scholarly journals Whom should we treat with novel agents? Specific indications for specific and challenging populations

Hematology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-29
Author(s):  
Lindsay Wilde ◽  
Margaret Kasner

Abstract A relative wealth of new therapies for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have led to a rapid shift in treatment paradigms for this disease. Understanding whom, when, and how to treat is more complex than ever before. Here we explore whom to treat with these available new therapies, focusing on special patient populations that include older adults, those with relapsed disease, and those with TP53-mutated AML. These high-risk subgroups are some of the most challenging to care for, but novel treatments are providing them with new hope.

Hematology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 2005 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin S. Tallman

Abstract The prognosis for younger adults (≤ 55–60 years) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has improved during the last four decades. However, there has been little progress in the treatment of older adults. This disappointing observation is important because the median age of patients with AML is about 70 years. Approximately 60%–80% of younger adults with AML achieve complete remission (CR) with the cytotoxic agents cytarabine and an anthracycline such as daunorubicin or idarubicin or the anthracenedione mitoxantrone. However, only 30%–40% of such patients are alive and disease-free at 5 years. Among older adults, CR is achieved in 40%–55%, but there are very few long-term survivors. Many studies have evaluated the impact of alternative doses and schedules, as well as additional cytotoxic drugs, on the prognosis for this group of patients. The outcome has not improved substantially beyond that achieved with conventional doses of an anthracycline and cytarabine followed by high-dose cytarabine consolidation. Several factors identified at diagnosis can predict outcome. The most important of these is the karyotype of the leukemic cells. Another critical factor is the presence of transmembrane transporter proteins, which confer multidrug resistance and mutations in or overexpression of specific genes such as WT1, C/EBPα, BAX, and BCL-2/BAX ratio, BAALC, EVI1, KIT and FLT3. The development of specific agents directed at gene mutations, signal transduction pathways and unique cell surface antigens provide the foundation for new therapeutic strategies. Such agents include the immunoconjugate gemtuzumab ozogamicin, multidrug resistance inhibitors, farnesyltransferase inhibitors, histone deacetylase and proteosome inhibitors, antiangiogenesis agents, FLT3 inhibitors, apoptosis inhibitors, and nucleoside analogs. All of these agents can potentially address the heterogeneous abnormalities in AML and significantly improve the outcome for patients.


2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyunsung Park ◽  
Haerim Chung ◽  
Jungyeon Lee ◽  
Jieun Jang ◽  
Yundeok Kim ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Shristi Upadhyay Banskota ◽  
Nabin Khanal ◽  
Vijaya Raj Bhatt

2009 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shabbir M.H. Alibhai ◽  
Marc Leach ◽  
Vikas Gupta ◽  
George A. Tomlinson ◽  
Joseph M. Brandwein ◽  
...  

Hematology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 (1) ◽  
pp. 339-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arati V. Rao

Abstract Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a disease of the elderly, but less than half of these patients are offered therapy despite the evidence of better survival with treatment in this patient population. Assessing fit, vulnerable, and frail older adults with AML remains a challenge for the treating oncologist. A majority of AML patients are elderly and often have significant comorbidities, lack of social support, and older caregivers. Performance status (PS), a subjective measure of how a patient will tolerate cancer chemotherapy, has been strongly correlated with mortality in older AML patients. However, a large portion of older adults have poor PS as a result of their underlying AML, and these patients may end up being undertreated. Conversely, some patients with excellent PS unexpectedly end up with excessive toxicity and mortality. The treating physician thus needs a more objective and comprehensive method to differentiate patients along the fit-frail spectrum irrespective of their chronological age. For more than a decade, comprehensive geriatric assessment has been shown to improve routine oncology assessment by adding information about the functional, emotional, cognitive, and social status of older patients with cancer. In addition to the chronological and functional age, there is an attempt to quantify a patient’s biological age to aid in better decision making. This chapter attempts to review the clinical challenges of AML treatment in the elderly population and to highlight the current literature and future research required to be able to assess fitness and maximize therapeutic options in this heterogeneous patient population.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 2290-2290
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Pidala ◽  
Jongphil Kim ◽  
Claudio Anasetti ◽  
Melissa Alsina ◽  
Ernesto Ayala ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 2290 Poster Board II-267 Reduced and intermediate intensity conditioning with allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) offers promise to effectively control hematologic malignancies, while limiting treatment related toxicity and mortality (TRM). We aimed to examine the efficacy of IV targeted Busulfan and Fludarabine (IV-Bu/Flu) in a large series of adults with exclusively acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). One hundred adults (median age 48) with AML (CR1 49, CR2 25, REL1 8, REL2 1, PIF 16, untreated 1) were treated with Busulfan 130-145 mg/m2/day for four days with pharmacokinetic targeting on the final two days to achieve an area under the curve (AUC) of 5300 (+/-10%) μmol*min/L/day and Fludarabine 40mg/m2/day for 4 days, followed by transplantation of G-CSF mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) (N=98) or unstimulated bone marrow (BM) (N=2) from allogeneic donors (MRD 38, MUD 38, MMUD 24). Acute GVHD prophylaxis consisted of tacrolimus/methotrexate (N = 77), tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil (N = 22), or tacrolimus/sirolimus (N = 1). Median time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment was 16 and 12 days, respectively. Non-relapse mortality was 3% at 100 days, and 15% by 1 year. The cumulative incidence of relapse was 41%. Overall survival (OS) was 59% (95% CI: 48.1 – 67.5) at 1 year, and 42% (95% CI: 30.8-53.3) at 4 years. OS at 4 years for primary AML in CR1, secondary AML in CR1, CR2, and PIF were 52.9%, 40.1%, 41.2%, and 57.5% respectively; none with relapsed disease survived to 4 years (log-rank p = 0.0014). Progression-free survival (PFS) was 53% (95% CI: 42.8 – 62.2) at 1 year, and 32.3% (95% CI: 21.8 – 43.2) at 4 years. PFS at 4 years for primary AML in CR1, secondary AML in CR1, CR2, and PIF were 44.1%, 33.4%, 33.9%, and 33.1%, respectively, while none with relapsed disease at transplant reached this endpoint (p = 0.0264). On multivariable modeling, remission status at HCT (relapsed disease HR 14.85 (95% CI: 2.12 - 104.2), p = 0.007), moderate/severe cGVHD (HR 0.281, 95% CI: 0.10 - 0.76; p = 0.013), and day 90 bone marrow (BM) chimerism ≥ 90% (HR 0.245, 95% CI: 0.08 - 0.79; p = 0.018) predicted overall survival, and day 90 BM chimerism ≥ 90% (HR of 0.18 (95% CI: 0.08 - 0.45), p = 0.0002) predicted PFS. The following were not significantly related with OS or PFS: age, cytogenetics, donor relation, number of induction cycles, aGVHD prophylaxis regimen, maximum aGVHD grade, WBC at diagnosis, time in first CR, or % BM blasts prior to transplant. Day 90 BM chimerism and cGVHD were significantly related with relapse. Maximum grade of aGVHD predicted non-relapse mortality. These data support the low TRM and efficacy of IV-Bu/Flu in a large series of exclusively AML patients, and demonstrate the impact of day 90 bone marrow chimerism as an important prognostic factor. Further efforts to mitigate relapse risk after HCT are warranted, particularly in those with advanced disease at time of transplant. Disclosures: Off Label Use: IV busulfan and fludarabine for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Alsina:Ortho Biotech: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Millenium: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Field:PDL BioPharma: Research Funding. Fernandez:Otsuka: Honoraria.


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