scholarly journals Clofarabine increases the eradication of minimal residual disease of primary Bprecursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia compared to high-dose cytarabine without improvement of outcome

Haematologica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriele Escherich ◽  
Udo Zur Stadt ◽  
Arndt Borkhardt ◽  
Dagmar Dilloo ◽  
Jörg Faber ◽  
...  

Novel treatment strategies are needed to improve cure for all children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. To this end, we investigated the therapeutic potential of clofarabine in primary acute lymphoblastic leukemia in trial CoALL 08-09. The primary study objective was the minimal residual disease (MRD)-based comparative assessment of cytotoxic efficacies of clofarabine 5x40 mg/m2 versus high-dose cytarabine (HIDAC) 4x3g/m2, both in combination with PEG-ASP 2500 IU/m2 as randomized intervention in early consolidation. The secondary objective was an outcome analysis focused on treatment-arm dependence and MRD after randomized intervention. In B-cell precursor (BCP)-ALL, eradication of MRD was more profound after clofarabine compared to cytarabine, with 93 vs 79 of 143 randomized patients per arm reaching MRD-negativity (Chi-square test P=.03, left-sided P(Fisher’s exact test)=.04). MRD status of BCP-ALL after randomized intervention maintained its prognostic relevance, with a significant impact on event-free survival (EFS) and relapse rate. However, no difference in outcome regarding EFS and overall survival (OS) between randomized courses was observed (5- year EFS: clofarabine 85.7, SE=4.1 vs HIDAC 84.8, SE=4.7 (P=.96); OS: 95.7, SE=1.9 vs 92.2, SE=3.2 (P=.59)), independent of covariates or overall risk strata. Severe toxicities between randomized and subsequent treatment elements were also without significant difference. In conclusion, clofarabine/PEG-ASP is effective and safe, but greater cytotoxic efficacy of clofarabine compared to HIDAC did not translate into improved outcomes indicating a lack of surrogacy of post-intervention MRD at the trial level as opposed to the patient level, which hampers a broader implementation of this regimen in the frontline treatment of ALL.

Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 2821-2821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerzy Holowiecki ◽  
Malgorzata Krawczyk-Kulis ◽  
Sebastian Giebel ◽  
Krystyna Jagoda ◽  
Beata Stella-Holowiecka ◽  
...  

Abstract Current therapeutic protocols for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) take into account the risk of relapse, in order adjust the treatment intensity to individual patient needs. It is postulated that in addition to “classical” risk criteria the status of minimal residual disease (MRD) should be considered for treatment decisions. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the feasibility and prognostic significance of MRD detected with the use of immunophenotyping for outcome of ALL patients treated according to 4-2002 protocol of the Polish Adult Leukemia Group (PALG). Induction therapy included PDN, Asp and 4x epirubicin+VCR. Consolidation consisted of 2x high-dose AraC+Cy, 2x Mtx+Vep, 6MP, and CNS prophylaxis. Patients stratified to high risk (HR) group according to “classical” criteria based on those formerly developed by GMALL (bcr/abl(+), WBC>30 G/L, prepreB, early or mature T phenotype, age>35y, or prolonged time to achieve CR) were further referred for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), whereas those assigned to standard risk (SR) group were treated with maintenance for 2 years. MRD was tested at the level of 0.1% after completion of induction and consolidation therapy in patients achieving CR, employing multicolor flow-cytometry, including a new “empty spaces” method taking into account an individual pattern of antigen expression on blast cells. 165 ALL pts (B-lineage 79%, T-lineage 21%), aged 29 y (17–60) were included. CR rate equaled 85,5%. 23% of CR pts were assigned to SR, 77%- to HR according to classical criteria. MRD evaluation was possible in all but 8 pts. After induction 37% of CR pts were found MRD(+). Among those who remained in CR, MRD after consolidation was detected in 26% of cases. 64% of patients were MRD(−) at both time-points, whereas in the remaining 36% of cases MRD was detected at least once. MRD status affected both relapse incidence (RI) and leukemia-free survival (LFS). After 3 years the RI was higher for pts with MRD(+) vs. MRD(−) if assessed after induction (82%vs.29%,p=0.00007) and after consolidation (62%vs.41%,p=0.05). For pts with MRD(−) at both study end-points the probability of LFS was 65% whereas for those with MRD(+) after either induction and/or consolidation − 26% (p=0.008). In the respective subgroups RI equaled 28% and 73% (p=0.004). The difference was observed for patients assigned to SR group (20%vs.92%,p=0.01) as well as to HR group (33%vs.70%,p=0.05). In a multivariate analysis including classical risk criteria the MRD status remained the only significant factor predictive for RI (HR: 2.5(1.3–4.8),p=0.006) and LFS (HR: 2.1(1.2–3.9),p=0.01). We conclude that immunophenotyping employing “empty spaces” method is feasible for MRD evaluation in adults with ALL. MRD stzatus after induction and consolidation is the most important predictive factor for RI and LFS. Based on our findings patients with MRD detected after induction and/or consolidation should be offered intensified treatment with the use of HCT irrespective of the absence of other risk factors.


2001 ◽  
Vol 119 (5) ◽  
pp. 175-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Alberto Scrideli ◽  
Ricardo Defavery ◽  
José Eduardo Bernardes ◽  
Luíz Gonzaga Tone

CONTEXT: The CDR-3 region of heavy-chain immunoglobulin has been used as a clonal marker in the study of minimal residual disease in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Southern blot and polymerase chain reaction studies have demonstrated the occurrence of bi/oligoclonality in a variable number of cases of B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a fact that may strongly interfere with the detection of minimal residual disease. Oligoclonality has also been associated with a poorer prognosis and a higher chance of relapse. OBJECTIVES: To correlate bi/oligoclonality, detected by polymerase chain reaction in Brazilian children with B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia with a chance of relapse, with immunophenotype, risk group, and disease-free survival. DESIGN: Prospective study of patients’ outcome. SETTING: Pediatric Oncology Unit of the University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo. PARTICIPANTS: 47 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia DIAGNOSTIC TEST: Polymerase chain reaction using consensus primers for the CDR-3 region of heavy chain immunoglobulin (FR3A, LJH and VLJH) for the detection of clonality. RESULTS: Bi/oligoclonality was detected in 15 patients (31.9%). There was no significant difference between the groups with monoclonality and biclonality in terms of the occurrence of a relapse (28.1% versus 26.1%), presence of CALLA+ (81.2% versus 80%) or risk group (62.5% versus 60%). Disease-free survival was similar in both groups, with no significant difference (p: 0.7695). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that bi/oligoclonality was not associated with the factors investigated in the present study and that its detection in 31.9% of the patients may be important for the study and monitoring of minimal residual disease.


Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 21-21
Author(s):  
Gabriele Escherich ◽  
Udo Zur Stadt ◽  
Dagmar Dilloo ◽  
Joerg Faber ◽  
Tobias Feuchtinger ◽  
...  

Background Since the FDA approval of clofarabine for the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at childhood, several studies have been launched which put clofarabine under scrutiny in combination with other cytostatic drugs as second or third line therapy. As a novel treatment-strategy we introduced the combination of clofarabine with pegylated asparaginase (PEG-ASP) in a randomized fashion in comparison to the standard consolidation course with high dose cytarabine (Hidac) combined with PEG-ASP into the frontline management of ALL within the CoALL 08-09 protocol. The primary objective of the study was to compare the MRD based assessment of the cytotoxic efficacy of the randomized courses in pediatric ALL. Patients and methods CoALL 08-09 was an open, interventional, multi-center, prospective, and randomized clinical trial for patients with newly diagnosed ALL. In March 2010 the trial had been opened for enrollment of patients under 18 years with confirmed diagnosis of acute B- or T-cell precursor leukemia. After a stratified phase I/II, in which patients with high-risk features and high post-induction MRD received the combination of clofarabine and PEG-ASP, the randomized trial started in November 2013. All patients with a measurable MRD at the end of induction (EOI), as measured by RQ-PCR according to EURO-MRD guidelines, were eligible for randomization to receive either the combination of clofarabine 5 x 40 mg/m2 or high dose cytarabine (HIDAC) 4 x 3g/m2 bothin combination with PEG-ASP 2.500 IU/m2 at the beginning of the consolidation phase. Until December 2019 303 study patients were randomized allocating 151 patients towards the clofarabine and 152 patients to the HIDAC arm. Patient characteristics and MRD burden prior to this treatment element were highly comparable. Results The reduction of minimal residual disease was significantly more profound after clofarabine compared to cytarabine (p(Cochran-Armitage)=.01 for BCP-ALL with 93 vs 79 patients reaching MRD negativity (Table 1). MRD status of BCP-ALL after the first randomized consolidation block (day 50) was of prognostic relevance with a statistically significant impact on EFS and relapse rate (Fig. 2a). However, no difference in outcome regarding the event-free and overall survival between the randomized arms was observed (5-year EFS: Clofarabine 85.7, SE=4.1 vs Hidac 84.8, SE=4.7 (p=.96) and OS: 95.7, SE=1.9 vs 92.2, SE=3.2(p=.59) Fig. 2b). This finding was recapitulated independent of gender, age, WBC count at diagnosis, ETV6-RUNX 1 translocation, immunophenotype or overall risk strata). Results for T-ALL patients are in the same range but because of small numbers not statistically significant. No differences in the incidence of severe or persistent toxicity btween randomized treatment elements as well as in the subsequent treatment realization were registered. Conclusion Clofarabine combined with PEG-asparaginase is highly effective and well tolerated in the frontline treatment of ALL. Although the prognostic impact of MRD is still discernible in early consolidation, the greater cytotoxic efficacy of clofarabine reflected by a more frequent eradication of MRD, did not translate into an apparent improvement of outcome likely due to a lack of power in the comparative analysis of randomized patients. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


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