Important Role of Routine Cerebrospinal Fluid Examination in Diagnosing Central Nervous System Relapse during Maintenance Therapy in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 870-870
Author(s):  
Lani Lieberman ◽  
Ronald Grant ◽  
Johann K. Hitzler ◽  
Adam Gassas

Abstract Despite the success of central nervous system (CNS) preventive therapy in reducing the incidence of CNS recurrence in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on therapy, CNS relapse continues to be a significant cause of treatment failure and is observed in 5–10% of patients. While most pediatric ALL treatment protocols mandate periodic lumbar puncture (LP) surveillance for the length of therapy, some centers have stopped collecting routine CSF samples unless there are suggestive signs or symptoms of CNS involvement. Our objective herein was to assess the value of routine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained while performing routine LPs for administration of intrathecal chemotherapy in diagnosing CNS relapse in children with ALL in the maintenance phase. Patients and Methods: All children (0–18 years) with ALL, diagnosed and treated at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada between 1994–2004 were subjected to a retrospective analysis. Original reports for CNS relapse during maintenance therapy were examined to determine whether CNS relapse was diagnosed based on routine CSF sample obtained while administering intrathecal chemotherpy or a CSF sample obtained based on signs and symptoms or after a diagnosis of a bone marrow relapse. Results: Four hundred and ninety four children were diagnosed and treated in our institution during the study period. Children were treated based on the children oncology group (COG), pediatric oncology group (POG) and local protocols where applicable. Thirty-one children (6.3%) suffered CNS relapse while on maintenance therapy. Twenty-one had an isolated CNS relapse and ten had a combined bone marrow and CNS relapse. Seventy-six percent (16/21) isolated CNS relapses were diagnosed base on routine CSF samples obtained from asymptomatic children while administering intratheacal chemotherapy. Conversely, all patients with combined bone marrow and CNS relapse presented with symptoms and signs that warranted CSF examination. Conclusion: Routine CSF examinations are important in detecting CNS relapse in children with ALL during maintenance therapy. Furthermore, routine CSF sampling may detect isolated CNS relapse in asymptomatic children with ALL prior to extension into combined relapse where prognosis is less favorable.

Haematologica ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glen Lew ◽  
Yichen Chen ◽  
Xiaomin Lu ◽  
Susan R. Rheingold ◽  
James A. Whitlock ◽  
...  

Outcomes after relapse of childhood B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) are poor, and optimal therapy is unclear. Children’s Oncology Group study AALL0433 evaluated a new platform for relapsed ALL. Between March 2007 and October 2013 AALL0433 enrolled 275 participants with late bone marrow or very early isolated central nervous system (iCNS) relapse of childhood B-ALL. Patients were randomized to receive standard versus intensive vincristine dosing; this randomization closed due to excess peripheral neuropathy in 2010. Patients with matched sibling donors received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) after the first three blocks of therapy. The prognostic value of minimal residual disease (MRD) was also evaluated in this study. The 3-year event free and overall survival (EFS/OS) for the 271 eligible patients were 63.6% +/- 3.0% and 72.3% +/- 2.8% respectively. MRD at the end of Induction-1 was highly predictive of outcome, with 3-year EFS/OS of 84.9 +/- 4.0% and 93.8 +/- 2.7% for patients with MRD <0.1%, vs. 53.7 +/- 7.8% and 60.6 +/- 7.8% for patients with MRD ≥0.1% (p<0.0001). Patients who received HCT vs. chemotherapy alone had an improved 3-year disease-free survival (77.5 +/- 6.2% vs. 66.9 +/- 4.5%, p=0.03) but not OS (81.5 +/- 5.8% for HCT vs. 85.8 +/- 3.4% for chemotherapy, p=0.46). Patients with early iCNS relapse fared poorly, with a 3-year EFS/OS of 41.4% +/- 9.2% and 51.7% +/- 9.3%, respectively. Infectious toxicities of the chemotherapy platform were significant. The AALL0433 chemotherapy platform is efficacious for late bone marrow relapse of B-ALL, but with significant toxicities. The MRD threshold of 0.1% at the end of Induction-1 was highly predictive of outcome. The optimal role for HCT for this patient population remains uncertain. This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT# 00381680).


Blood ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching-Hon Pui ◽  
Hazem H. Mahmoud ◽  
Gaston K. Rivera ◽  
Michael L. Hancock ◽  
John T. Sandlund ◽  
...  

Abstract Central nervous system (CNS) relapse has been an obstacle to uniformly successful treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) for many years. We therefore intensified intrathecal chemotherapy (simultaneously administered methotrexate, hydrocortisone, and cytarabine) for 165 consecutive children with newly diagnosed ALL enrolled in Total Therapy Study XIIIA from December 1991 to August 1994. The 64 patients (39%) who had 1 or more blast cells in cytocentrifuged preparations of cerebrospinal fluid at diagnosis, with or without associated higher-risk features, received additional doses of intrathecal chemotherapy during remission induction and the first year of continuation treatment. Patients with higher-risk leukemia, regardless of cerebrospinal fluid findings, also received additional doses of intrathecal chemotherapy during the first year of continuation treatment. Cranial irradiation was reserved for patients with higher-risk leukemia (22% of the total). The 5-year cumulative risk of an isolated CNS relapse among all 165 patients was 1.2% (95% confidence interval, 0% to 2.9%), whereas that of any CNS relapse was 3.2% (0.4% to 6.0%). The probability of surviving for 5 years without an adverse event of any type was 80.2% ± 9.2% (SE). Our results suggest that early intensification of intrathecal chemotherapy will reduce the risk of CNS relapse to a very low level in children with ALL, securing a higher event-free survival rate overall.


Blood ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching-Hon Pui ◽  
Hazem H. Mahmoud ◽  
Gaston K. Rivera ◽  
Michael L. Hancock ◽  
John T. Sandlund ◽  
...  

Central nervous system (CNS) relapse has been an obstacle to uniformly successful treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) for many years. We therefore intensified intrathecal chemotherapy (simultaneously administered methotrexate, hydrocortisone, and cytarabine) for 165 consecutive children with newly diagnosed ALL enrolled in Total Therapy Study XIIIA from December 1991 to August 1994. The 64 patients (39%) who had 1 or more blast cells in cytocentrifuged preparations of cerebrospinal fluid at diagnosis, with or without associated higher-risk features, received additional doses of intrathecal chemotherapy during remission induction and the first year of continuation treatment. Patients with higher-risk leukemia, regardless of cerebrospinal fluid findings, also received additional doses of intrathecal chemotherapy during the first year of continuation treatment. Cranial irradiation was reserved for patients with higher-risk leukemia (22% of the total). The 5-year cumulative risk of an isolated CNS relapse among all 165 patients was 1.2% (95% confidence interval, 0% to 2.9%), whereas that of any CNS relapse was 3.2% (0.4% to 6.0%). The probability of surviving for 5 years without an adverse event of any type was 80.2% ± 9.2% (SE). Our results suggest that early intensification of intrathecal chemotherapy will reduce the risk of CNS relapse to a very low level in children with ALL, securing a higher event-free survival rate overall.


Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 3303-3303
Author(s):  
Ashish Narayan Masurekar ◽  
Catriona Anne Parker ◽  
Satarupa Choudhuri ◽  
Carly Leighton ◽  
Jeremy Hancock ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 3303 Introduction: Despite improvement in frontline therapy in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), central nervous system (CNS) relapse remains a significant clinical problem. The ALLR3 trial (ISCRTN 45724312) was designed specifically to address this issue with the use of drugs known to penetrate the CNS. The trial incorporated a randomization between Mitoxantrone and Idarubicin during induction. Mitoxantrone showed an early benefit in all patients resulting in closure of the randomization in December 2007 (ASH Annual Meeting Abstracts, Nov 2009; 114:3390). Subsequently all patients now receive Mitoxantrone. Here we report on the outcome of patients with isolated CNS relapse (iCNSr) or combined CNS relapse (involvement of CNS and bone marrow, cCNSr). Methods: CNS involvement was defined as ≥5 WBC/μl with morphological evidence of blasts in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Combined relapse (cCNSr) was defined as CNS disease with ≥ 5% blasts in the bone marrow. Time to relapse was classified as, Very Early: within 18 months of first diagnosis; Early: after 18 months of first diagnosis but within 6 months of stopping therapy and Late: more than 6 months after stopping therapy. All patients received 3 blocks of chemotherapy. Subsequently, allogenic stem cell transplant (allo-SCT) was offered to all very early relapses (iCNSr & cCNSr), early iCNSr (irrespective of immunophenotype), all T-cell cCNSr (irrespective of time to relapse) and early or late pre-B cCNSr that had a minimal residual disease level of ≥ 104 at the end of induction. All other patients were offered chemotherapy and cranial radiotherapy. Results: Of a total of 330 relapsed patients, 102 (31%) had CNS involvement. Of these 63 (62%) had iCNSr and 39 (38%) had cCNSr. The incidence of CNS disease was higher in males (M:F, CNS relapses 2.5:1 vs all relapses 1.5:1). CNS relapses had a higher proportion of T-cell disease (pre B:T CNS relapses 3.6:1 vs all relapses 7.8:1]. The number of patients presenting in very early, early and late phases were 19 (19%), 55 (54%) and 28 (27%) respectively. All late iCNSr patients were males. Almost all late relapses (iCNSr and cCNSr) (27/28) were of a pre B phenotype. At the end of induction phase, 91/102 (89%) achieved complete remission (CR) and 82/102 (80%) remained in CR after 3 blocks of chemotherapy. The estimated 3-year overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) for all patients with CNS disease was 45.5% (95%CI 32.9, 58.0) & 43.4% (95%CI 32.0, 54.7) respectively. There were no significant differences in survival with respect to site of the disease (combined vs isolated), gender or immunophenotype (pre B vs T). As shown in Table 1, CNS relapse patients who received Mitoxantrone had a significantly improved outcome when compared to those who received Idarubicin. This was most evident in those who had i) iCNSr, ii) pre-B phenotype and iii) allo-SCT, when analyzed on an intention to treat basis. This represents a considerable improvement in outcome compared to the results obtained in these sub-groups of patients in the previous UK ALLR2 study (Roy A et.al. Br. J. Haem. 2005;130:67-75). Conclusion: Mitoxantrone is highly effective in children with relapsed pre B ALL who have CNS involvement. As there were no other differences between patients treated on Mitoxantrone or Idarubicin, effective systemic therapy is as important as CNS directed therapy, if not more, in treating patients with CNS relapse. Disclosures: Off Label Use: Most drugs used in this protocol are off label as the majority of drugs used in childhood ALL are not liscensed for use in children.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2333
Author(s):  
Judit C. Sági ◽  
András Gézsi ◽  
Bálint Egyed ◽  
Zsuzsanna Jakab ◽  
Noémi Benedek ◽  
...  

Despite improving cure rates in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), therapeutic side effects and relapse are ongoing challenges. These can also affect the central nervous system (CNS). Our aim was to identify germline gene polymorphisms that influence the risk of CNS events. Sixty single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 20 genes were genotyped in a Hungarian non-matched ALL cohort of 36 cases with chemotherapy related acute toxic encephalopathy (ATE) and 544 controls. Five significant SNPs were further analyzed in an extended Austrian-Czech-NOPHO cohort (n = 107 cases, n = 211 controls) but none of the associations could be validated. Overall populations including all nations’ matched cohorts for ATE (n = 426) with seizure subgroup (n = 133) and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES, n = 251) were analyzed, as well. We found that patients with ABCB1 rs1045642, rs1128503 or rs2032582 TT genotypes were more prone to have seizures but those with rs1045642 TT developed PRES less frequently. The same SNPs were also examined in relation to ALL relapse on a case-control matched cohort of 320 patients from all groups. Those with rs1128503 CC or rs2032582 GG genotypes showed higher incidence of CNS relapse. Our results suggest that blood-brain-barrier drug transporter gene-polymorphisms might have an inverse association with seizures and CNS relapse.


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