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Older adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have poor outcomes, partly due to their inability to tolerate intensive treatments. Transplant-related mortality (TRM) associated with myeloablative conditioning before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) increases with age and, therefore, many older patients undergo reduced intensity conditioning (RIC). Studies have shown reductions in transplant-related mortality but no increase in overall survival (OS) with RIC. Comparison studies to date have focussed mainly on acute myeloid leukemia and results have been contradictory, so the optimal RIC regimen for improved outcomes in ALL remains unclear.
The Acute Leukemia Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) have carried out a retrospective study comparing the effect of three commonly used RIC regimens following allo-HSCT on the outcomes of older patients with ALL in first complete remission (CR1). These results were published in Bone Marrow Transplantation on May 2, 2020.1
Table 1. Comparative 2-year outcomes of allo-HSCT for different RIC regimens1
Outcome, % (95% CI) |
FLUBU (n = 127) |
FLUMEL (n = 190) |
FLUTBI (n = 100) |
p value |
FLUBU, fludarabine/busulfan; FLUMEL, fludarabine/melphalan; FLUTBI, fludarabine/total body irradiation; GvHD, graft-versus-host disease; GRFS, GvHD-free, relapse-free survival; RIC, reduced intensity conditioning |
||||
Overall survival |
55 (45–65) |
50 (42–59) |
60 (49–70) |
0.62 |
Leukemia-free survival |
43 (33–52) |
42 (34–51) |
45 (35–56) |
0.99 |
Cumulative incidence of relapse |
40 (30–49) |
36 (28–44) |
41 (30–51) |
0.21 |
Cumulative incidence of transplant-related mortality |
18 (11–26) |
22 (16–29) |
14 (8–22) |
0.09 |
Cumulative incidence of extensive chronic GvHD |
16 (9–23) |
12 (7–18) |
39 (29–50) |
0.001 |
Cumulative incidence of GRFS |
35 (25–44) |
28 (20–36) |
18 (10–26) |
0.01 |
Table 2. Statistically significant risk factors identified in multivariate analysis1
Outcome |
Variable |
Hazard ratio |
95% CI |
p value |
CI, confidence interval; CMV, cytomegalovirus; FLUMEL, fludarabine/melphalan; UD, unrelated donor; MSD, matched sibling donor; GRFS, GvHD-free, relapse-free survival Statistical significance if p < 0.05 |
||||
Overall survival |
Age (per 10 years) |
1.56 |
1.21–2.03 |
0.0007 |
Patient female |
0.67 |
0.49–0.93 |
0.01 |
|
Leukemia-free survival |
Age (per 10 years) |
1.57 |
1.23–2.01 |
0.0003 |
Cumulative incidence of relapse |
Age (per 10 years) |
1.4 |
1.05–1.87 |
0.02 |
Patient CMV positive |
0.66 |
0.45–0.97 |
0.03 |
|
Cumulative incidence of transplant-related mortality |
FLUMEL |
1.97 |
1.05–3.72 |
0.04 |
Age (per 10 years) |
2.08 |
1.37–1.52 |
0.0006 |
|
UD vs MSD |
2.22 |
1.23–4.01 |
0.008 |
|
Cumulative incidence of GRFS |
Age (per 10 years) |
1.53 |
1.23–1.90 |
0.0001 |
In the largest comparative study so far, Peric et al.1 have shown similar transplant outcomes for three favoured RIC regimens in older adults with ALL receiving allo-HSCT. FLUMEL conditioning was the only regimen associated with higher transplant-related mortality in multivariate analysis. The authors attributed a higher incidence of chronic GvHD with FLUTBI conditioning compared with FLUBU and FLUMEL, mainly due to low use of in vivo T-cell depletion in this group of patients.
Older age was independently associated with worse outcomes and the authors advised that transplantation should be undertaken with caution in older adults. Poor transplant outcomes regardless of RIC regimen (2-year LFS < 50%) led the authors to highlight the importance of investigating strategies to prevent relapse after allo-HSCT in ALL.
References
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