The Role of Early Cytogenetic Response in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Treated with Imatinib and the Impact of Adherence and Comorbidities

Blood ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 118 (21) ◽  
pp. 4423-4423
Author(s):  
Laura Fogliatto ◽  
Marcelo Capra ◽  
Mariza Shaan ◽  
Tito Vanelli Costa ◽  
Mayde Seadi Torriani ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 4423 Background Treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia with imatinib leads to disease remission in a majority of patient, but in some patients (pts) controlling the disease remains a challenge. One of the proposed prognostic factors for identifying this subset of pts is the treatment response in the first months of therapy. Objectives We conducted a study to evaluate the importance of the early complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) and the factors associated with its achievement. Methods This is a retrospective study in a cohort of pts with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) enrolled in 14 Hematology centers in South Brazil. All pts received imatinib 400mg as first or second-line therapy. Early-imatinib treatment was considered when imatinib started before 12 months (mo) from diagnosis. Patient evaluation and response criteria followed the ELN recommendations. The ACE-27 (Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27) is a 27 item comorbidity index for patients with cancer and assign weights from 1 to 3 based on the dysfunction grade of each condition (mild, moderate and severe, respectively). An ACE-27 score was applied to each patient. Imatinib suspensions were considered if superior to 20 days at any point during therapy. EFS was measured from the start of imatinib to the date of any of the following events while on therapy: death from any cause, loss of complete hematologic response, loss of complete cytogenetic response, discontinuation of therapy for toxicity or lack of efficacy, or progression to accelerated phase or blastic phase. Results We analyzed data from 450 pts with CP-CML diagnosed since 1990. The median age at diagnosis was 48 yr (4 – 85) and 55% were male. The median time from diagnosis to imatinib was 7 mo (0 – 178) and 71% pts were early-imatinib treated. Prior therapy with interferon was used in 60% pts. The median of follow-up was 47 mo. With 6 months of imatinib therapy, 198 pts (44%) achieved CCyR. In this group, the four year cumulative incidence of events was 33 (17%) and the EFS was 75,5%. 252 (56%) were not in CCyR at 6 months of therapy. In this group, a greater proportion of cumulative of events was observed: 86 (34%), and the EFS was 62,3%. This difference was significant (P=0,03; Figure 1). In this group of pts, 63% achieved CCyR after 6 months any time during follow up and the median time for CCyR in these pts was 17 months. The chance of achieving major molecular response (MMR) during follow up was 79% for the pts with CCyR at 6 months compared to 53% for the group with no CCyR at 6 months (P<0,001). Some factors were associated with reduced chance of CCyR at 6 months. In a multivariate analysis, the pts with late-onset imatinib treatment (more than 12 mo from diagnosis) had a CCyR rate of 31%, in contrast, the pts who started imatinib before 12 mo had a rate of 50% (P=0,02). The pts with good adherence to treatment had greater CCyR rate than those with poor adherence (interruption greater than 20 days), 51,4% and 35%, respectively (P=0,04). Comorbidity measured by ACE-27 score also influenced the CCyR rates at 6 months: 54% of score 0 (no comorbidity) patients achieved CCyR, compared to 30% of pts with score 1 (mild comorbidity), 33% of pts with score 2 (moderate) and 47% of pts with score 3 (severe) (P=0,009). The greater CCyR rate in the severe comorbidity group probably lacks significance due to the reduced number of pts in this group (22). Conclusions A great proportion of pts achieve CCyR after 6 months of imatinib therapy, nevertheless, the pts who achieve CCyR by 6 months of therapy have greater proportion of major molecular response and event-free survival. Imatinib therapy should be started as soon as possible and additional efforts must be taken to avoid nonadherence. Finally, special attention should be given to pts with comorbidities as their results tend to be worse. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 4453-4453
Author(s):  
Laura Fogliatto ◽  
Marcelo Capra ◽  
Mariza Schaan ◽  
Mario Sérgio Fernandes ◽  
Tito Vanelli Costa ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 4453 Background Treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia with imatinib leads to disease remission in a majority of patient, but in some patients (pts) controlling the disease remains a challenge. One of the proposed prognostic factors for identifying this subset of pts is the treatment response in the first months of therapy. Objectives We conducted a study to evaluate the importance of the early complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) and the factors associated with its achievement. Methods This is a retrospective study in a cohort of pts with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) enrolled in 3 Hematology centers in South Brazil. All pts received imatinib 400mg as first or second-line therapy. Early-imatinib treatment was considered when imatinib started before 12 months (mo) from diagnosis. Patient evaluation and response criteria followed the ELN recommendations. The ACE-27 (Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27) is a 27 item comorbidity index for patients with cancer and assign weights from 1 to 3 based on the dysfunction grade of each condition (mild, moderate and severe, respectively). An ACE-27 score was applied to each patient. Imatinib suspensions were considered if superior to 20 days at any point during therapy. Global survival (GS) was measured from the start of imatinib to the date of death from any cause. Results We analyzed data from 181 pts with CP-CML diagnosed since 1990. The median age at diagnosis was 48 yr (4 – 85) and 55% were male. The median time from diagnosis to imatinib was 7 mo (0 – 178) and 71% pts were early-imatinib treated. Prior therapy with interferon was used in 60% pts. The median of follow-up was 47 mo. With 6 months of imatinib therapy, 123 pts (68%) achieved CCyR, in this group the four year global survival was 97%. 58 (32%) were not in CCyR at 6 months of therapy, in this group the four year GS was 87%. This difference was significant (P=.024; Figure 1). The chance of achieving major molecular response (MMR) during follow up was 79% for the pts with CCyR at 6 months compared to 53% for the group with no CCyR at 6 months (P<0,001). Some factors were associated with reduced chance of CCyR at 6 months. In a multivariate analysis, the pts with late-onset imatinib treatment (more than 12 mo from diagnosis) had a CCyR rate of 31%, in contrast, the pts who started imatinib before 12 mo had a rate of 50% (P=0,02). The pts with good adherence to treatment had greater CCyR rate than those with poor adherence (interruption greater than 20 days), 51,4% and 35%, respectively (P=0,04). Comorbidity measured by ACE-27 score also influenced the CCyR rates at 6 months: 54% of score 0 (no comorbidity) patients achieved CCyR, compared to 30% of pts with score 1 (mild comorbidity), 33% of pts with score 2 (moderate) and 47% of pts with score 3 (severe) (P=0,009). The greater CCyR rate in the severe comorbidity group probably lacks significance due to the reduced number of pts in this group (22). Conclusions A great proportion of pts achieve CCyR after 6 months of imatinib therapy, nevertheless, the pts who achieve CCyR by 6 months of therapy have greater proportion of major molecular response and global survival. Imatinib therapy should be started as soon as possible and additional efforts must be taken to avoid nonadherence. Finally, special attention should be given to pts with comorbidities as their results tend to be worse. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 2158-2158
Author(s):  
Giuliana Alimena ◽  
Massimo Breccia ◽  
Luigia Luciano ◽  
Fabrizio Quarantelli ◽  
Daniela Diverio ◽  
...  

Abstract Imatinib mesylate was given to 26 Philadelphia positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients who were in late chronic phase (CP) and in stable complete cytogenetic response (CCR) after interferon-alfa (IFN-α), but showed persistent positive residual disease at PCR analysis under this treatment. At diagnosis median age was 40 years (range 21–64) and according to Sokal’s score, 18 patients were low risk and 8 were intermediate risk. Median IFN treatment was 88 mo.s (range 15–202) and median CCR duration was 73 mo.s (range 10–148). Imatinib was administered at the standard dose of 400 mg/die, after stopping IFN for 1 week. Residual disease was measured on bone marrow (BM) cells at baseline, before starting Imatinib, at 3, 6, 12, 18 mo.s and at the last follow-up (median 32 mo.s, range 21–49), by assaying BCR-ABL transcripts using quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR). The copy number (CN) of BCR/ABL and ABL transcript were derived by the interpolation of CT values to the appropriate standard curve, and the result, for each sample, was expressed as ratio of BCR/ABL mRNA copies to ABL mRNA x 100 (normalized copy number - NCN). Imatinib treatment resulted in a progressive and consistent decline of residual disease in all but one patient, from a median of 0.89 at baseline to 0.01 at the end of follow-up. Major molecular response (BCR/ABL levels <0.1) was reached in 20 patients (77%) and BCR/ABL transcripts were undetectable in 13 (50%). Achievement of molecular response was significantly correlated with post-IFN baseline transcript level (mean 1.194 for patients achieving complete molecular response vs 18,97 for those who did not; p<0.001), but not with other clinical/biological patient characteristics. In all patients, imatinib was well tolerated with no side effects requiring drug dose reduction or dose discontinuation. Albeit obtained from an unusual subset of selected patients with favourable prognosis, and likely particularly sensitive to imatinib, present results confirm the efficacy of combining Imatinib and IFN-α and further support investigating treatment approaches employing these two drugs.


Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 1034-1034
Author(s):  
Hyun-Gyung Goh ◽  
Soo-Hyun Kim ◽  
Jeong Lee ◽  
Sae-Eun Jang ◽  
Wan-Seok Kim ◽  
...  

Abstract Diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is based on detection of the BCR-ABL gene or Philadelphia chromosome, and the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib has been the standard therapy for CML patients. Although imatinib therapy is effective in CML, it is still unclear whether imatinib can be safely discontinued without relapse. This study was designed to investigate the outcome of 26 CML patients after discontinuation of imatinib and to determine whether intermittent imatinib therapy can be employed in CML patients. Between May 2001 and Jun 2007, 555 patients have been treated with imatinib in St Mary’s Hospital of the Catholic University of Korea, and 26 patients discontinued imatinib when they achieved either complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) or complete molecular response (CMR). These 26 patients were diagnosed as Philadelphia positive (Ph+) CML between November 1995 and May 2002, and 22 patients were in chronic phase (CP) and 4 patients were in accelerated phase (AP) at diagnosis. The median age was 35 years (22–56), and 12 patients (46%) were female and 14 (54%) were male. Among 26 patients, 7 received interferon prior to imatinib therapy and 7 underwent SCT. Five patients received both interferon and SCT before imatinib therapy, and the remaining 7 patients received the imatinib as a front line therapy. Imatinib was started at oral dose of 400mg and 600mg daily for patients in CP and AP, respectively, and when they achieved CCyR or CMR, imatinib was discontinued after informed consent of the patient. In case of cytogenetic or molecular relapse, patients in all phases were retreated with imatinib at 400mg daily. Bone marrow (BM) or peripheral blood (PB) samples were obtained at regular intervals from diagnosis for hematologic response (HR), cytogenetic response (CyR) and molecular response (MR) monitorings. Eleven patients discontinued imatinib when they achieved CCyR, and 15 patients discontinued imatinib after achieving CMR. After the median duration of 7 month (4–48) observation without imatinib therapy, hematologic, cytogenetic and molecular relapses occurred in 4, 7 and 10 patients, respectively, and imatinib at oral dose of 400mg daily was reintroduced to all patients except 2 who continued to remain in CMR after imatinib discontinuation. Except 1 patient who expired and 2 patients who are in persistent molecular remission, all of 23 patients are maintaining the best response achieved after imatinib resumption with a median duration of 38 months (16–58). In conclusion, although imatinib cannot be discontinued completely, intermittent therapy can be considered for the treatment of CML patients. Intermittent imatinib treatment should not be restricted to CP patients who achieve CMR, and AP patients or patients with CCyR also can be considered for intermittent imatinib treatment. We will continue the follow-up of the patients enrolled in this study, and long-term study of intermittent imatinib treatment with expanded pool of patients will enable us to determine the accurate consequences of discontinuation of imatinib and intermittent imatinib treatment.


Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 1493-1493
Author(s):  
Kohei Yamaguchi ◽  
Kazunori Murai ◽  
Shigeki Ito ◽  
Tomoaki Akagi ◽  
Kazuei Ogawa ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Dasatinib is a second-generation BCR-ABL inhibitor that has a 325-fold higher potency than imatinib and a 16-fold higher potency than nilotinib in vitro. The previous report from the global DASISION trial showed dasatinib resulted in significantly higher and faster rates of complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) and major molecular response (MMR) compared with imatinib. We conducted a phase II study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of dasatinib in patients with newly diagnosed chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP) in Japan. Methods Eighty newly diagnosed CML-CP patients were include in this study. Patients received dasatinib 100mg once daily. Treatment was continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Primary end point was the rate of major molecular response (MMR) by 12 months. MMR defined as a BCR-ABL transcript level of 0.1% or lower on the International scale by means of a real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in peripheral blood. Secondary end points were the rate of complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) by 12 months, the rate of MR4.5 (either (i) detectable disease with <0.0032% BCR-ABL1 IS or (ii) undetectable disease in cDNA with >32,000 ABL1 transcripts in the same volume of cDNA used to test for BCR-ABL1) by 12 months and adverse events of dasatinib (UMIN #000006358). Results Eighty newly diagnosed CML-CP patients were included in this study. All except one patient administered dasatinib 100 mg once daily. One patient was withdrawal before administration of dasatinib. So far, there were 71 patients with 6 months follow-up and 51 patients with 12 months follow-up. The estimated MMR rates were 69.5 % (95%CI, 58.7-80.3 %) by 6 months and 82.7% (95%CI, 73.0-92.4 %) by 12 months. The estimated MR4.5 rates were 27.1 % (95%CI, 16.7-37.5 %) by 6 months and 48.9% (95%CI, 36.0-61.7 %) by 12 months. Only 6 patients were withdrawal because of adverse event (5 patients) and ineffectiveness (1 patient). Conclusion Dasatinib treatment results in higher rates of molecular responses in newly diagnosed CML-CP patients in Japan. Dasatinib as the first-line agent might be acceptable for CML-CP patients because of better clinical efficacy and less toxicity. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 1098-1098
Author(s):  
Richard D. Press ◽  
Zac Love ◽  
Ashlie A. Tronnes ◽  
Gwen Kurilik ◽  
Michael J. Mauro ◽  
...  

Abstract Background : Imatinib induces a complete cytogenetic response (CCR) in the majority of patients with chronic phase CML. CCR is durable in the majority of patients, but relapse occurs in a subset. To determine the potential of quantitative RT-PCR (qPCR) of BCR-ABL to predict cytogenetic relapse, we serially monitored residual disease in 90 CML patients with an imatinib-induced CCR. Methods and patients : mRNA was prepared from total nucleated cells from blood or bone marrow, and cDNA was synthesized using random hexamer primers. Relative BCR-ABL expression was then measured by real-time fluorescent PCR normalized for G6PDH expression. This assay has a detection limit of 1 CML cell in 100,000 and an analytical precision of 6% (CV). At the start of imatinib therapy, 85% of patients were in chronic phase, at a median 9.5 months after diagnosis. Patients were treated with imatinib alone (64%) or in combination with interferon or cytarabine (32%). One patient each was treated with imatinib in combination with either the farnesyltransferase inhibitor tipifarnib, donor leukocytes (after allogeneic BMT), or an experimental heat shock protein (hsp70) vaccine. During the imatinib follow-up time of 28 months (median), disease monitoring occurred by cytogenetics and qPCR (median 6 samples per patient). The CCR was achieved after 9.7 months (median) of imatinib therapy. Results : At the time of first achieving CCR, BCR-ABL RNA levels had decreased by a median of 1.8 logs below the median baseline level. During further follow-up, 26 patients (29%) experienced cytogenetic relapse (defined as any Ph-positive metaphase cell) at a median 6.0 months after CCR and a median 20 months after starting imatinib. There was no difference in the imatinib treatment time, the time to achieve CCR, or the post-CCR follow-up period between the patients with and without subsequent cytogenetic progression. qPCR data at the time of first CCR were available for 78 patients, including 25 of 26 with a subsequent cytogenetic relapse. The reduction of BCR-ABL RNA at the time of first achieving CCR was significantly less in those patients with a subsequent cytogenetic relapse (median 1.4 log) compared to those with a sustained CCR (median 2.0 log) (P=0.002). In the 64 patients with a sustained CCR, the molecular response progressively improved over time to reach a median reduction of 4.0 log at 15 months after CCR. Of the 29 patients achieving at least a 2 log reduction of BCR-ABL RNA at the time of first reaching CCR, only 3 (10%) had a subsequent cytogenetic relapse. In comparison, 22 of 49 patients (45%) with a less than 2 log reduction at the time of achieving CCR had a subsequent cytogenetic relapse (odds ratio = 7.1; 95% CI 1.9–26). At the time of first achieving CCR, a reduction in BCR-ABL RNA of less than 2 logs thus had a diagnostic sensitivity of 88% and a diagnostic specificity of 49% for predicting subsequent cytogenetic relapse. Conclusions : We conclude that, in the majority of imatinib-treated CML patients reaching CCR, the level of BCR-ABL RNA at the time that the CCR is first achieved is a sensitive predictor of the durability of the CCR. The availability of a laboratory marker capable of stratifying the subsequent risk of disease progression (early in remission) will be useful in targeting additional (or alternative) therapies to those patients with the highest risk.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (24) ◽  
pp. 4933-4938 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianantonio Rosti ◽  
Francesca Palandri ◽  
Fausto Castagnetti ◽  
Massimo Breccia ◽  
Luciano Levato ◽  
...  

AbstractNilotinib has a higher binding affinity and selectivity for BCR-ABL with respect to imatinib and is an effective treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) after imatinib failure. In a phase 2 study, 73 early chronic-phase, untreated, Ph+ CML patients, received nilotinib at a dose of 400 mg twice daily. The primary endpoint was the complete cytogenetic response (CCgR) rate at 1 year. With a median follow-up of 15 months, the CCgR rate at 1 year was 96%, and the major molecular response rate 85%. Responses were rapid, with 78% CCgR and 52% major molecular response at 3 months. During the first year, the treatment was interrupted at least once in 38 patients (52%). The mean daily dose ranged between 600 and 800 mg in 74% of patients, 400 and 599 mg in 18% of patients, and was less than 400 mg in 8% of patients. Dose interruptions were mainly due to nonhematologic and biochemical side effects. Myelosuppression was irrelevant. One patient progressed to blastic crisis after 6 months; one went off-treatment for lipase increase grade 4 (no pancreatitis). Nilotinib is safe and very active in early chronic-phase CML. These data support a role for nilotinib for the frontline treatment of CML. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT00481052.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 113 (25) ◽  
pp. 6315-6321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfonso Quintás-Cardama ◽  
Hagop Kantarjian ◽  
Dan Jones ◽  
Jianqin Shan ◽  
Gautam Borthakur ◽  
...  

AbstractPatients not in complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) continuously face the competing possibilities of eventually achieving a cytogenetic response versus progressing. We analyzed the probability of achieving a CCyR, major molecular response, and progression in 258 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in early chronic phase at 3, 6, and 12 months from imatinib start. The initial imatinib dose was 800 mg/day in 208 (81%) and 400 mg/day in 50 (19%) patients. For patients not in CCyR, the probability of achieving CCyR (P = .002) or major molecular response (P = .004) significantly decreased, whereas the risk of progression increased (P = .16) at each time point. Patients with a BCR-ABL1/ABL1 ratio greater than 1% to 10% after 3 months of imatinib had a 92% probability of achieving CCyR with continued therapy, similar to the 98% for those with 1% or less, but their risk of progression (11%) was almost 3-fold that of patients with a BCR-ABL1/ABL1 transcript ratio of 1% or less (4%) and similar to that of patients with transcript levels more than 10% (13%). These results suggest that patients not in CCyR after 12 months on imatinib have a higher risk of progression. This risk is discernible as early as 3 months into imatinib therapy by molecular analysis and may provide the rationale to institute therapies that render higher rates of early response.


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