Wulf, Gerald G, Altmann, Bettina, Ziepert, Marita, D'Amore, Francesco, Held, Gerhard, Greil, Richard, Tournilhac, Olivier, Relander, Thomas, Viardot, Andreas, Wilhelm, Martin, Wilhelm, Christian, Pezzutto, Antonio, Zijlstra, Josee M, Van Den Neste, Eric, Lugtenburg, Pieternella J, Doorduijn, Jeanette K, Gelder, Michel van, van Imhoff, Gustaaf W, Zettl, Florian, Braulke, Friederike, Nickelsen, Maike, Glass, Bertram, Rosenwald, Andreas, Gaulard, Philippe, Loeffler, Markus, Pfreundschuh, Michael, Schmitz, Norbert, Trümper, Lorenz, ACT-2 study investigators, UCL - SSS/DDUV - Institut de Duve, UCL - SSS/DDUV/BCHM - Biochimie-Recherche métabolique, UCL - (SLuc) Service d'hématologie, UCL - (SLuc) Centre du cancer, Hematology, CCA - Cancer Treatment and quality of life, Role of intra-Clonal Heterogeneity and Leukemic environment in ThErapy Resistance of chronic leukemias (CHELTER), Université Clermont Auvergne (UCA), RS: GROW - R3 - Innovative Cancer Diagnostics & Therapy, Interne Geneeskunde, and MUMC+: MA Hematologie (9)
PTCL patients exhibit poor survival with existing treatments. We investigated the efficacy of CHOP combined with alemtuzumab in 116 PTCL patients age 61–80 in an open-label, randomized phase 3 trial. Alemtuzumab was given on day 1, to a total of 360 mg in 21 patients, or 120 mg in 37. Hematotoxicity was increased with A-CHOP resulting in more grade ≥3 infections (40% versus 21%) and 4 versus 1 death due to infections, respectively. CR/CRu rate was 60% for A-CHOP and 43% for CHOP, and OR rate was 72% and 66%, respectively. Three-year-EFS, PFS and OS were 27% [15%–39%], 28% [15%–40%], and 37% ([23%–50%] for A-CHOP, and 24% [12%–35%], 29% [17%–41%], and 56% [44%–69%] for CHOP, respectively, showing no significant differences. Multivariate analyses, adjusted for strata and sex confirmed these results (hazard ratio HREFS: 0.7 ([95% CI: 0.5–1.1]; p = 0.094), HRPFS: 0.8 ([95% CI: 0.5–1.2]; p = 0.271), HROS: 1.4 ([95% CI: 0.9–2.4]; p = 0.154). The IPI score was validated, and male sex (HREFS 2.5) and bulky disease (HREFS 2.2) were significant risk factors for EFS, PFS, and OS. Alemtuzumab added to CHOP increased response rates, but did not improve survival due to treatment-related toxicity.