scholarly journals Risk Factors for Childhood Leukemia: Radiation and Beyond

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine-Alison Schmidt ◽  
Sabine Hornhardt ◽  
Friederike Erdmann ◽  
Isidro Sánchez-García ◽  
Ute Fischer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Childhood Leukemia ◽  
Background Radiation ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
International Workshop ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
The Impact

Childhood leukemia (CL) is undoubtedly caused by a multifactorial process with genetic as well as environmental factors playing a role. But in spite of several efforts in a variety of scientific fields, the causes of the disease and the interplay of possible risk factors are still poorly understood. To push forward the research on the causes of CL, the German Federal Office for Radiation Protection has been organizing recurring international workshops since 2008 every two to three years. In November 2019 the 6th International Workshop on the Causes of CL was held in Freising and brought together experts from diverse disciplines. The workshop was divided into two main parts focusing on genetic and environmental risk factors, respectively. Two additional special sessions addressed the influence of natural background radiation on the risk of CL and the progress in the development of mouse models used for experimental studies on acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common form of leukemia worldwide. The workshop presentations highlighted the role of infections as environmental risk factor for CL, specifically for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Major support comes from two mouse models, the Pax5+/− and Sca1-ETV6-RUNX1 mouse model, one of the major achievements made in the last years. Mice of both predisposed models only develop leukemia when exposed to common infections. These results emphasize the impact of gene-environment-interactions on the development of CL and warrant further investigation of such interactions — especially because genetic predisposition is detected with increasing frequency in CL. This article summarizes the workshop presentations and discusses the results in the context of the international literature.

scholarly journals Risk Factors for Induction Related Mortality in Adults Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Report from a Hispanic Population

Blood ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 5162-5162
Author(s):  
Sergio I Inclan-Alarcon ◽  
Christianne Bourlon ◽  
Oscar Manuel Fierro-Angulo ◽  
Jesus A Garcia-Ramos ◽  
Santiago Riviello-Goya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Prognostic Score ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Adult Patients ◽  
Hispanic Population ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hispanic Adult

Abstract Introduction Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) represents 20-30% of acute leukemia in adults. Higher incidence and inferior outcomes in Hispanic population have been described. In Latin Americans induction mortality (IM) is a major cause of death representing 20-50% vs.7-11% in developed countries. Our aim was to determine risk factors (RF) related to IM in ALL Hispanic adult patients. Methods We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of ≥18yo patients with ALL diagnosed and treated at our institution within 2009 and 2016. Results A total of 170 patients were included. Median age was 29 years (16-70), 64% were AYA, 96.8% had B-cell ALL, and 62.3% received Hyper-CVAD. IM rate was 13.4%. In 64.1% IM was related to an infectious cause. The most frequent infection was pneumonia (39.8%). Gram-negative etiology was more prevalent (35.5% vs. 10.2%), however, IM rate was higher in gram-positive infections (26.3% vs .13.6%; p=.028). RF related to IM in univariate analysis were: CNS involvement (OR4.6,95%IC2.8-9.5;p=<.001), tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) (OR 5.6, 95% CI 2.2-14.1; p=<.001), need for dialysis (OR 28.9, 95% CI 5.3-157.1; p=<.001), primary hypertension (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.0-12.7; p=.052), shock status (OR 10.3, 95% CI 3.9-27.3; p=<.001), ECOG³2 (OR 1.9, 95% IC 1.1-3.4; p=.022), T-ALL (OR 2.2, 95% IC 1.1-4.3; p=.026), Hyper-CVAD (OR 1.9, 95% IC 1.1-3.8; p=0.51), ventilation assistance (OR 7.7, 95% IC 2.8-21; p=<.001), and vasopressor use (OR 7.6, 95% IC 2.8-20.6; p=<.001). In multivariate analysis TLS, need for dialysis and shock, kept statistical significance. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the largest study that evaluates the impact over IM of biological, social, and economic factors in Hispanic adult patients with ALL. We identified factors not previously described such as hypertension and need for dialysis. Multicenter prospective studies most be urged to asses and validate these RF, and design a bedside prognostic score that can predict an increased risk of IM at ALL diagnosis. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals Environmental Risk Factors for Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: An Umbrella Review

Cancers ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 382
Author(s):  
Felix M. Onyije ◽  
Ann Olsson ◽  
Dan Baaken ◽  
Friederike Erdmann ◽  
Martin Stanulla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Environmental Risk ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Environmental Risk Factors ◽  
Umbrella Review ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Childhood All ◽  
High Consumption

Leukemia is the most common type of cancer among children and adolescents worldwide. The aim of this umbrella review was (1) to provide a synthesis of the environmental risk factors for the onset of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) by exposure window, (2) evaluate their strength of evidence and magnitude of risk, and as an example (3) estimate the prevalence in the German population, which determines the relevance at the population level. Relevant systematic reviews and pooled analyses were identified and retrieved through PubMed, Web of Science databases and lists of references. Only two risk factors (low doses of ionizing radiation in early childhood and general pesticide exposure during maternal preconception/pregnancy) were convincingly associated with childhood ALL. Other risk factors including extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-MF), living in proximity to nuclear facilities, petroleum, benzene, solvent, and domestic paint exposure during early childhood, all showed some level of evidence of association. Maternal consumption of coffee (high consumption/>2 cups/day) and cola (high consumption) during pregnancy, paternal smoking during the pregnancy of the index child, maternal intake of fertility treatment, high birth weight (≥4000 g) and caesarean delivery were also found to have some level of evidence of association. Maternal folic acid and vitamins intake, breastfeeding (≥6 months) and day-care attendance, were inversely associated with childhood ALL with some evidence. The results of this umbrella review should be interpreted with caution; as the evidence stems almost exclusively from case-control studies, where selection and recall bias are potential concerns, and whether the empirically observed association reflect causal relationships remains an open question. Hence, improved exposure assessment methods including accurate and reliable measurement, probing questions and better interview techniques are required to establish causative risk factors of childhood leukemia, which is needed for the ultimate goal of primary prevention.

scholarly journals Changes to the gastrointestinal microbiota in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A literature review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuzanna Zakrzewska ◽  
Szymon Skoczen ◽  
Małgorzata Czogała ◽  
Wojciech Czogała
Keyword(s):  
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Childhood Leukemia ◽  
Treatment Process ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Overall Survival Rate ◽  
Gastrointestinal Microbiota ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Gut Microbiota Composition

The human microbiota, which consists of trillions of microorganisms, impacts the host’s health and treatment of potential diseases. The role of the microbiota in the development and treatment of childhood leukemia is still not clear. This study reviews the current scientific understanding of the changes in gut microbiota composition during chemotherapy in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children and assesses its impact on the treatment process. The findings show alterations in gut microbiota are obvious at the time of diagnosis of ALL. During intensive chemotherapy, dysbiosis persists, and after treatment, the microbiota restores its diversity. However, there are significant gaps in understanding the impact of gut microbiota on the severity of treatment complications and overall survival rate.

scholarly journals Delays in Start of Intensification Therapy Are Common for Adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, and Are Associated with Decreased Survival in Patients Who Undergo Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant (SCT)

Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 208-208
Author(s):  
Anita J. Kumar ◽  
Phyllis A. Gimotty ◽  
Joel Gelfand ◽  
Georgina Buck ◽  
Jacob M. Rowe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Phase I ◽  
Multivariate Regression ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Cell Transplant ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Black Race ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has a high relapse rate in adults. While the biology of the patient may be responsible for the marked difference in survival seen in comparison to children, variable adherence to complex chemotherapy regimens may also play a role. However, there is very little understanding about the risk factors for delays in therapy and the impact of delays on survival. To study delays in newly diagnosed adult ALL patients, we conducted an observational study using data from ECOG 2993/ MRC_UKALLXII (Rowe, Blood 2005). We analyzed Ph- patients who started intensification after documented complete remission (CR). A long delay (LD) was defined as > 98 days from start of induction to start of intensification (IS), which was >2 weeks delay beyond the 84 days recommended per protocol. A Very Long Delay (VLD) was defined as a >4 weeks delay. Of 2109 patients enrolled, 1247 patients met inclusion criteria for analysis. Of note, 435 Ph- patients who achieved CR after induction but did not proceed to intensification were excluded. In univariate analysis, female sex (p<0.001), Black race (p=0.01), and older age (p<0.001) were associated with increased odds of LD. During induction presence of infection (p=0.01), dose reductions (p=0.001), duration of neutropenia (p=0.007), thrombocytopenia (p<0.001), and hospitalization duration (p<0.001) were associated with LD. In multivariate regression, age, female sex, dose reduction, Black race, and hospitalization duration were significantly associated with LD and VLD (Table I). At 2 years after diagnosis, 801/1247 (64.2%) patients were alive. Of the surviving patients, 181 (22.5%) had VLD, and 620 (77.4%), had delay <4 weeks, p=0.073. Of the alloHCT patients, 333 were alive: 57/333 (17%) had VLD, and 276/333 (83%) had been delayed <4 weeks (p=0.036). As of July 2014, 687/1247 (55%) patients have died, with a median time to death from start of intensification of 13.3 months (range 0.8-231). Survival analysis was stratified by post-remission therapy, with living patients censored at date last seen. Patients who received myeloablative allogeneic HCT (allo HCT) had poorer overall survival from start of intensification (OS-IS) and event free survival (EFS-IS) after LD or VLD. While OS-IS and EFS-IS were significantly worse for alloHCT patients after VLD (p=0.02 and p=0.03) respectively, survival was not worse for non-transplant patients after VLD (p=0.24 and p=0.10) (Figure I). In a multivariate Cox regression, adjusting for other high-risk disease features (age, cell lineage, and white cell count at diagnosis), patients who underwent allo HCT had significantly worse OS-IS (HR 1.4, p=0.02) and EFS-IS (HR 1.4, p=0.02) after experiencing VLD compared to alloHCT patients who experienced <4 weeks delay. When evaluating OS and EFS from diagnosis, VLD was still associated with poorer OS (HR 1.34, p=0.04) and EFS (HR 1.34, p=0.03). There was no difference in OS or EFS in patients who received non-transplant post-remission therapy based on delay. In a comprehensive analysis of the largest adult ALL study ever reported, we identified significant risk factors predictive of LD and VLD (>2 and >4 weeks beyond mandatory rest period). Our findings highlighted that patients were delayed because of chemotherapy toxicity and also identified healthcare disparities. VLD was associated with poorer OS and EFS in patients undergoing alloHCT, but not in patients undergoing non-transplant post remission therapy. Further studies are planned to prospectively identify patient barriers to on-schedule treatment with a goal of earlier intervention. The ability to better predict and intervene on risk factors for delay can improve adherence to protocol and optimize long-term survival. Table I: Multivariate Regression for LD and VLD Risk Factors Variable Odds Ratio 95% Confidence Interval p-value Days in the hospital Phase I Induction 1.01 1.00-1.02 0.04 Duration of Thrombocytopenia, Phase I 1.02 1.01-1.03 0.001 Age by Decade 1.2 1.08-1.31 <0.001 Reduced Dose in Induction 1.54 1.08-2.22 0.019 Sex, Female 1.56 1.22-2.0 <0.001 Race, Black 3.4 1.41-7.96 0.006 Figure 1 Figure 1. p=0.023 Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

The Development Of Venous Thromboembolism May Increase The Risk Of Osteonecrosis In Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Blood ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (21) ◽  
pp. 3864-3864
Author(s):  
Badhiwala H. Jetan ◽  
Trishana Nayiager ◽  
Uma H. Athale
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Venous Thromboembolism ◽  
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Female Ratio ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Osteonecrosis (ON) is a severely disabling complication of anti-leukemic therapy, specifically long-term corticosteroid use. A hypercoagulable state is thought to underlie corticosteroid-related ON. Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are also at increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), indicating underlying hypercoagulability in this disease entity. Hence, we explored the relationship between ON and VTE, along with the association of ON with other variables, including age and asparaginase (ASP) therapy, in children with ALL. Methods Health records of children (< 18 yrs.) with de novo ALL treated at McMaster Children’s Hospital from 1992 to 2010 were reviewed. Patients were treated according to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) ALL Consortium Protocols. Data regarding demographics, leukemia diagnosis and therapy, development and characteristics of ON and VTE, and thrombophilia work-up, if any, were collected from computer records and chart review. Osteonecrosis was diagnosed by plain X-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and/or technetium-99m (99mTc) bone scan. We included ON diagnosed during therapy and/or at any point during post-treatment follow-up. Standard radiological measures, including venous Doppler ultrasound and/or venography (conventional, CT, MR), confirmed VTE. We included only clinically significant thromboembolic events, defined as symptomatic VTE, or asymptomatic VTE requiring anticoagulation, developing during ALL therapy. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify possible predictors of ON. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and corresponding p-values were determined. Results Mean age of the study cohort (n = 208) was 5.4 years and male/female ratio 1.2:1. Seventy-eight (37.5%) patients had high-risk (HR) ALL and 127 (61.1%) received dexamethasone (DEX) as post-induction steroid. One hundred and sixty-two (77.9%) patients received E. coli ASP, 19 (9.1%) Erwinia ASP, and 27 (13.0%) PEG ASP. Twenty-one (10.1%) children developed ON. Joints affected by ON included the ankle in 11 subjects, knee in 10, hip in 8, and heel in one. Fourteen of the 21 patients (66.7%) had involvement of more than one joint. All patients were diagnosed with ON during ALL treatment, with the average being 69.2 weeks following ALL diagnosis. Forty-two (20.2%) subjects had a VTE while receiving therapy at an average of 29.4 weeks after ALL diagnosis. Nine patients had cerebral sinovenous thrombosis, 7 deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and one pulmonary embolism (PE). Twenty-six patients developed a central venous line (CVL)-related VTE. Results of univariate logistic regression analyses for osteonecrosis are presented in Table 1. VTE strongly predicted development of ON – OR 8.85 (95% CI 3.37–23.25, p< 0.001). Thirteen (31.0%) patients with VTE developed ON compared to 8 (4.8%) of 166 subjects without VTE. In 10 of 13 (76.9%) patients who developed both VTE and ON, the diagnosis of VTE preceded that of ON. Given that older age is a known risk factor for both VTE and ON, we conducted a multivariate analysis, which confirmed that age, ASP type, and VTE were independent, significant risk factors for ON (Table 2). Conclusion In addition to the known impact of older age, we identified VTE and type of ASP as independent risk factors for ON in children with ALL. These observations suggest overlap in the etiopathogenesis of ON and VTE. We recommend larger, prospective studies to confirm the association of VTE and PEG ASP with ON and to assess the impact of hypercoagulability on the development of ON. This in turn may help develop preventive strategies (e.g., thromboprophylaxis) for ALL-associated ON. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Venous Thromboembolism in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Northern Europe

Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 3652-3652
Author(s):  
Nadine Gretenkort Andersson ◽  
Susanna Ranta ◽  
Tony Frisk ◽  
Maria Winther Gunnes ◽  
Jon Helgestad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Venous Thromboembolism ◽  
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
T Cell ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Residual Disease ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Risk Treatment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
All Treatment

Abstract Introduction Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are at high risk for VTE due to several thrombotic risk factors such as the disease itself, central venous line (CVL), immobilization, infections and treatment with asparaginase and steroids, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Identifying the clinical risk factors and high risk treatment phases for VTE is important and can lead to a better outcome and quality of life for these children. We conducted this prospective study on symptomatic VTE in children with ALL to characterize the prevalence, the clinical characteristics, and potential clinical predictive factors for symptomatic VTE and the impact of thrombosis on treatment delays. Methods All patients (n=1083), age 1-18 years, diagnosed with B-cell precursor or T-cell ALL between June 2008 and July 2013 and enrolled in the NOPHO ALL 2008 treatment protocol in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden), Estonia or Lithuania were included in the study. Thrombotic events (TE) were prospectively recorded until the end of December 2013. TE was defined as objectively confirmed symptomatic TE. Main questions were: time of VTE occurrence, impact on treatment delay, type of CVL, dysfunction of the CVL, blood samples including D-dimers and thrombophilia screening, family history of TE, type and duration of antithrombotic therapy, and major bleeding during anticoagulation. Results The cumulative risk of symptomatic VTE was 6.0% (CI 95% 4.7-7.7) for children treated with the NOPHO- ALL 2008 protocol. No arterial TE was found. VTE occurred in median 80 (IQR 43-118) days in the SR and 104 (IQR 39-127) days in the IR protocol and were in majority of cases associated with asparaginase treatment (84.5%, 49/58). See figure 1 for the localization of the VTE. VTE had a high impact on the treatment in the patients. Treatment with asparaginase was shortened in half of patients with VTE and chemotherapy treatment delayed in 25%. Age ≥ 15 years and residual disease ≥ 5% after induction therapy was significantly associated with VTE in the multivariate analysis (Table 1). Conclusions Our findings indicate that Venous Thromboembolism (VTE): - is a major complication of ALL treatment - may lead to reduced intensity of the ALL treatment and subsequently possible long term impact on the EFS - risk is dependent on the patients age and residual disease after leukemia induction The possibility of identifying patients with elevated risk of VTE needs to be studied further and thromboprophylaxis for such patients during high-risk treatment phases can be considered in future ALL protocols. Table 1. Multivariate Cox regression analysis of the risk for VTE Factor HR (95% CI) P value Age category, years 1-7 8-14 15-17 Ref1.9 (1.0-3.7)6.2 (3.4-11.3) <0.000 0.044 0.000 Gender Male 1.6 (0.9-2.8) 0.074 ALL phenotype B-precursor T-cell Bilineage Ref2.3 (1.2-4.2)4.2 (1.0-17.4) 0.019 0.010 0.047 Residual disease ≥ 5% day 29 4.1 (1.9-9.0) 0.001 Figure 1. Localization of VTE Figure 1. Localization of VTE Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

scholarly journals Post-transplant cyclophosphamide containing regimens after matched sibling, matched unrelated and haploidentical donor transplants in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in first complete remission, a comparative study of the ALWP of the EBMT

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Sanz ◽  
Jacques-Emmanuel Galimard ◽  
Myriam Labopin ◽  
Boris Afanasyev ◽  
Moiseev Ivan Sergeevich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Cumulative Incidence ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Free Survival ◽  
Post Transplant ◽  
Gvhd Prophylaxis ◽  
Donor Type ◽  
Matched Sibling ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background There is no information on the impact of donor type in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) using homogeneous graft-versus-host (GVHD) prophylaxis with post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Methods We retrospectively analyzed outcomes of adult patients with ALL in CR1 that had received HCT with PTCy as GVHD prophylaxis from HLA-matched sibling (MSD) (n = 78), matched unrelated (MUD) (n = 94) and haploidentical family (Haplo) (n = 297) donors registered in the EBMT database between 2010 and 2018. The median follow-up period of the entire cohort was 2.2 years. Results Median age of patients was 38 years (range 18–76). Compared to MSD and MUD, Haplo patients received peripheral blood less frequently. For Haplo, MUD, and MSD, the cumulative incidence of 100-day acute GVHD grade II–IV and III–IV, and 2-year chronic and extensive chronic GVHD were 32%, 41%, and 34% (p = 0.4); 13%, 15%, and 15% (p = 0.8); 35%, 50%, and 42% (p = 0.01); and 11%, 17%, and 21% (p = 0.2), respectively. At 2 years, the cumulative incidence of relapse and non-relapse mortality was 20%, 20%, and 28% (p = 0.8); and 21%, 18%, and 21% (p = 0.8) for Haplo, MUD, and MSD, respectively. The leukemia-free survival, overall survival and GVHD-free, relapse-free survival for Haplo, MUD, and MSD was 59%, 62%, and 51% (p = 0.8); 66%, 69%, and 62% (p = 0.8); and 46%, 44%, and 35% (p = 0.9), respectively. On multivariable analysis, transplant outcomes did not differ significantly between donor types. TBI-based conditioning was associated with better LFS. Conclusions Donor type did not significantly affect transplant outcome in patient with ALL receiving SCT with PTCy.

scholarly journals Chemotherapy Delays Are Associated with Inferior Outcome in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Retrospective Study from a Tertiary Cancer Center in South India

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (01) ◽  
pp. 051-060
Author(s):  
Vineet Agrawal ◽  
Smita Kayal ◽  
Prasanth Ganesan ◽  
Biswajit Dubashi
Keyword(s):  
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Lymphoblastic Leukemia ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Survival Outcomes ◽  
Separate Analysis ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Free Survival ◽  
Intensive Phase ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Treatment protocols for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have evolved over time to give excellent cure rates in children and moderate outcomes in adults; however, little is known how delays in chemotherapy affect long-term survival. Objectives To find the association of delays during different treatment phases on the survival outcomes. Materials and Methods Data from 149 ALL cases treated between 2009 and 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Treatment course in commonly used protocols was divided into three phases—induction, consolidation (postremission), maintenance, and also a combined intensive phase (induction plus consolidation) for the purpose of analysis, and delay in each phase was defined based on clinically acceptable breaks. Analysis was done to find the impact of treatment delay in each phase on the survival outcomes. Results The median age was 12 years (range, 1–57). Multi-center Protocol-841 (MCP-841) was used for 72%, German Multicenter Study Group for Adult ALL (GMALL) for 19%, and Berlin, Frankfurt, Muenster, 95 protocol (BFM-95) for 9% of patients. Delay in induction was seen in 52%, consolidation in 66%, and during maintenance in 42% of patients. The median follow-up was 41 months, and 3-year survival outcomes for the entire cohort were event-free survival (EFS)—60%, relapse-free survival (RFS)—72%, and overall survival (OS)—68%. On univariate analysis, delay in induction adversely affected EFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.78, p = 0.04), while delay in intensive phase had significantly worse EFS and RFS (HR = 2.41 [p = 0.03] and HR = 2.57 [p = 0.03], respectively). On separate analysis of MCP-841 cohort, delay in intensive phase affected both EFS (HR = 3.85, p = 0.02) and RFS (HR = 3.42, p = 0.04), whereas delay in consolidation significantly affected OS with (HR = 4.74, p = 0.04) independently. Conclusion Treatment delays mostly in intensive phase are associated with worse survival in ALL; attempts should be made to maintain protocol-defined treatment intensity while adequately managing toxicities.

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