Comparison of Salvage Chemotherapy Regimens in Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Abstract Background Induction therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a cytarabine-anthracycline regimen (7+3) is well-established; however, there is no standard salvage therapy for patients with relapsed/refractory AML (RR-AML). There is a paucity of data regarding outcomes with salvage regimens in RR-AML that include cladribine, cytarabine, and filgrastim with mitoxantrone (CLAG-M) or without mitoxantrone (CLAG), and mitoxantrone, etoposide, and cytarabine (MEC). We compared outcomes of patients receiving CLAG-M, CLAG or MEC as salvage therapy for RR-AML. Methods A multi-center retrospective study was conducted, including 146 adult RR-AML patients who underwent salvage therapy at the University of Wisconsin and Medical College of Wisconsin from 2009 to 2018. Demographic, clinical and pathologic factors were ascertained at the time of RR-AML diagnosis. The Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) response criteria were used. Refractory AML was defined as failure to achieve remission after one or more courses of induction chemotherapy. Minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative was defined by the absence of leukemic cells by morphology and flow cytometry (<0.01%). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). Bivariate analyses, using chi-square and t-test, and logistic regression analyses were performed for baseline characteristics and response to salvage chemotherapy. Kaplan-Meier analyses, using the log-rank test, were conducted. Cox regression analyses were used to correlate factors with OS. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% CI were obtained. Statistical significance was considered at P<0.05. Results The study included 146 patients with relapsed (57.5%, n=84) or refractory (42.5%, n=62) AML who received CLAG-M (51%, n=74), MEC (39%, n=57) or CLAG (10%, n=15) salvage chemotherapy. Baseline characteristics were similar between the three groups (all P>0.1). Median age was 60 years (range 22-77 years) and 59% patients were male. AML was classified according to WHO 2016 guidelines as AML with recurrent genetic abnormalities (23%), myelodysplasia (MDS)-related AML (25%), therapy-related AML (8%) and AML not otherwise specified (44%). Cytogenetics were good (5%), intermediate (60%) and poor (36%) with normal (41%), complex (25%), trisomy (8%) and monosomy 5 or 7 (5.5%) being common karyotypes. Among those who had molecular testing (n=119), NPM1 and FLT3-ITD were reported in 21% and 20% patients respectively. AML risk status was good (16%), intermediate (32%) and poor (52%), based on cytogenetic and molecular abnormalities as per ELN 2017 and NCCN 2018 guidelines. Extramedullary disease was present in 13% patients. Prior hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) was performed in 13% patients. Median lab values prior to salvage regimen were: hemoglobin 9.1 g/dL, platelets 49 K/uL, leukocytes 2.5 K/uL, LDH 231 U/L and bone marrow myeloblasts 28%. Overall response rate was 49% (CLAG-M 55%, n=41/74; MEC 44%, n=25/57, CLAG 40%, n=6/15) with complete remission (CR) rate of 46% (CLAG-M 54%, MEC 37%, CLAG 40%) [P=0.140]. Three percent patients (n=5; CLAG-M=1, MEC=4) had CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi). MRD analysis was available for 83 patients and a trend was seen in MRD-negative CR rates favoring CLAG-M (44%) over MEC (25%) or CLAG (17%) [P=0.128]. Sixty-six patients (45%) received subsequent HSCT (CLAG-M 50%, n=37/74; MEC 44%, 25/57; CLAG 27%, n=4/15) [P=0.245]. At last follow-up, 34% patients were in CR (CLAG-M 42%, MEC 28%, CLAG 20%) [P=0.120]. Fifty (34%) patients were alive at last follow-up (CLAG-M 46%, MEC 23%, CLAG 20%) [P=0.010]. Median OS was 9.7 months (95% CI 6.8-12.6) that was significantly better with CLAG-M (13.3 months, 95% CI 2.4-24.3) compared to MEC (6.9 months, 95% CI 2.9-10.9) or CLAG (6.2 months, 95% CI 2.4-12.6) [P=0.025] Figure 1. In multivariate model adjusted for age, gender and refractory vs relapsed AML, MEC (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.13-2.71, P=0.013) and CLAG (HR 1.97, 95% CI 1.02-3.79, P=0.043) regimens had worse OS compared to CLAG-M. After adjusting for age, gender, refractory vs relapsed AML and HSCT, CLAG-M remained independent predictor of better OS (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.42-0.97, P=0.037). Conclusion CLAG-M compared to MEC or CLAG is associated with significantly better OS in RR-AML regardless of age, refractory vs relapsed AML and HSCT. Our findings support the use of CLAG-M as a preferred salvage regimen for RR-AML. Figure 1. Figure 1. Disclosures Atallah: Novartis: Consultancy; BMS: Consultancy; Jazz: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy.

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Prognostic Significance of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2018-99-112204 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 5246-5246

Author(s):

Muhammad Umair Mushtaq ◽

Sibgha Gull Chaudhary ◽

Guru Subramanian Guru Murthy ◽

Aric C. Hall ◽

Ehab L. Atallah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Prognostic Significance ◽

Salvage Chemotherapy ◽

Lymphocyte Ratio ◽

Molecular Abnormalities ◽

Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Acute Myeloid ◽

Refractory Aml

Abstract Background The inflammatory and immune response in tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in cancer progression. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been reported as a prognostic factor in solid and lymphoid malignancies. We explored the association of NLR with response to chemotherapy and overall survival (OS) in patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (RR-AML). Methods A single-center retrospective study was conducted, including 63 adult RR-AML patients who underwent salvage therapy at the University of Wisconsin from 2009 to 2018. Demographic, clinical and pathologic factors were ascertained at the time of RR-AML diagnosis. Refractory AML was defined as failure to achieve remission and <50% reduction in myeloblasts after one or more courses of induction chemotherapy according to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) reporting criteria. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). Bivariate analyses, using chi-square and t-test, and Kaplan-Meier analyses, using log-rank test, were performed. Cox regression analyses were conducted to correlate factors with OS. Hazard ratios (HR) and adjusted HR (aHR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained. Statistical significance was considered at P<0.05. Results The study included 63 patients with relapsed (57%) or refractory (43%) AML. Median age was 58 years and 59% of patients were male. AML was classified according to WHO 2016 guidelines as AML with recurrent genetic abnormalities (25%), myelodysplasia (MDS)-related AML (25%), therapy-related AML (6%) and AML not otherwise specified (43%). Cytogenetics were good (5%), intermediate (68%) and poor (27%) with normal (46%), complex (17.5%) and trisomy (14%) being common karyotypes. Frequent molecular abnormalities were NPM1 (21%), FLT3-ITD (17.5%), FLT3-TKD (8%), DNMT3A (6%) and CEBPA (5%). AML risk status was good (19%), intermediate (36.5%) and poor (44.5%), based on cytogenetic and molecular abnormalities as defined by the ELN 2017 and NCCN 2018 guidelines. Extramedullary disease was present in 11% of patients. Prior hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) was performed in 13% of patients. Median values for clinical factors were: hemoglobin 9.2 g/dL, platelets 43 K/uL, leukocytes 1.7 K/uL, neutrophils 262 /uL, lymphocytes 820 /uL and LDH 211 U/L. Median bone marrow cellularity was 50% with 35% myeloblasts. Median NLR was 0.22 (mean 1.54) and 11% patients had NLR of 3 or more. Salvage chemotherapy included MEC (71%), CLAG-M (24%) and CLAG (5%). Complete remission (CR) was noted in 36.5% patients, 8% of patients had CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi) and 55.5% patients were refractory. Thirty patients (48%) received HSCT, of which 40% (n=12/30) were refractory or relapsed. After index salvage regimen, about half of patients received one (33%) or two (16%) lines of further chemotherapy. At last follow-up, 32% of patients were in CR and 62% had relapsed or refractory disease. Nineteen (30%) patients were alive at last follow-up with a median OS of 8.1 months (95% CI 5.0-11.1). Significant correlates of poor OS included MDS-related AML (HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.13-4.27, P=0.021) and therapy-related AML (HR 4.02, 95% CI 1.16-13.90, P=0.028) compared to de-novo AML, poor-risk AML (HR 3.09, 95% CI 1.18-8.10, P=0.022) compared to good-risk AML, refractory to salvage chemotherapy (HR 7.04, 95% CI 3.51-14.14, P<0.001) and high NLR (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.04-1.23, P=0.003) while HSCT (HR 0.25, 95% CI 0.13-0.48, P<0.001) predicted better OS. Relapsed vs refractory AML was not associated with OS. In age- and gender-adjusted multivariate model, MDS-related AML (aHR 3.85, 95% CI 1.68-8.87, P=0.002), therapy-related AML (aHR 4.72, 95% CI 1.10-20.31, P=0.037), refractory to salvage chemotherapy (aHR 12.93, 95% CI 4.95-33.78, P<0.001), HSCT (aHR 0.12, 95% CI 0.05-0.27, P<0.001) and high NLR (aHR 1.14, 95% CI 1.05-1.25, P=0.004) independently predicted OS. Median OS in patients with NLR of 3 or more was 3.4 months (95% CI 3.2-3.7) versus 9.2 months (95% CI 7.1-11.3) in those with NLR <3 (P=0.040). Conclusion High NLR independently predicts poor OS in RR-AML patients. Our findings warrant further studies with a large prospective cohort to explore the prognostic significance of NLR and incorporate it in AML risk assessment. Disclosures Atallah: BMS: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Jazz: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy.

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Analysis of Efficacy and Prognostic Factors of CLAG Treatment in Chinese Patients with Refractory or Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acta Haematologica ◽

10.1159/000493250 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 141 (1) ◽

pp. 43-53 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Li Wang ◽

Jun Xu ◽

Xiaolong Tian ◽

Tingting Lv ◽

Guolin Yuan

Keyword(s):

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

High Risk ◽

Risk Stratification ◽

Salvage Therapy ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Median Overall Survival ◽

Remission Rate ◽

Chinese Patients ◽

Acute Myeloid

Background/Aims: The aim of this work was to investigate the efficacy and predictive factors of CLAG treatment in refractory or relapsed (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. Methods: Sixty-seven R/R AML patients were enrolled in this prospective cohort study and treated by a CLAG regimen: 5 mg/m2/day cladribine (days 1–5), 2 g/m2/day cytarabine (days 1–5), and 300 μg/day filgrastim (days 0–5). The median follow-up duration was 10 months. Results: A total of 57 out of 67 patients were evaluable for remission after CLAG therapy, of whom 57.9% achieved a complete remission (CR) and the overall remission rate was 77.2%. The median overall survival (OS) was 10.0 months, with a 1-year OS of 40.3 ± 6.0% and 3-year OS of 16.7 ± 5.7%. CR at first induction after the initial diagnosis was associated with a favorable CR. Age above 60 years, high risk stratification, second or higher salvage therapy, and bone marrow (BM) blasts ≥42.1% were correlated with an unfavorable CR. Secondary disease, age ≥60 years, high risk stratification, and second or higher salvage therapy were associated with worse OS. Patients developed thrombocytopenia (41, 61%), febrile neutropenia (37, 55%), leukopenia (33, 49%), neutropenia (18, 27%), and anemia (9, 13%). Conclusion: CLAG was effective and well tolerated for R/R AML. BM blasts ≥42.1%, age ≥60 years, high risk stratification, and second or higher salvage therapy were independent factors for a poor prognosis.

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Clinical Outcomes Following Treatment with Gilteritinib or Quizartinib in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory FLT3-ITD+ Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2020-136118 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 42-43

Author(s):

Alexander E. Perl ◽

Qiaoyang Lu ◽

Alan Fan ◽

Nahla Hasabou ◽

Erhan Berrak ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Complete Remission ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Research Funding ◽

Phase 3 ◽

Hematopoietic Stem ◽

Travel Costs ◽

Baseline Characteristics ◽

Acute Myeloid

Background: Gilteritinib is approved for patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory (R/R) FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML), based on findings from the phase 3 ADMIRAL trial (Perl AE, et al. N Engl J Med. 2019). A phase 3 trial, QuANTUM-R, demonstrated the benefit of quizartinib in pts with R/R AML with FLT3 internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) mutations (Cortes JE, et al. Lancet Oncol. 2019). Although eligibility criteria across both studies were similar, QuANTUM-R was more stringent as to prior therapy intensity and remission duration, which potentially enriched for higher-risk pts. We sought to describe outcomes from ADMIRAL among pts who otherwise met eligibility for QuANTUM-R. Methods: In this post-hoc analysis, a subset of pts from ADMIRAL were matched with R/R FLT3-ITD+ AML pts from QuANTUM-R on the basis of baseline characteristics and prior treatment criteria. Matched pts were either refractory to initial anthracycline-based chemotherapy or had relapsed ≤6 mos after achieving composite complete remission (CRc) with an anthracycline-based regimen. Results: Overall, 218 pts with R/R FLT3-ITD+ AML in the ADMIRAL trial (gilteritinib, n=140; salvage chemotherapy [SC], n=78) were matched with the QuANTUM-R intention-to treat (ITT) population (N=367; quizartinib, n=245; SC, n=122). Proportions of pts preselected for high-intensity SC were 66% (n=143/218) in the matched ADMIRAL ITT population and 77% (n=281/367) in the QuANTUM-R ITT populations. Demographic and baseline characteristics of the matched ADMIRAL ITT population and QuANTUM-R ITT population were similar. Median durations of exposure to gilteritinib and quizartinib were 3.8 mos and 3.2 mos, respectively, and median number of treatment cycles received were five and four, respectively. Rates of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) were similar in pts treated with gilteritinib (35%; n=49/140) or quizartinib (32%; n=78/245), as were the proportions of pts who resumed gilteritinib (23%; n=32/140) or quizartinib (20%; n=48/245) therapy post-HSCT. Median overall survival (OS) in pts treated with gilteritinib or quizartinib was longer than that observed with SC. After a median follow-up of 17.4 mos, median OS was 10.2 mos with gilteritinib versus 5.6 mos with SC (hazard ratio [HR]=0.573 [95% CI: 0.403, 0.814]; one-sided nominal P=0.0008). After a median follow-up of 23.5 mos, median OS with quizartinib was 6.2 mos versus 4.7 mos with SC (HR=0.76 [95% CI: 0.58-0.98]; one-sided P=0.02). After censoring for HSCT, median OS was 9.3 mos with gilteritinib versus 5.5 mos with SC (HR=0.525 [95% CI: 0.356-0.775]; nominal one-sided P=0.0005), and 5.7 mos versus 4.6 mos with quizartinib versus SC, respectively (HR=0.79 [95% CI: 0.59, 1.05]; one-sided P=0.05). In both QuANTUM-R and matched ADMIRAL populations, the survival benefits of quizartinib and gilteritinib compared with SC were maintained across multiple subgroups, including high FLT3-ITD allelic ratio subsets. Compared with SC, high CRc rates were observed in pts treated with either gilteritinib (57%; n=80/140) or quizartinib (48%; n=118/245). The complete remission (CR) rate with gilteritinib was 23% (n=32/140), whereas the CR rate with quizartinib was 4% (n=10/245) (Table). Median time to achieve CRc was 1.8 mos with gilteritinib and 1.1 mos with quizartinib, median duration of CRc was 5.5 mos with gilteritinib and 2.8 mos with quizartinib. The safety profiles of gilteritinib and quizartinib were generally similar, though aspartate or alanine aminotransferase elevations (any grade) were more frequent with gilteritinib (41-44%) than quizartinib (≤13%), whereas neutropenia (14% vs 34%, respectively), fatigue (24% vs 39%, respectively), and prolonged QT intervals (9% vs 27%, respectively) were more frequent with quizartinib. Conclusions: In pts with R/R FLT3-ITD+ AML and similar baseline characteristics, both gilteritinib and quizartinib were generally well tolerated and associated with improved survival and treatment response compared with SC. Responses to gilteritinib and quizartinib, as measured by CRc, were similar; blood count recovery varied between the two FLT3 inhibitors. Although cross-study comparisons have substantial limitations, the findings suggest that while remission is achieved faster with quizartinib, response may be more durable and survival potentially longer with gilteritinib. Disclosures Perl: Syndax: Consultancy, Honoraria; Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Beat AML: Consultancy; Novartis: Honoraria, Other, Research Funding; Agios: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other; Jazz: Honoraria, Other; FORMA Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: Writing/editorial support, travel costs for meetings, Research Funding; FUJIFILM Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc: Research Funding; New Link Genetics: Honoraria, Other; Arog Pharmaceuticals Inc: Other: uncompensated consulting, travel costs for meetings; Actinium Pharmaceuticals Inc: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Biomed Valley Discoveries: Research Funding; Astellas: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: writing/editorial support, travel costs for meeting presentations related to study, Research Funding; Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; AbbVie Inc: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other, Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria, Other: Travel costs for meeting; Loxo Oncology Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly & Company: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other. Lu:Astellas: Current Employment. Fan:Astellas Pharma: Current Employment. Hasabou:Astellas Pharma: Current Employment. Berrak:Astellas: Current Employment. Tiu:Eli Lilly & Company: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Ended employment in the past 24 months; Astellas Pharma Global Development: Current Employment.

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Outcome of Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Refractory to 1 or 2 Cycles of Induction Chemotherapy

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v126.23.1319.1319 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 126 (23) ◽

pp. 1319-1319 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ahmad Zarzour ◽

Aziz Nazha ◽

Matt Kalaycio ◽

Bhumika J. Patel ◽

Aaron T. Gerds ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Board Of Directors ◽

Induction Chemotherapy ◽

Salvage Therapy ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Advisory Committees ◽

Resistance To Chemotherapy ◽

Acute Myeloid

Abstract Background Achieving a complete remission (CR) in patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after induction chemotherapy with cytarabine and an anthracycline (7+3) remains an important treatment goal associated with better overall survival (OS). Approximately 25-30% of younger, and up to 50% of older patients (pts) fail to achieve CR. AML pts with residual leukemia at day 14 receive a second cycle of the same regimen; whether these pts have worse survival than pts not requiring re-induction is unclear. Information on pts with primary refractory AML and the best treatment strategy in this setting are limited. Methods Pts with newly diagnosed AML treated at our institution between 1/2000 and 1/2015 were included. Pts received standard induction chemotherapy with cytarabine for 7 days and an anthracycline for 3 days (7+3). Bone marrow biopsies were obtained at day 14 and a second cycle of the same regimen (7+3 for younger adults, 5+2 for older adults) was given to pts with residual leukemia (blasts > 5%). All responses were assessed at day 30 +/- 5 days post induction. Response was defined as CR and CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi) or platelet recovery (CRp) per International Working Group (IWG) 2003 response criteria. Cytogenetic risk stratifications were based on CALGB/Alliance criteria. OS was calculated from the time of diagnosis to time of death or last follow up. A panel of 62 gene mutations that have been described as recurrent mutations in myeloid malignancies was used to evaluate whether genomic data can be used to predict response. Results: Among 227 pts with AML, 123 received 7+3 and had clinical and mutational data available. Median age was 60 years (range, 23-82). Median baseline WBC was 8.2 X 109/L (range, 0.3-227), hemoglobin 8.9 g/L (range, 4.7-13.8), platelets 47 X 109/L (range, 9-326), and BM blasts 46% (range, 20-95). Cytogenetic risk groups were: favorable in 12 (10%), intermediate in 68 (56%) [normal karyotype in 44 (36%)], and unfavorable in 42 (34%). A total of 93 pts (76%) responded, 69 (74%) received 1 cycle of induction and 24 (26%) required re-induction at day 14 due to residual leukemia. A total of 39 pts (32%) received allogeneic stem cell transplant (ASCT): 18 (46%) from a matched sibling donor, 16 (41%) from a matched unrelated donor and 5 (13%) had an umbilical cord transplant. With a median follow up of 13.5 months, the median OS for the entire group was 13 months (m, range, 0.1-120). The median OS for pts who failed 1-2 cycles of 7+3 was significantly worse than pts who responded (median 2.6 vs 16.9 m, p = 0.002). When pts undergoing ASCT were censored, the median OS was 2.3 vs 9.9 m, p= 0.003, respectively. Overall, 33 pts (27%) had residual leukemia at day 14 and received re-induction, 24 (72%) achieved a response at day 30+/- 5 days. The median OS for pts who received re-induction was inferior compared to pts who did not (10.1 vs. 16.1 months, p= 0.02). When pts who received ASCT were censored, the OS was similar (8.5 vs. 7.4 months, p = 0.49, respectively). Among the 30 pts with persistent disease following induction therapy at day 30, 11 (37%) died from induction complications, 6 (20%) received salvage therapy with mitoxantrone/etoposide/cytarabine, 3 (10%) received high dose cytarabine, 2 (7%) received azacitidine, and 8 (27%) received best supportive care. Among pts who received salvage chemotherapy 56% achieved CR and proceeded with ASCT. Two pts had ASCT with residual leukemia and relapsed within 3 m of ASCT. Pts who received ASCT after induction failure had a significantly better OS compared to non-transplant pts (median OS 22.0 vs. 1.4 months, p < 0.001, respectively); however, this benefit was only seen in pts who had ASCT in CR. We then investigated if genomic mutations can predict response or resistance to chemotherapy. Out of the 62 genes tested, only a TP53 mutation was associated with resistance, p = 0.02. Further, pts with TP53 mutations had significantly inferior OS compared to TP53 wild type regardless of ASCT status (1.4 vs 14.8 m, p< 0.001) Conclusion: Pts with newly diagnosed AML who fail induction chemotherapy with a 7+3 regimen have a poor outcome. Re-induction with the same regimen at day 14 for residual leukemia converted most non-responders to responders, but was associated with worse OS. ASCT improves outcome only in pts who achieve CR with salvage therapy. TP53 mutations predicted resistance to chemotherapy with 7+3. Disclosures Carew: Boehringer Ingelheim: Research Funding. Sekeres:TetraLogic: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene Corporation: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

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Survival Outcomes In Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients Who Achieve Less-Than-Complete Response After Salvage Therapy

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v122.21.2654.2654 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 122 (21) ◽

pp. 2654-2654 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shilpan S. Shah ◽

Hagop M Kantarjian ◽

Farhad Ravandi ◽

Susan O'Brien ◽

Guillermo Garcia-Manero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Overall Survival ◽

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Complete Remission ◽

Salvage Therapy ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Blood Count ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Acute Myeloid ◽

Refractory Aml ◽

Count Recovery

Abstract Background Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who achieve complete remission (CR) after frontline therapy have better outcomes in terms of relapse-free survival and overall survival than those who fail to achieve CR. Patients that achieve complete remission with incomplete platelet recovery (CRp) have an inferior outcome than those with CR, but better than those with no response (Walter et al, JCO 2010). In the setting of relapsed or refractory patients who receive salvage therapy, responses such as CRp and CR with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi) may be seen more frequently. However the clinical benefit of such responses is not known. Aim To evaluate if less-than-complete remissions (CRi) after salvage therapy impact overall survival in relapsed or refractory AML patients when compared to complete remission and no response. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients who received salvage therapy (1st and 2nd salvage only) for relapsed or refractory AML at our institution between 2010 and 2012. To assess achievement of response, patients usually have to survive at least 4 weeks as the bone marrow assessment is done at this time. Thus, to adjust for the lead-time bias of patients who achieved any kind of response, only patients who survived at least 4 weeks from the initiation of therapy were included in the analysis. The responses were classified into 3 categories – 1. Complete remission (CR); 2. Incomplete response which includes incomplete blood count recovery (CRi), morphologically leukemia free (MLF), partial response (PR) and 3. No response. Response categories were defined according to the International Working Group response definitions (Cheson et al, 2003). Results During the observation period, 217 patients received 1st or 2nd salvage therapy. Twenty-one of these patients died before 4 weeks after initiation of treatment and were therefore excluded from this analysis. Median age of all patients was 60 years (18-86). 118 patients had received one prior therapy (i.e., 1st salvage group) while 78 had two prior therapies (i.e., 2nd salvage group). Salvage therapy for this analysis was heterogeneous and was classified into hypomethylating agent based therapy in 23 (12%) patients, high-dose cytarabine (>500mg/m2) based regimens in 133 (68%) patients and various investigational regimens in 40 (20%) patients. The last group included investigational new agents or standard agents (other than hypomethylating or cytarabine) being studied in investigational doses or combinations. Prognostic groups based on cytogenetics showed 11(6%), 25(13%), 71(36%) and 76(38%) patients had favorable, intermediate, diploid and adverse cytogenetics, respectively. In 13 (7%) patients, we had insufficient or no sample for cytogenetics. Thirty-five (18%) were FLT3-ITD positive, FLT D835 point mutation was positive in 10 (5%) patients, 2 patients had both ITD and point mutation and FLT3 status was not available in 8(4%) patients; all others were negative. After salvage therapy, 39 (20%) patients achieved CR at some point in their therapy. CRi/PR/MLF was seen in 35 (18%) patients and remaining had no response. Within the CRi/PR/MLF group, the number of patients achieving CRi, MLF and PR were 28, 6 and 1, respectively. The median survival of all patients was 28.4 weeks. Median overall survival for patients in three groups was 79 weeks, 45 weeks and 27 weeks, respectively (p<0.001). Considering only patients receiving 1st salvage therapy, the median survivals for the three groups were 45.6, 41.0 and 28.9 weeks, respectively. Corresponding values for those receiving 2nd salvage were 42.1, 28.1 and 26.7 weeks, respectively. A total of 62(31%) patients received stem cell transplant out of which 47 (24%) had received it after the salvage therapy. Three patients had received two stem cell transplants and salvage therapy was in between the two. The number of patients receiving transplant in three groups (CR, CRi and no response) were 21 (11%), 16(8%) and 13(7%), respectively. Conclusions This analysis suggests that achievement of CRi, MLF or PR in AML patients receiving 1st or 2nd salvage therapy is associated with clinical benefit manifested by improved survival. Although CR still confers the greatest benefit, lesser responses also have a significant impact in survival. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

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Survival of Patients Diagnosed with Primary Refractory and Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia from 2008-2012: A Single Institution Experience

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v126.23.4955.4955 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 126 (23) ◽

pp. 4955-4955

Author(s):

Simon B. Zeichner ◽

Shannon Gleason ◽

Ana G. Antun ◽

Amelia Langston ◽

Leonard T Heffner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Prognostic Score ◽

Molecular Signatures ◽

Oncology Group ◽

Prognostic Variables ◽

Ecog Ps ◽

Acute Myeloid ◽

Refractory Aml

Abstract Introduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most lethal types of adult cancer, with 10,460 deaths among 18,860 diagnoses in 2014. Although some patients are cured with induction and consolidation chemotherapy with or without stem cell transplantation (SCT), between 50-80% of patients will either fail to obtain a complete remission (CR; primary refractory AML) or will relapse. The median overall survival (OS) for relapsed and refractory AML patients is dismal, and there is no clear consensus on the management of relapsed/refractory AML. In this study, with extended follow-up, we set out to look at our own experience with primary refractory and relapsed AML patients in order to try to identify the best therapy and factors associated with improved outcomes. Methods: This retrospective study in AML patients seen at Emory University Hospital (EUH) was IRB approved. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the demographic and clinical variables. Cytogenetic and molecular signatures were defined based upon the European Leukemia Network and Southwest Oncology group classifications (Döhner et al. 2010, Slovak et al. 2000). Response criteria were based upon the revised recommendations of the International Working Group (Cheson et al. 2003). The combined prognostic score was created using previously validated prognostic variables including age (< 60 vs. >/= 60), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS; 0-1 vs. >/= 2), and cytogenetic and molecular signatures (favorable vs unfavorable). A score of 0 was termed "favorable" and a score of 1 or greater was termed "unfavorable." The Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard statistical methods were used to estimate OS. Results: Review of electronic medical records identified 67 consecutive patients between January 1st 2008 and December 31st 2012 diagnosed with primary refractory or relapsed AML. Median age was 56 (range 18-81). Cytogenetic/molecular signatures were favorable in 6%, intermediate in 60%, and unfavorable in 34%, and PS was 0-1 in 34% and 2 in 66%. The majority of patients had a combined prognostic score of unfavorable (n = 53, 79%). Among the 67 patients, 17 (25%) achieved CR with salvage therapy, with 13 (76%) of those able to undergo SCT. With an extended follow-up of approximately 5.6 years, the median OS of our refractory/relapsed AML cohort was 4 months (95% CI 2.2-5.8), with 8% of patients living at least 5 years from their date of relapse. Univariate analysis identified the following factors to be associated with a significantly worse median OS: Secondary AML at initial diagnosis (2.0 vs 5.0 months; p = 0.005), unfavorable cytogenetic/molecular signature at initial diagnosis (3.0 vs 6.0 months; p = 0.014), ECOG PS of 2 or greater at relapse (2.0 vs. 7.0 months; p< 0.001), an unfavorable combined prognostic score at relapse (3.0 vs 18.0 months; p < 0.001), lack of SCT after salvage (3.0 vs. 39.0 months; p < 0.001), lack of treatment in the refractory/relapsed setting with the combination of induction chemotherapy and hypomethylating agents (1.0 vs 8.0 months; p < 0.001), and lack of attainment of CR in the refractory/relapsed setting (3.0 vs. 40.0 months; p < 0.001). In the final multivariable model, only a favorable combined prognostic score at relapse (hazard ratio, HR 0.5; 95% CI 0-0.8; p = 0.02; Figure 1) and ECOG PS of 0-1 (HR 0.42; 95% CI 0.1-0.8; p=0.04) were associated with an improved OS, while the lack of attainment of a CR in the refractory/relapsed setting (HR 15.9; 95%CI 15.2-16.6; p < 0.001; Figure 2) was associated with a worse OS. Conclusion: In our cohort, the median OS among all patients diagnosed with primary refractory/relapsed AML was dismal. Despite the incorporation of novel agents and treatment approaches among this vulnerable patient population, there remains significant heterogeneity in patient outcomes within the first year, with only a small minority having a significantly longer OS. Similarly to patients with newly diagnosed AML, the most important prognostic variables among our refractory/relapsed AML cohort appears to be their combined prognostic score and their ability to achieve a CR in the salvage setting. It may be beneficial for future studies to focus on improving both, modifiable patient prognostic factors (i.e., PS) and treatment approaches in order to achieve CR in the refractory/relapsed setting. Figure 1. Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 2. Disclosures Kota: Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Leukemia Lymphoma Society: Research Funding.

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Sorafenib as a Salvage Therapy in FLT3-ITD Negative Relapse/ Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry ◽

10.2174/1871520618666180307125544 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 (10) ◽

pp. 1489-1494

Author(s):

Nan Yang ◽

Zhenyang Gu ◽

Zhanxiang Liu ◽

Wenrong Huang ◽

Shuhong Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Salvage Therapy ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Kinase Inhibitor ◽

Residual Disease ◽

Disease Status ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

Cns Relapse ◽

Acute Myeloid ◽

Refractory Aml

Background: Multi-kinase inhibitor sorafenib showed dramatic effects in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells harboring fms-related tyrosine kinase 3-internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) mutation. However, FLT3-ITD mutation only occurs in 25% of AML cases. The therapeutic effects of sorafenib in AML patients without FLT3-ITD are still in need of further investigation. Methods: A young AML patient with central nervous system (CNS) relapse was treated with sorafenib combined with chemotherapy. Another patient with refractory AML arising form chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) was treated with sorafenib monotherapy. Spinal and cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), minimal residual disease (MRD) and peripheral blood cell count were monitored to evaluate disease status. Results: The patient with CNS relapse exhibited significant shrink of tumor volume. The other patient with refractory AML achieved hematological improvements. Conclusion: These two cases suggested that sorafenib might be utilized as a potent salvage therapy for some refractory/relapsed AML patients without the FLT3-ITD mutation.

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Determination of the Maximum Tolerated Dose of Panobinostat in Combination with Cytarabine and Mitoxantrone As Salvage Therapy for Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v118.21.423.423 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 118 (21) ◽

pp. 423-423 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Richard F. Schlenk ◽

Jürgen Krauter ◽

Markus Schaich ◽

Didier Bouscary ◽

Hervé Dombret ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Febrile Neutropenia ◽

Dose Escalation ◽

Salvage Therapy ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Maximum Tolerated Dose ◽

Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Grade 3 ◽

Acute Myeloid ◽

Refractory Aml

Abstract Abstract 423 BACKGROUND: Relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by poor prognosis, with low complete remission (CR) rates after salvage therapy and low overall survival. A major challenge is to improve the CR rate, thereby increasing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) rates. Panobinostat is a pan-deacetylase inhibitor that increases acetylation of proteins involved in cancer. Preclinical studies in AML demonstrated that panobinostat potentiates the activity of cytarabine (ara-C) and fludarabine and has synergistic activity in combination with doxorubicin in vitro. Single-agent panobinostat has induced CR in patients (pts) with AML. The addition of panobinostat to an active chemotherapeutic regimen in pts with relapsed/refractory AML has the potential to improve therapeutic outcomes in this setting. AIMS: This phase Ib, multicenter, open-label dose-escalation study was designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of panobinostat in combination with a fixed dose of ara-C and mitoxantrone in pts with relapsed/refractory AML. The secondary objectives were to characterize safety and tolerability during the dose-escalation phase and at the MTD and to evaluate anti-leukemic activity. METHODS: Successive cohorts of at least 3 pts with confirmed relapsed or refractory AML were treated with oral panobinostat (starting with 20 mg, escalated in 10-mg steps) thrice weekly on days 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, and 12, in combination with intravenous ara-C (1 g/m2) on days 1–6 and mitoxantrone (5 mg/m2) on days 1–5 of a 28-day cycle. The MTD was determined on the basis of the observed dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), safety assessment, and tolerability during the first 28 days after starting panobinostat. A DLT was defined as any adverse event (AE) or abnormal laboratory value assessed as unrelated to disease progression, intercurrent illness, or concomitant medications with the following criteria: neutropenia lasting > 28 days after cycle 1 for hematologic DLTs; grade 4 AST/ALT or grade 3 AST/ALT for > 7 days; grade 3/4 bilirubin, vomiting, diarrhea, or any non-hematologic toxicity for non-hematologic DLTs. Safety and tolerability were described as type, duration, frequency, relatedness, and severity of AEs according to CTCAE v3.0. The adaptive Bayesian logistic regression model was used to guide dose escalation with overdose control. RESULTS: Of 5 dose levels, 40 pts (median age, 55 years; range, 19–73 years) were treated at panobinostat dosages of 20 to 60 mg, with 5 pts at 20 mg, 8 at 30 mg, 10 at 40 mg, 11 at 50 mg, and 6 at 60 mg. Of 6 DLTs observed, 1 was at 40 mg (sepsis and tachyarrhythmia), 2 were at 50 mg (vomiting/nausea; diarrhea), and 3 were at 60 mg (neutropenic colitis; 2 hypokalemic events). Frequent AEs of all grades, regardless of causality, included nausea (32 [80%]), diarrhea (31 [78%]), vomiting (26 [65%]), hypokalemia (25 [63%]), thrombocytopenia (24 [60%]), abdominal pain (22 [55%]), decreased appetite, and febrile neutropenia (21 each [53%]). The most frequent grade 3/4 treatment-related AEs were thrombocytopenia (20 [50%]), anemia (9 [23%]), leukopenia, and neutropenia (7 each [18%]). Serious AEs, regardless of causality, were reported in 23 pts, with febrile neutropenia (12 [30%]) being the most common. The MTD was determined to be 50 mg of panobinostat on the basis of observed DLTs and safety and tolerability in cycle 1 of the dose-escalation phase. Clinical responses were observed in 22 pts (55%), including 13 CR, 5 morphological CR, and 4 partial remissions. In pts receiving 40- and 50-mg doses of panobinostat, the preliminary efficacy was promising, with a response in 11 of 21 pts (52%). An alloHSCT was performed in 8 pts after the start of salvage therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of panobinostat, ara-C, and mitoxantrone showed no unexpected toxicities and promising anti-leukemic activity in pts with relapsed/refractory AML. The MTD was determined to be 50 mg of panobinostat; enrollment at this dose is ongoing for the dose-expansion phase to further assess safety, tolerability, and activity. Thrombocytopenia and anemia were the principal treatment-related hematologic AEs. Treatment-related non-hematologic AEs were primarily gastrointestinal toxicities and fatigue. Disclosures: Krauter: Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria. Winiger:Novartis AG: Employment, Equity Ownership, Honoraria. Squier:Novartis Corporation: Employment. Zahlten:Novartis AG: Employment. Wang:Novartis Corporation: Employment. Ottmann:Novartis Corporation: Consultancy; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding.

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Adoptively Transferred Donor-Derived Cytokine Induced Memory-like NK Cells Persist and Induce Remission in Pediatric Patient with Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood-2019-126982 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 3307-3307

Author(s):

Jeffrey J. Bednarski ◽

Clare Zimmerman ◽

Amanda F Cashen ◽

Sweta Desai ◽

Mark Foster ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Nk Cells ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation ◽

Nk Cell ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Salvage Chemotherapy ◽

Acute Myeloid ◽

Refractory Aml

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) accounts for 18% of pediatric leukemias. For high-risk AML, standard treatment includes multi-agent chemotherapy followed allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Despite a high remission rate, 50% of patients relapse and have a poor prognosis with < 20% of patients surviving more than 3 years. Salvage chemotherapy alone or combined with donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI) have little curative potential, and new treatment strategies are needed for relapsed-refractory AML. Previous studies have shown that natural killer (NK) cells can be stimulated ex vivo with IL-12/15/18 to generate a memory-like phenotype with enhanced anti-leukemia effect. In adults with relapsed-refractory AML, adoptive transfer of MHC-haploidentical cytokine-induced memory-like (CIML or ML) NK cells induced remission in 54% of patients (PMID27655849). The infused donor ML NK cells expand in vivo but are rapidly eliminated following recovery of recipient T cells, providing a window of therapeutic activity of 2-3 weeks. We sought to test the safety and efficacy of ML NK cells for treatment of pediatric/young adult patients with post-HCT relapsed AML. We hypothesized that ML NK cells derived from the HCT donor would be well-tolerated, exhibit anti-leukemia activity, and expand with prolonged persistence following transfer into pediatric AML patients. Here, we report the results of the first pediatric patient treated on a phase I clinical trial using ML NK cell therapy for relapsed AML after allogeneic HCT (NCT03068819). Briefly, patients are treated with FLAG (fludarabine, cytarabine and granulocyte colony stimulating factor) salvage chemotherapy to reduce the bulk of AML and provide lymphodepletion for ML NK cell expansion. Two weeks after chemotherapy, a non-mobilized leukapheresis product is collected from the original HCT donor and processed into a T cell-based DLI and ML NK cells. The T cell DLI (1 x 106 T cells/kg) is immediately infused, and the ML NK cells are generated by stimulation with IL-12/15/18 ex vivo for 12-16 hours and then infused (10x106/kg). An 18-month-old male with infant AML had relapse of his leukemia 3 months after MHC-haploidentical HCT. Treatment with chemotherapy, including mitoxantrone and daunorubicin-cytarabine liposome, failed to induce remission. At the time of enrollment on the phase I trial, he had AML blasts in his bone marrow (Table 1). He was treated with FLAG chemotherapy followed by infusion of DLI and ML NK cells from the original haploidentical HCT donor. Assessment at 30 days, 3 months and 6 months post NK cell infusion showed complete remission with no evidence of leukemia and full donor engraftment. Remarkably, donor-derived ML NK cells expanded to 77% of donor lymphocytes on day 28 and still comprised 24% percent of lymphocytes at 6 months post infusion (Figure 1A-C). The expanded donor NK cell phenotype was consistent with ML NK cells (e.g., NKG2A+KIR+) utilizing CyTOF multidimensional analysis previously confirmed to identify ML NK cells (Figure 1D). The ML NK cells were functional as demonstrated by leukemia-triggered IFN-γ production immediately ex vivo from day 7-28 samples (Figure 1E-F). The patient's clinical course was complicated by mild gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease that resolved with low-dose steroids and tociluzimab. These early results demonstrate proof-of-principle that adoptive transfer of donor-derived ML NK cells in combination with DLI is feasible and offers a novel immunotherapy option for patients with relapsed AML after HCT. Moreover, in this T and NK cell compatible immune environment post-HCT, donor ML NK cells expand and persist robustly in vivo for > 6 months without exogenous cytokine support and have potent anti-leukemic activity. Thus, ML NK cells are a cellular therapy platform to treat AML that has relapsed after allogeneic HCT. Disclosures Cashen: Celgene: Other: Speaker's Bureau; Seattle Genetics: Other: Speaker's Bureau; Novartis: Other: Speaker's Bureau. Fehniger:Horizon Pharma PLC: Other: Consultancy (Spouse); Cyto-Sen Therapeutics: Consultancy.

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Chidamide increases the sensitivity of refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia cells to anthracyclines via regulation of the HDAC3 -AKT-P21-CDK2 signaling pathway

Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research ◽

10.1186/s13046-020-01792-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hao Wang ◽

Yu-chen Liu ◽

Cheng-ying Zhu ◽

Fei Yan ◽

Meng-zhen Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Salvage Therapy ◽

Myeloid Leukemia ◽

Complete Response ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Induce Cell Cycle Arrest ◽

Anthracycline Resistance ◽

Acute Myeloid ◽

Resistant Cells

Abstract Background Induction therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimen. However, many patients experience a relapse or exhibit refractory disease (R/R). There is an urgent need for more effective regimens to reverse anthracycline resistance in these patients. Methods In this paper, Twenty-seven R/R AML patients with anthracycline resistance consecutively received chidamide in combination with anthracycline-based regimen as salvage therapy at the Chinese PLA General Hospital. Results Of the 27 patients who had received one course of salvage therapy, 13 achieved a complete response and 1 achieved a partial response. We found that the HDAC3-AKT-P21-CDK2 signaling pathway was significantly upregulated in anthracycline-resistant AML cells compared to non-resistant cells. AML patients with higher levels of HDAC3 had lower event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) rates. Moreover, anthracycline-resistant AML cells are susceptible to chidamide, a histone deacetylase inhibitor which can inhibit cell proliferation, increase cell apoptosis and induce cell-cycle arrest in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Chidamide increases the sensitivity of anthracycline-resistant cells to anthracycline drugs, and these effects are associated with the inhibition of the HDAC3-AKT-P21-CDK2 signaling pathway. Conclusion Chidamide can increase anthracycline drug sensitivity by inhibiting HDAC3-AKT-P21-CDK2 signaling pathway, thus demonstrating the potential for application.

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