Search

In patients with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated by intensive chemotherapy (IC), prognostic significance of co-occurring genetic alterations and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are of particular interest with the advent of IDH1/2 mutant inhibitors. We retrospectively analyzed 319 patients with newly diagnosed AML (127 with IDH1, 135 with IDH2R140, and 57 with IDH2R172 mutations) treated with IC in 3 Acute Leukemia French Association prospective trials. In each IDH subgroup, we analyzed the prognostic impact of clinical and genetic covariates, and the role of HSCT. In patients with IDH1 mutations, the presence of NPM1 mutations was the only variable predicting improved overall survival (OS) in multivariate analysis (P < .0001). In IDH2R140-mutated AML, normal karyotype (P = .008) and NPM1 mutations (P = .01) predicted better OS. NPM1 mutations were associated with better disease-free survival (DFS; P = .0009), whereas the presence of DNMT3A mutations was associated with shorter DFS (P = .0006). In IDH2R172-mutated AML, platelet count was the only variable retained in the multivariate model for OS (P = .002). Among nonfavorable European LeukemiaNet 2010-eligible patients, 71 (36%) underwent HSCT in first complete remission (CR1) and had longer OS (P = .03) and DFS (P = .02) than nontransplanted patients. Future clinical trials testing frontline IDH inhibitors combined with IC may consider stratification on NPM1 mutational status, the primary prognostic factor in IDH1- or IDH2R140-mutated AML. HSCT improve OS of nonfavorable IDH1/2-mutated AML and should be fully integrated into the treatment strategy., (© 2021 by The American Society of Hematology.)

The randomized, phase III ALFA-0701 trial showed that a reduced and fractionated dose of gemtuzumab ozogamicin added to standard front-line chemotherapy significantly improves event-free survival (EFS) in adults with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here we report an independent review of EFS, final overall survival (OS), and additional safety results from ALFA-0701. Patients (n=271) aged 50-70 years with de novo AML were randomized to receive conventional front-line induction chemotherapy (3+7daunorubicin+cytarabine) with/without gemtuzumab ozogamicin 3 mg/m 2 on days 1, 4, and 7 during induction. Patients in remission following induction therapy received 2 courses of consolidation therapy (daunorubicin+cytarabine) with/without gemtuzumab ozogamicin (3 mg/m 2 /day on day 1) according to their initial randomization. The primary end point was investigator-assessed EFS. Secondary end points included OS and safety. A blinded independent review confirmed the investigator-assessed EFS results [August 1, 2011; hazard ratio (HR) 0.66; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.49-0.89; 2-sided P =0.006], corresponding to a 34% reduction in risk of events in the gemtuzumab ozogamicin versus control arm. Final OS at April 30, 2013 favored gemtuzumab ozogamicin but was not significant. No differences in early death rate were observed between arms. The main toxicity associated with gemtuzumab ozogamicin was prolonged thrombocytopenia. Veno-occlusive disease (including after transplant) was observed in 6 patients in the gemtuzumab ozogamicin arm and 2 in the control arm. In conclusion, gemtuzumab ozogamicin added to standard intensive chemotherapy has a favorable benefit/risk ratio. These results expand front-line treatment options for adult patients with previously untreated AML. (Trial registered at clinicaltrials.gov; identifier: 00927498 )., (Copyright© 2019 Ferrata Storti Foundation.)

In standard-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia, recent results have shown that all- trans retinoic acid plus arsenic trioxide combinations are at least as effective as classical all- trans retinoic acid plus anthracycline-based chemotherapy while being less myelosuppressive. However, the role of frontline arsenic trioxide is less clear in higher-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia, and access to arsenic remains limited for front-line treatment of standard-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia in many countries. In this randomized trial, we compared arsenic, all- trans retinoic acid and the "classical" cytarabine for consolidation treatment (after all- trans retinoic acid and chemotherapy induction treatment) in standard-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia, and evaluated the addition of arsenic during consolidation in higher-risk disease. Patients with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia with a white blood cell count <10x10 9 /L, after an induction treatment consisting of all- trans retinoic acid plus idarubicin and cytarabine, received consolidation chemotherapy with idarubicin and cytarabine, arsenic or all- trans retinoic acid. Patients with a white blood cell count >10x10 9 /L received consolidation chemotherapy with or without arsenic. Overall, 795 patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia were enrolled in this trial. Among those with standard-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia (n=581), the 5-year event-free survival rates from randomization were 88.7%, 95.7% and 85.4% in the cytarabine, arsenic and all- trans retinoic acid consolidation groups, respectively ( P =0.0067), and the 5-year cumulative incidences of relapse were was 5.5%, 0% and 8.2%. ( P =0.001). Among those with higher-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia (n=214), the 5-year event-free survival rates were 85.5% and 92.1% ( P =0.38) in the chemotherapy and chemotherapy plus arsenic groups, respectively, and the corresponding 5-year cumulative incidences of relapse were 4.6% and 3.5% ( P =0.99). Given the prolonged myelosuppression that occurred in the chemotherapy plus arsenic arm, a protocol amendment excluded cytarabine during consolidation cycles in the chemotherapy plus arsenic group, resulting in no increase in relapse. Our results therefore advocate systematic introduction of arsenic in the first-line treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia, but probably not concomitantly with intensive chemotherapy, a situation in which we found myelosuppression to be significant. ( ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00378365 )., (Copyright© 2018 Ferrata Storti Foundation.)

Patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia or higher risk myelodysplastic syndromes with 5q deletion (generally within a complex karyotype) respond poorly to intensive chemotherapy and have very poor survival. In this population, we evaluated escalating doses of lenalidomide combined with intensive chemotherapy in a phase II study. Treatment consisted of daunorubicin (45 mg/m 2 /day, days 1-3 in cohort 1, escalated to 60 mg/m 2 /day, days 1-3 in cohorts 2 and 3) combined with cytosine arabinoside (200 mg/m 2 /day, days 1-7) and lenalidomide (10 mg/day, days 1-21 in cohorts 1 and 2, escalated to 25 mg/day, days 1-21 in cohort 3). Eighty-two patients with 5q deletion were enrolled, including 62 with acute myeloblastic leukemia, 62/79 (78%) of whom had a complex karyotype (median 7 cytogenetic abnormalities, all but 2 of them monosomal) and three had unknown karyotypes. Thirty-eight patients (46%) achieved complete remission and the overall response rate was 58.5%. Among the 62 patients with a complex karyotype, 27 achieved complete remission (44%) and 21 had cytogenetic responses. A lower response rate was observed in patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia but other pretreatment factors, including cytogenetic complexity and treatment cohort, did not significantly influence response. Fifteen patients underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation, including 11 patients in first remission. The 1-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 64.6% and the median overall survival was 8.2 months. By comparison with conventional intensive chemotherapy, the treatment protocol we used appeared to produce higher hematologic and cytogenetic complete remission rates in patients with very poor cytogenetics, but response duration was short in this very poor risk population, highlighting the need for better post-induction strategies. Clinical trial registry number: NCT00885508 ., (Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation.)

The efficacy of azacitidine in patients with anemia and with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes, if relapsing after or resistant to erythropoietic stimulating agents, and the benefit of combining these agents to azacitidine in this setting are not well known. We prospectively compared the outcomes of patients, all of them having the characteristics of this subset of lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome, if randomly treated with azacitidine alone or azacitidine combined with epoetin-β. High-resolution cytogenetics and gene mutation analysis were performed at entry. The primary study endpoint was the achievement of red blood cell transfusion independence after six cycles. Ninety-eight patients were randomised (49 in each arm). Median age was 72 years. In an intention to treat analysis, transfusion independence was obtained after 6 cycles in 16.3% versus 14.3% of patients in the azacitidine and azacitidine plus epoetin-β arms, respectively (P=1.00). Overall erythroid response rate (minor and major responses according to IWG 2000 criteria) was 34.7% vs. 24.5% in the azacitidine and azacitidine plus epoetin-β arms, respectively (P=0.38). Mutations of the SF3B1 gene were the only ones associated with a significant erythroid response, 29/59 (49%) versus 6/27 (22%) in SF3B1 mutated and unmutated patients, respectively, P=0.02. Detection of at least one "epigenetic mutation" and of an abnormal single nucleotide polymorphism array profile were the only factors associated with significantly poorer overall survival by multivariate analysis. The transfusion independence rate observed with azacitidine in this lower-risk population, but resistant to erythropoietic stimulating agents, was lower than expected, with no observed benefit of added epoetin, (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: 01015352)., (Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation.)

To provide data for future drug evaluation, we analyzed the outcome of 393 patients aged 50 years or older (median, 64 years) with AML in first relapse after treatment in recent ALFA trials. Salvage options were retrospectively classified as follows: best supportive care (BSC), low-dose cytarabine (LDAC), gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO), intensive chemotherapy (ICT), or ICT combined with GO. Second complete remission (CR2) rate was 31% and median post-relapse survival was 6.8 months (0, 17, 42.5, 53, and 80% and 3.2, 5.6, 8.9, 9, and 19.8 months in BSC, LDAC, GO, ICT, and ICT + GO subsets, respectively). Age, performance status, WBC, CR1 duration, and favorable AML karyotype, but not other cytogenetic or molecular features, influenced post-relapse outcome. Multivariate adjustment and propensity score matching showed that intensive salvage (ICT/ICT+GO/GO versus LDAC/BSC) was associated with longer post-relapse survival, at least in patients with CR1 duration ≥12 months (P = 0.001 and 0.0005, respectively). Of interest, GO appeared to be as effective as standard ICT, and ICT + GO combination more effective than standard ICT. In conclusion, older patients with CR1 duration ≥12 months appeared to benefit from intensive salvage and results observed with GO-containing salvage suggest that GO combination studies should be actively pursued in this setting., (Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

FLT3 internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) is usually considered as a bad marker for minimal residual disease (MRD) follow-up in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Our objective was to evaluate the suitability of FLT3-ITD as a target for MRD detection by real-time quantitative PCR, in comparison with two other molecular MRD markers, NPM1 mutation and WT1 overexpression, in 20 adult AML patients treated in Acute Leukemia French Association (ALFA) trials. Overall, these 3 MRD markers showed comparable kinetics in 17/20 (85%) cases. Furthermore, we found that FLT3-ITD MRD levels after induction chemotherapy are predictive of complete remission duration., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This Phase 1/2 study aimed to determine optimal doses of daunorubicin (DNR; mg/m(2)) and cytarabine (mg/m(2)) to be combined with fractionated doses of gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO, Mylotarg(®); 3 mg/m(2) on day 1, 4, and 7) satisfying safety requirements. Three dose levels of DNR/AraC were investigated namely (45, 100), (60, 100), and (60, 200). Patients included were acute myeloid leukemia in first relapse, aged 50-70 years. Hematological recovery was 31 days for neutrophil and 32 days for platelet counts. A documented infectious episode > Grade 2 occurred in 11/20 patients (55%). None of the 20 patients had signs of veno-occlusive disease. Overall, eleven patients reached complete remission (CR), two CR with incomplete platelets recovery. The results showed that combination of fractionated GO doses with DNR at 60 mg/m(2)/d for 3 days and cytarabine at 200 mg/m(2)/d for 7 days is tolerable and could be further investigated in the front-line therapy., (Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

In this Phase 2 study, we evaluated the efficacy of combination of 5-azacitidine (AZA), valproic acid (VPA), and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Treatment consisted of six cycles of AZA and VPA for 7 days, followed by ATRA for 21 days. Sixty-five patients were enrolled (median age, 72 years; 55 AML including 13 relapsed/refractory patients, 10 MDS; 30 unfavorable karyotypes). Best responses included 14 CR and 3 PR (26%), 75% of the responders and 36% of the non-responders achieving an erythroid response. Median overall survival (OS) was 12.4 months. Untreated patients had a longer OS than relapsed/refractory patients. In patients who fulfilled the 6 planned cycles, OS did not appear to depend on CR/PR achievement, suggesting that stable disease while on-treatment would be a surrogate for survival with this approach. During therapy, early platelet response and demethylation of the FZD9, ALOX12, HPN, and CALCA genes were associated with clinical response. Finally, there was no evidence for the restoration of an ATRA-induced differentiation during therapy. Epigenetic modulation deserves prospective comparisons to conventional care in patients with high-risk AML, at least in those presenting previously untreated disease and low blast count.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is highly curable with the combination of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and anthracycline-based chemotherapy (CT), but very long-term results of this treatment, when CT should be added to ATRA and the role of maintenance treatment, remain uncertain. In our APL93 trial that included 576 newly diagnosed APL patients, with a median follow-up of 10 years, 10-year survival was 77%. Maintenance treatment significantly reduced 10-year cumulative incidence of relapses, from 43.2% to 33%, 23.4%, and 13.4% with no maintenance, maintenance using intermittent ATRA, continuous 6 mercaptopurine plus methotrexate, and both treatments, respectively (P < .001). Maintenance particularly benefited patients with white blood cell (WBC) count higher than 5 x 10(9)/L (5000/microL). Early addition of CT to ATRA significantly improved 10-year event-free survival (EFS), but without significant effect on overall survival (OS). The 10-year cumulative incidence of deaths in complete response (CR), resulting mainly from myelosuppression, was 5.7%, 15.4%, and 21.7% in patients younger than 55, 55 to 65, and older than 65 years, respectively, supporting the need for less myelosuppressive treatments, particularly for consolidation therapy. This study is registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00599937.

PURPOSE In patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), induction chemotherapy is based on standard doses of anthracyclines and cytarabine. High doses of cytarabine have been reported as being too toxic for patients older than age 50 years, but few studies have evaluated intensified doses of anthracyclines. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this randomized Acute Leukemia French Association 9801 (ALFA-9801) study, high doses of daunorubicin (DNR; 80 mg/m(2)/d x 3 days) or idarubicin (IDA4; 12 mg/m(2)/d x 4 days) were compared with standard doses of idarubicin (IDA3; 12 mg/m(2)/d x 3 days) for remission induction in patients age 50 to 70 years, with an event-free survival (EFS) end point. After two consolidation courses based on intermediate doses of cytarabine, patients in continuous remission were randomly assigned to receive or not receive maintenance therapy with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2; 5 x 10(6) U/m(2) x 5 days each month) for a total duration of 12 months. A total of 468 patients entered the study (median age, 60 years). Results Overall complete remission rate was 77% with significant differences among the three randomization arms (83%, 78%, and 70% in the IDA3, IDA4, and DNR arms, respectively; P = .04). However, no significant differences were observed in relapse incidence, EFS, or overall survival among the three arms. In the 161 patients randomly assigned for maintenance therapy, no difference in outcome was observed between the rIL-2 and the no further treatment arms. CONCLUSION Neither intensification of anthracycline doses nor maintenance with rIL-2 showed a significant impact on AML course, at least as scheduled in this trial.

In all, 236 adults with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were randomly assigned to receive either granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), or granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF), or no CSF during a 4-week 4-drugs induction chemotherapy. Two successive trials were performed. CSFs were given from the last infusion of anthracycline in Trial 1 or from day 4 of induction therapy in Trial 2 until neutrophil recovery. A total of 95 patients were included in the G-CSF group, 67 in the GM-CSF group, and 74 in the control group. Overall, CSFs showed a trend for a reduced incidence of severe infections and of days with antibiotics. Median time for neutrophil recovery was 17 days with G-CSF, 18 days with GM-CSF, and 21 days without CSF. In Trial 2, duration of hospitalization was significantly lower in the G-CSF group than in the other groups (P < 0.05). Time to neutrophil recovery was also significantly shorter (P < 0.05) and severe infections were lower in the G-CSF group (P = 0.01). CR rate was higher in the GM-CSF group as compared to the control group. This tended to be confirmed for the most aggressive ALL and was statistically significant for Philadelphia-positive ALL after salvage therapy (P = 0.04). There were no significant differences between the three groups in terms of disease-free survival.

In all, 625 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) entered the Leucémie Aiguë Lymphoblastique de l'Adulte-94 trial from June 1994 to June 1999, and received a 4-week induction therapy followed either by chemotherapy alone or stem cell transplantation (SCT). In a clinical phase II study, 40 patients with standard- or high-risk ALL - except Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL -, relapsing at least 3 months after the beginning of therapy and who did not receive any SCT, received a rescue protocol combining amsacrine 120 mg/m(2)/day, days 1-3, cytarabine 1 g/m(2)/12 h, days 1-5, and etoposide 100 mg/m(2)/day, days 1-5. All relapses occurred 'on therapy'. In all, 16 patients (40%) achieved a second complete remission. The median time to neutrophil recovery >0.5 x 10(9)/l was 27 days. The median time to platelet recovery >50 x 10(9)/l was 28 days. Extra-hematologic toxicity was mild (only one toxic death from severe infection). The median overall survival was 5.4 months. The median disease-free survival (DFS) was 3.2 months with a 3-year DFS of 12%. Unfavorable prognostic factors for complete remission achievement were: high-risk ALL at diagnosis (P=0.03), and white blood cell count at relapse >or=30 x 10(9)/l (P=0.02). No relationship was found between survival and any characteristics of the disease. Four patients underwent allogeneic SCT (two phenoidentical and two genoidentical) and three patients received autologous SCT. This treatment combining amsacrine, cytarabine, and etoposide was therefore effective and well tolerated in 'on-therapy'-relapsed ALL. However, the median DFS was short requiring the rapid completion of effective intensive postremission therapy.