. Epub 2009 Jul 20.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: To improve the prognosis in children with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by introducing a dose-dense intensive chemotherapy regimen and an appropriate risk stratification system.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred forty children with de novo AML were treated with continuous cytarabine-based induction therapy and stratified to three risk groups based on the initial treatment response, age, and WBC at diagnosis and cytogenetics. All of the patients were treated with intensive consolidation chemotherapy including three or four courses of high-dose cytarabine. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) was indicated for only the intermediate-risk patients with matched related donors and for all the high-risk subsets.
RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-seven children (94.6%) achieved a complete remission (CR). Four children demonstrated induction death. The median follow-up of the live patients was 55 months (range, 37 to 73 months). The 5-year overall survival of all 240 children was 75.6% (95% CI, 70.3% to 81.4%) and event-free survival was 61.6% (95% CI, 55.8% to 68.1%). The 5-year disease-free survival in each risk group were 71.3% (95% CI, 63.4% to 80.2%) in the low-risk group (n = 112), 59.8% (95% CI, 50.6% to 70.7%) in the intermediate-risk group (n = 92), and 56.5% (95% CI, 39.5% to 80.9%) in the high-risk group (n = 23). Eight children died during the first CR, including four after HSCT.
CONCLUSION: A high survival rate, 75.6% at 5 years, was achieved for childhood with de novo AML in the AML99 trial. The treatment strategy was well tolerated with only 1.7% induction death rate and 3.5% remission death rate. Low-risk children were successfully treated with chemotherapy alone.
D Tomizawa, A Tawa, T Watanabe, A M Saito, K Kudo, T Taga, S Iwamoto, A Shimada, K Terui, H Moritake, A Kinoshita, H Takahashi, H Nakayama, K Koh, H Kigasawa, Y Kosaka, H Miyachi, K Horibe, T Nakahata, S Adachi
Excess treatment reduction including anthracyclines results in higher incidence of relapse in core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia in children.
Leukemia. 2013 Dec;27(12):2413-6. doi: 10.1038/leu.2013.153. Epub 2013 May 16.
Abstract/Text
Daiichiro Hasegawa, Akio Tawa, Daisuke Tomizawa, Tomoyuki Watanabe, Akiko Moriya Saito, Kazuko Kudo, Takashi Taga, Shotaro Iwamoto, Akira Shimada, Kiminori Terui, Hiroshi Moritake, Akitoshi Kinoshita, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Hideki Nakayama, Katsuyoshi Koh, Hiroaki Goto, Yoshiyuki Kosaka, Hayato Miyachi, Keizo Horibe, Tatsutoshi Nakahata, Souichi Adachi
Attempts to optimize postinduction treatment in childhood acute myeloid leukemia without core-binding factors: A report from the Japanese Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group (JPLSG).
Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2020 Dec;67(12):e28692. doi: 10.1002/pbc.28692. Epub 2020 Sep 4.
Abstract/Text
We previously reported that risk-stratified therapy and intensive postremission chemotherapy (PRC) contributed to the improved survival of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the AML99 study, which led us to consider a reduction in the number of PRC courses with more restrictive indications for stem cell transplantation (SCT) in the successor AML-05 study. We here report the outcome of AML patients without core-binding factor mutation (non-CBF AML) in the AML-05 study. Two-hundred eighty-nine children (age < 18 years old) with non-CBF AML were eligible. Patients with unfavorable cytogenetics and/or poor bone marrow response to the first induction course were candidates for SCT in the AML-05 study. After two courses of induction, a further three courses of PRC were given in AML-05, while four courses were given in the AML99 study. The 3-year event-free survival (EFS) rate in the AML-05 study (46.7%, 95% CI: 40.6-52.6%) was comparable to that of non-CBF AML in the AML99 study (51.5%, 95% CI: 42.7-59.6%) (P = .16). However, the 3-year overall survival (OS) rate in the AML-05 study (62.9%, 95% CI: 56.3-68.8%) was slightly lower than that in the AML99 study (71.6%, 95% CI: 63.2-78.5%) (P = .060), mainly due to decreased remission induction rate and increased nonrelapsed mortality. In conclusion, reductions in the number of PRC courses from four to three, together with repetitive cycles of high-dose cytarabine, were acceptable for non-CBF childhood AML.
© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Daisuke Tomizawa, Jun Matsubayashi, Shotaro Iwamoto, Hidefumi Hiramatsu, Daisuke Hasegawa, Hiroshi Moritake, Daiichiro Hasegawa, Kiminori Terui, Asahito Hama, Shin-Ichi Tsujimoto, Nobutaka Kiyokawa, Hayato Miyachi, Takao Deguchi, Yoshiko Hashii, Yuka Iijima-Yamashita, Tomohiko Taki, Yasushi Noguchi, Kazutoshi Koike, Katsuyoshi Koh, Yuki Yuza, Akiko Moriya Saito, Keizo Horibe, Takashi Taga, Shiro Tanaka, Souichi Adachi
High-dose cytarabine induction therapy and flow cytometric measurable residual disease monitoring for children with acute myeloid leukemia.
Leukemia. 2024 Jan;38(1):202-206. doi: 10.1038/s41375-023-02075-9. Epub 2023 Nov 6.
Abstract/Text
A Möricke, M Zimmermann, A Reiter, G Henze, A Schrauder, H Gadner, W D Ludwig, J Ritter, J Harbott, G Mann, T Klingebiel, F Zintl, C Niemeyer, B Kremens, F Niggli, D Niethammer, K Welte, M Stanulla, E Odenwald, H Riehm, M Schrappe
Long-term results of five consecutive trials in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia performed by the ALL-BFM study group from 1981 to 2000.
Leukemia. 2010 Feb;24(2):265-84. doi: 10.1038/leu.2009.257. Epub 2009 Dec 10.
Abstract/Text
Between 1981 and 2000, 6609 children (<18 years of age) were treated in five consecutive trials of the Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM) study group for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Patients were treated in up to 82 centers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Probability of 10-year event-free survival (EFS) (survival) improved from 65% (77%) in study ALL-BFM 81 to 78% (85%) in ALL-BFM 95. In parallel to relapse reduction, major efforts focused on reducing acute and late toxicity through advanced risk adaptation of treatment. The major findings derived from these ALL-BFM trials were as follows: (1) preventive cranial radiotherapy could be safely reduced to 12 Gy in T-ALL and high-risk (HR) ALL patients, and eliminated in non- HR non-T-ALL patients, if it was replaced by high-dose and intrathecal (IT) MTX; (2) omission of delayed re-intensification severely impaired outcome of low-risk patients; (3) 6-month-less maintenance therapy caused an increase in systemic relapses; (4) slow response to an initial 7-day prednisone window was identified as adverse prognostic factor; (5) condensed induction therapy resulted in significant improvement of outcome; (6) the daunorubicin dose in induction could be safely reduced in low-risk patients and (7) intensification of consolidation/re-intensification treatment led to considerable improvement of outcome in HR patients.
P S Gaynon, A L Angiolillo, W L Carroll, J B Nachman, M E Trigg, H N Sather, S P Hunger, M Devidas, Children's Oncology Group
Long-term results of the children's cancer group studies for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia 1983-2002: a Children's Oncology Group Report.
Leukemia. 2010 Feb;24(2):285-97. doi: 10.1038/leu.2009.262. Epub 2009 Dec 17.
Abstract/Text
The Children's Cancer Group enrolled 13 298 young people age <21 years on 1 of 16 protocols between 1983 and 2002. Outcomes were examined in three time periods, 1983-1988, 1989-1995, 1996-2002. Over the three intervals, 10-year event-free survival (EFS) for Rome/National Cancer Institute standard risk (SR) and higher risk (HR) B-precursor patients was 68 and 58%, 77 and 63%, and 78 and 67%, respectively, whereas for SR and HR T-cell patients, EFS was 65 and 56%, 78 and 68%, and 70 and 72%, respectively. Five-year EFS for infants was 36, 38, and 43%, respectively. Seminal randomized studies led to a number of important findings. Stronger post-induction intensification improved outcome for both SR and HR patients. With improved systemic therapy, additional intrathecal (IT) methotrexate effectively replaced cranial radiation. For SR patients receiving three-drug induction, iso-toxic substitution of dexamethasone for prednisone improved EFS. Pegylated asparaginase safely and effectively replaced native asparaginase. Thus, rational therapy modifications yielded better outcomes for both SR and HR patients. These trials provide the platforms for current Children's Oncology Group trials.
Andrea Biondi, Martin Schrappe, Paola De Lorenzo, Anders Castor, Giovanna Lucchini, Virginie Gandemer, Rob Pieters, Jan Stary, Gabriele Escherich, Myriam Campbell, Chi-Kong Li, Ajay Vora, Maurizio Aricò, Silja Röttgers, Vaskar Saha, Maria Grazia Valsecchi
Imatinib after induction for treatment of children and adolescents with Philadelphia-chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (EsPhALL): a randomised, open-label, intergroup study.
Lancet Oncol. 2012 Sep;13(9):936-45. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(12)70377-7. Epub 2012 Aug 14.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: Trials of imatinib have provided evidence of activity in adults with Philadelphia-chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), but the drug's role when given with multidrug chemotherapy to children is unknown. This study assesses the safety and efficacy of oral imatinib in association with a Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster intensive chemotherapy regimen and allogeneic stem-cell transplantation for paediatric patients with Philadelphia-chromosome-positive ALL.
METHODS: Patients aged 1-18 years recruited to national trials of front-line treatment for ALL were eligible if they had t(9;22)(q34;q11). Patients with abnormal renal or hepatic function, or an active systemic infection, were ineligible. Patients were enrolled by ten study groups between 2004 and 2009, and were classified as good risk or poor risk according to early response to induction treatment. Good-risk patients were randomly assigned by a web-based system with permuted blocks (size four) to receive post-induction imatinib with chemotherapy or chemotherapy only in a 1:1 ratio, while all poor-risk patients received post-induction imatinib with chemotherapy. Patients were stratified by study group. The chemotherapy regimen was modelled on a Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster high-risk backbone; all received four post-induction blocks of chemotherapy after which they became eligible for stem-cell transplantation. The primary endpoints were disease-free survival at 4 years in the good-risk group and event-free survival at 4 years in the poor-risk group, analysed by intention to treat and a secondary analysis of patients as treated. The trial is registered with EudraCT (2004-001647-30) and ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00287105.
FINDINGS: Between Jan 1, 2004, and Dec 31, 2009, we screened 229 patients and enrolled 178: 108 were good risk and 70 poor risk. 46 good-risk patients were assigned to receive imatinib and 44 to receive no imatinib. Median follow-up was 3·1 years (IQR 2·0-4·6). 4-year disease-free survival was 72·9% (95% CI 56·1-84·1) in the good-risk, imatinib group versus 61·7% (45·0-74·7) in the good-risk, no imatinib group (p=0·24). The hazard ratio (HR) for failure, adjusted for minimal residual disease, was 0·63 (0·28-1·41; p=0·26). The as-treated analysis showed 4-year disease-free survival was 75·2% (61·0-84·9) for good-risk patients receiving imatinib and 55·9% (36·1-71·7) for those who did not receive imatinib (p=0·06). 4-year event-free survival for poor-risk patients was 53·5% (40·4-65·0). Serious adverse events were much the same in the good-risk groups, with infections caused by myelosuppression the most common. 16 patients in the good-risk imatinib group versus ten in the good-risk, no imatinib group (p=0·64), and 24 in the poor-risk group, had a serious adverse event.
INTERPRETATION: Our results suggests that imatinib in conjunction with intensive chemotherapy is well tolerated and might be beneficial for treatment of children with Philadelphia-chromosome-positive ALL.
FUNDING: Projet Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique-Cancer (France), Fondazione Tettamanti-De Marchi and Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (Italy), Novartis Germany, Cancer Research UK, Leukaemia Lymphoma Research, and Central Manchester University Hospitals Foundation Trust.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Y Toyoda, A Manabe, M Tsuchida, R Hanada, K Ikuta, Y Okimoto, A Ohara, Y Ohkawa, T Mori, K Ishimoto, T Sato, T Kaneko, M Maeda, K i Koike, T Shitara, Y Hoshi, R Hosoya, Y Tsunematsu, F Bessho, S Nakazawa, T Saito
Six months of maintenance chemotherapy after intensified treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia of childhood.
J Clin Oncol. 2000 Apr;18(7):1508-16.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: We postulated that intensification of chemotherapy immediately after remission induction might reduce the leukemic cell burden sufficiently to allow an abbreviated period of antimetabolite therapy.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Three hundred forty-seven children (ages 1 to 15 years) with previously untreated acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were enrolled onto the Tokyo L92-13 study, which excluded patients with mature B-cell ALL and patients less than 1 year old. One hundred twenty-four patients were classified as standard risk, 122 as high risk, and 101 as extremely high risk, according to age, peripheral-blood leukocyte count, selected genetic abnormalities, and immunophenotype. All subjects received four drugs for remission induction, followed by a risk-directed multidrug intensification phase and therapy for presymptomatic leukemia in the CNS. Maintenance chemotherapy with oral mercaptopurine and methotrexate was administered for 6 months, with all treatment stopped by 1 year after diagnosis.
RESULTS: The mean (+/- SD) event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival rates for all patients were 59.5% +/- 3.4% and 81.5% +/- 2.2%, respectively, at 5. 5 years after diagnosis. EFS rates by risk category were similar (60. 2% +/- 6.0% for standard risk, 57.7% +/- 5.6% for high risk, and 62. 5% +/- 5.7% for extremely high risk), whereas overall survival rates differed significantly (91.2% +/- 2.7%, 80.0% +/- 4.1%, and 72.1% +/- 4.5%, respectively, P <.0001 by the log-rank test). There were 107 relapses. Eighty-five (79.4%) of these 107 patients achieved second complete remissions, with subsequent EFS rates of 61.5% +/- 7. 9% (standard risk), 42.6% +/- 8.1% (high risk), and 9.6% +/- 6.4% (extremely high risk). Of the five risk factors analyzed, only the response to prednisolone monotherapy among extremely high-risk patients proved important.
CONCLUSION: Early treatment intensification did not compensate for a truncated phase of maintenance chemotherapy in children with standard- or high-risk ALL. However, 6 months of antimetabolite treatment seemed adequate for extremely high-risk patients who were good responders to prednisolone and received intensified chemotherapy that included high-dose cytarabine early in the clinical course.
Childhood ALL Collaborative Group
Duration and intensity of maintenance chemotherapy in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: overview of 42 trials involving 12 000 randomised children.
Lancet. 1996 Jun 29;347(9018):1783-8.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: The effects on long-term outcome in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) of the duration and the intensity of maintenance chemotherapy need to be assessed reliably. With this objective the Childhood ALL Collaborative Group coordinated a worldwide overview of all randomised trials that began before 1987.
METHODS: Individual patient data were sought for about 3900 children in trials of longer vs shorter maintenance (eg, 3 vs 2 years), 3700 in trials of intensive "reinduction" chemotherapy during maintenance, and 4400 in trials of various other questions, including 1300 in trials of pulses of vincristine and prednisone (VP) during maintenance. Analyses were of survival in first remission, overall survival, and cause-specific mortality.
FINDINGS: Deaths during remission were increased by longer maintenance (2.7 percent vs 1.2 percent), VP pulses (4.0 vs 3.2 percent), and intensive reinduction (4.8 percent vs 3.3 percent), but these increases were counterbalanced by reductions in relapses. Total events (relapse or death) were significantly reduced by longer maintenance (23.3 percent vs 27.6 percent), VP pulses (31.2 percent vs 40.4 percent) and intensive reinduction (27.8 percent vs 35.8 percent) (each 2p<0.001). Many of those who relapsed were successfully re-treated, however, and only for intensive reinduction was overall survival significantly improved (18.5 percent vs 22.3 percent; 2p=0.01).
INTERPRETATION: Intensive reinduction chemotherapy in these trials produced an absolute improvement of about 4 percent in long-term survival; if the extra deaths in remission had been avoided, this would have been a 5 percent benefit. Further improvements in survival seem more likely to be obtained with intensive treatment than with longer low-level maintenance.
Valentino Conter, Maria Grazia Valsecchi, Daniela Silvestri, Myriam Campbell, Eduardo Dibar, Edina Magyarosy, Helmut Gadner, Jan Stary, Yves Benoit, Martin Zimmermann, Alfred Reiter, Hansjörg Riehm, Giuseppe Masera, Martin Schrappe
Pulses of vincristine and dexamethasone in addition to intensive chemotherapy for children with intermediate-risk acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: a multicentre randomised trial.
Lancet. 2007 Jan 13;369(9556):123-31. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60073-7.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: Studies in the 1970s and 1980s suggested that the outcome of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) could be improved by intensification of conventional continuation chemotherapy with pulses of vincristine sulfate and steroids. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and toxic effects of vincristine-dexamethasone pulses as an addition to the continuation-therapy phase in a large cohort of children with intermediate-risk disease who were treated with the Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM) treatment strategy.
METHODS: 3109 children, diagnosed with ALL and intermediate-risk features, were enrolled by eight participating organisations in eleven countries. All were treated with very similar protocols based on the BFM treatment strategy, which included induction, consolidation, reinduction, and continuation-therapy phases. At the beginning of the continuation-therapy phase, those patients in complete remission were randomly assigned to either a treatment or a control group. Control patients were given conventional mercaptopurine and methotrexate chemotherapy only. Patients in the treatment arm were also given pulses of vincristine (1.5 mg/m2 weekly for 2 weeks) and dexamethasone (6 mg/m2 daily for 7 days) every 10 weeks for six cycles. The primary outcome measure was disease-free survival. Analysis was by intention to treat. The study is registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov with the identifier NCT00411541.
FINDINGS: 174 patients (5.6%) relapsed or died in complete remission before randomisation. Of the remaining 2935 patients, 2618 (89.2%) were randomly assigned: 1325 to the treatment group and 1293 to the control group. With median follow-up of 4.8 years, 240 children in the treatment group and 241 in the control group had relapses; 15 in the treatment group and 14 controls died in complete remission or developed second malignant neoplasms. The 5-year and 7-year disease-free survival estimates were 79.8% (SE 1.2) and 77.5% (1.5) in the treatment group and 79.2% (1.2) and 78.4% (1.3) in the control group, respectively. Treatment with pulses of vincristine and dexamethasone was associated with a non-significant 3% relative-risk reduction (hazard ratio 0.97; 95% CI 0.81-1.15; p=0.70).
INTERPRETATION: Children with intermediate-risk ALL who received intensive chemotherapy based on BFM protocols did not benefit from intensification of the continuation-therapy phase with a schedule of pulses of vincristine and dexamethasone.
Jun J Yang, Wendy Landier, Wenjian Yang, Chengcheng Liu, Lindsey Hageman, Cheng Cheng, Deqing Pei, Yanjun Chen, Kristine R Crews, Nancy Kornegay, F Lennie Wong, William E Evans, Ching-Hon Pui, Smita Bhatia, Mary V Relling
Inherited NUDT15 variant is a genetic determinant of mercaptopurine intolerance in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
J Clin Oncol. 2015 Apr 10;33(11):1235-42. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2014.59.4671. Epub 2015 Jan 26.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: Mercaptopurine (MP) is the mainstay of curative therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify comprehensively the genetic basis of MP intolerance in children with ALL.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: The discovery GWAS and replication cohorts included 657 and 371 children from two prospective clinical trials. MP dose intensity was a marker for drug tolerance and toxicities and was defined as prescribed dose divided by the planned protocol dose during maintenance therapy; its association with genotype was evaluated using a linear mixed-effects model.
RESULTS: MP dose intensity varied by race and ethnicity and was negatively correlated with East Asian genetic ancestry (P < .001). The GWAS revealed two genome-wide significant loci associated with dose intensity: rs1142345 in TPMT (Tyr240Cys, present in *3A and *3C variants; P = 8.6 × 10(-9)) and rs116855232 in NUDT15 (P = 8.8 × 10(-9)), with independent replication. Patients with TT genotype at rs116855232 were exquisitely sensitive to MP, with an average dose intensity of 8.3%, compared with those with TC and CC genotypes, who tolerated 63% and 83.5% of the planned dose, respectively. The NUDT15 variant was most common in East Asians and Hispanics, rare in Europeans, and not observed in Africans, contributing to ancestry-related differences in MP tolerance. Of children homozygous for either TPMT or NUDT15 variants or heterozygous for both, 100% required ≥ 50% MP dose reduction, compared with only 7.7% of others.
CONCLUSION: We describe a germline variant in NUDT15 strongly associated with MP intolerance in childhood ALL, which may have implications for treatment individualization in this disease.
© 2015 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Sue Richards, Ching-Hon Pui, Paul Gayon, Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Collaborative Group (CALLCG)
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials of central nervous system directed therapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2013 Feb;60(2):185-95. doi: 10.1002/pbc.24228. Epub 2012 Jun 12.
Abstract/Text
Treatment of the central nervous system (CNS) is an essential therapy component for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Individual patient data from 47 trials addressing 16 CNS treatment comparisons were analyzed. Event-free survival (EFS) was similar for radiotherapy versus intrathecal (IT), and radiotherapy plus IT versus IV methotrexate (IV MTX) plus IT. Triple intrathecal therapy (TIT) gave similar EFS but poorer survival than intrathecal methotrexate (IT MTX), but additional IV MTX improved both outcomes. One trial resulted in similar EFS and survival with IV MTX plus IT MTX versus TIT alone. Radiotherapy can generally be replaced by IT therapy. TIT should be used with effective systemic therapy such as IV MTX.
Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Eric C Larsen, Meenakshi Devidas, Si Chen, Wanda L Salzer, Elizabeth A Raetz, Mignon L Loh, Leonard A Mattano, Catherine Cole, Alisa Eicher, Maureen Haugan, Mark Sorenson, Nyla A Heerema, Andrew A Carroll, Julie M Gastier-Foster, Michael J Borowitz, Brent L Wood, Cheryl L Willman, Naomi J Winick, Stephen P Hunger, William L Carroll
Dexamethasone and High-Dose Methotrexate Improve Outcome for Children and Young Adults With High-Risk B-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Report From Children's Oncology Group Study AALL0232.
J Clin Oncol. 2016 Jul 10;34(20):2380-8. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2015.62.4544. Epub 2016 Apr 25.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: Survival for children and young adults with high-risk B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia has improved significantly, but 20% to 25% of patients are not cured. Children's Oncology Group study AALL0232 tested two interventions to improve survival.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 2004 and January 2011, AALL0232 enrolled 3,154 participants 1 to 30 years old with newly diagnosed high-risk B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia. By using a 2 × 2 factorial design, 2,914 participants were randomly assigned to receive dexamethasone (14 days) versus prednisone (28 days) during induction and high-dose methotrexate versus Capizzi escalating-dose methotrexate plus pegaspargase during interim maintenance 1.
RESULTS: Planned interim monitoring showed the superiority of the high-dose methotrexate regimens, which exceeded the predefined boundary and led to cessation of enrollment in January 2011. At that time, participants randomly assigned to high-dose methotrexate during interim maintenance 1 versus those randomly assigned to Capizzi methotrexate had a 5-year event-free survival (EFS) of 82% versus 75.4% (P = .006). Mature final data showed 5-year EFS rates of 79.6% for high-dose methotrexate and 75.2% for Capizzi methotrexate (P = .008). High-dose methotrexate decreased both marrow and CNS recurrences. Patients 1 to 9 years old who received dexamethasone and high-dose methotrexate had a superior outcome compared with those who received the other three regimens (5-year EFS, 91.2% v 83.2%, 80.8%, and 82.1%; P = .015). Older participants derived no benefit from dexamethasone during induction and experienced excess rates of osteonecrosis.
CONCLUSION: High-dose methotrexate is superior to Capizzi methotrexate for the treatment of high-risk B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia, with no increase in acute toxicity. Dexamethasone given during induction benefited younger children but provided no benefit and was associated with a higher risk of osteonecrosis among participants 10 years and older.
© 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Ching-Hon Pui, Cheng Cheng, Wing Leung, Shesh N Rai, Gaston K Rivera, John T Sandlund, Raul C Ribeiro, Mary V Relling, Larry E Kun, William E Evans, Melissa M Hudson
Extended follow-up of long-term survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
N Engl J Med. 2003 Aug 14;349(7):640-9. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa035091.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: Children who survive acute lymphoblastic leukemia are at risk for leukemia-related or treatment-related complications, which can adversely affect survival and socioeconomic status. We determined the long-term survival and the rates of health insurance coverage, marriage, and employment among patients who had attained at least 10 years of event-free survival.
METHODS: A total of 856 eligible patients were treated between 1962 and 1992 in 13 consecutive clinical trials. Survival rates, the cumulative risk of a second neoplasm, and selected indicators of socioeconomic status were analyzed for the entire group and for patients who did or did not receive cranial or craniospinal radiation therapy during initial treatment.
RESULTS: Fifty-six patients had major adverse events, including 8 deaths during remission, 4 relapses, and 44 second neoplasms (41 of them radiation-related); most of the second neoplasms were benign or of a low grade of malignant potential. The risk of a second neoplasm was significantly higher in the 597 patients who received radiation therapy (irradiated group) than in the 259 patients who did not receive radiation therapy (nonirradiated group) (P=0.04; estimated cumulative risk [+/-SE] at 20 years, 20.9+/-3.9 percent vs. 0.95+/-0.9 percent). The death rate for the irradiated group slightly exceeded the expected rate in the general U.S. population (standardized mortality ratio, 1.90; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.12 to 3.00), whereas that for the nonirradiated group did not differ from the population norm (standardized mortality ratio, 1.75; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.34 to 5.00). The rates of health insurance coverage, marriage, and employment in the nonirradiated group were similar to the age- and sex-adjusted national averages. Despite having health insurance rates similar to those in the general population, men and women in the irradiated group had higher-than-average unemployment rates (15.1 percent vs. 5.4 percent and 35.4 percent vs. 5.2 percent, respectively), and women in the irradiated group were less likely to be married (35.2 percent vs. 48.8 percent).
CONCLUSIONS: Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who did not receive radiation therapy and who have attained 10 or more years of event-free survival can expect a normal long-term survival. Irradiation is associated with the development of second neoplasms, a slight excess in mortality, and an increased unemployment rate.
Copyright 2003 Massachusetts Medical Society
Ching-Hon Pui, Dario Campana, Deqing Pei, W Paul Bowman, John T Sandlund, Sue C Kaste, Raul C Ribeiro, Jeffrey E Rubnitz, Susana C Raimondi, Mihaela Onciu, Elaine Coustan-Smith, Larry E Kun, Sima Jeha, Cheng Cheng, Scott C Howard, Vickey Simmons, Amy Bayles, Monika L Metzger, James M Boyett, Wing Leung, Rupert Handgretinger, James R Downing, William E Evans, Mary V Relling
Treating childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia without cranial irradiation.
N Engl J Med. 2009 Jun 25;360(26):2730-41. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa0900386.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: Prophylactic cranial irradiation has been a standard treatment in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who are at high risk for central nervous system (CNS) relapse.
METHODS: We conducted a clinical trial to test whether prophylactic cranial irradiation could be omitted from treatment in all children with newly diagnosed ALL. A total of 498 patients who could be evaluated were enrolled. Treatment intensity was based on presenting features and the level of minimal residual disease after remission-induction treatment. The duration of continuous complete remission in the 71 patients who previously would have received prophylactic cranial irradiation was compared with that of 56 historical controls who received it.
RESULTS: The 5-year event-free and overall survival probabilities for all 498 patients were 85.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 79.9 to 91.3) and 93.5% (95% CI, 89.8 to 97.2), respectively. The 5-year cumulative risk of isolated CNS relapse was 2.7% (95% CI, 1.1 to 4.3), and that of any CNS relapse (including isolated relapse and combined relapse) was 3.9% (95% CI, 1.9 to 5.9). The 71 patients had significantly longer continuous complete remission than the 56 historical controls (P=0.04). All 11 patients with isolated CNS relapse remained in second remission for 0.4 to 5.5 years. CNS leukemia (CNS-3 status) or a traumatic lumbar puncture with blast cells at diagnosis and a high level of minimal residual disease (> or = 1%) after 6 weeks of remission induction were significantly associated with poorer event-free survival. Risk factors for CNS relapse included the genetic abnormality t(1;19)(TCF3-PBX1), any CNS involvement at diagnosis, and T-cell immunophenotype. Common adverse effects included allergic reactions to asparaginase, osteonecrosis, thrombosis, and disseminated fungal infection.
CONCLUSIONS: With effective risk-adjusted chemotherapy, prophylactic cranial irradiation can be safely omitted from the treatment of childhood ALL. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00137111.)
2009 Massachusetts Medical Society
Ajay Vora, Anita Andreano, Ching-Hon Pui, Stephen P Hunger, Martin Schrappe, Anja Moericke, Andrea Biondi, Gabriele Escherich, Lewis B Silverman, Nicholas Goulden, Mervi Taskinen, Rob Pieters, Keizo Horibe, Meenakshi Devidas, Franco Locatelli, Maria Grazia Valsecchi
Influence of Cranial Radiotherapy on Outcome in Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treated With Contemporary Therapy.
J Clin Oncol. 2016 Mar 20;34(9):919-26. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2015.64.2850. Epub 2016 Jan 11.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: We sought to determine whether cranial radiotherapy (CRT) is necessary to prevent relapse in any subgroup of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
PATIENTS AND METHODS: We obtained aggregate data on relapse and survival outcomes for 16,623 patients age 1 to 18 years old with newly diagnosed ALL treated between 1996 and 2007 by 10 cooperative study groups from around the world. The proportion of patients eligible for prophylactic CRT varied from 0% to 33% by trial and was not related to the proportion eligible for allogeneic stem-cell transplantation in first complete remission. Using a random effects model, with CRT as a dichotomous covariate, we performed a single-arm meta-analysis to compare event-free survival and cumulative incidence of isolated or any CNS relapse and isolated bone marrow relapse in high-risk subgroups of patients who either did or did not receive CRT.
RESULTS: Although there was significant heterogeneity in all outcome end points according to trial, CRT was associated with a reduced risk of relapse only in the small subgroup of patients with overt CNS disease at diagnosis, who had a significantly lower risk of isolated CNS relapse (4% with CRT v 17% without CRT; P = .02) and a trend toward lower risk of any CNS relapse (7% with CRT v 17% without CRT; P = .09). However, this group had a relatively high rate of events regardless of whether or not they received CRT (32% [95% CI, 26% to 39%] v 34% [95% CI, 19% to 54%]; P = .8).
CONCLUSION: CRT does not have an impact on the risk of relapse in children with ALL treated on contemporary protocols.
© 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Sima Jeha, Deqing Pei, John Choi, Cheng Cheng, John T Sandlund, Elaine Coustan-Smith, Dario Campana, Hiroto Inaba, Jeffrey E Rubnitz, Raul C Ribeiro, Tanja A Gruber, Susana C Raimondi, Raja B Khan, Jun J Yang, Charles G Mullighan, James R Downing, William E Evans, Mary V Relling, Ching-Hon Pui
Improved CNS Control of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Without Cranial Irradiation: St Jude Total Therapy Study 16.
J Clin Oncol. 2019 Dec 10;37(35):3377-3391. doi: 10.1200/JCO.19.01692. Epub 2019 Oct 28.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: Despite contemporary treatment, up to 10% of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia still experience relapse. We evaluated whether a higher dosage of PEG-asparaginase and early intensification of triple intrathecal therapy would improve systemic and CNS control.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 2007 and 2017, 598 consecutive patients age 0 to 18 years received risk-directed chemotherapy without prophylactic cranial irradiation in the St Jude Total Therapy Study 16. Patients were randomly assigned to receive PEG-asparaginase 3,500 U/m2 versus the conventional 2,500 U/m2. Patients presenting features that were associated with increased risk of CNS relapse received two extra doses of intrathecal therapy during the first 2 weeks of remission induction.
RESULTS: The 5-year event-free survival and overall survival rates for the 598 patients were 88.2% (95% CI, 84.9% to 91.5%) and 94.1% (95% CI, 91.7% to 96.5%), respectively. Cumulative risk of any-isolated or combined-CNS relapse was 1.5% (95% CI, 0.5% to 2.5%). Higher doses of PEG-asparaginase did not affect treatment outcome. T-cell phenotype was the only independent risk factor for any CNS relapse (hazard ratio, 5.15; 95% CI, 1.3 to 20.6; P = . 021). Among 359 patients with features that were associated with increased risk for CNS relapse, the 5-year rate of any CNS relapse was significantly lower than that among 248 patients with the same features treated in the previous Total Therapy Study 15 (1.8% [95% CI, 0.4% to 3.3%] v 5.7% [95% CI, 2.8% to 8.6%]; P = .008). There were no significant differences in the cumulative risk of seizure or infection during induction between patients who did or did not receive the two extra doses of intrathecal treatment.
CONCLUSION: Higher doses of PEG-asparaginase failed to improve outcome, but additional intrathecal therapy during early induction seemed to contribute to improved CNS control without excessive toxicity for high-risk patients.
Kelly D Getz, Todd A Alonzo, Lillian Sung, Soheil Meshinchi, Robert B Gerbing, Susana Raimondi, Betsy Hirsch, Michael Loken, Lisa Eidenschink Brodersen, Samir Kahwash, John Choi, E Anders Kolb, Alan Gamis, Richard Aplenc
Cytarabine dose reduction in patients with low-risk acute myeloid leukemia: A report from the Children's Oncology Group.
Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2022 Jan;69(1):e29313. doi: 10.1002/pbc.29313. Epub 2021 Sep 2.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: The optimal number of chemotherapy courses for low-risk (LR) pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is not known.
OBJECTIVE: To compare outcomes for four (21.6 g/m2 cytarabine) versus five (45.6 g/m2 cytarabine) chemotherapy courses for LR-AML using data from Children's Oncology Group (COG) AAML0531 and AAML1031.
METHODS: We compared relapse risk (RR), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS), and the differential impact in LR subgroups for patients receiving four versus five chemotherapy courses. Cox (OS and DFS) and risk (RR) regressions were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) to compare outcomes.
RESULTS: A total of 923 LR-AML patients were included; 21% received five courses. Overall, LR-AML patients who received four courses had higher RR (40.9% vs. 31.4%; HR = 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-1.85), and worse DFS (56.0% vs. 67.0%; HR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.10-1.91). There was a similar decrement in OS though it was not statistically significant (77.0% vs. 83.5%; HR = 1.45, 95% CI: 0.97-2.17). Stratified analyses revealed the detrimental effects of cytarabine dose de-escalation to be most pronounced in the LR-AML subgroup with uninformative cytogenetic/molecular features who were minimal residual disease (MRD) negative after the first induction course (EOI1). The absolute decrease in DFS with four courses for patients with favorable cytogenetic/molecular features and positive MRD was similar to that observed for patients with uninformative cytogenetic/molecular features and negative MRD at EOI1, though not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results support de-escalation of cytarabine exposure through the elimination of a fifth chemotherapy course only for LR-AML patients who have both favorable cytogenetic/molecular features and negative MRD after the first induction cycle.
© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
C D Bloomfield, D Lawrence, J C Byrd, A Carroll, M J Pettenati, R Tantravahi, S R Patil, F R Davey, D T Berg, C A Schiffer, D C Arthur, R J Mayer
Frequency of prolonged remission duration after high-dose cytarabine intensification in acute myeloid leukemia varies by cytogenetic subtype.
Cancer Res. 1998 Sep 15;58(18):4173-9.
Abstract/Text
Advances in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have occurred with the introduction of new therapies including high-dose cytarabine and the identification of powerful prognostic factors such as cytogenetics that predict for long-term outcome. To date, the prognostic impact of cytarabine dose escalation within various cytogenetic groups of AML has not been assessed. We describe 285 newly diagnosed patients with primary AML who had adequate karyotypes and were enrolled on a prospective Cancer and Leukemia Group B cytogenetic study. All patients were randomly assigned to postremission treatment with standard-, intermediate-, or high-dose cytarabine intensification. Patients were categorized to one of three cytogenetic groups: (a) core binding factor type [(CBF); ie., t(8;21) inv(16), t(16;16), and del(16)]; (b) normal; and (c) other abnormality karyotype. An evaluation of these patients after a median follow-up time of over 7 years was performed to determine the relationship of intensification to outcome by cytogenetic group. Patients included 57 patients with CBF AML, 140 patients with normal karyotype AML, and 88 patients with other cytogenetic abnormalities. The treatment outcome of CBF AML patients was superior, with an estimated 50% still in complete remission (CR) after 5 years as compared with 32 and 15% for patients with normal karyotype AML and other abnormality AML, respectively (P < 0.001). Univariate analysis showed the following nonkaryotype factors to predict a prolonged CR duration: (a) younger age (P < 0.008); (b) lower leukocyte count (P=0.01); (c) the presence of Auer rods (P=0.004); (d) a lower percentage of bone marrow blasts (P=0.001) at the time of diagnosis, (e) and a higher postremission cytarabine dose (P < 0.001). The impact of cytarabine dose on long-term remission was most marked (P < 0.001) in the CBF AML group (after 5 years, 78% of those with a dose of 3 g/m2 were still in CR, 57% of those with a dose of 400 mg/m2 were still in CR, and 16% of those with a dose of 100 mg/m2 were still in CR) followed by normal karyotype AML (P=0.01; after 5 years, 40% of those with a dose of 3 g/m2 were still in CR, 37% of those with a dose of 400 mg/m2 were still in CR, and 20% of those with a dose of 100 mg/m2 were still in CR). In contrast, cytarabine at all doses produced only a 21% or less chance of long-term continuous CR for patients with other cytogenetic abnormalities. A multivariate analysis of CR duration assessed the independent impact of each of these variables on cure. Significant factors entering this model in descending order of importance were cytogenetic group (CBF > normal > other abnormality; P=0.00001), cytarabine dose (3 g/m2 > 400 mg/m2 > 100 mg/m2; P=0.00001), logarithm of leukocyte count at the time of diagnosis (P=0.0005), and histological subtype of AML (P=0.005). This study demonstrates that the curative impact of cytarabine intensification varies significantly among cytogenetic groups and results in a substantial prolongation of CR among patients with CBF and normal karyotypes, but not in those with other karyotypic abnormalities. These findings support the use of pretreatment cytogenetics in risk stratification of postremission AML therapy.
Richard Aplenc, Soheil Meshinchi, Lillian Sung, Todd Alonzo, John Choi, Brian Fisher, Robert Gerbing, Betsy Hirsch, Terzah Horton, Samir Kahwash, John Levine, Michael Loken, Lisa Brodersen, Jessica Pollard, Susana Raimondi, Edward Anders Kolb, Alan Gamis
Bortezomib with standard chemotherapy for children with acute myeloid leukemia does not improve treatment outcomes: a report from the Children's Oncology Group.
Haematologica. 2020 Jul;105(7):1879-1886. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2019.220962. Epub 2020 Feb 6.
Abstract/Text
New therapeutic strategies are needed for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to reduce disease recurrence and treatment-related morbidity. The Children's Oncology Group Phase III AAML1031 trial tested whether the addition of bortezomib to standard chemotherapy improves survival in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed AML. AAML1031 randomized patients younger than 30 years of age with de novo AML to standard treatment with or without bortezomib. All patients received the identical chemotherapy backbone with either four intensive chemotherapy courses or three courses followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for high-risk patients. For those randomized to the intervention arm, bortezomib 1.3 mg/m2 was given on days 1, 4 and 8 of each chemotherapy course. For those randomized to the control arm, bortezomib was not administered. In total, 1,097 patients were randomized to standard chemotherapy (n=542) or standard chemotherapy with bortezomib (n=555). There was no difference in remission induction rate between the bortezomib and control treatment arms (89% vs 91%, P=0.531). Bortezomib failed to improve 3-year event-free survival (44.8±4.5% vs 47.0±4.5%, P=0.236) or overall survival (63.6±4.5 vs 67.2±4.3, P=0.356) compared with the control arm. However, bortezomib was associated with significantly more peripheral neuropathy (P=0.006) and intensive care unit admissions (P=0.025) during the first course. The addition of bortezomib to standard chemotherapy increased toxicity but did not improve survival. These data do not support the addition of bortezomib to standard chemotherapy in children with de novo AML. (Trial registered at clinicaltrials.gov NCT01371981; https://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/ NCT01371981).
Copyright© 2020 Ferrata Storti Foundation.
Jeffrey E Rubnitz, Hiroto Inaba, Gary Dahl, Raul C Ribeiro, W Paul Bowman, Jeffrey Taub, Stanley Pounds, Bassem I Razzouk, Norman J Lacayo, Xueyuan Cao, Soheil Meshinchi, Barbara Degar, Gladstone Airewele, Susana C Raimondi, Mihaela Onciu, Elaine Coustan-Smith, James R Downing, Wing Leung, Ching-Hon Pui, Dario Campana
Minimal residual disease-directed therapy for childhood acute myeloid leukaemia: results of the AML02 multicentre trial.
Lancet Oncol. 2010 Jun;11(6):543-52. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(10)70090-5. Epub 2010 May 5.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: We sought to improve outcome in patients with childhood acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) by applying risk-directed therapy that was based on genetic abnormalities of the leukaemic cells and measurements of minimal residual disease (MRD) done by flow cytometry during treatment.
METHODS: From Oct 13, 2002, to June 19, 2008, 232 patients with de-novo AML (n=206), therapy-related or myelodysplasia-related AML (n=12), or mixed-lineage leukaemia (n=14) were enrolled at eight centres. 230 patients were assigned by block, non-blinded randomisation, stratified by cytogenetic or morphological subtype, to high-dose (18 g/m(2), n=113) or low-dose (2 g/m(2), n=117) cytarabine given with daunorubicin and etoposide (ADE; induction 1). The primary aim of the study was to compare the incidence of MRD positivity of the high-dose group and the low-dose group at day 22 of induction 1. Induction 2 consisted of ADE with or without gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO anti-CD33 monoclonal antibody); consolidation therapy included three additional courses of chemotherapy or haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). Levels of MRD were used to allocate GO and to determine the timing of induction 2. Both MRD and genetic abnormalities at diagnosis were used to determine the final risk classification. Low-risk patients (n=68) received five courses of chemotherapy, whereas high-risk patients (n=79), and standard-risk patients (n=69) with matched sibling donors, were eligible for HSCT (done for 48 high-risk and eight standard-risk patients). All 230 randomised patients were analysed for the primary endpoint. Other analyses were limited to the 216 patients with AML, excluding those with mixed-lineage leukaemia. This trial is closed to accrual and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00136084.
FINDINGS: Complete remission was achieved in 80% (173 of 216 patients) after induction 1 and 94% (203 of 216) after induction 2. Induction failures included two deaths from toxic effects and ten cases of resistant leukaemia. The introduction of high-dose versus low-dose cytarabine did not significantly lower the rate of MRD-positivity after induction 1 (34%vs 42%, p=0.17). The 6-month cumulative incidence of grade 3 or higher infection was 79.3% (SE 4.0) for patients in the high-dose group and 75.5% (4.2) for the low-dose group. 3-year event-free survival and overall survival were 63.0% (SE 4.1) and 71.1% (3.8), respectively. 80% (155 of 193) of patients achieved MRD of less than 0.1% after induction 2, and the cumulative incidence of relapse for this group was 17% (SE 3). MRD of 1% or higher after induction 1 was the only significant independent adverse prognostic factor for both event-free (hazard ratio 2.41, 95% CI 1.36-4.26; p=0.003) and overall survival (2.11, 1.09-4.11; p=0.028).
INTERPRETATION: Our findings suggest that the use of targeted chemotherapy and HSCT, in the context of a comprehensive risk-stratification strategy based on genetic features and MRD findings, can improve outcome in patients with childhood AML.
FUNDING: National Institutes of Health and American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC).
Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Jeffrey E Rubnitz, Norman J Lacayo, Hiroto Inaba, Kenneth Heym, Raul C Ribeiro, Jeffrey Taub, Jennifer McNeer, Barbara Degar, Deborah Schiff, Allen Eng-Juh Yeoh, Elaine Coustan-Smith, Lei Wang, Brandon Triplett, Susana C Raimondi, Jeffery Klco, John Choi, Stanley Pounds, Ching-Hon Pui
Clofarabine Can Replace Anthracyclines and Etoposide in Remission Induction Therapy for Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia: The AML08 Multicenter, Randomized Phase III Trial.
J Clin Oncol. 2019 Aug 10;37(23):2072-2081. doi: 10.1200/JCO.19.00327. Epub 2019 Jun 27.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: To identify effective and less toxic therapy for children with acute myeloid leukemia, we introduced clofarabine into the first course of remission induction to reduce exposure to daunorubicin and etoposide.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 2008 through 2017, 285 patients were enrolled at eight centers; 262 were randomly assigned to receive clofarabine and cytarabine (Clo+AraC, n = 129) or high-dose cytarabine, daunorubicin, and etoposide (HD-ADE, n = 133) as induction I. Induction II consisted of low-dose ADE given alone or combined with sorafenib or vorinostat. Consolidation therapy comprised two or three additional courses of chemotherapy or hematopoietic cell transplantation. Genetic abnormalities and the level of minimal residual disease (MRD) at day 22 of initial remission induction determined final risk classification. The primary end point was MRD at day 22.
RESULTS: Complete remission was induced after two courses of therapy in 263 (92.3%) of the 285 patients; induction failures included four early deaths and 15 cases of resistant leukemia. Day 22 MRD was positive in 57 of 121 randomly assigned evaluable patients (47%) who received Clo+AraC and 42 of 121 patients (35%) who received HD-ADE (odds ratio, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.03 to 3.41; P = .04). Despite this result, the 3-year event-free survival rate (52.9% [44.6% to 62.8%] for Clo+AraC v 52.4% [44.0% to 62.4%] for HD-ADE, P = .94) and overall survival rate (74.8% [67.1% to 83.3%] for Clo+AraC v 64.6% [56.2% to 74.2%] for HD-ADE, P = .1) did not differ significantly across the two arms.
CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the use of clofarabine with cytarabine during remission induction might reduce the need for anthracycline and etoposide in pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia and may reduce rates of cardiomyopathy and treatment-related cancer.
Ursula Creutzig, Martin Zimmermann, Jean-Pierre Bourquin, Michael N Dworzak, Gudrun Fleischhack, Norbert Graf, Thomas Klingebiel, Bernhard Kremens, Thomas Lehrnbecher, Christine von Neuhoff, Jörg Ritter, Annette Sander, André Schrauder, Arend von Stackelberg, Jan Starý, Dirk Reinhardt
Randomized trial comparing liposomal daunorubicin with idarubicin as induction for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia: results from Study AML-BFM 2004.
Blood. 2013 Jul 4;122(1):37-43. doi: 10.1182/blood-2013-02-484097. Epub 2013 May 23.
Abstract/Text
Outcomes of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) improve significantly by intensification of induction. To further intensify anthracycline dosage without increasing cardiotoxicity, we compared potentially less cardiotoxic liposomal daunorubicin (L-DNR) to idarubicin at a higher-than-equivalent dose (80 vs 12 mg/m(2) per day for 3 days) during induction. In the multicenter therapy-optimization trial AML-BFM 2004, 521 of 611 pediatric patients (85%) were randomly assigned to L-DNR or idarubicin induction. Five-year results in both treatment arms were similar (overall survival 76% ± 3% [L-DNR] vs 75% ± 3% [idarubicin], Plogrank = .65; event-free survival [EFS] 59% ± 3% vs 53% ± 3%, Plogrank = .25; cumulative incidence of relapse 29% ± 3% vs 31% ± 3%, P(Gray) = .75), as were EFS results for standard (72% ± 5% vs 68% ± 5%, Plogrank = .47) and high-risk (51% ± 4% vs 46% ± 4%, Plogrank = .45) patients. L-DNR resulted in significantly better probability of EFS in patients with t(8;21). Overall, treatment-related mortality was lower with L-DNR than idarubicin (2/257 vs 10/264 patients, P = .04). Grade 3/4 cardiotoxicity was rare after induction (4 L-DNR vs 5 idarubicin). Only 1 L-DNR and 3 idarubicin patients presented with subclinical or mild cardiomyopathy during follow-up. In conclusion, at the given dose, L-DNR has overall antileukemic activity comparable to idarubicin, promises to be more active in subgroups, and causes less treatment-related mortality. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00111345.
Andrea Pession, Riccardo Masetti, Carmelo Rizzari, Maria Caterina Putti, Fiorina Casale, Franca Fagioli, Matteo Luciani, Luca Lo Nigro, Giuseppe Menna, Concetta Micalizzi, Nicola Santoro, Anna Maria Testi, Marco Zecca, Andrea Biondi, Martina Pigazzi, Sergio Rutella, Roberto Rondelli, Giuseppe Basso, Franco Locatelli, AIEOP AML Study Group
Results of the AIEOP AML 2002/01 multicenter prospective trial for the treatment of children with acute myeloid leukemia.
Blood. 2013 Jul 11;122(2):170-8. doi: 10.1182/blood-2013-03-491621. Epub 2013 May 14.
Abstract/Text
We evaluated the outcome of 482 children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) enrolled in the Associazione Italiana di Ematologia e Oncologia Pediatrica AML 2002/01 trial. Treatment was stratified according to risk group; hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was used in high-risk (HR) children. Patients with core binding factor leukemia achieving complete remission (CR) after the first induction course were considered standard risk (SR; 99 patients), whereas the others (n = 383) were assigned to the HR group. Allogeneic (ALLO) or autologous (AUTO) HSCT was employed, respectively, in 141 and 102 HR patients after consolidation therapy. CR, early death, and induction failure rates were 87%, 3%, and 10%, respectively. Relapse occurred in 24% of patients achieving CR. The 8-year overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were 68%, 55%, and 63%, respectively. OS, EFS, and DFS for SR and HR patients were 83%, 63%, and 66% and 64%, 53%, and 62%. DFS was 63% and 73% for HR patients given AUTO-HSCT and ALLO-HSCT, respectively. In multivariate analysis, risk group, white blood cell >100 × 10(9)/L at diagnosis, and monosomal karyotype predicted poorer EFS. Risk-oriented treatment and broad use of HSCT result in a long-term EFS comparing favorably with previously published studies on childhood AML.
Jonas Abrahamsson, Erik Forestier, Jesper Heldrup, Kirsi Jahnukainen, Olafur G Jónsson, Birgitte Lausen, Josefine Palle, Bernward Zeller, Henrik Hasle
Response-guided induction therapy in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia with excellent remission rate.
J Clin Oncol. 2011 Jan 20;29(3):310-5. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2010.30.6829. Epub 2010 Dec 13.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: To evaluate the early treatment response in children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) using a response-guided induction strategy that includes idarubicin in the first course.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: All Nordic children with AML younger than 15 years (n = 151) were treated on the Nordic Society for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (NOPHO) AML 2004 protocol. After the first course of idarubicin, cytarabine, etoposide, and 6-thioguanin, patients with good response were allowed hematologic recovery before the second course, whereas patients with a poor (≥ 15% blasts) or intermediate (5% to 14.9% blasts) were recommended to proceed immediately with therapy. Patients not in remission after the second course received fludarabine, cytarabine, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Poor responders received allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (SCT) as consolidation.
RESULTS: Seventy-four percent of patients had good response, 17% had intermediate response, and 7% had poor response after the first course. The overall remission frequency was 97.4%, with 92% in remission after the second course. The rate of induction death was 1.3%. Patients with an intermediate response had a lower event-free survival of 35% compared with good (61%) and poor responders (82%).
CONCLUSION: The NOPHO-AML 2004 induction strategy gives an excellent remission rate with low toxic mortality in an unselected population. Outcome is worse in patients with intermediate response but may be improved by intensifying consolidation in this group using SCT.
Barbara De Moerloose, Ardine Reedijk, Geertruida H de Bock, Tim Lammens, Valerie de Haas, Barbara Denys, Laurence Dedeken, Marry M van den Heuvel-Eibrink, Maroeska Te Loo, Anne Uyttebroeck, An Van Damme, Jutte Van der Werff-Ten Bosch, Jozsef Zsiros, Gertjan Kaspers, Eveline de Bont
Response-guided chemotherapy for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia without hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in first complete remission: Results from protocol DB AML-01.
Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2019 May;66(5):e27605. doi: 10.1002/pbc.27605. Epub 2019 Jan 8.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: Children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have a 70% survival rate with treatment regimens containing high doses of cytarabine and anthracyclines and, in some, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).
PROCEDURE: In this multicenter Dutch-Belgian protocol (DB AML-01), 112 children with de novo AML were included. Treatment was stratified according to day 15 bone marrow response after the first induction course. Poor responders received a second course without delay while good responders awaited hematological recovery. Patients achieving CR after two induction courses continued with three consolidation courses without HSCT in CR1.
RESULTS: The overall remission rate was 93.5%. After a median follow-up of 4.1 years, three-year event-free survival (EFS) was 52.6% (95% CI, 42.9%-61.3%), three-year cumulative incidence of relapse 39.7% (95% CI, 30.1%-49.0%), and three-year overall survival (OS) 74.0% (95% CI, 64.8%-81.2%). Significantly more events occurred in patients with high WBC at diagnosis or FLT3-ITD/NPM1-WT, whereas core binding factor (CBF) leukemia had a significantly better EFS. KMT2A rearrangements and age > 10 years negatively impacted OS.
CONCLUSIONS: DB AML-01 response-guided therapy results in a favorable OS, particularly for children with CBF leukemia, children younger than 10 years or with initial WBC counts below 100 × 109 /L. Outcome of patients with FLT3-ITD/NPM1-WT remains poor and warrants alternative treatment strategies.
© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Arnaud Petit, Stéphane Ducassou, Thierry Leblanc, Marlène Pasquet, Alexandra Rousseau, Christine Ragu, Marine Cachanado, Brigitte Nelken, Yves Bertrand, Gérard Michel, Virginie Gandemer, Wendy Cuccuini, Odile Fenneteau, Hélène Lapillonne, Anne Auvrignon, André Baruchel, Guy Leverger
Maintenance Therapy With Interleukin-2 for Childhood AML: Results of ELAM02 Phase III Randomized Trial.
Hemasphere. 2018 Dec;2(6):e159. doi: 10.1097/HS9.0000000000000159. Epub 2018 Nov 29.
Abstract/Text
Despite significant progress in the treatment of pediatric acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), relapse remains the commonest cause of death. Randomized ELAM02 trial questioned if maintenance therapy with interleukin-2 (IL2), for 1 year, improves disease-free survival (DFS). Patients aged 0 to 18 years, with newly diagnosed AML (excluding patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia or down syndrome AML) were enrolled. They received 1 course of induction treatment (cytarabine and mitoxantrone) and 3 courses of consolidation treatment (high-dose cytarabine in courses 1 and 3). According to the cytogenetics risk, patients not undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, still in complete remission (CR) after the third course of consolidation treatment, were eligible for randomization to 1 year of maintenance therapy with monthly courses of IL2 or no maintenance treatment. There were 438 evaluable patients, 154 of whom were randomized to the IL2/no maintenance groups. Relapse occurred in 28 patients from the IL2+ group and 29 patients in the IL2- group. Survival was similar in the 2 groups, with a 4-year DFS of 62% without IL2 and 66% with IL2 (P = 0.75). In the CBF population, 4-year DFS was 55% without IL2 and 78% with IL2 (P = 0.07). No deaths from toxicity or excess of serious adverse events related to IL2 treatment were recorded. Prolonged IL2 for maintenance therapy after intensive chemotherapy is feasible and safe in pediatric AML patients in their first CR. Such treatment did not improve DFS in this study, but a positive trend was observed in favor of IL2 maintenance therapy among core binding factor acute myeloblastic leukemia.
Copyright © 2018 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the European Hematology Association.
Yves Perel, Anne Auvrignon, Thierry Leblanc, Jean-Pierre Vannier, Gerard Michel, Brigitte Nelken, Virginie Gandemer, Claudine Schmitt, Jean-Pierre Lamagnere, Lionel De Lumley, Brigitte Bader-Meunier, Gerard Couillaud, Gerard Schaison, Judith Landman-Parker, Isabelle Thuret, Jean-Hugues Dalle, Andre Baruchel, Guy Leverger, Group LAME of the French Society of Pediatric Hematology and Immunology
Impact of addition of maintenance therapy to intensive induction and consolidation chemotherapy for childhood acute myeloblastic leukemia: results of a prospective randomized trial, LAME 89/91. Leucámie Aiqüe Myéloïde Enfant.
J Clin Oncol. 2002 Jun 15;20(12):2774-82.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: To determine whether the use of maintenance therapy (MT) delivered after intensive induction and consolidation therapy confers any advantage in childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 268 children with AML were registered in the Leucámie Aiquë Myéloïde Enfant (LAME) 89/91 protocol. This regimen included an intensive induction phase (mitoxantrone plus cytarabine) and, for patients without allograft, two consolidation courses, one containing timed-sequential high-dose cytarabine, asparaginase, and amsacrine. In the LAME 89 pilot study, patients were given an additional MT consisting of mercaptopurine and cytarabine for 18 months. In the LAME 91 trial, patients were randomized to receive or not receive MT.
RESULTS: A total of 241 (90%) of 268 patients achieved a complete remission. The overall survival and event-free survival at 6 years were 60% +/- 6% and 48% +/- 6%, respectively. For the complete responders after consolidation therapy, the 5-year disease-free survival was not significantly different in MT-negative and in MT-positive randomized patients (respectively, 60% +/- 19% v 50% +/- 15%; P =.25), whereas the 5-year overall survival was significantly better in MT-negative randomized patients (81% +/- 13% v 58% +/- 15%; P =.04) due to a higher salvage rate after relapse.
CONCLUSION: More than 50% of patients can be cured of AML in childhood. Either drug intensity or each of the induction and postremission phases may have contributed to the outstanding improvement in outcome. Low-dose MT is not recommended. Exposure to this low-dose MT may contribute to clinical drug resistance and treatment failure in patients who experience relapse.
U Creutzig, D Reinhardt, S Diekamp, M Dworzak, J Stary, M Zimmermann
AML patients with Down syndrome have a high cure rate with AML-BFM therapy with reduced dose intensity.
Leukemia. 2005 Aug;19(8):1355-60. doi: 10.1038/sj.leu.2403814.
Abstract/Text
Despite improved prognosis in acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML) children with Down syndrome (DS), therapy-related toxicity remained a problem. We compared 67 DS patients from study AML-BFM 98 with 51 DS patients of the previous study AML-BFM 93, and the non-DS groups of both studies. Compared to non-DS patients, DS patients were treated with reduced anthracycline doses, without high-dose cytarabine/mitoxantrone and without cranial irradiation. AML-DS patients were in median 1.8 years old, and 102/118 (86%) showed the typical morphology of acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia. In study 93, seven DS patients did not receive AML-specific chemotherapy, and treatment modifications were more common. Results improved significantly for patients treated in study 98 with a 3-year survival of 91+/-4 vs 70+/-7% in study 93 (P=0.001). There were no differences in outcome concerning the age groups 0-
Leukemia (2005) 19, 1355-1360.
Alan S Gamis, William G Woods, Todd A Alonzo, Allen Buxton, Beverly Lange, Dorothy R Barnard, Stuart Gold, Franklin O Smith, Children's Cancer Group Study 2891
Increased age at diagnosis has a significantly negative effect on outcome in children with Down syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia: a report from the Children's Cancer Group Study 2891.
J Clin Oncol. 2003 Sep 15;21(18):3415-22. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2003.08.060. Epub 2003 Jul 28.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: To determine the outcome of children with Down syndrome (DS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) receiving standard timing chemotherapy without bone marrow transplantation (BMT), with determination of prognostic factors.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Children with DS and newly diagnosed AML or myelodysplasia were prospectively enrolled on Children's Cancer Group study 2891 (N = 161) and treated uniformly with four standard timing induction courses of dexamethasone, cytarabine arabinoside, 6-thioguanine, etoposide, daunorubicin (DCTER) followed by intensively timed high-dose cytarabine.
RESULTS: Children with DS were significantly younger at diagnosis than those without (median age, 1.8 v 7.5 years, respectively; P <.001), with more megakaryocytic leukemia (70% v 6%; P <.001). Higher complete remission rates (91%) were achieved in children with DS than among those without DS (75%; P <.001). Equivalent grade 3 to 4 toxicity (29% v 30%; P =.84) was seen, though children with DS had greater pulmonary toxicity (P <.01) during induction and mucositis during intensification (P =.12). Children with DS had significantly better 8-year event-free survival (EFS; 77% v 21% standard and 40% intensive induction; P <.0001). Multivariate analysis in children with DS revealed that only age at diagnosis of 2 years or older was a risk factor for greater relapse risk (odds ratio, 4.9; P =.006) and worse survival. Children between ages 0 to 2 years (n = 94) had a 6-year EFS of 86%; those from 2 to 4 years (n = 58), 70%; and those older than 4 years (n = 9), 28%. Remission failures were the primary reason for worse 6-year EFSs (1% in those 0 to 2 years v 14% if >2 years; P =.002).
CONCLUSION: Outcome for children with DS and AML is excellent with standard induction therapy, but declines with increasing age.
S Kojima, M Sako, K Kato, G Hosoi, T Sato, A Ohara, K Koike, Y Okimoto, S Nishimura, Y Akiyama, T Yoshikawa, E Ishii, J Okamura, M Yazaki, Y Hayashi, M Eguchi, I Tsukimoto, K Ueda
An effective chemotherapeutic regimen for acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome in children with Down's syndrome.
Leukemia. 2000 May;14(5):786-91.
Abstract/Text
In recent pediatric collaborative studies of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), patients with Down's syndrome (DS) have better outcome than other patients when they were treated according to their intensive AML protocols. This may be attributed to enhanced sensitivity of DS AML cells to selected chemotherapeutic agents. We evaluated a less intensive chemotherapeutic regimen which was specifically designed for children with AML-DS. Remission induction chemotherapy consisted of daunorubicin (25 mg/m2/day for 2 days), cytosine arabinoside (100 mg/m2/day for 7 days), and etoposide (150 mg/m2/day for 3 days). Patients received one to seven courses of consolidation therapy of the same regimen. Thirty-three patients were enrolled on the study and their clinical, hematologic and immunophenotypic features were analyzed. Of the 33 patients, all were younger than 4 years and diagnosed as having acute megakaryoblastic leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome. All patients achieved a complete remission and estimated 8 year event-free survival rate was 80+/-7%. Three patients relapsed and two died due to cardiac toxicity and one due to septic shock. The results of our study showed that patients with AML-DS constitute a unique biologic subgroup and should be treated according to a less intensive protocol designed for AML-DS.
Kazuko Kudo, Seiji Kojima, Ken Tabuchi, Hiromasa Yabe, Akio Tawa, Masue Imaizumi, Ryoji Hanada, Kazuko Hamamoto, Ryoji Kobayashi, Akira Morimoto, Hideki Nakayama, Masahiro Tsuchida, Keizo Horibe, Hisato Kigasawa, Ichiro Tsukimoto, Japanese Childhood AML Cooperative Study Group
Prospective study of a pirarubicin, intermediate-dose cytarabine, and etoposide regimen in children with Down syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia: the Japanese Childhood AML Cooperative Study Group.
J Clin Oncol. 2007 Dec 1;25(34):5442-7. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2007.12.3687.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: To evaluate a less intensive chemotherapeutic regimen specifically designed for patients with Down syndrome (DS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and to determine the prognostic factors for event-free survival.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy-two patients with AML-DS were treated with remission induction chemotherapy consisting of pirarubicin (25 mg/m2/d for 2 days), cytarabine (100 mg/m2/d for 7 days), and etoposide (150 mg/m2/d for 3 days). Patients received four courses of intensification therapy of the same regimen. Prophylaxis for CNS leukemia was not included.
RESULTS: All but two patients were younger than 4 years, and 67 of the 72 patients (93%) were diagnosed as acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL). Seventy of the 72 patients (97.2%) achieved a complete remission (CR), and the estimated 4-year event-free survival (EFS) rate was 83% +/- 9%. Nine patients relapsed, and one died as a result of pneumonia during CR. Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of monosomy 7 was a greater risk factor of adverse outcome (odds ratio = 5.67; P = .027).
CONCLUSION: A less intensive chemotherapeutic regimen produces excellent outcomes in standard-risk AML-DS patient. Risk-oriented therapy should be considered for future trials in AML-DS.
Takashi Taga, Tomoyuki Watanabe, Daisuke Tomizawa, Kazuko Kudo, Kiminori Terui, Hiroshi Moritake, Akitoshi Kinoshita, Shotaro Iwamoto, Hideki Nakayama, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Akira Shimada, Tomohiko Taki, Tsutomu Toki, Etsuro Ito, Hiroaki Goto, Katsuyoshi Koh, Akiko M Saito, Keizo Horibe, Tatsutoshi Nakahata, Akio Tawa, Souichi Adachi
Preserved High Probability of Overall Survival with Significant Reduction of Chemotherapy for Myeloid Leukemia in Down Syndrome: A Nationwide Prospective Study in Japan.
Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2016 Feb;63(2):248-54. doi: 10.1002/pbc.25789. Epub 2015 Oct 20.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: On the basis of results of previous Japanese trials for myeloid leukemia in Down syndrome (ML-DS), the efficacy of risk-oriented therapy was evaluated in the Japanese Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group AML-D05 study.
PROCEDURE: All patients received induction chemotherapy that consisted of pirarubicin, intermediate-dose cytarabine, and etoposide. Patients who achieved complete remission (CR) after initial induction therapy were stratified to the standard risk (SR) group and received four courses of reduced-dose intensification therapy. Patients who did not achieve CR were stratified to the high risk (HR) group and received intensified therapy that consisted of continuous or high-dose cytarabine.
RESULTS: A total of 72 patients were eligible and evaluated. One patient died of sepsis during initial induction therapy. Sixty-nine patients were stratified to SR and two patients to HR. No therapy-related deaths were observed during intensification therapy. The 3-year event-free and overall survival rates were 83.3% ± 4.4% and 87.5% ± 3.9%, respectively. Age at diagnosis less than 2 years was a significant favorable prognostic factor for risk of relapse (P = 0.009).
CONCLUSIONS: The attempt of risk-oriented prospective study for ML-DS was unsuccessful, but despite the dose reduction of chemotherapeutic agents, the overall outcome was good, and further dose reduction might be possible for specific subgroups.
© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Takashi Taga, Shiro Tanaka, Daisuke Hasegawa, Kiminori Terui, Tsutomu Toki, Shotaro Iwamoto, Hidefumi Hiramatsu, Takako Miyamura, Yoshiko Hashii, Hiroshi Moritake, Hideki Nakayama, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Akira Shimada, Tomohiko Taki, Etsuro Ito, Asahito Hama, Masafumi Ito, Katsuyoshi Koh, Daiichiro Hasegawa, Akiko M Saito, Souichi Adachi, Daisuke Tomizawa
Post-induction MRD by FCM and GATA1-PCR are significant prognostic factors for myeloid leukemia of Down syndrome.
Leukemia. 2021 Sep;35(9):2508-2516. doi: 10.1038/s41375-021-01157-w. Epub 2021 Feb 15.
Abstract/Text
Myeloid leukemia of Down syndrome (ML-DS) is associated with good response to chemotherapy, resulting in favorable outcomes. However, no universal prognostic factors have been identified to date. To clarify a subgroup with high risk of relapse, the role of minimal residual disease (MRD) was explored in the AML-D11 trial by the Japanese Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group. MRD was prospectively evaluated at after induction therapy and at the end of all chemotherapy, using flow cytometry (FCM-MRD) and GATA1-targeted deep sequencing (GATA1-MRD). A total of 78 patients were eligible and 76 patients were stratified to the standard risk (SR) group by morphology. In SR patients, FCM-MRD and GATA1-MRD after induction were positive in 5/65 and 7/59 patients, respectively. Three-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 95.0% and 96.7% in the FCM-MRD-negative population, and 60.0% and 80.0% in the positive population. Three-year EFS and OS rates were both 98.1% in the GATA1-MRD-negative population, and 57.1% and 71.4% in the positive population. Adjusted hazard ratios for associations of FCM-MRD with EFS were 14.67 (p = 0.01). Detection of MRD by either FCM or GATA1 after initial induction therapy represents a significant prognostic factor for predicting ML-DS relapse.
© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited part of Springer Nature.
Takashi Taga, Akiko Moriya Saito, Kazuko Kudo, Daisuke Tomizawa, Kiminori Terui, Hiroshi Moritake, Akitoshi Kinoshita, Shotaro Iwamoto, Hideki Nakayama, Hiroyuki Takahashi, Akio Tawa, Akira Shimada, Tomohiko Taki, Hisato Kigasawa, Katsuyoshi Koh, Souichi Adachi
Clinical characteristics and outcome of refractory/relapsed myeloid leukemia in children with Down syndrome.
Blood. 2012 Aug 30;120(9):1810-5. doi: 10.1182/blood-2012-03-414755. Epub 2012 Jul 9.
Abstract/Text
Myeloid leukemia in Down syndrome (ML-DS) is associated with good response to chemotherapy and favorable prognosis. Because little research has been focused on refractory/relapsed (R/R) cases, we conducted a retrospective analysis for R/R ML-DS. Among ML-DS patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2010 in Japan, 26 relapsed (25 in the BM and 1 in the skin), and 3 refractory patients were enrolled. The male/female ratio was 18/11. The median age at initial diagnosis of ML-DS was 2 years, and the median time to relapse was 8.6 months. Each patient initially had been treated with ML-DS-specific protocols. Thirteen of the 26 patients achieved complete remission with various kinds of reinduction chemotherapies; 2 of 8 survived without further recurrence after receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and 4 of 5 maintained complete remissions with chemotherapy alone. Treatment failures mostly were associated with disease progression rather than treatment-related toxicities. The 3-year OS rate was 25.9% ± 8.5%. A longer duration from initial diagnosis to relapse was a significant favorable prognostic factor (P < .0001). We conclude that clinical outcome for patients with R/R ML-DS generally are unfavorable, even in those receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Novel methods to identify poor prognostic factors for ML-DS are necessary.
Johann Hitzler, Todd Alonzo, Robert Gerbing, Amy Beckman, Betsy Hirsch, Susana Raimondi, Karen Chisholm, Shelton Viola, Lisa Brodersen, Michael Loken, Spencer Tong, Todd Druley, Maureen O'Brien, Nobuko Hijiya, Amy Heerema-McKenney, Yi-Chang Wang, Reuven Schore, Jeffrey Taub, Alan Gamis, E Anders Kolb, Jason N Berman
High-dose AraC is essential for the treatment of ML-DS independent of postinduction MRD: results of the COG AAML1531 trial.
Blood. 2021 Dec 9;138(23):2337-2346. doi: 10.1182/blood.2021012206.
Abstract/Text
Myeloid leukemia in children with Down syndrome (ML-DS) is associated with young age and somatic GATA1 mutations. Because of high event-free survival (EFS) and hypersensitivity of the leukemic blasts to chemotherapy, the prior Children's Oncology Group protocol ML-DS protocol (AAML0431) reduced overall treatment intensity but lacking risk stratification, retained the high-dose cytarabine course (HD-AraC), which was highly associated with infectious morbidity. Despite high EFS of ML-DS, survival for those who relapse is rare. AAML1531 introduced therapeutic risk stratification based on the previously identified prognostic factor, measurable residual disease (MRD) at the end of the first induction course. Standard risk (SR) patients were identified by negative MRD using flow cytometry (<0.05%) and did not receive the historically administered HD-AraC course. Interim analysis of 114 SR patients revealed a 2-year EFS of 85.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 75.7-95.5), which was significantly lower than for MRD- patients treated with HD-AraC on AAML0431 (P = .0002). Overall survival at 2 years was 91.0% (95% CI, 83.8-95.0). Twelve SR patients relapsed, mostly within 1 year from study entry and had a 1-year OS of 16.7% (95% CI, 2.7-41.3). Complex karyotypes were more frequent in SR patients who relapsed compared with those who did not (36% vs 9%; P = .0248). MRD by error-corrected sequencing of GATA1 mutations was piloted in 18 SR patients and detectable in 60% who relapsed vs 23% who did not (P = .2682). Patients with SR ML-DS had worse outcomes without HD-AraC after risk classification based on flow cytometric MRD.
© 2021 by The American Society of Hematology.
Madita Uffmann, Mareike Rasche, Martin Zimmermann, Christine von Neuhoff, Ursula Creutzig, Michael Dworzak, Lenie Scheffers, Henrik Hasle, C Michel Zwaan, Dirk Reinhardt, Jan-Henning Klusmann
Therapy reduction in patients with Down syndrome and myeloid leukemia: the international ML-DS 2006 trial.
Blood. 2017 Jun 22;129(25):3314-3321. doi: 10.1182/blood-2017-01-765057. Epub 2017 Apr 11.
Abstract/Text
Children with myeloid leukemia associated with Down syndrome (ML-DS) have superior outcome compared with non-DS patients, but suffer from higher constitutional cytotoxic drug susceptibility. We analyzed the outcome of 170 pediatric patients with ML-DS enrolled in the prospective, multicenter, open-label, nonrandomized ML-DS 2006 trial by Nordic Society for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (NOPHO), Dutch Childhood Oncology Group (DCOG), and Acute Myeloid Leukemia-Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (AML-BFM) study group. Compared with the historical control arm (reduced-intensity protocol for ML-DS patients from the AML-BFM 98 trial), treatment intensity was reduced by lowering the cumulative dose of etoposide (950 to 450 mg/m2) and intrathecal central nervous system prophylaxis while omitting maintenance therapy. Still, 5-year overall survival (89% ± 3% vs 90% ± 4%; Plog-rank = .64), event-free survival (EFS; 87% ± 3% vs 89% ± 4%; Plog-rank = .71), and cumulative incidence of relapse/nonresponse (CIR/NR; 6% ± 3% vs 6% ± 2%; PGray = .03) did not significantly differ between the ML-DS 2006 trial and the historical control arm. Poor early treatment response (5-year EFS, 58% ± 16% vs 88% ± 3%; Plog rank = .0008) and gain of chromosome 8 (CIR/NR, 16% ± 7% vs 3% ± 2%, PGray = .02; 5-year EFS, 73% ± 8% vs 91% ± 4%, Plog rank = .018) were identified as independent prognostic factors predicting a worse EFS. Five of 7 relapsed patients (71%) with cytogenetic data had trisomy 8. Our study reveals prognostic markers for children with ML-DS and illustrates that reducing therapy did not impair excellent outcome. The trial was registered at EudraCT as #2007-006219-2.
© 2017 by The American Society of Hematology.
Anna Maria Testi, Andrea Pession, Daniela Diverio, David Grimwade, Brenda Gibson, Amilcar Cardoso de Azevedo, Lorena Moran, Guy Leverger, Sarah Elitzur, Henrik Hasle, Jutte van der Werff ten Bosch, Owen Smith, Marisa De Rosa, Alfonso Piciocchi, Francesco Lo Coco, Robin Foà, Franco Locatelli, Gertjan J L Kaspers
Risk-adapted treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia: results from the International Consortium for Childhood APL.
Blood. 2018 Jul 26;132(4):405-412. doi: 10.1182/blood-2018-03-836528. Epub 2018 May 22.
Abstract/Text
Pediatric acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) can be cured with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and anthracycline. However, most published trials have employed high cumulative doses of anthracyclines. Here, we report the outcome of newly diagnosed APL patients enrolled in the International Consortium for Childhood APL (ICC-APL-01) trial, which reduced anthracycline exposure but extended that of ATRA. The study recruited 258 children/adolescents with molecularly/cytogenetically proven APL. Patients were stratified into standard-risk (SR) and high-risk (HR) groups according to baseline white blood cell counts (<10 × 109/L or ≥10 × 109/L); both groups received identical induction treatment with ATRA and 3 doses of idarubicin. Two or 3 blocks of consolidation therapy were administered to SR and HR patients, respectively, while maintenance therapy with low-dose chemotherapy and ATRA cycles was given to all patients for 2 years. The cumulative dose of daunorubicin equivalent anthracyclines in SR and HR patients was lower than that of previous studies (355 mg/m2 and 405 mg/m2, respectively). Hematologic remission was obtained in 97% of patients; 8 children died of intracranial hemorrhage in the first 2 weeks following diagnosis. Five-year overall and event-free survival for the whole cohort were 94.6% and 79.9%, respectively; they were 98.4% and 89.4% in SR patients and 84.3% and 74.2% in HR patients (P = .002 and P = .043, respectively). These data demonstrate that extended use of ATRA coupled to a risk-adapted consolidation can achieve high cure rates in childhood APL and limit anthracycline exposure. The trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as EudractCT 2008-002311-40.
© 2018 by The American Society of Hematology.
Masue Imaizumi, Akio Tawa, Ryoji Hanada, Masahiro Tsuchida, Ken Tabuchi, Hisato Kigasawa, Ryoji Kobayashi, Akira Morimoto, Hideki Nakayama, Kazuko Hamamoto, Kazuko Kudo, Hiromasa Yabe, Keizo Horibe, Shigeru Tsuchiya, Ichiro Tsukimoto
Prospective study of a therapeutic regimen with all-trans retinoic acid and anthracyclines in combination of cytarabine in children with acute promyelocytic leukaemia: the Japanese childhood acute myeloid leukaemia cooperative study.
Br J Haematol. 2011 Jan;152(1):89-98. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2010.08332.x.
Abstract/Text
In childhood acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL), the efficacy of therapy combining cytarabine with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and anthracyclines remains unclear in terms of long-term prognosis. Between August 1997 and March 2004, 58 children with APL (median age: 11 years) were enrolled into an acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) study (AML99-M3) and followed up for a median time of 86 months. The regimen included ATRA and anthracyclines combined with cytarabine in both induction and consolidation. In induction, two patients died of haemorrhage and four patients developed retinoic acid syndrome. Of 58 patients, 56 (96·6%) achieved complete remission, two of whom relapsed in the bone marrow after 15 and 19 months respectively. Sepsis was a major complication, with an incidence of 5·6-10·9% in the consolidation blocks, from which all but one of patients recovered. Consequently, 7-year overall and event-free survival rates were 93·1% and 91·4% respectively, and cumulative incidence of relapse plateaued at 3·6% after 2 years. Follow-up survey of 54 patients revealed no patients with late cardiotoxicity or secondary malignancy, except one with asymptomatic prolongation of QTc interval. This study suggests that the combination of cytarabine with ATRA and anthracycline-based therapy may have useful implications in the perspective of long-term prognosis and late adverse effects for childhood APL.
© 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Hiroyuki Takahashi, Tomoyuki Watanabe, Akitoshi Kinoshita, Yuki Yuza, Hiroshi Moritake, Kiminori Terui, Shotaro Iwamoto, Hideki Nakayama, Akira Shimada, Kazuko Kudo, Tomohiko Taki, Miharu Yabe, Hiromichi Matsushita, Yuka Yamashita, Kazutoshi Koike, Atsushi Ogawa, Yoshiyuki Kosaka, Daisuke Tomizawa, Takashi Taga, Akiko M Saito, Keizo Horibe, Tatsutoshi Nakahata, Hayato Miyachi, Akio Tawa, Souichi Adachi
High event-free survival rate with minimum-dose-anthracycline treatment in childhood acute promyelocytic leukaemia: a nationwide prospective study by the Japanese Paediatric Leukaemia/Lymphoma Study Group.
Br J Haematol. 2016 Aug;174(3):437-43. doi: 10.1111/bjh.14068. Epub 2016 Mar 31.
Abstract/Text
We evaluated the efficacy of treatment using reduced cumulative doses of anthracyclines in children with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) in the Japanese Paediatric Leukaemia/Lymphoma Study Group AML-P05 study. All patients received two and three subsequent courses of induction and consolidation chemotherapy respectively, consisting of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), cytarabine and anthracyclines, followed by maintenance therapy with ATRA. Notably, a single administration of anthracyclines was introduced in the second induction and all consolidation therapies to minimize total doses of anthracycline. The 3-year event-free (EFS) and overall survival rates for 43 eligible children were 83·6% [95% confidence interval (CI): 68·6-91·8%] and 90·7% (95% CI: 77·1-96·4%), respectively. Although two patients died of intracranial haemorrhage or infection during induction phases, no cardiac adverse events or treatment-related deaths were observed during subsequent phases. Patients not displaying M1 marrow after the first induction therapy, or those under 5 years of age at diagnosis, showed inferior outcomes (3-year EFS rate; 33·3% (95% CI: 19·3-67·6%) and 54·6% (95% CI: 22·9-78·0%), respectively). In conclusion, a single administration of anthracycline during each consolidation phase was sufficient for treating childhood APL. In younger children, however, conventional ATRA and chemotherapy may be insufficient so that alternative therapies should be considered.
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Francesco Lo-Coco, Giuseppe Avvisati, Marco Vignetti, Christian Thiede, Sonia Maria Orlando, Simona Iacobelli, Felicetto Ferrara, Paola Fazi, Laura Cicconi, Eros Di Bona, Giorgina Specchia, Simona Sica, Mariadomenica Divona, Alessandro Levis, Walter Fiedler, Elisa Cerqui, Massimo Breccia, Giuseppe Fioritoni, Helmut R Salih, Mario Cazzola, Lorella Melillo, Angelo M Carella, Christian H Brandts, Enrica Morra, Marie von Lilienfeld-Toal, Bernd Hertenstein, Mohammed Wattad, Michael Lübbert, Matthias Hänel, Norbert Schmitz, Hartmut Link, Maria Grazia Kropp, Alessandro Rambaldi, Giorgio La Nasa, Mario Luppi, Fabio Ciceri, Olimpia Finizio, Adriano Venditti, Francesco Fabbiano, Konstanze Döhner, Michaela Sauer, Arnold Ganser, Sergio Amadori, Franco Mandelli, Hartmut Döhner, Gerhard Ehninger, Richard F Schlenk, Uwe Platzbecker, Gruppo Italiano Malattie Ematologiche dell'Adulto, German-Austrian Acute Myeloid Leukemia Study Group, Study Alliance Leukemia
Retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide for acute promyelocytic leukemia.
N Engl J Med. 2013 Jul 11;369(2):111-21. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1300874.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) with chemotherapy is the standard of care for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), resulting in cure rates exceeding 80%. Pilot studies of treatment with arsenic trioxide with or without ATRA have shown high efficacy and reduced hematologic toxicity.
METHODS: We conducted a phase 3, multicenter trial comparing ATRA plus chemotherapy with ATRA plus arsenic trioxide in patients with APL classified as low-to-intermediate risk (white-cell count, ≤10×10(9) per liter). Patients were randomly assigned to receive either ATRA plus arsenic trioxide for induction and consolidation therapy or standard ATRA-idarubicin induction therapy followed by three cycles of consolidation therapy with ATRA plus chemotherapy and maintenance therapy with low-dose chemotherapy and ATRA. The study was designed as a noninferiority trial to show that the difference between the rates of event-free survival at 2 years in the two groups was not greater than 5%.
RESULTS: Complete remission was achieved in all 77 patients in the ATRA-arsenic trioxide group who could be evaluated (100%) and in 75 of 79 patients in the ATRA-chemotherapy group (95%) (P=0.12). The median follow-up was 34.4 months. Two-year event-free survival rates were 97% in the ATRA-arsenic trioxide group and 86% in the ATRA-chemotherapy group (95% confidence interval for the difference, 2 to 22 percentage points; P<0.001 for noninferiority and P=0.02 for superiority of ATRA-arsenic trioxide). Overall survival was also better with ATRA-arsenic trioxide (P=0.02). As compared with ATRA-chemotherapy, ATRA-arsenic trioxide was associated with less hematologic toxicity and fewer infections but with more hepatic toxicity.
CONCLUSIONS: ATRA plus arsenic trioxide is at least not inferior and may be superior to ATRA plus chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with low-to-intermediate-risk APL. (Funded by Associazione Italiana contro le Leucemie and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00482833.).
Matthew A Kutny, Todd A Alonzo, Oussama Abla, Madhvi Rajpurkar, Robert B Gerbing, Yi-Cheng Wang, Betsy A Hirsch, Susana Raimondi, Samir Kahwash, Kristina K Hardy, Steven Hardy, Soheil Meshinchi, Alan S Gamis, Edward A Kolb, James H Feusner, John Gregory
Assessment of Arsenic Trioxide and All-trans Retinoic Acid for the Treatment of Pediatric Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group AAML1331 Trial.
JAMA Oncol. 2022 Jan 1;8(1):79-87. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.5206.
Abstract/Text
IMPORTANCE: All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide therapy without the use of maintenance therapy has been found to be beneficial for the treatment of adults with standard-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, it is unclear whether similar regimens are safe and beneficial for the treatment of high-risk APL or pediatric patients with standard-risk APL.
OBJECTIVE: To assess whether treatment with an ATRA and arsenic trioxide-based regimen is safe and allows for the elimination or substantial reduction of chemotherapy use among pediatric patients with standard-risk or high-risk APL, respectively.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The Children's Oncology Group AAML1331 study is a nonrandomized, noninferiority trial that examined survival outcomes among 154 pediatric patients with APL compared with a historical control group of patients with APL from the AAML0631 study. Patients aged 1 to 21 years were enrolled at 85 pediatric oncology centers (members of the Children's Oncology Group) in Australia, Canada, and the US from June 29, 2015, to May 7, 2019, with follow-up until October 31, 2020. All patients had newly diagnosed APL and were stratified into standard-risk APL (white blood cell count <10 000/μL) and high-risk APL (white blood cell count ≥10 000/μL) cohorts.
INTERVENTIONS: All patients received ATRA and arsenic trioxide continuously during induction therapy and intermittently during 4 consolidation cycles. Patients with high-risk APL received 4 doses of idarubicin during induction therapy only. The duration of therapy was approximately 9 months, and no maintenance therapy was administered.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Event-free survival (EFS) at 2 years after diagnosis.
RESULTS: Among 154 patients (median age, 14.4 years [range, 1.1-21.7 years]; 81 male participants [52.6%]) included in the analysis, 98 patients (63.6%) had standard-risk APL, and 56 patients (36.4%) had high-risk APL. The median follow-up duration was 24.7 months (range, 0-49.5 months) for patients with standard-risk APL and 22.8 months (range, 0-47.7 months) for patients with high-risk APL. Patients with standard-risk APL had a 2-year EFS rate of 98.0% and an overall survival rate of 99.0%; adverse events included 1 early death during induction therapy and 1 relapse. Patients with high-risk APL had a 2-year EFS rate of 96.4% and an overall survival rate of 100%; adverse events included 2 relapses and 0 deaths. These outcomes met predefined noninferiority criteria (noninferiority margin of 10% among those with standard-risk APL and 14.5% among those with high-risk APL).
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this nonrandomized, noninferiority trial, pediatric patients with standard-risk APL who received treatment with a chemotherapy-free ATRA and arsenic trioxide regimen experienced positive outcomes. Patients with high-risk APL also had positive outcomes when treated with a novel ATRA and arsenic trioxide-based regimen that included 4 doses of idarubicin during induction therapy only and no maintenance therapy. The 2-year EFS estimates were noninferior to the historical comparator group, and advantages of the regimen included shorter treatment duration, lower exposure to anthracycline and intrathecal chemotherapy, and fewer days hospitalized.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02339740.
Joseph D Khoury, Eric Solary, Oussama Abla, Yassmine Akkari, Rita Alaggio, Jane F Apperley, Rafael Bejar, Emilio Berti, Lambert Busque, John K C Chan, Weina Chen, Xueyan Chen, Wee-Joo Chng, John K Choi, Isabel Colmenero, Sarah E Coupland, Nicholas C P Cross, Daphne De Jong, M Tarek Elghetany, Emiko Takahashi, Jean-Francois Emile, Judith Ferry, Linda Fogelstrand, Michaela Fontenay, Ulrich Germing, Sumeet Gujral, Torsten Haferlach, Claire Harrison, Jennelle C Hodge, Shimin Hu, Joop H Jansen, Rashmi Kanagal-Shamanna, Hagop M Kantarjian, Christian P Kratz, Xiao-Qiu Li, Megan S Lim, Keith Loeb, Sanam Loghavi, Andrea Marcogliese, Soheil Meshinchi, Phillip Michaels, Kikkeri N Naresh, Yasodha Natkunam, Reza Nejati, German Ott, Eric Padron, Keyur P Patel, Nikhil Patkar, Jennifer Picarsic, Uwe Platzbecker, Irene Roberts, Anna Schuh, William Sewell, Reiner Siebert, Prashant Tembhare, Jeffrey Tyner, Srdan Verstovsek, Wei Wang, Brent Wood, Wenbin Xiao, Cecilia Yeung, Andreas Hochhaus
The 5th edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Haematolymphoid Tumours: Myeloid and Histiocytic/Dendritic Neoplasms.
Leukemia. 2022 Jul;36(7):1703-1719. doi: 10.1038/s41375-022-01613-1. Epub 2022 Jun 22.
Abstract/Text
The upcoming 5th edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Haematolymphoid Tumours is part of an effort to hierarchically catalogue human cancers arising in various organ systems within a single relational database. This paper summarizes the new WHO classification scheme for myeloid and histiocytic/dendritic neoplasms and provides an overview of the principles and rationale underpinning changes from the prior edition. The definition and diagnosis of disease types continues to be based on multiple clinicopathologic parameters, but with refinement of diagnostic criteria and emphasis on therapeutically and/or prognostically actionable biomarkers. While a genetic basis for defining diseases is sought where possible, the classification strives to keep practical worldwide applicability in perspective. The result is an enhanced, contemporary, evidence-based classification of myeloid and histiocytic/dendritic neoplasms, rooted in molecular biology and an organizational structure that permits future scalability as new discoveries continue to inexorably inform future editions.
© 2022. The Author(s).
Stefan M Pfister, Miguel Reyes-Múgica, John K C Chan, Henrik Hasle, Alexander J Lazar, Sabrina Rossi, Andrea Ferrari, Jason A Jarzembowski, Kathy Pritchard-Jones, D Ashley Hill, Thomas S Jacques, Pieter Wesseling, Dolores H López Terrada, Andreas von Deimling, Christian P Kratz, Ian A Cree, Rita Alaggio
A Summary of the Inaugural WHO Classification of Pediatric Tumors: Transitioning from the Optical into the Molecular Era.
Cancer Discov. 2022 Feb;12(2):331-355. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-21-1094. Epub 2021 Dec 17.
Abstract/Text
Pediatric tumors are uncommon, yet are the leading cause of cancer-related death in childhood. Tumor types, molecular characteristics, and pathogenesis are unique, often originating from a single genetic driver event. The specific diagnostic challenges of childhood tumors led to the development of the first World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Pediatric Tumors. The classification is rooted in a multilayered approach, incorporating morphology, IHC, and molecular characteristics. The volume is organized according to organ sites and provides a single, state-of-the-art compendium of pediatric tumor types. A special emphasis was placed on "blastomas," which variably recapitulate the morphologic maturation of organs from which they originate. SIGNIFICANCE: In this review, we briefly summarize the main features and updates of each chapter of the inaugural WHO Classification of Pediatric Tumors, including its rapid transition from a mostly microscopic into a molecularly driven classification systematically taking recent discoveries in pediatric tumor genomics into account.
©2021 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research.
Daniel A Arber, Attilio Orazi, Robert P Hasserjian, Michael J Borowitz, Katherine R Calvo, Hans-Michael Kvasnicka, Sa A Wang, Adam Bagg, Tiziano Barbui, Susan Branford, Carlos E Bueso-Ramos, Jorge E Cortes, Paola Dal Cin, Courtney D DiNardo, Hervé Dombret, Eric J Duncavage, Benjamin L Ebert, Elihu H Estey, Fabio Facchetti, Kathryn Foucar, Naseema Gangat, Umberto Gianelli, Lucy A Godley, Nicola Gökbuget, Jason Gotlib, Eva Hellström-Lindberg, Gabriela S Hobbs, Ronald Hoffman, Elias J Jabbour, Jean-Jacques Kiladjian, Richard A Larson, Michelle M Le Beau, Mignon L-C Loh, Bob Löwenberg, Elizabeth Macintyre, Luca Malcovati, Charles G Mullighan, Charlotte Niemeyer, Olatoyosi M Odenike, Seishi Ogawa, Alberto Orfao, Elli Papaemmanuil, Francesco Passamonti, Kimmo Porkka, Ching-Hon Pui, Jerald P Radich, Andreas Reiter, Maria Rozman, Martina Rudelius, Michael R Savona, Charles A Schiffer, Annette Schmitt-Graeff, Akiko Shimamura, Jorge Sierra, Wendy A Stock, Richard M Stone, Martin S Tallman, Jürgen Thiele, Hwei-Fang Tien, Alexandar Tzankov, Alessandro M Vannucchi, Paresh Vyas, Andrew H Wei, Olga K Weinberg, Agnieszka Wierzbowska, Mario Cazzola, Hartmut Döhner, Ayalew Tefferi
International Consensus Classification of Myeloid Neoplasms and Acute Leukemias: integrating morphologic, clinical, and genomic data.
Blood. 2022 Sep 15;140(11):1200-1228. doi: 10.1182/blood.2022015850.
Abstract/Text
The classification of myeloid neoplasms and acute leukemias was last updated in 2016 within a collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO), the Society for Hematopathology, and the European Association for Haematopathology. This collaboration was primarily based on input from a clinical advisory committees (CACs) composed of pathologists, hematologists, oncologists, geneticists, and bioinformaticians from around the world. The recent advances in our understanding of the biology of hematologic malignancies, the experience with the use of the 2016 WHO classification in clinical practice, and the results of clinical trials have indicated the need for further revising and updating the classification. As a continuation of this CAC-based process, the authors, a group with expertise in the clinical, pathologic, and genetic aspects of these disorders, developed the International Consensus Classification (ICC) of myeloid neoplasms and acute leukemias. Using a multiparameter approach, the main objective of the consensus process was the definition of real disease entities, including the introduction of new entities and refined criteria for existing diagnostic categories, based on accumulated data. The ICC is aimed at facilitating diagnosis and prognostication of these neoplasms, improving treatment of affected patients, and allowing the design of innovative clinical trials.
Christine J Harrison, Robert K Hills, Anthony V Moorman, David J Grimwade, Ian Hann, David K H Webb, Keith Wheatley, Siebold S N de Graaf, Eva van den Berg, Alan K Burnett, Brenda E S Gibson
Cytogenetics of childhood acute myeloid leukemia: United Kingdom Medical Research Council Treatment trials AML 10 and 12.
J Clin Oncol. 2010 Jun 1;28(16):2674-81. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2009.24.8997. Epub 2010 May 3.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: Karyotype is an independent indicator of prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) that is widely applied to risk-adapted therapy. Because AML is rare in children, the true prognostic significance of individual chromosomal abnormalities in this age group remains unclear.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cytogenetic study of 729 childhood patients classified them into 22 subgroups and evaluated their incidence and risk.
RESULTS: Rearrangements of 11q23 were the most frequent abnormality found in approximately 16% of patients, with 50% of these in infants. The outcome for all patients with 11q23 abnormalities was intermediate; no difference was observed for those with t(9;11)(p21-22;q23). The core binding factor leukemias with the translocations t(8;21)(q22;q22) and inv(16)(p13q22) occurred at incidences of 14% and 7%, respectively, predominantly in older children, and their prognosis was favorable. An adverse outcome was observed in patients with monosomy 7, abnormalities of 5q, and t(6;9)(p23;q34). Abnormalities of 3q and complex karyotypes, in the absence of favorable-risk features, have been associated with an adverse outcome in adults, but the results were not significant in this childhood series. However, the presence of 12p abnormalities predicted a poor outcome.
CONCLUSION: Because the spectrum of chromosomal changes and their risk association seem to differ between children and adults with AML, biologic differences are emerging, which will contribute to the redefinition of risk stratification for different age groups in the future.
Soheil Meshinchi, Todd A Alonzo, Derek L Stirewalt, Michel Zwaan, Martin Zimmerman, Dirk Reinhardt, Gertjan J L Kaspers, Nyla A Heerema, Robert Gerbing, Beverly J Lange, Jerald P Radich
Clinical implications of FLT3 mutations in pediatric AML.
Blood. 2006 Dec 1;108(12):3654-61. doi: 10.1182/blood-2006-03-009233. Epub 2006 Aug 15.
Abstract/Text
Activating mutations of the FLT3 gene occur because of an internal tandem duplication of the juxta-membrane domain (FLT3/ITD) or point mutation of the activation loop domain (FLT3/ALM). The presence of FLT3 mutations as well as the allelic ratio of FLT3/ITD (ITD-AR, mutant-wild type ratio) may have prognostic significance. FLT3 mutation status of 630 children with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated on CCG-2941 and -2961 was determined, and ITD-AR was calculated for patients with FLT3/ITD. Clinical characteristics and outcomes for patients with FLT3/ALM and FLT3/ITD at varying ITD-ARs was determined and compared with those without FLT3 mutations (FLT3/WT). FLT3/ITD and FLT3/ALM were detected in 77 (12%) and 42 (6.7%) of the patients. Progression-free survival (PFS) was similar in patients with FLT3/ALM and FLT3/WT (51% versus 55%, P = .862). In contrast, PFS at 4 years from study entry for patients with FLT3/ITD was inferior to that of patients with FLT3/WT (31% versus 55%, P < .001). PFS decreased with increasing FLT3/ITD-AR (P < .001), and those with ITD-AR greater than 0.4 had a significantly worse PFS than those with lower ITD-AR (16% versus 72%, P = .001) or with FLT3/WT (55%, P < .001). ITD-AR defines the prognostic significance in FLT3/ITD-positive AML, and ITD-AR greater than 0.4 is a significant and independent prognostic factor for relapse in pediatric AML.
Brian V Balgobind, Susana C Raimondi, Jochen Harbott, Martin Zimmermann, Todd A Alonzo, Anne Auvrignon, H Berna Beverloo, Myron Chang, Ursula Creutzig, Michael N Dworzak, Erik Forestier, Brenda Gibson, Henrik Hasle, Christine J Harrison, Nyla A Heerema, Gertjan J L Kaspers, Anna Leszl, Nathalia Litvinko, Luca Lo Nigro, Akira Morimoto, Christine Perot, Rob Pieters, Dirk Reinhardt, Jeffrey E Rubnitz, Franklin O Smith, Jan Stary, Irina Stasevich, Sabine Strehl, Takashi Taga, Daisuke Tomizawa, David Webb, Zuzana Zemanova, C Michel Zwaan, Marry M van den Heuvel-Eibrink
Novel prognostic subgroups in childhood 11q23/MLL-rearranged acute myeloid leukemia: results of an international retrospective study.
Blood. 2009 Sep 17;114(12):2489-96. doi: 10.1182/blood-2009-04-215152. Epub 2009 Jun 15.
Abstract/Text
Translocations involving chromosome 11q23 frequently occur in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and are associated with poor prognosis. In most cases, the MLL gene is involved, and more than 50 translocation partners have been described. Clinical outcome data of the 11q23-rearranged subgroups are scarce because most 11q23 series are too small for meaningful analysis of subgroups, although some studies suggest that patients with t(9;11)(p22;q23) have a more favorable prognosis. We retrospectively collected outcome data of 756 children with 11q23- or MLL-rearranged AML from 11 collaborative groups to identify differences in outcome based on translocation partners. All karyotypes were centrally reviewed before assigning patients to subgroups. The event-free survival of 11q23/MLL-rearranged pediatric AML at 5 years from diagnosis was 44% (+/- 5%), with large differences across subgroups (11% +/- 5% to 92% +/- 5%). Multivariate analysis identified the following subgroups as independent prognostic predictors: t(1;11)(q21;q23) (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.1, P = .004); t(6;11)(q27;q23) (HR = 2.2, P < .001); t(10;11)(p12;q23) (HR = 1.5, P = .005); and t(10;11)(p11.2;q23) (HR = 2.5, P = .005). We could not confirm the favorable prognosis of the t(9;11)(p22;q23) subgroup. We identified large differences in outcome within 11q23/MLL-rearranged pediatric AML and novel subgroups based on translocation partners that independently predict clinical outcome. Screening for these translocation partners is needed for accurate treatment stratification at diagnosis.
Julie Damgaard Sandahl, Eva A Coenen, Erik Forestier, Jochen Harbott, Bertil Johansson, Gitte Kerndrup, Souichi Adachi, Anne Auvrignon, H Berna Beverloo, Jean-Michel Cayuela, Lucy Chilton, Maarten Fornerod, Valérie de Haas, Christine J Harrison, Hiroto Inaba, Gertjan J L Kaspers, Der-Cherng Liang, Franco Locatelli, Riccardo Masetti, Christine Perot, Susana C Raimondi, Katarina Reinhardt, Daisuke Tomizawa, Nils von Neuhoff, Marco Zecca, C Michel Zwaan, Marry M van den Heuvel-Eibrink, Henrik Hasle
t(6;9)(p22;q34)/DEK-NUP214-rearranged pediatric myeloid leukemia: an international study of 62 patients.
Haematologica. 2014 May;99(5):865-72. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2013.098517. Epub 2014 Jan 17.
Abstract/Text
Acute myeloid leukemia with t(6;9)(p22;q34) is listed as a distinct entity in the 2008 World Health Organization classification, but little is known about the clinical implications of t(6;9)-positive myeloid leukemia in children. This international multicenter study presents the clinical and genetic characteristics of 62 pediatric patients with t(6;9)/DEK-NUP214-rearranged myeloid leukemia; 54 diagnosed as having acute myeloid leukemia, representing <1% of all childhood acute myeloid leukemia, and eight as having myelodysplastic syndrome. The t(6;9)/DEK-NUP214 was associated with relatively late onset (median age 10.4 years), male predominance (sex ratio 1.7), French-American-British M2 classification (54%), myelodysplasia (100%), and FLT3-ITD (42%). Outcome was substantially better than previously reported with a 5-year event-free survival of 32%, 5-year overall survival of 53%, and a 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse of 57%. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in first complete remission improved the 5-year event-free survival compared with chemotherapy alone (68% versus 18%; P<0.01) but not the overall survival (68% versus 54%; P=0.48). The presence of FLT3-ITD had a non-significant negative effect on 5-year overall survival compared with non-mutated cases (22% versus 62%; P=0.13). Gene expression profiling showed a unique signature characterized by significantly higher expression of EYA3, SESN1, PRDM2/RIZ, and HIST2H4 genes. In conclusion, t(6;9)/DEK-NUP214 represents a unique subtype of acute myeloid leukemia with a high risk of relapse, high frequency of FLT3-ITD, and a specific gene expression signature.
Sanne Noort, Martin Zimmermann, Dirk Reinhardt, Wendy Cuccuini, Martina Pigazzi, Jenny Smith, Rhonda E Ries, Todd A Alonzo, Betsy Hirsch, Daisuke Tomizawa, Franco Locatelli, Tanja A Gruber, Susana Raimondi, Edwin Sonneveld, Daniel K Cheuk, Michael Dworzak, Jan Stary, Jonas Abrahamsson, Nira Arad-Cohen, Malgorzata Czogala, Barbara De Moerloose, Henrik Hasle, Soheil Meshinchi, Marry van den Heuvel-Eibrink, C Michel Zwaan
Prognostic impact of t(16;21)(p11;q22) and t(16;21)(q24;q22) in pediatric AML: a retrospective study by the I-BFM Study Group.
Blood. 2018 Oct 11;132(15):1584-1592. doi: 10.1182/blood-2018-05-849059. Epub 2018 Aug 27.
Abstract/Text
To study the prognostic relevance of rare genetic aberrations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), such as t(16;21), international collaboration is required. Two different types of t(16;21) translocations can be distinguished: t(16;21)(p11;q22), resulting in the FUS-ERG fusion gene; and t(16;21)(q24;q22), resulting in RUNX1-core binding factor (CBFA2T3). We collected data on clinical and biological characteristics of 54 pediatric AML cases with t(16;21) rearrangements from 14 international collaborative study groups participating in the international Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (I-BFM) AML study group. The AML-BFM cohort diagnosed between 1997 and 2013 was used as a reference cohort. RUNX1-CBFA2T3 (n = 23) had significantly lower median white blood cell count (12.5 × 109/L, P = .03) compared with the reference cohort. FUS-ERG rearranged AML (n = 31) had no predominant French-American-British (FAB) type, whereas 76% of RUNX1-CBFA2T3 had an M1/M2 FAB type (M1, M2), significantly different from the reference cohort (P = .004). Four-year event-free survival (EFS) of patients with FUS-ERG was 7% (standard error [SE] = 5%), significantly lower compared with the reference cohort (51%, SE = 1%, P < .001). Four-year EFS of RUNX1-CBFA2T3 was 77% (SE = 8%, P = .06), significantly higher compared with the reference cohort. Cumulative incidence of relapse was 74% (SE = 8%) in FUS-ERG, 0% (SE = 0%) in RUNX1-CBFA2T3, compared with 32% (SE = 1%) in the reference cohort (P < .001). Multivariate analysis identified both FUS-ERG and RUNX1-CBFA2T3 as independent risk factors with hazard ratios of 1.9 (P < .0001) and 0.3 (P = .025), respectively. These results describe 2 clinically relevant distinct subtypes of pediatric AML. Similarly to other core-binding factor AMLs, patients with RUNX1-CBFA2T3 rearranged AML may benefit from stratification in the standard risk treatment, whereas patients with FUS-ERG rearranged AML should be considered high-risk.
© 2018 by The American Society of Hematology.
Iris H I M Hollink, Marry M van den Heuvel-Eibrink, Susan T C J M Arentsen-Peters, Marta Pratcorona, Saman Abbas, Jenny E Kuipers, Janneke F van Galen, H Berna Beverloo, Edwin Sonneveld, Gert-Jan J L Kaspers, Jan Trka, Andre Baruchel, Martin Zimmermann, Ursula Creutzig, Dirk Reinhardt, Rob Pieters, Peter J M Valk, C Michel Zwaan
NUP98/NSD1 characterizes a novel poor prognostic group in acute myeloid leukemia with a distinct HOX gene expression pattern.
Blood. 2011 Sep 29;118(13):3645-56. doi: 10.1182/blood-2011-04-346643. Epub 2011 Aug 2.
Abstract/Text
Translocations involving nucleoporin 98kD (NUP98) on chromosome 11p15 occur at relatively low frequency in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) but can be missed with routine karyotyping. In this study, high-resolution genome-wide copy number analyses revealed cryptic NUP98/NSD1 translocations in 3 of 92 cytogenetically normal (CN)-AML cases. To determine their exact frequency, we screened > 1000 well-characterized pediatric and adult AML cases using a NUP98/NSD1-specific RT-PCR. Twenty-three cases harbored the NUP98/NSD1 fusion, representing 16.1% of pediatric and 2.3% of adult CN-AML patients. NUP98/NSD1-positive AML cases had significantly higher white blood cell counts (median, 147 × 10⁹/L), more frequent FAB-M4/M5 morphology (in 63%), and more CN-AML (in 78%), FLT3/internal tandem duplication (in 91%) and WT1 mutations (in 45%) than NUP98/NSD1-negative cases. NUP98/NSD1 was mutually exclusive with all recurrent type-II aberrations. Importantly, NUP98/NSD1 was an independent predictor for poor prognosis; 4-year event-free survival was < 10% for both pediatric and adult NUP98/NSD1-positive AML patients. NUP98/NSD1-positive AML showed a characteristic HOX-gene expression pattern, distinct from, for example, MLL-rearranged AML, and the fusion protein was aberrantly localized in nuclear aggregates, providing insight into the leukemogenic pathways of these AMLs. Taken together, NUP98/NSD1 identifies a previously unrecognized group of young AML patients, with distinct characteristics and dismal prognosis, for whom new treatment strategies are urgently needed.
Jasmijn D E de Rooij, Cristyn Branstetter, Jing Ma, Yongjin Li, Michael P Walsh, Jinjun Cheng, Askar Obulkasim, Jinjun Dang, John Easton, Lonneke J Verboon, Heather L Mulder, Martin Zimmermann, Cary Koss, Pankaj Gupta, Michael Edmonson, Michael Rusch, Joshua Yew Suang Lim, Katarina Reinhardt, Martina Pigazzi, Guangchun Song, Allen Eng Juh Yeoh, Lee-Yung Shih, Der-Cherng Liang, Stephanie Halene, Diane S Krause, Jinghui Zhang, James R Downing, Franco Locatelli, Dirk Reinhardt, Marry M van den Heuvel-Eibrink, C Michel Zwaan, Maarten Fornerod, Tanja A Gruber
Pediatric non-Down syndrome acute megakaryoblastic leukemia is characterized by distinct genomic subsets with varying outcomes.
Nat Genet. 2017 Mar;49(3):451-456. doi: 10.1038/ng.3772. Epub 2017 Jan 23.
Abstract/Text
Acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) is a subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in which cells morphologically resemble abnormal megakaryoblasts. While rare in adults, AMKL accounts for 4-15% of newly diagnosed childhood AML cases. AMKL in individuals without Down syndrome (non-DS-AMKL) is frequently associated with poor clinical outcomes. Previous efforts have identified chimeric oncogenes in a substantial number of non-DS-AMKL cases, including RBM15-MKL1, CBFA2T3-GLIS2, KMT2A gene rearrangements, and NUP98-KDM5A. However, the etiology of 30-40% of cases remains unknown. To better understand the genomic landscape of non-DS-AMKL, we performed RNA and exome sequencing on specimens from 99 patients (75 pediatric and 24 adult). We demonstrate that pediatric non-DS-AMKL is a heterogeneous malignancy that can be divided into seven subgroups with varying outcomes. These subgroups are characterized by chimeric oncogenes with cooperating mutations in epigenetic and kinase signaling genes. Overall, these data shed light on the etiology of AMKL and provide useful information for the tailoring of treatment.
Michael Heuser, Sylvie D Freeman, Gert J Ossenkoppele, Francesco Buccisano, Christopher S Hourigan, Lok Lam Ngai, Jesse M Tettero, Costa Bachas, Constance Baer, Marie-Christine Béné, Veit Bücklein, Anna Czyz, Barbara Denys, Richard Dillon, Michaela Feuring-Buske, Monica L Guzman, Torsten Haferlach, Lina Han, Julia K Herzig, Jeffrey L Jorgensen, Wolfgang Kern, Marina Y Konopleva, Francis Lacombe, Marta Libura, Agata Majchrzak, Luca Maurillo, Yishai Ofran, Jan Philippe, Adriana Plesa, Claude Preudhomme, Farhad Ravandi, Christophe Roumier, Marion Subklewe, Felicitas Thol, Arjan A van de Loosdrecht, Bert A van der Reijden, Adriano Venditti, Agnieszka Wierzbowska, Peter J M Valk, Brent L Wood, Roland B Walter, Christian Thiede, Konstanze Döhner, Gail J Roboz, Jacqueline Cloos
2021 Update on MRD in acute myeloid leukemia: a consensus document from the European LeukemiaNet MRD Working Party.
Blood. 2021 Dec 30;138(26):2753-2767. doi: 10.1182/blood.2021013626.
Abstract/Text
Measurable residual disease (MRD) is an important biomarker in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) that is used for prognostic, predictive, monitoring, and efficacy-response assessments. The European LeukemiaNet (ELN) MRD Working Party evaluated standardization and harmonization of MRD in an ongoing manner and has updated the 2018 ELN MRD recommendations based on significant developments in the field. New and revised recommendations were established during in-person and online meetings, and a 2-stage Delphi poll was conducted to optimize consensus. All recommendations are graded by levels of evidence and agreement. Major changes include technical specifications for next-generation sequencing-based MRD testing and integrative assessments of MRD irrespective of technology. Other topics include use of MRD as a prognostic and surrogate end point for drug testing; selection of the technique, material, and appropriate time points for MRD assessment; and clinical implications of MRD assessment. In addition to technical recommendations for flow- and molecular-MRD analysis, we provide MRD thresholds and define MRD response, and detail how MRD results should be reported and combined if several techniques are used. MRD assessment in AML is complex and clinically relevant, and standardized approaches to application, interpretation, technical conduct, and reporting are of critical importance.
© 2021 by The American Society of Hematology.
Hiroto Inaba, Elaine Coustan-Smith, Xueyuan Cao, Stanley B Pounds, Sheila A Shurtleff, Kathleen Y Wang, Susana C Raimondi, Mihaela Onciu, Jeffrey Jacobsen, Raul C Ribeiro, Gary V Dahl, W Paul Bowman, Jeffrey W Taub, Barbara Degar, Wing Leung, James R Downing, Ching-Hon Pui, Jeffrey E Rubnitz, Dario Campana
Comparative analysis of different approaches to measure treatment response in acute myeloid leukemia.
J Clin Oncol. 2012 Oct 10;30(29):3625-32. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2011.41.5323. Epub 2012 Sep 10.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: In acute myeloid leukemia (AML), initial treatment response by morphologic analysis of bone marrow predicts long-term outcome. Response can now be assessed by minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring with flow cytometry or polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We determined the relation among the results of these approaches and their prognostic value.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the multicenter AML02 study, follow-up bone marrow samples from 203 children and adolescents with newly diagnosed AML were examined by flow cytometry (n = 1,514), morphology (n = 1,382), and PCR amplification of fusion transcripts (n = 508). Results were correlated with treatment outcome.
RESULTS: Among 1,215 samples with less than 5% leukemic myeloblasts by morphology, 100 (8.2%) were MRD positive (≥ 0.1%) by flow cytometry, whereas 96 (57.5%) of the 167 samples with ≥ 5% blasts were MRD negative. Virtually all (308 of 311; 99.0%) MRD-negative samples by PCR were also MRD negative by flow cytometry. However, only 19 (9.6%) of the 197 PCR-positive samples were flow cytometry positive, with analyses of AML1-ETO and CBFβ-MYH11 accounting for most discrepancies, whereas eight of 13 MLL-positive samples had detectable MRD by flow cytometry. MRD by flow cytometry after induction 1 or 2 predicted lower event-free survival and higher relapse rate (P < .001) and was an independent prognostic factor in a multivariable analysis; prediction was not improved by morphologic information or molecular findings.
CONCLUSION: In childhood AML, morphologic assessment of treatment response has limited value if MRD is measured by flow cytometry. MLL fusion transcripts can provide prognostic information in some patients, whereas monitoring of AML1-ETO and CBFβ-MYH11 transcripts is largely uninformative.
Gesche Tallen, Richard Ratei, Georg Mann, Gertjan Kaspers, Felix Niggli, Alexandr Karachunsky, Wolfram Ebell, Gabriele Escherich, Martin Schrappe, Thomas Klingebiel, Ruediger Fengler, Günter Henze, Arend von Stackelberg
Long-term outcome in children with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia after time-point and site-of-relapse stratification and intensified short-course multidrug chemotherapy: results of trial ALL-REZ BFM 90.
J Clin Oncol. 2010 May 10;28(14):2339-47. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2009.25.1983. Epub 2010 Apr 12.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: The multicenter trial ALL-REZ BFM (ie, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Relapse Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster) 90 was designed to improve prognosis for children with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) by time-to-relapse- and site-of-relapse-adapted stratification and by introduction of novel chemotherapy elements and to evaluate new prognostic parameters in a large, population-based cohort.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five hundred twenty-five patients stratified into risk groups A (early bone marrow [BM] relapses), B (late BM relapses), and C (isolated extramedullary relapses) received alternating short-course intensive polychemotherapy (in blocks R1, R2, or R3) and cranial/craniospinal irradiation followed by maintenance therapy. Block R3 (high-dose cytarabine and etoposide) was introduced to improve the outcome compared with historical controls. Patients with early BM or T-ALL relapse (poor prognosis group [PPG]) were eligible for experimental regimens. One hundred seventeen patients received stem-cell transplantation (SCT).
RESULTS: The probabilities (and standard deviations) of event-free survival (pEFS) and overall survival (pOS) at 10 years were 0.30 +/- .02 and 0.36 +/- .02, respectively. Significant differences existed between strategic groups (pEFS(A) = .17 +/- .03; pEFS(B) = .43 +/- .04; pEFS(C) = .54 +/- .06; pEFS(PPG) = .15 +/- .03; log-rank P < .001). Patients of high-risk groups A plus PPG did better with SCT than with chemotherapy (pEFS = .33 +/- .05 v 0.20 +/- .05; P = .005). The pEFS was similar to trials ALL-REZ BFM 85/87 (.36 +/- .03. v 0.37 +/- .03; P = .419; PPG excluded). Time point, site of relapse, immunophenotype, and SCT were significant predictors of pEFS in multivariate analyses.
CONCLUSION: More than one third of patients in this large, population-based trial were cured. Neither R3 nor adaptation of chemotherapy intensity was capable of improving pEFS or of overcoming prognostic factors. In high-risk patients, remission induction regimens must be improved, and allogeneic SCT should be recommended in patients achieving second complete remission.
Cornelia Eckert, Günter Henze, Karlheinz Seeger, Nikola Hagedorn, Georg Mann, Renate Panzer-Grümayer, Christina Peters, Thomas Klingebiel, Arndt Borkhardt, Martin Schrappe, André Schrauder, Gabriele Escherich, Lucie Sramkova, Felix Niggli, Johann Hitzler, Arend von Stackelberg
Use of allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation based on minimal residual disease response improves outcomes for children with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the intermediate-risk group.
J Clin Oncol. 2013 Jul 20;31(21):2736-42. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2012.48.5680. Epub 2013 Jun 17.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: In children with intermediate risk of relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), it is essential to identify patients in need of treatment intensification. We hypothesized that the prognosis of patients with unsatisfactory reduction of minimal residual disease (MRD) can be improved by allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT).
PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Relapse Study of the Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster Group (ALL-REZ BFM) 2002, patients with an MRD level of ≥ 10(-3) (n = 99) at the end of induction therapy were allocated to HSCT, whereas those with an MRD level less than 10(-3) (n = 109) continued to receive chemotherapy. MRD was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction for clone-specific T-cell receptor/immunoglobulin gene rearrangements.
RESULTS: The probability of event-free survival for patients with MRD ≥ 10(-3) was 64% ± 5% in ALL-REZ BFM 2002 compared with 18% ± 7% in the predecessor study ALL-REZ BFM P95/96 (P < .001). This was mainly achieved by reducing the cumulative incidence of subsequent relapse (CIR) at 8 years from 59% ± 9% to 27% ± 5% (P < .001). The favorable prognosis of patients with MRD less than 10(-3) could be confirmed in those with a late combined or isolated bone marrow B-cell precursor (BCP) -ALL relapse (CIR, 20% ± 5%), whereas patients with an early combined BCP-ALL relapse had an unfavorable outcome (CIR, 63% ± 13%; P < .001).
CONCLUSION: Allogeneic HSCT markedly improved the prognosis of patients with intermediate risk of relapse of ALL and unsatisfactory MRD response. As a result, outcomes in this group approximated those of patients with favorable MRD response. Patients with early combined relapse require treatment intensification even in case of favorable MRD response, demonstrating the prognostic impact of time to relapse.
Catriona Parker, Shekhar Krishnan, Lina Hamadeh, Julie A E Irving, Roland P Kuiper, Tamas Révész, Peter Hoogerbrugge, Jeremy Hancock, Rosemary Sutton, Anthony V Moorman, Vaskar Saha
Outcomes of patients with childhood B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia with late bone marrow relapses: long-term follow-up of the ALLR3 open-label randomised trial.
Lancet Haematol. 2019 Apr;6(4):e204-e216. doi: 10.1016/S2352-3026(19)30003-1. Epub 2019 Feb 27.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: The ALLR3 trial investigated outcomes of children with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia who had late bone marrow relapses. We analysed long-term follow-up outcomes of these patients.
METHODS: ALLR3 was an open-label randomised clinical trial that recruited children aged 1-18 years with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia who had late bone marrow relapses. Eligible patients were recruited from centres in Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the UK. Patients were randomly assigned from Jan 31, 2003, to Dec 31, 2007, and the trial closed to recruitment on Oct 31, 2013. Randomly assigned patients were allocated to receive either idarubicin or mitoxantrone in induction by stratified concealed randomisation; after randomisation stopped in Dec 31, 2007, all patients were allocated to receive mitoxantrone. After three blocks of therapy, patients with high minimal residual disease (≥10-4 cells) at the end of induction were allocated to undergo allogeneic stem-cell transplantation and those with low minimal residual disease (<10-4 cells) at the end of induction were allocated to receive chemotherapy. Minimal residual disease level was measured by real-time quantitative PCR analysis of immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor gene rearrangements. The primary endpoint of the original ALLR3 clinical trial was progression-free survival of randomly assigned patients. The primary endpoint of this long-term follow-up analysis was progression-free survival of patients with late bone marrow relapses stratified by minimal residual disease level. Outcomes were correlated with age, site, time to recurrence, and genetic subtypes, and analysed by both intention to treat and actual treatment received. This trial is registered on the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN45724312, and on ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00967057.
FINDINGS: Between Feb 2, 2003, and Oct 28, 2013, 228 patients with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and late bone marrow relapses were treated. After a median follow-up of 84 months (IQR 48-109), progression-free survival of all randomly assigned patients was 60% (95% CI 54-70). 220 patients achieved second complete remission, and minimal residual disease was evaluable in 192 (87%). 110 patients with late bone marrow relapses and high minimal residual disease at the end of induction were allocated to undergo stem-cell transplantation, and 82 patients with low minimal residual disease at the end of induction were allocated to receive chemotherapy. In the patients allocated to undergo stem-cell transplantation, four relapses and three deaths were reported before the procedure, and 11 patients were not transplanted. Of the 92 patients transplanted, 58 (63%) remained in second complete remission, 13 (14%) died of complications, and 21 (23%) relapsed after stem-cell transplantation. In patients allocated to receive chemotherapy, one early treatment-related death was reported and 11 patients were transplanted. Of the 70 patients who continued on chemotherapy, 49 (70%) remained in second complete remission, two (3%) died of complications, and 19 (27%) relapsed. Progression-free survival at 5 years was 56% (95% CI 46-65) in those with high minimal residual disease and 72% (60-81) in patients with low minimal residual disease (p=0·0078). Treatment-related serious adverse events were not analysed in the long-term follow-up.
INTERPRETATION: Patients with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia with late bone marrow relapses and low minimal residual disease at end of induction had favourable outcomes with chemotherapy without undergoing stem-cell transplantation. Patients with high minimal residual disease benefited from stem-cell transplantation, and targeted therapies might offer further improvements in outcomes for these patients.
FUNDING: Bloodwise (Formerly Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research) UK, Cancer Research UK, Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation, National Health and Medical Research Council Australia, KindreneKankervrij Netherlands, European Union Seventh Framework Programme, India Alliance Wellcome DBT Margdarshi Fellowship.
Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Hiroaki Goto
Childhood relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Biology and recent treatment progress.
Pediatr Int. 2015 Dec;57(6):1059-66. doi: 10.1111/ped.12837. Epub 2015 Dec 2.
Abstract/Text
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most frequent cancer in children. Despite remarkable improvement in the prognosis of childhood ALL over the past few decades, the treatment of relapsed ALL is still challenging. The prognosis of first ALL relapse is associated with time of relapse after initial therapy, sites of relapse, and immunophenotype. More recently, response to treatment, which is evaluated by assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD), has been found to be clinically significant in relapsed ALL as well as in the initially diagnosed disease. Utilizing these factors, risk-oriented treatment stratification for first ALL relapse has been established. In the standard-risk group for first ALL relapse, intensification of conventional ALL-type therapy can provide a cure in approximately 70% of patients. It is important to assess MRD after reinduction therapy to determine the indications for stem cell transplantation in the standard-risk group. In contrast, no standardized therapy has been established for the high-risk group, which accounts for more than half of relapsed ALL patients. Recent studies have shed light on the clonal origin of relapsed ALL, which usually exists as a minor subclone at the time of initial diagnosis. Clonal selection and evolution take place during chemotherapy, resulting in distinct genetic and epigenetic characteristics of relapsed ALL, some of which are linked to drug resistance, a common and problematic feature of ALL after relapse. To overcome resistance to standard ALL-type therapy, and considering the heterogeneous biological background of high-risk relapsed ALL, innovative therapies using new agents are necessary.
© 2015 Japan Pediatric Society.
Stephen P Hunger, Elizabeth A Raetz
How I treat relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the pediatric population.
Blood. 2020 Oct 15;136(16):1803-1812. doi: 10.1182/blood.2019004043.
Abstract/Text
Relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has remained challenging to treat in children, with survival rates lagging well behind those observed at initial diagnosis. Although there have been some improvements in outcomes over the past few decades, only ∼50% of children with first relapse of ALL survive long term, and outcomes are much worse with second or later relapses. Recurrences that occur within 3 years of diagnosis and any T-ALL relapses are particularly difficult to salvage. Until recently, treatment options were limited to intensive cytotoxic chemotherapy with or without site-directed radiotherapy and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In the past decade, several promising immunotherapeutics have been developed, changing the treatment landscape for children with relapsed ALL. Current research in this field is focusing on how to best incorporate immunotherapeutics into salvage regimens and investigate long-term survival and side effects, and when these might replace HSCT. As more knowledge is gained about the biology of relapse through comprehensive genomic profiling, incorporation of molecularly targeted therapies is another area of active investigation. These advances in treatment offer real promise for less toxic and more effective therapy for children with relapsed ALL, and we present several cases highlighting contemporary treatment decision-making.
© 2020 by The American Society of Hematology.
Laura E Hogan, Patrick A Brown, Lingyun Ji, Xinxin Xu, Meenakshi Devidas, Teena Bhatla, Michael J Borowitz, Elizabeth A Raetz, Andrew Carroll, Nyla A Heerema, Gerhard Zugmaier, Elad Sharon, Melanie B Bernhardt, Stephanie A Terezakis, Lia Gore, James A Whitlock, Stephen P Hunger, Mignon L Loh
Children's Oncology Group AALL1331: Phase III Trial of Blinatumomab in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults With Low-Risk B-Cell ALL in First Relapse.
J Clin Oncol. 2023 Sep 1;41(25):4118-4129. doi: 10.1200/JCO.22.02200. Epub 2023 May 31.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: Blinatumomab, a bispecific T-cell engager immunotherapy, is efficacious in relapsed/refractory B-cell ALL (B-ALL) and has a favorable toxicity profile. One aim of the Children's Oncology Group AALL1331 study was to compare survival of patients with low-risk (LR) first relapse of B-ALL treated with chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy plus blinatumomab.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: After block 1 reinduction, patients age 1-30 years with LR first relapse of B-ALL were randomly assigned to block 2/block 3/two continuation chemotherapy cycles/maintenance (arm C) or block 2/two cycles of continuation chemotherapy intercalated with three blinatumomab blocks/maintenance (arm D). Patients with CNS leukemia received 18 Gy cranial radiation during maintenance and intensified intrathecal chemotherapy. The primary and secondary end points were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).
RESULTS: The 4-year DFS/OS for the 255 LR patients accrued between December 2014 and September 2019 were 61.2% ± 5.0%/90.4% ± 3.0% for blinatumomab versus 49.5% ± 5.2%/79.6% ± 4.3% for chemotherapy (P = .089/P = .11). For bone marrow (BM) ± extramedullary (EM) (BM ± EM; n = 174) relapses, 4-year DFS/OS were 72.7% ± 5.8%/97.1% ± 2.1% for blinatumomab versus 53.7% ± 6.7%/84.8% ± 4.8% for chemotherapy (P = .015/P = .020). For isolated EM (IEM; n = 81) relapses, 4-year DFS/OS were 36.6% ± 8.2%/76.5% ± 7.5% for blinatumomab versus 38.8% ± 8.0%/68.8% ± 8.6% for chemotherapy (P = .62/P = .53). Blinatumomab was well tolerated and patients had low adverse event rates.
CONCLUSION: For children, adolescents, and young adults with B-ALL in LR first relapse, there was no statistically significant difference in DFS or OS between the blinatumomab and standard chemotherapy arms overall. However, blinatumomab significantly improved DFS and OS for the two thirds of patients with BM ± EM relapse, establishing a new standard of care for this population. By contrast, similar outcomes and poor DFS for both arms were observed in the one third of patients with IEM; new treatment approaches are needed for these patients (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02101853).
Patrick A Brown, Lingyun Ji, Xinxin Xu, Meenakshi Devidas, Laura E Hogan, Michael J Borowitz, Elizabeth A Raetz, Gerhard Zugmaier, Elad Sharon, Melanie B Bernhardt, Stephanie A Terezakis, Lia Gore, James A Whitlock, Michael A Pulsipher, Stephen P Hunger, Mignon L Loh
Effect of Postreinduction Therapy Consolidation With Blinatumomab vs Chemotherapy on Disease-Free Survival in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults With First Relapse of B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
JAMA. 2021 Mar 2;325(9):833-842. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.0669.
Abstract/Text
IMPORTANCE: Standard chemotherapy for first relapse of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in children, adolescents, and young adults is associated with high rates of severe toxicities, subsequent relapse, and death, especially for patients with early relapse (high risk) or late relapse with residual disease after reinduction chemotherapy (intermediate risk). Blinatumomab, a bispecific CD3 to CD19 T cell-engaging antibody construct, is efficacious in relapsed/refractory B-ALL and has a favorable toxicity profile.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether substituting blinatumomab for intensive chemotherapy in consolidation therapy would improve survival in children, adolescents, and young adults with high- and intermediate-risk first relapse of B-ALL.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This trial was a randomized phase 3 clinical trial conducted by the Children's Oncology Group at 155 hospitals in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand with enrollment from December 2014 to September 2019 and follow-up until September 30, 2020. Eligible patients included those aged 1 to 30 years with B-ALL first relapse, excluding those with Down syndrome, Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL, prior hematopoietic stem cell transplant, or prior blinatumomab treatment (n = 669).
INTERVENTIONS: All patients received a 4-week reinduction chemotherapy course, followed by randomized assignment to receive 2 cycles of blinatumomab (n = 105) or 2 cycles of multiagent chemotherapy (n = 103), each followed by transplant.
MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES: The primary end point was disease-free survival and the secondary end point was overall survival, both from the time of randomization. The threshold for statistical significance was set at a 1-sided P <.025.
RESULTS: Among 208 randomized patients (median age, 9 years; 97 [47%] females), 118 (57%) completed the randomized therapy. Randomization was terminated at the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee without meeting stopping rules for efficacy or futility; at that point, 80 of 131 planned events occurred. With 2.9 years of median follow-up, 2-year disease-free survival was 54.4% for the blinatumomab group vs 39.0% for the chemotherapy group (hazard ratio for disease progression or mortality, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.47-1.03]); 1-sided P = .03). Two-year overall survival was 71.3% for the blinatumomab group vs 58.4% for the chemotherapy group (hazard ratio for mortality, 0.62 [95% CI, 0.39-0.98]; 1-sided P = .02). Rates of notable serious adverse events included infection (15%), febrile neutropenia (5%), sepsis (2%), and mucositis (1%) for the blinatumomab group and infection (65%), febrile neutropenia (58%), sepsis (27%), and mucositis (28%) for the chemotherapy group.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among children, adolescents, and young adults with high- and intermediate-risk first relapse of B-ALL, postreinduction treatment with blinatumomab compared with chemotherapy, followed by transplant, did not result in a statistically significant difference in disease-free survival. However, study interpretation is limited by early termination with possible underpowering for the primary end point.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02101853.
Franco Locatelli, Gerhard Zugmaier, Carmelo Rizzari, Joan D Morris, Bernd Gruhn, Thomas Klingebiel, Rosanna Parasole, Christin Linderkamp, Christian Flotho, Arnaud Petit, Concetta Micalizzi, Noemi Mergen, Abeera Mohammad, William N Kormany, Cornelia Eckert, Anja Möricke, Mary Sartor, Ondrej Hrusak, Christina Peters, Vaskar Saha, Luciana Vinti, Arend von Stackelberg
Effect of Blinatumomab vs Chemotherapy on Event-Free Survival Among Children With High-risk First-Relapse B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
JAMA. 2021 Mar 2;325(9):843-854. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.0987.
Abstract/Text
IMPORTANCE: Blinatumomab is a CD3/CD19-directed bispecific T-cell engager molecule with efficacy in children with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate event-free survival in children with high-risk first-relapse B-ALL after a third consolidation course with blinatumomab vs consolidation chemotherapy before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this randomized phase 3 clinical trial, patients were enrolled November 2015 to July 2019 (data cutoff, July 17, 2019). Investigators at 47 centers in 13 countries enrolled children older than 28 days and younger than 18 years with high-risk first-relapse B-ALL in morphologic complete remission (M1 marrow, <5% blasts) or with M2 marrow (blasts ≥5% and <25%) at randomization.
INTERVENTION: Patients were randomized to receive 1 cycle of blinatumomab (n = 54; 15 μg/m2/d for 4 weeks, continuous intravenous infusion) or chemotherapy (n = 54) for the third consolidation.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary end point was event-free survival (events: relapse, death, second malignancy, or failure to achieve complete remission). The key secondary efficacy end point was overall survival. Other secondary end points included minimal residual disease remission and incidence of adverse events.
RESULTS: A total of 108 patients were randomized (median age, 5.0 years [interquartile range {IQR}, 4.0-10.5]; 51.9% girls; 97.2% M1 marrow) and all patients were included in the analysis. Enrollment was terminated early for benefit of blinatumomab in accordance with a prespecified stopping rule. After a median of 22.4 months of follow-up (IQR, 8.1-34.2), the incidence of events in the blinatumomab vs consolidation chemotherapy groups was 31% vs 57% (log-rank P < .001; hazard ratio [HR], 0.33 [95% CI, 0.18-0.61]). Deaths occurred in 8 patients (14.8%) in the blinatumomab group and 16 (29.6%) in the consolidation chemotherapy group. The overall survival HR was 0.43 (95% CI, 0.18-1.01). Minimal residual disease remission was observed in more patients in the blinatumomab vs consolidation chemotherapy group (90% [44/49] vs 54% [26/48]; difference, 35.6% [95% CI, 15.6%-52.5%]). No fatal adverse events were reported. In the blinatumomab vs consolidation chemotherapy group, the incidence of serious adverse events was 24.1% vs 43.1%, respectively, and the incidence of adverse events greater than or equal to grade 3 was 57.4% vs 82.4%. Adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation were reported in 2 patients in the blinatumomab group.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Among children with high-risk first-relapse B-ALL, treatment with 1 cycle of blinatumomab compared with standard intensive multidrug chemotherapy before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant resulted in an improved event-free survival at a median of 22.4 months of follow-up.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02393859.
Shannon L Maude, Theodore W Laetsch, Jochen Buechner, Susana Rives, Michael Boyer, Henrique Bittencourt, Peter Bader, Michael R Verneris, Heather E Stefanski, Gary D Myers, Muna Qayed, Barbara De Moerloose, Hidefumi Hiramatsu, Krysta Schlis, Kara L Davis, Paul L Martin, Eneida R Nemecek, Gregory A Yanik, Christina Peters, Andre Baruchel, Nicolas Boissel, Francoise Mechinaud, Adriana Balduzzi, Joerg Krueger, Carl H June, Bruce L Levine, Patricia Wood, Tetiana Taran, Mimi Leung, Karen T Mueller, Yiyun Zhang, Kapildeb Sen, David Lebwohl, Michael A Pulsipher, Stephan A Grupp
Tisagenlecleucel in Children and Young Adults with B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
N Engl J Med. 2018 Feb 1;378(5):439-448. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1709866.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: In a single-center phase 1-2a study, the anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy tisagenlecleucel produced high rates of complete remission and was associated with serious but mainly reversible toxic effects in children and young adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
METHODS: We conducted a phase 2, single-cohort, 25-center, global study of tisagenlecleucel in pediatric and young adult patients with CD19+ relapsed or refractory B-cell ALL. The primary end point was the overall remission rate (the rate of complete remission or complete remission with incomplete hematologic recovery) within 3 months.
RESULTS: For this planned analysis, 75 patients received an infusion of tisagenlecleucel and could be evaluated for efficacy. The overall remission rate within 3 months was 81%, with all patients who had a response to treatment found to be negative for minimal residual disease, as assessed by means of flow cytometry. The rates of event-free survival and overall survival were 73% (95% confidence interval [CI], 60 to 82) and 90% (95% CI, 81 to 95), respectively, at 6 months and 50% (95% CI, 35 to 64) and 76% (95% CI, 63 to 86) at 12 months. The median duration of remission was not reached. Persistence of tisagenlecleucel in the blood was observed for as long as 20 months. Grade 3 or 4 adverse events that were suspected to be related to tisagenlecleucel occurred in 73% of patients. The cytokine release syndrome occurred in 77% of patients, 48% of whom received tocilizumab. Neurologic events occurred in 40% of patients and were managed with supportive care, and no cerebral edema was reported.
CONCLUSIONS: In this global study of CAR T-cell therapy, a single infusion of tisagenlecleucel provided durable remission with long-term persistence in pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell ALL, with transient high-grade toxic effects. (Funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02435849 .).
Marcelo C Pasquini, Zhen-Huan Hu, Kevin Curran, Theodore Laetsch, Frederick Locke, Rayne Rouce, Michael A Pulsipher, Christine L Phillips, Amy Keating, Matthew J Frigault, Dana Salzberg, Samantha Jaglowski, Joshua P Sasine, Joseph Rosenthal, Monalisa Ghosh, Daniel Landsburg, Steven Margossian, Paul L Martin, Manali K Kamdar, Peiman Hematti, Sarah Nikiforow, Cameron Turtle, Miguel-Angel Perales, Patricia Steinert, Mary M Horowitz, Amy Moskop, Lida Pacaud, Lan Yi, Raghav Chawla, Eric Bleickardt, Stephan Grupp
Real-world evidence of tisagenlecleucel for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Blood Adv. 2020 Nov 10;4(21):5414-5424. doi: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2020003092.
Abstract/Text
Tisagenlecleucel is a CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved for treatment of pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and adults with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The initial experience with tisagenlecleucel in a real-world setting from a cellular therapy registry is presented here. As of January 2020, 511 patients were enrolled from 73 centers, and 410 patients had follow-up data reported (ALL, n = 255; NHL, n = 155), with a median follow-up of 13.4 and 11.9 months for ALL and NHL, respectively. Among patients with ALL, the initial complete remission (CR) rate was 85.5%. Twelve-month duration of response (DOR), event-free survival, and overall survival (OS) rates were 60.9%, 52.4%, and 77.2%, respectively. Among adults with NHL, the best overall response rate was 61.8%, including an initial CR rate of 39.5%. Six-month DOR, progression-free survival, and OS rates were 55.3%, 38.7%, and 70.7%, respectively. Grade ≥3 cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity were reported in 11.6% and 7.5% of all patients, respectively. Similar outcomes were observed in patients with in-specification and out-of-specification products as a result of viability <80% (range, 61% to 79%). This first report of tisagenlecleucel in the real-world setting demonstrates outcomes with similar efficacy and improved safety compared with those seen in the pivotal trials.
© 2020 by The American Society of Hematology.
日本造血・免疫細胞療法学会：造血細胞移植ガイドライン 第3巻 小児急性リンパ性白血病（第3版）.
Georg Mann, Andishe Attarbaschi, Martin Schrappe, Paola De Lorenzo, Christina Peters, Ian Hann, Giulio De Rossi, Maria Felice, Birgitte Lausen, Thierry Leblanc, Tomasz Szczepanski, Alina Ferster, Gritta Janka-Schaub, Jeffrey Rubnitz, Lewis B Silverman, Jan Stary, Myriam Campbell, Chi Kong Li, Ram Suppiah, Andrea Biondi, Ajay Vora, Maria Grazia Valsecchi, Rob Pieters, Interfant-99 Study Group
Improved outcome with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in a poor prognostic subgroup of infants with mixed-lineage-leukemia (MLL)-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemia: results from the Interfant-99 Study.
Blood. 2010 Oct 14;116(15):2644-50. doi: 10.1182/blood-2010-03-273532. Epub 2010 Jun 30.
Abstract/Text
To define a role for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in infants with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and rearrangements of the mixed-lineage-leukemia gene (MLL(+)), we compared the outcome of MLL(+) patients from trial Interfant-99 who either received chemotherapy only or HSCT. Of 376 patients with a known MLL status in the trial, 297 (79%) were MLL(+). Among the 277 of 297 MLL(+) patients (93%) in first remission (CR), there appeared to be a significant difference in disease-free survival (adjusted by waiting time to HSCT) between the 37 (13%) who received HSCT and the 240 (87%) who received chemotherapy only (P = .03). However, the advantage was restricted to a subgroup with 2 additional unfavorable prognostic features: age less than 6 months and either poor response to steroids at day 8 or leukocytes more than or equal to 300 g/L. Ninety-seven of 297 MLL(+) patients (33%) had such high-risk criteria, with 87 achieving CR. In this group, HSCT was associated with a 64% reduction in the risk of failure resulting from relapse or death in CR (hazard ratio = 0.36, 95% confidence interval, 0.15-0.86). In the remaining patients, there was no advantage for HSCT over chemotherapy only. In summary, HSCT seems to be a valuable option for a subgroup of infant MLL(+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia carrying further poor prognostic factors. The trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00015873 and at www.controlled-trials.com as #ISRCTN24251487.
Daisuke Tomizawa, Takako Miyamura, Toshihiko Imamura, Tomoyuki Watanabe, Akiko Moriya Saito, Atsushi Ogawa, Yoshihiro Takahashi, Masahiro Hirayama, Tomohiko Taki, Takao Deguchi, Toshinori Hori, Masashi Sanada, Shigeru Ohmori, Masami Haba, Akihiro Iguchi, Yuki Arakawa, Yuhki Koga, Atsushi Manabe, Keizo Horibe, Eiichi Ishii, Katsuyoshi Koh
A risk-stratified therapy for infants with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a report from the JPLSG MLL-10 trial.
Blood. 2020 Oct 15;136(16):1813-1823. doi: 10.1182/blood.2019004741.
Abstract/Text
The prognosis for infants with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), particularly those with KMT2A gene rearrangement (KMT2A-r), is dismal. Continuous efforts have been made in Japan to investigate the role of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for infants with KMT2A-r ALL, but improvement in outcome was modest. In the Japanese Pediatric Leukemia/Lymphoma Study Group MLL-10 trial, infants with ALL were stratified into 3 risk groups (low risk [LR], intermediate risk [IR], and high risk [HR]) according to KMT2A status, age, and presence of central nervous system leukemia. Children's Oncology Group AALL0631 modified chemotherapy with the addition of high-dose cytarabine in early intensification was introduced to KMT2A-r patients, and the option of HSCT was restricted to HR patients only. The role of minimal residual disease (MRD) was also evaluated. Ninety eligible infants were stratified into LR (n = 15), IR (n = 19), or HR (n = 56) risk groups. The 3-year event-free survival (EFS) rate for patients with KMT2A-r ALL (IR + HR) was 66.2% (standard error [SE], 5.6%), and for those with germline KMT2A (KMT2A-g) ALL (LR), the 3-year EFS rate was 93.3% (SE, 6.4%). The 3-year EFS rate was 94.4% (SE, 5.4%) for IR patients and 56.6% (SE, 6.8%) for HR patients. In multivariable analysis, female sex and MRD ≥0.01% at the end of early consolidation were significant factors for poor prognosis. Risk stratification and introduction of intensive chemotherapy in this study were effective and were able to eliminate HSCT for a subset of infants with KMT2A-r ALL. Early clearance of MRD seems to have translated into favorable outcomes and should be incorporated into risk stratifications in future trials. This trial was registered at the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) as #UMIN000004801.
© 2020 by The American Society of Hematology.
Yasuhiro Okamoto, Yozo Nakazawa, Masami Inoue, Kenichiro Watanabe, Hiroaki Goto, Nao Yoshida, Maiko Noguchi, Atsushi Kikuta, Koji Kato, Yoshiko Hashii, Yoshiko Atsuta, Motohiro Kato
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children and adolescents with nonremission acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2020 Dec;67(12):e28732. doi: 10.1002/pbc.28732. Epub 2020 Sep 22.
Abstract/Text
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.
© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Corinne Summers, Qian Vicky Wu, Colleen Annesley, Marie Bleakley, Ann Dahlberg, Prabha Narayanaswamy, Wenjun Huang, Jenna Voutsinas, Adam Brand, Wendy Leisenring, Michael C Jensen, Julie R Park, Rebecca A Gardner
Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation after CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell-Induced Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma Remission Confers a Leukemia-Free Survival Advantage.
Transplant Cell Ther. 2022 Jan;28(1):21-29. doi: 10.1016/j.jtct.2021.10.003. Epub 2021 Oct 10.
Abstract/Text
Consolidative hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) after CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is frequently performed for patients with refractory/ relapsed B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). However, there is controversy regarding the role of HCT following remission attainment. We evaluated the effect of consolidative HCT on leukemia-free survival (LFS) in pediatric and young adult subjects following CD19 CAR T cell induced remission. We evaluated the effect of consolidative HCT on LFS in pediatric and young adult subjects treated with a 41BB-CD19 CAR T cell product on a phase 1/2 trial, Pediatric and Young Adult Leukemia Adoptive Therapy (PLAT)-02 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02028455), using a time-dependent Cox proportional hazards statistical model. Fifty of 64 subjects enrolled in PLAT-02 phase 1 and early phase 2 were evaluated, excluding 14 subjects who did not achieve remission, relapsed, or died before day 63 post-CAR T cell therapy. An improved LFS (P = .01) was observed in subjects who underwent consolidative HCT after CAR T cell therapy versus watchful waiting. Consolidative HCT improved LFS specifically in subjects who had no prior history of HCT, with a trend toward significance (P = .09). This benefit was not evident when restricted to the cohort of 34 subjects with a history of prior HCT (P = .45). However, for subjects who had CAR T cell functional persistence of 63 days or less, inclusive of those with a history of prior HCT, HCT significantly improved LFS outcomes (P = .01). These data support the use of consolidative HCT following CD19 CAR T cell-induced remission for patients with no prior history of HCT and those with short functional CAR T cell persistence.
Copyright © 2021 The American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Regina M Myers, Nirali N Shah, Michael A Pulsipher
How I use risk factors for success or failure of CD19 CAR T cells to guide management of children and AYA with B-cell ALL.
Blood. 2023 Mar 16;141(11):1251-1264. doi: 10.1182/blood.2022016937.
Abstract/Text
By overcoming chemotherapeutic resistance, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells facilitate deep, complete remissions and offer the potential for long-term cure in a substantial fraction of patients with chemotherapy refractory disease. However, that success is tempered with 10% to 30% of patients not achieving remission and over half of patients treated eventually experiencing relapse. With over a decade of experience using CAR T cells in children, adolescents, and young adults (AYA) to treat relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and 5 years since the first US Food and Drug Administration approval, data defining the nuances of patient-specific risk factors are emerging. With the commercial availability of 2 unique CD19 CAR T-cell constructs for B-ALL, in this article, we review the current literature, outline our approach to patients, and discuss how individual factors inform strategies to optimize outcomes in children and AYA receiving CD19 CAR T cells. We include data from both prospective and recent large retrospective studies that offer insight into understanding when the risks of CAR T-cell therapy failure are high and offer perspectives suggesting when consolidative hematopoietic cell transplantation or experimental CAR T-cell and/or alternative immunotherapy should be considered. We also propose areas where prospective trials addressing the optimal use of CAR T-cell therapy are needed.
日本造血・免疫細胞療法学会：造血細胞移植ガイドライン 第3巻 小児急性骨髄性白血病（第4版）. Available from: https://www.jstct.or.jp/
Katherine Tarlock, Maria Luisa Sulis, Joseph H Chewning, Jessica A Pollard, Todd Cooper, Alan Gamis, Shalini Shenoy, Matthew Kutny, John Horan, Soheil Meshinchi, Jaap-Jan Boelens, Marie Bleakley, Paul A Carpenter, E Anders Kolb
Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in the Treatment of Pediatric Acute Myelogenous Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Guidelines from the American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy.
Transplant Cell Ther. 2022 Sep;28(9):530-545. doi: 10.1016/j.jtct.2022.06.005. Epub 2022 Jun 16.
Abstract/Text
The role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) in the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in children is reviewed and critically evaluated in this evidence-based review. Specific criteria were used for searching the published literature, grading the quality and strength of evidence, and assigning the strength of treatment recommendations. Genomic characterization and response to therapy have been critical in the risk stratification of pediatric AML. Although some children are cured with chemotherapy alone, allogeneic HCT offers a survival benefit in selected patients with certain unfavorable risk features and is the standard of care for children who relapse following initial treatment with chemotherapy. Important aspects of HCT include recipient characteristics, donor source, and preparative regimen. The goals of HCT are to reduce incidence of relapse, enhance graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effects, and minimize graft-versus-host disease. Relapse following HCT remains a significant cause of treatment failure, and interventions pre- and post-HCT, especially those that may augment GVL, are an important focus of ongoing investigations.
Copyright © 2022 The American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Gerard Michel, Vanderson Rocha, Sylvie Chevret, William Arcese, Kah-Wah Chan, Alexandra Filipovich, Tsuneo A Takahashi, Marcus Vowels, Juan Ortega, Pierre Bordigoni, Peter J Shaw, Isaac Yaniv, Alexandra Machado, Pedro Pimentel, Franca Fagioli, Amparo Verdeguer, Jean Pierre Jouet, Blanca Diez, Euripedes Ferreira, Ricardo Pasquini, Joseph Rosenthal, Eric Sievers, Chiara Messina, Anna Paola Iori, Federico Garnier, Irina Ionescu, Franco Locatelli, Eliane Gluckman, Eurocord Group
Unrelated cord blood transplantation for childhood acute myeloid leukemia: a Eurocord Group analysis.
Blood. 2003 Dec 15;102(13):4290-7. doi: 10.1182/blood-2003-04-1288. Epub 2003 Aug 14.
Abstract/Text
Results of unrelated cord blood transplantation (UCBT) in childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have not been previously reported. We analyzed 95 children receiving UCB transplants for AML (20 in first complete remission [CR1], 47 in CR2, and 28 in more advanced stage). Poor prognosis cytogenetic abnormalities were identified in 29 cases. Most patients received a 1 or 2 HLA antigens-mismatched UCB transplants. The median number of collected nucleated cells (NCs) was 5.2 x 107/kg. Cumulative incidence (CI) of neutrophil recovery was 78% +/- 4%, acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was 35% +/- 5%, and 100-day transplantation-related mortality (TRM) was 20% +/- 4%. In multivariable analysis, a collected NC dose higher than 5.2 x 107/kg was associated with a lower 100-day TRM. The 2-year CI of relapse was 29% +/- 5% and was associated with disease status. The 2-year leukemia-free survival (LFS) was 42% +/- 5% (59% +/- 11% in CR1, 50% +/- 8% in CR2, and 21% +/- 9% for children not in CR). Children with poor prognosis cytogenetic features had similar LFS compared with other patients (44% +/- 11% vs 40% +/- 8%). In CR2, LFS was not influenced by the length of CR1 (53% +/- 11% in CR1 < 9.5 months compared with 50% +/- 12% in later relapses). We conclude that UCBT is a therapeutic option for children with very poor-prognosis AML and who lack an HLA-identical sibling.
B E S Gibson, K Wheatley, I M Hann, R F Stevens, D Webb, R K Hills, S S N De Graaf, C J Harrison
Treatment strategy and long-term results in paediatric patients treated in consecutive UK AML trials.
Leukemia. 2005 Dec;19(12):2130-8. doi: 10.1038/sj.leu.2403924.
Abstract/Text
Between 1988 and 2002, 758 children with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) were treated on Medical Research Council (MRC) AML 10 and AML 12. MRC AML 10 tested the role of bone marrow transplantation following four blocks of intensive chemotherapy and found that while both allogeneic bone marrow transplant (allo-BMT) and autologous bone marrow transplant (A-BMT) significantly reduced the relapse risk (RR), this did not translate into a significant improvement in overall survival (OS). A risk group stratification based on cytogenetics and response to the first course of chemotherapy derived from MRC AML 10 was used to deliver risk-directed therapy in MRC AML 12. Allo-BMT was limited to standard and poor risk patients and A-BMT was not employed. Instead, the benefit of an additional block of treatment was tested by randomising children to receive either four or five blocks of treatment in total. While the results of MRC AML 12 remain immature, there appears to be no survival advantage for a fifth course of treatment. The 5 year OS, disease-free survival (DFS), event-free survival (EFS) and RR in MRC AML 12 are 66, 61, 56 and 35%, respectively; at present superior to MRC AML 10, which had a 5-year OS, DFS, EFS and RR of 58, 53, 49 and 42%, respectively. MRC AML trials employ a short course of triple intrathecal chemotherapy alone for CNS-directed treatment and CNS relapse is uncommon. Improvements in supportive care have contributed to improved outcomes and the number of deaths in remission fell between trials. Anthracycline-related cardiotoxicity remains a concern and the current MRC AML 15 trial tests the feasibility of reducing anthracycline dosage without compromising outcome by comparing standard MRC anthracycline-based consolidation with high-dose ara-C. MRC studies suggest that the role of allo-BMT is limited in 1st CR and that there may be a ceiling of benefit from current or conventional chemotherapy.
Masamitsu Yanada, Keitaro Matsuo, Nobuhiko Emi, Tomoki Naoe
Efficacy of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation depends on cytogenetic risk for acute myeloid leukemia in first disease remission: a metaanalysis.
Cancer. 2005 Apr 15;103(8):1652-8. doi: 10.1002/cncr.20945.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: The efficacy of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) from a human leukocyte antigen-identical sibling donor remains controversial for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first complete disease remission (CR1). Because the karyotype identified at diagnosis is the most relevant prognostic factor for AML, it should be possible to assess the efficacy more accurately on the basis of cytogenetic risk.
METHODS: The authors performed a metaanalysis of five studies, which employed both natural randomization based on donor availability and intention-to-treat analysis, with overall survival as an outcome of interest. Metaregression analysis was then performed to identify the efficacy for patients stratified into the favorable, intermediate, and poor cytogenetic risk groups.
RESULTS: For the entire cohort, there was a statistically significant advantage with allo-HSCT in terms of overall survival with a summary hazard ratio of 1.15 (95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.32, P = 0.037) for the random-effect model. Metaregression analysis showed a significant coefficient of +0.24 for the poor cytogenetic risk group, and -0.25 for the favorable cytogenetic risk group, indicating that the benefit of allo-HSCT was further increased for the former, and lost for the latter. The coefficient for the intermediate cytogenetic risk group was +0.09, and was not statistically significant.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that the efficacy of allo-HSCT for patients with AML in CR1 depended on cytogenetic risk. The beneficial effect of allo-HSCT was yielded for the poor risk group, and probably for the intermediate risk groups, but was absent for the favorable risk group.
(c) 2005 American Cancer Society.
N Basara, A Schulze, U Wedding, M Mohren, A Gerhardt, C Junghanss, N Peter, G Dölken, C Becker, S Heyn, C Kliem, T Lange, R Krahl, W Pönisch, H-J Fricke, H G Sayer, H Al-Ali, F Kamprad, D Niederwieser, East German Study Group Hematology and Oncology (OSHO)
Early related or unrelated haematopoietic cell transplantation results in higher overall survival and leukaemia-free survival compared with conventional chemotherapy in high-risk acute myeloid leukaemia patients in first complete remission.
Leukemia. 2009 Apr;23(4):635-40. doi: 10.1038/leu.2008.352. Epub 2009 Jan 8.
Abstract/Text
Between 1996 and 2004, a total of 708 patients were enrolled in the acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) '96 and '02 studies of the East German Study Group (OSHO). Of these, 138 patients (19.5%) had unfavourable cytogenetics defined as complex karyotype, del (5q)/-5, del (7q)/-7, abn (3q26) and abn (11q23). In all, 77 (56%) achieved complete remission 1 (CR1) after induction chemotherapy and were eligible for haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). HCT was performed after a median of two cycles of consolidation chemotherapy (CT) in the AML '96 and one cycle in the AML '02 study (P=0.03). After a median follow-up of 19 months, overall survival (OS) at two years was significantly better in the donor group (52+/-9%) versus the no-donor group (24+/-8%; P=0.005). Differences in outcomes were mainly because of a lower relapse incidence in patients after HCT (39+/-11%) compared with a higher relapse incidence in patients undergoing CT (77+/-10%; P=0.0005). Treatment-related mortality was low and not statistically significantly different between the two treatment groups (15+/-7 and 5+/-5% for HCT and chemotherapy, respectively; P=0.49).We conclude that early HCT from related or unrelated donors led to significantly better OS and leukaemia-free survival compared with chemotherapy in patients with unfavourable karyotype.
日本造血細胞移植学会:平成 27 年度 全国調査報告書.2015.
足立壮一：急性骨髄性白血病（小児）第2版. 日本造血細胞移植学会ガイドライン委員会編 造血細胞移植ガイドライン第3巻 医薬ジャーナル社、大阪、2014年、28-42P.
日本小児血液学会編：小児白血病・リンパ腫の診療ガイドライン2011年版 金原出版、東京、2012年、45-58P.
Nathalie Aladjidi, Anne Auvrignon, Thierry Leblanc, Yves Perel, Antoine Bénard, Pierre Bordigoni, Virginie Gandemer, Isabelle Thuret, Jean Hugues Dalle, Christophe Piguet, Brigitte Pautard, André Baruchel, Guy Leverger, French Society of Pediatric Hematology and Immunology
Outcome in children with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia after initial treatment with the French Leucemie Aique Myeloide Enfant (LAME) 89/91 protocol of the French Society of Pediatric Hematology and Immunology.
J Clin Oncol. 2003 Dec 1;21(23):4377-85. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2003.11.066.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: After present first-line therapies for childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML), nearly 40% of patients still relapse. The goals of this retrospective study were to determine whether these children could be treated successfully with a salvage regimen and to establish the optimal therapeutic strategy.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the multicentric, prospective, Leucémie Aiquë Myéloïde Enfant 89/91 protocol, 106 of the 308 children enrolled between 1988 and 1998 relapsed. Initial treatment after the first complete remission (CR1) had been allogenic HLA-identical bone marrow transplantation (BMT; n = 21) or chemotherapy (n = 85). Treatment procedures were scheduled according to the choice of each participating institution.
RESULTS: When reinduction therapy was attempted, second complete remission (CR2) was obtained in 71% of patients (68 of 96 patients). BMT was performed in 53 (78%) of these 68 patients (autograft, mainly harvested in CR1, n = 25; matched sibling-donor BMT, n = 12; or alternative-donor BMT, n = 16). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate for all 106 patients was 33%, and the disease-free survival (DFS) rate for children in CR2 was 45%. Multivariate analysis of re-treated children showed that the 5-year OS was higher if the CR1 had been longer than 12 months compared with less than 12 months (54% v 24%, respectively; P =.001) and lower if maintenance therapy had been given after CR1 compared with chemotherapy without maintenance therapy or HLA-identical BMT (12% v 40% v 52%, respectively; P =.002). For patients attaining CR2, the 5-year DFS rate was not significantly different for matched sibling-donor BMT (60%), autograft (47%), or alternative-donor BMT (44%).
CONCLUSION: After aggressive first-line therapy, one third of unselected, relapsing AML children could be cured. Further prospective trials are warranted to define the optimal reinduction regimen and megadose chemotherapy and to evaluate the late effects of these therapies.
Jeffrey E Rubnitz, Bassem I Razzouk, Shelly Lensing, Stanley Pounds, Ching-Hon Pui, Raul C Ribeiro
Prognostic factors and outcome of recurrence in childhood acute myeloid leukemia.
Cancer. 2007 Jan 1;109(1):157-63. doi: 10.1002/cncr.22385.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: Outcome after recurrence of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is poor. We performed this study to identify prognostic factors for recurrence and for survival after recurrence of AML.
METHODS: The clinical characteristics, biological features, treatment modalities, and outcomes of children with de novo AML who were enrolled on 3 consecutive clinical protocols from 1987 to 2002 at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital were studied. Regression modeling was used to identify prognostic factors for recurrence and for survival after recurrence.
RESULTS: The outcome after recurrence was poor, with a 5-year survival estimate of only 23.3% +/- 5.7%. Multivariable analysis indicated that male sex (P = .005), autologous stem cell transplant before recurrence (P = .097), each additional month from diagnosis to recurrence (P = .041), and stem cell transplant after recurrence (P < .001) were associated with a better survival after recurrence, whereas M5 or M7 morphology (P = .001) were significantly predictive of a lower survival estimate after recurrence.
CONCLUSIONS: Survival after recurrence was poor in children with AML. Novel therapies are urgently needed to prevent or to treat recurring AML.
(c) 2006 American Cancer Society.
E R Nemecek, T A Gooley, A E Woolfrey, P A Carpenter, D C Matthews, J E Sanders
Outcome of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for children with advanced acute myeloid leukemia.
Bone Marrow Transplant. 2004 Nov;34(9):799-806. doi: 10.1038/sj.bmt.1704689.
Abstract/Text
Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) may offer the only chance of cure for children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in second complete remission (CR2) or with relapsed disease, but the outcome of these patients has not been clearly defined. We conducted a retrospective study of 58 children, median age 7.4 years (range 0.8-17.3), who received matched related or unrelated BMT at our institution for AML in CR2 (n = 12), in untreated first relapse (n = 11) or with refractory disease (n = 35), to identify risk factors associated with disease-free survival (DFS). Life threatening to fatal regimen-related toxicity was observed in 22% of patients. Estimates of DFS at 5 years (95% confidence interval) for patients in CR2, with untreated first relapse and refractory disease were 58% (27-80%), 36% (11-63%) and 9% (2-21%), respectively. Non-relapse mortality estimates were 0%, 27% (0-54%) and 17% (5-30%), and relapse estimates were 42% (14-70%), 36% (8-65%) and 74% (60-89%), respectively. Advanced disease phase and cytogenetic abnormalities at the time of transplantation were each associated with decreased DFS and increased relapse in multivariable regression models. Survival for children transplanted in CR2 or untreated first relapse is higher than that previously reported, but relapse remains the major cause of treatment failure regardless of disease stage.
Jonas Abrahamsson, Niels Clausen, Göran Gustafsson, Liisa Hovi, Gudmundur Jonmundsson, Bernward Zeller, Erik Forestier, Jesper Heldrup, Henrik Hasle, Nordic Society for Paediatric Haematology and Oncology (NOPHO)
Improved outcome after relapse in children with acute myeloid leukaemia.
Br J Haematol. 2007 Jan;136(2):229-236.
Abstract/Text
In the Nordic Society for Paediatric Haematology and Oncology paediatric study acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) 93, event-free survival was 50% and overall survival was 66%, indicating that many patients were cured following relapse. Factors influencing outcome in children with relapsed AML were investigated. The study included all 146 children in the Nordic countries diagnosed with AML between 1988 and 2003, who relapsed. Data on disease characteristics and relapse treatment were related to outcome. Sixty-six percentage achieved remission with survival after relapse (5 years) 34 +/- 4%. Of 122 patients who received re-induction therapy, 77% entered remission with 40 +/- 5% survival. Remission rates were similar for different re-induction regimens but fludarabine, cytarabine, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-based therapy had low treatment-related mortality. Prognostic factors for survival were duration of first complete remission (CR1) and stem cell transplantation (SCT) in CR1. In early relapse (<1 year in CR1), survival was 21 +/- 5% compared with 48 +/- 6% in late relapse. For children receiving re-induction therapy, survival in early relapse was 29 +/- 6% and 51 +/- 6% in late. Patients treated in CR1 with SCT, autologous SCT or chemotherapy had a survival of 18 +/- 9, 5 +/- 5 and 41 +/- 5%, respectively. Survival was 62 +/- 6% in 64 children given SCT as part of their relapse therapy. A significant proportion of children with relapsed AML can be cured, even those with early relapse. Children who receive re-induction therapy, enter remission and proceed to SCT can achieve a cure rate of 60%.
S Shenoy, F O Smith
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for childhood malignancies of myeloid origin.
Bone Marrow Transplant. 2008 Jan;41(2):141-8. doi: 10.1038/sj.bmt.1705961. Epub 2008 Jan 7.
Abstract/Text
Myeloid malignancies in children include de novo acute/chronic myeloid leukemia (AML/CML) and secondary malignancy due to genetic predisposition or previous therapy. Generations of clinical trials for childhood myeloid disorders have resulted in improved disease characterization and outcome, and defined therapeutic strategies combining chemotherapy, biologic response modifiers and immunotherapy. With advancement in molecular genetics and the development of sensitive techniques to detect response, residual disease and relapse, therapy can be tailored in a risk-based manner using clinical and biological/molecular parameters and several 'good-risk' myeloid malignancies enjoy high cure rates with targeted therapy. However, hematopoietic stem cell transplant remains the best method of treatment intensification for poor-risk disorders such as relapsed/secondary AML, myelodysplastic syndrome and juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia. Indications for transplant and outcomes of previous clinical studies, and novel transplant strategies designed to improve safety and efficacy of the procedure are reviewed.
Nancy J Bunin, Stella M Davies, Richard Aplenc, Bruce M Camitta, Kenneth B DeSantes, Rakesh K Goyal, Neena Kapoor, Nancy A Kernan, Joseph Rosenthal, Franklin O Smith, Mary Eapen
Unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation for children with acute myeloid leukemia beyond first remission or refractory to chemotherapy.
J Clin Oncol. 2008 Sep 10;26(26):4326-32. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2008.16.4442.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: Identify prognostic factors that influence outcome after unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation in children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Included are 268 patients (age RESULTS: In this analysis, the only risk factor that predicted leukemia recurrence and overall and leukemia-free survival was disease status at transplantation. The 5-year probabilities of leukemia-free survival were 45%, 20%, and 12% for patients who underwent transplantation at second complete remission, relapse, and primary induction failure, respectively. As expected, risk of acute but not chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was lower with T-cell-depleted bone marrow grafts; T-cell-depleted grafts were not associated with higher risks of leukemia recurrence. We observed similar risks of leukemia relapse in patients with and without acute and chronic GVHD.
CONCLUSION: Children who underwent transplantation in remission had a superior outcome compared with children who underwent transplantation during relapse or persistent disease. Nevertheless, 20% of children who underwent transplantation in relapse are long-term survivors, suggesting that unrelated donor bone marrow transplantation is an effective therapy in a significant proportion of children with recurrent or primary refractory AML.
Gertjan J L Kaspers, Martin Zimmermann, Dirk Reinhardt, Brenda E S Gibson, Rienk Y J Tamminga, Olga Aleinikova, Hortensia Armendariz, Michael Dworzak, Shau-Yin Ha, Henrik Hasle, Liisa Hovi, Alexei Maschan, Yves Bertrand, Guy G Leverger, Bassem I Razzouk, Carmelo Rizzari, Petr Smisek, Owen Smith, Batia Stark, Ursula Creutzig
Improved outcome in pediatric relapsed acute myeloid leukemia: results of a randomized trial on liposomal daunorubicin by the International BFM Study Group.
J Clin Oncol. 2013 Feb 10;31(5):599-607. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2012.43.7384. Epub 2013 Jan 14.
Abstract/Text
PURPOSE: In pediatric relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), optimal reinduction therapy is unknown. Studies suggest that liposomal daunorubicin (DNX; DaunoXome; Galen, Craigavon, United Kingdom) is effective and less cardiotoxic, which is important in this setting. These considerations led to a randomized phase III study by the International Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster Study Group.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with relapsed or primary refractory non-French-American-British type M3 AML who were younger than 21 years of age were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned to fludarabine, cytarabine, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (FLAG) or to FLAG plus DNX in the first reinduction course. The primary end point was status of the bone marrow (BM) sampled shortly before the second course of chemotherapy (the day 28 BM). Data are presented according to intention-to-treat for all 394 randomly assigned patients (median follow-up, 4.0 years).
RESULTS: The complete remission (CR) rate was 64%, and the 4-year probability of survival (pOS) was 38% (SE, 3%). The day 28 BM status (available in 359 patients) was good (≤ 20% leukemic blasts) in 80% of patients randomly assigned to FLAG/DNX and 70% for patients randomly assigned to FLAG (P = .04). Concerning secondary end points, the CR rate was 69% with FLAG/DNX and 59% with FLAG (P = .07), but overall survival was similar. However, core-binding factor (CBF) AML treated with FLAG/DNX resulted in pOS of 82% versus 58% with FLAG (P = .04). Grade 3 to 4 toxicity was essentially similar in both groups.
CONCLUSION: DNX added to FLAG improves early treatment response in pediatric relapsed AML. Overall long-term survival was similar, but CBF-AML showed an improved survival with FLAG/DNX. International collaboration proved feasible and resulted in the best outcome for pediatric relapsed AML reported thus far.
