Prevention of CNS disease in intermediate-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia: comparison of cranial radiation and intrathecal methotrexate and the importance of systemic therapy: a Childrens Cancer Group report.

1993 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 520-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
D G Tubergen ◽  
G S Gilchrist ◽  
R T O'Brien ◽  
P F Coccia ◽  
H N Sather ◽  
...  

PURPOSE This study (Childrens Cancer Group [CCG]-105) was designed in part to determine in a prospective randomized trial whether intrathecal methotrexate (IT MTX) administered during induction, consolidation, and maintenance could provide protection from CNS relapse equivalent to that provided by cranial radiation (CXRT) in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and intermediate-risk features. PATIENTS AND METHODS We randomized 1,388 children with intermediate-risk ALL to the two CNS regimens. They received either IT MTX at intervals throughout their course of therapy or CXRT (18 Gy) during consolidation with IT MTX during induction, consolidation, and delayed intensification. Systemic therapy was randomized to one of four treatment regimens derived from a regimen used by CCG in recent studies for this patient population and three more intensive regimens based on the Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster trials. RESULTS Life-table estimates at 7 years show a 93% and 91% CNS relapse-free survival rate for the CXRT and IT MTX groups, respectively. The corresponding event-free survival (EFS) rates are 68% and 64%. The differences are not significant. Patients who received more intensive systemic therapy had a 94% CNS relapse-free survival rate on either CXRT or IT MTX, while patients who received standard systemic therapy had 90% and 80% rates for CXRT and IT MTX, respectively (P < .0001). Patients less than 10 years of age who received CXRT or IT MTX had 72% and 71% EFS rates if they received more intensive systemic therapy. Patients 10 years or older who received CXRT had an improved EFS (61% v 53%) with a more intensive systemic program. This was primarily due to fewer bone marrow relapses (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS IT MTX during induction, consolidation, and maintenance provides protection from CNS relapse in patients with intermediate-risk ALL equivalent to that provided by CXRT if more intensive systemic therapy is given. The CNS relapse rate with either CXRT or IT MTX is in part dependent on the associated systemic therapy. For intermediate-risk patients less than 10 years of age, IT MTX with an intensified systemic regimen provided CNS prophylaxis comparable to that provided by CXRT, whereas older patients had fewer systemic relapses if they received CXRT.

1995 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2497-2502 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Conter ◽  
M Aricò ◽  
M G Valsecchi ◽  
C Rizzari ◽  
A M Testi ◽  
...  

PURPOSE To assess the effect of treatment intensification and that of extended intrathecal methotrexate substitution for cranial irradiation in intermediate-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) children treated with a Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM)-based intensive chemotherapy. PATIENTS Three hundred ninety-six children with non-B-ALL were enrolled onto the Associazione Italiana di Ematologia ed Oncologic Pediatrica (AIEOP) ALL 88 study. Standard risk (SR) included patients with low tumor burden (BFM risk index [RI], < 0.8); intermediate risk (IR) were patients with an RI > or = 0.8 but less than 1.2; and high risk (HR) were those with an RI > or = 1.2 or CNS involvement at diagnosis. The treatment schedule was a modified version of the ALL-BFM 86 study. CNS-directed treatment consisted of high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX; 5 g/m2 for four courses) plus intrathecal methotrexate (IT-MTX; nine doses); IR patients additionally received extended IT-MTX (nine doses during continuation therapy); cranial irradiation was given only to HR patients. RESULTS Of the 375 (94.7%) children who achieved remission, 1.3% had an adverse event other than relapse. The estimated event-free survival (EFS) at 6 years was 66.6% (SE 2.4) overall; 80.7% (4.5) in the SR patients, 77.5% (3.9) in the IR patients, and 54.5% (3.7) in the HR patients. Relapse occurred in 107 children (27.0%). Isolated CNS relapse occurred in 20 children (5.0%): 5 (6.3%) in the SR group, 1 (0.8%) in the IR group, and 14 (7.1%) in the HR group. The estimated 6-year CNS leukemia-free survival was 94.6% (1.2) overall: 93.5% (2.8) in the SR group, 99.1% (0.9) in the IR group, and 92.3% (2.0) in the HR group. CONCLUSION Cranial irradiation may be omitted safely in IR ALL patients treated with BFM-based intensive chemotherapy when extended intrathecal chemotherapy is given. Because the CNS disease control was less complete in the SR group, these data challenge the effectiveness of HD-MTX for protection from CNS disease and support the protective role of extended intrathecal chemotherapy.


Blood ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-250
Author(s):  
FS Muriel ◽  
E Svarch ◽  
S Pavlovsky ◽  
M Eppinger-Helft ◽  
J Braier ◽  
...  

In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis with cranial irradiation plus 5 doses of intrathecal methotrexate (i.t. MTX) reduces the incidence of CNS relapse to 7%-15%. However, increased evidence of CNS delayed toxicity started to be recognized as CT scan abnormalities and neuropsychologic alterations, mainly in children. Two questions were analyzed in the present report: (1) Will further doses of i.t. methotrexate and dexamethasone (i.t. MTX- DMT) decrease the incidence of CNS relapse in patients treated early in remission with cranium irradiation plus i.t. MTX-DMT even more? (2) Is i.t. MTX-DMT given during induction and maintenance equally as effective as cranium irradiation plus i.t. MTX-DMT? A randomized study was designed to answer the first question. Incidence of primary CNS relapse in i.t. MTX-DMT-treated patients with a WBC count less than 50,000 was 11% (15 of 135 patients) and was 11% (17 of 150) in the untreated group. In patients with a WBC count greater than 50,000, it was 16% (6/37) in the treated group and 19% (6/31) in the control group. No difference was observed according to treatment in both prognostic groups. Patients in this study were retrospectively compared with a consecutive protocol in which patients received 3 doses of i.t. MTX-DMT alone during induction plus 3 doses weekly during the first month of remission and every 3 mo thereafter. The incidence of primary CNS leukemia at 60 mo in patients with a WBC count less than 50,000 was 20% in the irradiated group and 32% in the group with i.t. MTX-DMT alone. This difference was not significant. However, the relapse-free survival at 60 mo was 26% and 41%, respectively, (p less than 0.0005). The incidence of primary CNS relapse in patients with a WBC count more than 50,000 at 48 mo was 28% in the irradiated group and 42% in the nonirradiated group. The difference was not significant. The duration of complete remission was similar, remaining at 15% and 16% of patients disease-free at 48 mo, respectively. We conclude that (A) after cranial irradiation plus i.t. MTX-DMT X 5, the use of additional doses of i.t. MTX-DMT is not of further benefit in preventing CNS relapse; (B) the use of i.t. MTX-DMT alone compares similarly with cranial irradiation plus i.t. MTX-DMT in the incidence of CNS relapse; and (C) relapse-free survival and survival in patients with a WBC count less than 50,000 were significantly longer in those without cranial irradiation.


Blood ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
FS Muriel ◽  
E Svarch ◽  
S Pavlovsky ◽  
M Eppinger-Helft ◽  
J Braier ◽  
...  

Abstract In acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis with cranial irradiation plus 5 doses of intrathecal methotrexate (i.t. MTX) reduces the incidence of CNS relapse to 7%-15%. However, increased evidence of CNS delayed toxicity started to be recognized as CT scan abnormalities and neuropsychologic alterations, mainly in children. Two questions were analyzed in the present report: (1) Will further doses of i.t. methotrexate and dexamethasone (i.t. MTX- DMT) decrease the incidence of CNS relapse in patients treated early in remission with cranium irradiation plus i.t. MTX-DMT even more? (2) Is i.t. MTX-DMT given during induction and maintenance equally as effective as cranium irradiation plus i.t. MTX-DMT? A randomized study was designed to answer the first question. Incidence of primary CNS relapse in i.t. MTX-DMT-treated patients with a WBC count less than 50,000 was 11% (15 of 135 patients) and was 11% (17 of 150) in the untreated group. In patients with a WBC count greater than 50,000, it was 16% (6/37) in the treated group and 19% (6/31) in the control group. No difference was observed according to treatment in both prognostic groups. Patients in this study were retrospectively compared with a consecutive protocol in which patients received 3 doses of i.t. MTX-DMT alone during induction plus 3 doses weekly during the first month of remission and every 3 mo thereafter. The incidence of primary CNS leukemia at 60 mo in patients with a WBC count less than 50,000 was 20% in the irradiated group and 32% in the group with i.t. MTX-DMT alone. This difference was not significant. However, the relapse-free survival at 60 mo was 26% and 41%, respectively, (p less than 0.0005). The incidence of primary CNS relapse in patients with a WBC count more than 50,000 at 48 mo was 28% in the irradiated group and 42% in the nonirradiated group. The difference was not significant. The duration of complete remission was similar, remaining at 15% and 16% of patients disease-free at 48 mo, respectively. We conclude that (A) after cranial irradiation plus i.t. MTX-DMT X 5, the use of additional doses of i.t. MTX-DMT is not of further benefit in preventing CNS relapse; (B) the use of i.t. MTX-DMT alone compares similarly with cranial irradiation plus i.t. MTX-DMT in the incidence of CNS relapse; and (C) relapse-free survival and survival in patients with a WBC count less than 50,000 were significantly longer in those without cranial irradiation.


1993 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
D G Tubergen ◽  
G S Gilchrist ◽  
R T O'Brien ◽  
P F Coccia ◽  
H N Sather ◽  
...  

PURPOSE The Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (BFM) 76/79 trial of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children produced impressive disease-free survival (DFS) rates with a protocol that began with 8 weeks of intensive therapy, followed by 8 weeks of maintenance therapy, and then another 6 weeks of intensive treatment. The current study was conducted to determine the relative contributions of each of these periods of intense therapy on the DFS rates of ALL patients with intermediate presenting features. In addition, due to concerns regarding the toxicity of CNS irradiation, we compared cranial irradiation (CXRT) with intrathecal methotrexate (IT MTX) administered during induction and consolidation to IT MTX during all phases of the treatment program. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between May 1983 and April 1989, more than 1,600 children with ALL and intermediate presenting features, as defined by the Childrens Cancer Group (CCG), were entered into a randomized trial that tested four systemic therapy regimens and two CNS programs. RESULTS The results with a median follow-up of 57 months show that systemic regimens with a delayed intensification (Delint) phase of therapy had a 5-year event-free survival (EFS) rate of 73% compared with the control regimen EFS rate of 61% (p = .006). For children less than 10 years of age, standard three-drug induction and Delint produced a 77% 5-year EFS. IT MTX during all phases of therapy provided CNS protection comparable to the CXRT regimen in children less than 10 years of age. Children 10 years of age or older appear to have a better EFS rate with intensive induction, Delint, and CXRT. CONCLUSION Delint improves the EFS rate of children with ALL and intermediate presenting features. Maintenance IT MTX can be safely substituted for CXRT for presymptomatic CNS therapy in children with intermediate-risk characteristics less than 10 years of age.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (32) ◽  
pp. 3192-3202 ◽  
Author(s):  
John K. Lin ◽  
Benjamin J. Lerman ◽  
James I. Barnes ◽  
Brian C. Boursiquot ◽  
Yuan Jin Tan ◽  
...  

Purpose The anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy tisagenlecleucel was recently approved to treat relapsed or refractory pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. With a one-time infusion cost of $475,000, tisagenlecleucel is currently the most expensive oncologic therapy. We aimed to determine whether tisagenlecleucel is cost effective compared with currently available treatments. Methods Markov modeling was used to evaluate tisagenlecleucel in pediatric relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia from a US health payer perspective over a lifetime horizon. The model was informed by recent multicenter, single-arm clinical trials. Tisagenlecleucel (under a range of plausible long-term effectiveness) was compared with blinatumomab, clofarabine combination therapy (clofarabine, etoposide, and cyclophosphamide), and clofarabine monotherapy. Scenario and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were used to explore uncertainty. Main outcomes were life-years, discounted lifetime costs, discounted quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (3% discount rate). Results With an assumption of a 40% 5-year relapse-free survival rate, tisagenlecleucel increased life expectancies by 12.1 years and cost $61,000/QALY gained. However, at a 20% 5-year relapse-free survival rate, life-expectancies were more modest (3.8 years) and expensive ($151,000/QALY gained). At a 0% 5-year relapse-free survival rate and with use as a bridge to transplant, tisagenlecleucel increased life expectancies by 5.7 years and cost $184,000/QALY gained. Reduction of the price of tisagenlecleucel to $200,000 or $350,000 would allow it to meet a $100,000/QALY or $150,000/QALY willingness-to-pay threshold in all scenarios. Conclusion The long-term effectiveness of tisagenlecleucel is a critical but uncertain determinant of its cost effectiveness. At its current price, tisagenlecleucel represents reasonable value if it can keep a substantial fraction of patients in remission without transplantation; however, if all patients ultimately require a transplantation to remain in remission, it will not be cost effective at generally accepted thresholds. Price reductions would favorably influence cost effectiveness even if long-term clinical outcomes are modest.


2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (27) ◽  
pp. 6489-6498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shunji Igarashi ◽  
Atsushi Manabe ◽  
Akira Ohara ◽  
Masaaki Kumagai ◽  
Tomohiro Saito ◽  
...  

Purpose To evaluate whether dexamethasone (DEXA) yields a better outcome than prednisolone (PRED) in a prospective, randomized, controlled trial for the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Patients and Methods Two hundred thirty-one standard-risk (SR) patients and 128 intermediate-risk (IR) non–B-cell ALL patients were registered from March 1995 to March 1999. After random assignment in each group, the PRED arm patients received PRED 60 mg/m2 during induction followed by PRED 40 mg/m2 over four intensifications in the SR group and three intensifications in the IR group. DEXA arm patients received DEXA 8 mg/m2 during induction and DEXA 6 mg/m2 during the intensifications. The maintenance phase was continued until week 104. Results Event-free survival rates at 8 years in the DEXA and PRED arms were 81.1% ± 3.9% (n = 117) and 84.4% ± 5.2% (n = 114), respectively, in the SR group (P = .217) and 84.9% ± 4.6% (n = 62) and 80.4% ± 5.1% (n = 66), respectively, in the IR group (P = .625). The primary reason for treatment failure was marrow relapse. Only two extramedullary relapses occurred in the DEXA arm compared with seven relapses in the PRED arm. Although complications were more prevalent in the DEXA arm than in the PRED arm, fatal toxicity was rare both groups. Conclusion DEXA administered at 8 mg/m2 during induction and 6 mg/m2 during intensification showed no advantage over PRED administered at 60 mg/m2 during induction and 40 mg/m2 during intensification in both the SR and IR groups.


1998 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 527-535 ◽  
Author(s):  
F M Uckun ◽  
M G Sensel ◽  
H N Sather ◽  
P S Gaynon ◽  
D C Arthur ◽  
...  

PURPOSE The nonrandom translocation t(1;19) has been associated with poor outcome in pediatric B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Because most patients treated by contemporary therapies now achieve improved outcomes, we have reassessed the prognostic significance of t(1;19). PATIENTS AND METHODS Cytogenetic data were accepted for 1,322 children (<21 years old) with newly diagnosed ALL enrolled between 1988 and 1994 on risk-adjusted studies of the Children's Cancer Group (CCG). Forty-seven patients (3.6%) were t(1;19) positive (+); 1,275 (96.4%) were t(1;19) negative (-). Clinical characteristics and treatment outcome were compared using standard methods. RESULTS Translocation (1;19)+ patients were more likely than t(1;19)- patients to be 10 years of age or greater (P < .001) or CD10+ CD19+ CD34- (P < .0001), or nonwhite (P = .02). Patients with a balanced t(1;19) were less likely to be hyperdiploid than patients with an unbalanced der(19)t(1;19). Event-free survival (EFS) was similar for the overall group of t(1;19)+ and t(1;19)- patients, with 4-year estimates of 69.5% (SD, 6.8%) and 74.8% (SD, 1.3%; P = .48), respectively. However, patients with unbalanced der(19)t(1;19) had significantly better outcomes than patients with balanced t(1;19): 4-year EFS were 80.6% (SD, 7.1%) and 41.7% (SD, 13.5%), respectively (P = .003). These differences were maintained within the individual studies analyses and after exclusion of t(1;19)+ patients whose cells were hyperdiploid with more than 50 chromosomes. CONCLUSION The overall group of t(1;19)+ patients, as well as the subgroup with an unbalanced der(19)+ (1;19) had outcomes similar to that of t(1;19)- patients, whereas patients with balanced t(1;19) had poorer outcomes. Thus, although the overall prognostic significance of t(1;19) has been obviated by contemporary risk-adjusted protocols, the balanced t(1;19) translocation remains an adverse prognostic factor.


1987 ◽  
Vol 5 (9) ◽  
pp. 1348-1355 ◽  
Author(s):  
D J Weisdorf ◽  
M E Nesbit ◽  
N K Ramsay ◽  
W G Woods ◽  
A I Goldman ◽  
...  

Forty remission patients with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) underwent matched allogenic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) following preparation with cyclophosphamide and fractionated total body irradiation (TBI). As of March 1987, the median follow-up is more than 3 1/2 years. Thirteen patients are alive (11 relapse free) between 2 and 4 1/2 years post-BMT. Neither age, sex, remission number, prior extramedullary leukemia, nor WBC at diagnosis of ALL was statistically significant as a predictor of relapse-free survival. The development of acute graft-v-host disease (GVHD) in 17 patients was found, with time-dependent Cox regression analysis, to be associated with a significant reduction in post-BMT relapse risk (P = .04) and improved disease-free survival (P = .11). A prospective, randomized trial of maintenance chemotherapy with oral methotrexate and mercaptopurine did not demonstrate improvement in relapse risk or survival for those assigned maintenance chemotherapy (P = .7). These results suggest that allogeneic BMT can result in extended relapse-free survival for some patients with high-risk ALL. More effective preparative chemoradiotherapy and exploitation of the apparent graft-v-leukemia effect may be useful in future trials.


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