Low incidence of symptomatic osteonecrosis after allogeneic HSCT in children with high-risk or relapsed ALL - results of the ALL-SCT 2003 trial

[Osteonecrosis-severe side effect of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia]

Osteonecrosis occurs as an acute and long-term serious side effect in children, adolescents, and adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It is associated with severe pain and reduced mobility, ultimately leading to joint destruction and significant long-term morbidity. The cumulative incidence ranges from 11 to 20% in adolescents and young adults. In symptomatic patients, multiple joints are frequently affected, which in turns poses a risk factor for the development of severe osteonecrosis. The genesis of leukemia-associated osteonecrosis is multifactorial. Risk factors include the use of corticosteroids and asparaginase. These exert their effects on the blood supply to the bone through hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypertension. Bacteriemia, genetic susceptibility, and stem cell transplantation pose additional risk factors. The treatment of osteonecrosis is challenging and not evidence based. Preventive measurements have as yet mainly been tested in preclinical models.

Osteonecrosis in Korean Paediatric and Young Adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia or Lymphoblastic Lymphoma: A Nationwide Epidemiological Study

Osteonecrosis (ON) is a serious complication of acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) or lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) treatment, and there is little information regarding ON in Korean paediatric and young adult patients. This retrospective cohort study assessed the cumulative incidence of and risk factors for ON using national health insurance claims data from 2008 to 2019 in 4861 ALL/LBL patients. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate the cumulative incidence of ON according to age groups; the Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to identify risk factors related to ON development after diagnosing ALL/LBL. A cause-specific hazard model with time-varying covariates was used to assess the effects of risk factors. Overall, 158 (3.25%) patients were diagnosed with ON, among whom 23 underwent orthopaedic surgeries. Older age, radiotherapy (HR = 2.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.87–3.66), HSCT (HR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.74–3.31), steroid use and anthracycline use (HR = 2.76, CI 1.85–4.14) were related to ON in the univariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, age and steroid and asparaginase use (HR = 1.99, CI 1.30–3.06) were factors associated with ON. These results suggest that Korean patients with ALL/LBL who used steroids and asparaginase should be closely monitored during follow-up, even among young adult patients.

Bisphosphonate treatment in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and osteonecrosis - radiological and clinical findings in a national cohort

Background: Osteonecrosis (ON) is a recognized complication of childhood ALL, but its optimal management remains unestablished. This study evaluated the effect of bisphosphonate (BP) treatment on the evolution of ON lesions in childhood ALL.Material and Methods: We included a national cohort of ALL patients diagnosed with symptomatic ON before 18 years of age and treated with BPs (N = 10; five males). Patients were followed both clinically and with serial MRIs. ON lesions were graded according to the Niinimäki classification.Results: The 10 patients had a total of 55 ON lesions. The median age was 13.3 years at ALL diagnosis and 14.8 years at ON diagnosis. Four patients had received HSCT before the ON diagnosis. BPs used were pamidronate (N = 7), alendronate (N = 2) and ibandronate (N = 1). The duration of BP treatment varied between 4 months and 4 years. In 4/10 patients, BP treatment was given during the chemotherapy. BPs were well-tolerated, with no severe complications or changes in kidney function. At the end of follow up 13/55 (24%) ON lesions were completely healed both clinically and radiographically; all these lesions were originally graded 3 or less. In contrast, ON lesions originally classified as grade 5 (joint destruction; N = 4) remained at grade 5. All grade 5 hip joint lesions needed surgical treatment. During BP treatment, the pain was relieved in 7/10 patients. At the end of follow-up, none of the patients reported severe or frequent pain.Conclusion: BP treatment was safe and seemed effective in relieving ON-induced pain in childhood ALL. After articular collapse (grade 5) lesions did not improve with BP treatment. Randomized controlled studies are needed to further elucidate the role of BPs in childhood ALL-associated ON.

Skeletal adverse events in childhood cancer survivors: An Adult Life after Childhood Cancer in Scandinavia cohort study

The dynamic growth of the skeleton during childhood and adolescence renders it vulnerable to adverse effects of cancer treatment. The lifetime risk and patterns of skeletal morbidity have not been described in a population-based cohort of childhood cancer survivors. A cohort of 26 334 1-year cancer survivors diagnosed before 20 years of age was identified from the national cancer registries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden as well as a cohort of 127 531 age- and sex-matched comparison subjects randomly selected from the national population registries in each country. The two cohorts were linked with data from the national hospital registries and the observed numbers of first-time hospital admissions for adverse skeletal outcomes among childhood cancer survivors were compared to the expected numbers derived from the comparison cohort. In total, 1987 childhood cancer survivors had at least one hospital admission with a skeletal adverse event as discharge diagnosis, yielding a rate ratio (RR) of 1.35 (95% confidence interval, 1.29-1.42). Among the survivors, we observed an increased risk for osteonecrosis with a RR of 25.9 (15.0-44.5), osteoporosis, RR 4.53 (3.28-6.27), fractures, RR 1.27 (1.20-1.34), osteochondropathies, RR 1.57 (1.28-1.92) and osteoarthrosis, RR 1.48 (1.28-1.72). The hospitalization risk for any skeletal adverse event was higher among survivors up to the age of 60 years, but the lifetime pattern was different for each type of skeletal adverse event. Understanding the different lifetime patterns and identification of high-risk groups is crucial for developing strategies to optimize skeletal health in childhood cancer survivors.

Late Effects After Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in ALL, Long-Term Follow-Up and Transition: A Step Into Adult Life

Haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) can be a curative treatment for children and adolescents with very-high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). Improvements in supportive care and transplant techniques have led to increasing numbers of long-term survivors worldwide. However, conditioning regimens as well as transplant-related complications are associated with severe sequelae, impacting patients' quality of life. It is widely recognised that paediatric HSCT survivors must have timely access to life-long care and surveillance in order to prevent, ameliorate and manage all possible adverse late effects of HSCT. This is fundamentally important because it can both prevent ill health and optimise the quality and experience of survival following HSCT. Furthermore, it reduces the impact of preventable chronic illness on already under-resourced health services. In addition to late effects, survivors of paediatric ALL also have to deal with unique challenges associated with transition to adult services. In this review, we: (1) provide an overview of the potential late effects following HSCT for ALL in childhood and adolescence; (2) focus on the unique challenges of transition from paediatric care to adult services; and (3) provide a framework for long-term surveillance and medical care for survivors of paediatric ALL who have undergone HSCT.

Bone Health Management After Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: An Expert Panel Opinion from the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy

Bone health disturbances commonly occur after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) with loss of bone mineral density (BMD) and avascular necrosis (AVN) foremost among them. BMD loss is related to pretransplantation chemotherapy and radiation exposure and immunosuppressive therapy for graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) and results from deficiencies in growth or gonadal hormones, disturbances in calcium and vitamin D homeostasis, as well as osteoblast and osteoclast dysfunction. Although the pathophysiology of AVN remains unclear, high-dose glucocorticoid exposure is the most frequent association. Various societal treatment guidelines for osteoporosis exist, but the focus is mainly on menopausal-associated osteoporosis. HCT survivors comprise a distinct population with unique comorbidities, making general approaches to bone health management inappropriate in some cases. To address a core set of 16 frequently asked questions (FAQs) relevant to bone health in HCT, the American Society of Transplant and Cellular Therapy Committee on Practice Guidelines convened a panel of experts in HCT, adult and pediatric endocrinology, orthopedics, and oral medicine. Owing to a lack of relevant prospective controlled clinical trials that specifically address bone health in HCT, the answers to the FAQs rely on evidence derived from retrospective HCT studies, results extrapolated from prospective studies in non-HCT settings, relevant societal guidelines, and expert panel opinion. Given the heterogenous comorbidities and needs of individual HCT recipients, answers to FAQs in this article should be considered general recommendations, with good medical practice and judgment ultimately dictating care of individual patients. Readers are referred to the Supplementary Material for answers to additional FAQs that did not make the core set.