Adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and molecular failure display a poor prognosis and are candidates for stem cell transplantation and targeted therapies

Abstract Quantification of minimal residual disease (MRD) by real-time PCR directed to TCR and Ig gene rearrangements allows a refined evaluation of response in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The German Multicenter Study Group for Adult ALL prospectively evaluated molecular response after induction/consolidation chemotherapy according to standardized methods and terminology in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative ALL. The cytologic complete response (CR) rate was 89% after induction phases 1 and 2. At this time point the molecular CR rate was 70% in 580 patients with cytologic CR and evaluable MRD. Patients with molecular CR after consolidation had a significantly higher probability of continuous complete remission (CCR; 74% vs 35%; P < .0001) and of overall survival (80% vs 42%; P = .0001) compared with patients with molecular failure. Patients with molecular failure without stem cell transplantation (SCT) in first CR relapsed after a median time of 7.6 months; CCR and survival at 5 years only reached 12% and 33%, respectively. Quantitative MRD assessment identified patients with molecular failure as a new high-risk group. These patients display resistance to conventional drugs and are candidates for treatment with targeted, experimental drugs and allogeneic SCT. Molecular response was shown to be highly predictive for outcome and therefore constitutes a relevant study end point. The studies are registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00199056 and NCT00198991.

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The role of stem cell transplantation in the management of Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Therapeutic Advances in Hematology ◽

10.1177/2040620718811772 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

pp. 357-368 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jose-Maria Ribera ◽

Jordi Ribera ◽

Eulalia Genescà

Keyword(s):

Stem Cell ◽

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Stem Cell Transplantation ◽

Cell Transplantation ◽

Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Philadelphia Chromosome ◽

Molecular Response ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Philadelphia Chromosome Positive

The concurrent administration of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) with standard chemotherapy together with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) has improved the outcome of patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Although to date, no study has shown alloHSCT to be inferior to chemotherapy plus TKIs in any subgroup of adult Ph+ ALL, there is some evidence suggesting no additional benefit of alloHSCT in patients with deep molecular responses to intensive chemotherapy with a second-generation, and especially, third-generation TKI. As none of these positive and negative studies are controlled, randomized trials are needed to fully define the role of alloHSCT in Ph+ ALL, especially in those with deep molecular response. However, if studies combining TKIs with new approaches such as immunotherapy lead to durable responses, alloHSCT in the first complete remission could be avoided in the near future in the majority of patients with Ph+ ALL.

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Outcome of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation in Adult Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: No Difference in Related Compared With Unrelated Transplant in First Complete Remission

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2004.07.130 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 22 (14) ◽

pp. 2816-2825 ◽

Cited By ~ 152

Author(s):

Michael G. Kiehl ◽

Ludwig Kraut ◽

Rainer Schwerdtfeger ◽

Bernd Hertenstein ◽

Mats Remberger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Stem Cell ◽

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Complete Remission ◽

Stem Cell Transplantation ◽

Cell Transplantation ◽

Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽

Philadelphia Chromosome ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

First Complete Remission

Purpose The role of unrelated allogeneic stem-cell transplantation in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients is still not clear, and only limited data are available from the literature. We analyzed factors affecting clinical outcome of ALL patients receiving a related or unrelated stem-cell graft from matched donors. Patients and Methods The total study population was 264 adult patients receiving a myeloablative allogeneic stem-cell transplant for ALL at nine bone marrow transplantation centers between 1990 and 2002. Of these, 221 patients receiving a matched related or unrelated graft were analyzed. One hundred forty-eight patients received transplantation in complete remission; 62 patients were in relapse; and 11 patients were refractory to chemotherapy before transplant. Fifty percent of patients received bone marrow, and 50% received peripheral blood stem cell from a human leukocyte antigen–identical related (n = 103), or matched unrelated (n = 118) donor. Results Disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 years was 28%, with 76 patients (34%) still alive (2.2 to 103 months post-transplantation), and 145 deceased (65 relapses, transplant-related mortality, 45%). We observed an advantage regarding DFS in favor of patients receiving transplantation during their first complete remission (CR) in comparison with patients receiving transplantation in or after second CR (P = .014) or who relapsed (P < .001). We observed a clear trend toward improved survival in favor of B-lineage ALL patients compared with T-lineage ALL patients (P = .052), and Philadelphia chromosome–positive patients had no poorer outcome than Philadelphia chromosome–negative patients. Total-body irradiation–based conditioning improved DFS in comparison with busulfan (P = .041). Conclusion Myeloablative matched related or matched unrelated allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation in ALL patients should be performed in first CR.

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