Clinical characteristics, biologic features and outcome for young adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Version 2.2021, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology

The NCCN Guidelines for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) focus on the classification of ALL subtypes based on immunophenotype and cytogenetic/molecular markers; risk assessment and stratification for risk-adapted therapy; treatment strategies for Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive and Ph-negative ALL for both adolescent and young adult and adult patients; and supportive care considerations. Given the complexity of ALL treatment regimens and the required supportive care measures, the NCCN ALL Panel recommends that patients be treated at a specialized cancer center with expertise in the management of ALL This portion of the Guidelines focuses on the management of Ph-positive and Ph-negative ALL in adolescents and young adults, and management in relapsed settings.

Real-world outcomes of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia during adolescence in a financially restricted environment: Results at a single center in Latin America

OBJECTIVE

There is a paucity of the studies of adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This is more noticeable in low- and middle-income countries. The international 5-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) for this age group is around 80%, with pediatric-inspired protocols offering better results.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of adolescents aged 16-20 diagnosed with ALL during the period 2004-2015 treated with a high-risk pediatric protocol at an academic center from a middle-income country was performed. Five-year OS and EFS were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier analysis. Hazard ratios of relapse and death were estimated by the Cox regression model.

RESULTS

Five-year EFS and OS for 57 adolescents were 23.3% and 48.9%, respectively. From the 41 patients who achieved complete remission, 24 (58.5%) relapsed. Bone marrow and central nervous system were the most frequent sites of relapse. Hazard ratio of treatment failure and death for patients with organomegaly at diagnosis was 2.026 and 2.970, respectively. Treatment-related toxicity developed in 31 (54.4%) patients and febrile neutropenia was the most frequent in 14 (24.6%) cases. Twelve patients (21.1%) had poor adherence to treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

High relapse rate and low 5-year EFS compared with international standards, was documented. Use of intensified pediatric regimens, adherence to proven effective medications, improved supportive care, and prevention of abandonment are necessary to improve survival rates in these patients.

Pediatric haematopoiesis and related malignancies

Survival after acute paediatric (0–14 years), adolescent (15–19 years) and young adult (20–39 years) leukaemia has improved substantially over the last five decades, particularly for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and acute promyelocytic leukaemia. This progress represents one of the most successful achievements in the history of medicine and has been attributed to the development of effective chemotherapy regimens, improvement in supportive care, better risk stratification, use of targeted therapies, and advances in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Recent studies have revealed improvement in survival over time for all age groups and subtypes of leukaemia. However, these outcomes varied widely by age and are associated with sociodemographic and clinical factors. The present review concludes that survival and early death after acute leukaemia has greatly improved among young patients. However, inequalities in outcomes remain and are likely a result of multiple factors.

Safety, efficacy, and clinical utility of asparaginase in the treatment of adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are known to have inferior outcomes compared to the pediatric population. Although the reasons for this are likely manyfold, the agents utilized and the increased intensity of pediatric treatments compared to adult treatments are likely significant contributing factors. Asparaginase, an enzyme that converts asparagine to aspartic acid, forms the backbone of almost all pediatric regimens and works by depleting extracellular asparagine, which ALL cells are unable to synthesize. Asparaginase toxicities, which include hypersensitivity reactions, pancreatitis, liver dysfunction, and thrombosis, have hindered its widespread use in the adult population. Here, we review the toxicity and efficacy of asparaginase in adult patients with ALL. With the proper precautions, it is a safe and effective agent in the treatment of younger adults with ALL with response rates in the frontline setting ranging from 78% to 96%, compared to most trials showing a 4-year overall survival of 50% or better. The age cutoff for consideration of treatment with pediatric-inspired regimens is not clear, but recent studies show promise particularly in the adolescent and young adult population. New formulations of asparaginase are actively in development, including erythrocyte-encapsulated asparaginase, which is designed to minimize the toxicity and improve the delivery of the drug.

Risk-Benefit Analysis of Pediatric-Inspired Versus Hyperfractionated Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, Doxorubicin, and Dexamethasone Protocols for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Adolescents and Young Adults

Purpose: To estimate the risk–benefit trade-off of a pediatric-inspired regimen versus hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone (hyper-CVAD) for first-line treatment of adolescents/young adult (AYA; ages 16–39 years) patients with Philadelphia-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Methods: Patient outcomes were simulated using a 6-state Markov model, including complete response (CR), no CR, first relapse, second CR, second relapse, and death. A Weibull distribution was fit to the progression-free survival curve of hyper-CVAD–treated AYA patients from a single-center study, and comparable patient data from a retrospective study of pediatric regimen–treated AYA patients were utilized to estimate a relative progression difference (hazard ratio = 0.51) and model survival differences. Health-state utilities were estimated based on treatment stage, with an assumption that the pediatric protocol had 0.10 disutility compared with hyper-CVAD before the maintenance phase of treatment. Total life-years and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were compared between treatment protocols at 1, 5, and 10 years, with additional probabilistic sensitivity analyses.

Results: Treatment with the pediatric-inspired protocol was associated with a 0.04 increase in life-years, but a 0.01 decrease in QALYs at 1 year. By years 5 and 10, the pediatric-inspired protocol resulted in 0.18 and 0.24 increase in life-years and 0.25 and 0.32 increase in QALYs, respectively, relative to hyper-CVAD. The lower quality of life associated with the induction and intensification phases of pediatric treatment was offset by more favorable progression-free survival and overall survival relative to hyper-CVAD.

Conclusions: Our exploratory analysis suggests that, compared with hyper-CVAD, pediatric-inspired protocols may increase life-years throughout treatment stages and QALYs in the long term.

Best Practices in Adolescent and Young Adult Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Focus on Asparaginase

The inclusion of asparaginase in chemotherapy regimens to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has had a positive impact on survival in pediatric patients. Historically, asparaginase has been excluded from most treatment protocols for adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients because of perceived toxicity in this population, and this is believed to have contributed to poorer outcomes in these patients. However, retrospective analyses over the past 12 years have shown that 2-, 5-, and 7-year overall survival of AYA patients is significantly improved with pediatric versus adult protocols. The addition of asparaginase to adult protocols yielded high rates of first remission and improved survival. However, long-term survival remains lower compared with what has been seen in pediatrics. The notion that asparaginase is poorly tolerated by AYA patients has been challenged in multiple studies. In some, but not all, studies, the incidences of hepatic and pancreatic toxicities were higher in AYA patients, whereas the rates of hypersensitivity reactions did not appear to differ with age. There is an increased risk of venous thromboembolic events, and management with anti-coagulation therapy is recommended. Overall, the risk of therapy-related mortality is low. Together, this suggests that high-intensity pediatric protocols offer an effective and tolerable approach to treating ALL in the AYA population.

Association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphisms and the relapse of acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a meta-analysis

Relapse is a threat in patients treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) activity may affect the sensitivity of patients to folate-based chemotherapeutic drugs, thus influencing the relapse risk. Two polymorphisms of the gene encoding MTHFR, C677T and A1298C, alter MTHFR enzyme activity and may be associated with ALL relapse. The aim of this meta-analysis was to clarify the correlation between the C677T and A1298C polymorphisms and ALL relapse. To this end, data were collected from studies of the association between these two polymorphisms and ALL relapse. Analysis of the data revealed a serious contradiction among the results. A recessive model demonstrated that the ALL relapse risk was significantly increased in carriers of the 677 TT genotype, especially for pediatric ALL, but was unaffected by the A1298C polymorphism. These findings confirm that the MTHFR C677T polymorphism could be considered as a good marker of the pediatric ALL relapse risk.

Genome sequencing of lymphoid malignancies

Our understanding of the pathogenesis of lymphoid malignancies has been transformed by next-generation sequencing. The studies in this review have used whole-genome, exome, and transcriptome sequencing to identify recurring structural genetic alterations and sequence mutations that target key cellular pathways in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the lymphomas. Although each tumor type is characterized by a unique genomic landscape, several cellular pathways are mutated in multiple tumor types-transcriptional regulation of differentiation, antigen receptor signaling, tyrosine kinase and Ras signaling, and epigenetic modifications-and individual genes are mutated in multiple tumors, notably TCF3, NOTCH1, MYD88, and BRAF. In addition to providing fundamental insights into tumorigenesis, these studies have also identified potential new markers for diagnosis, risk stratification, and therapeutic intervention. Several genetic alterations are intuitively "druggable" with existing agents, for example, kinase-activating lesions in high-risk B-cell ALL, NOTCH1 in both leukemia and lymphoma, and BRAF in hairy cell leukemia. Future sequencing efforts are required to comprehensively define the genetic basis of all lymphoid malignancies, examine the relative roles of germline and somatic variation, dissect the genetic basis of clonal heterogeneity, and chart a course for clinical sequencing and translation to improved therapeutic outcomes.

Impact of aberrant DNA methylation patterns including CYP1B1 methylation in adolescents and young adults with acute lymphocytic leukemia

Aberrant promoter DNA methylation is a well-described mechanism of leukemogenesis within hematologic malignancies, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, the importance of methylation patterns among the adolescent and young adult (AYA) ALL population has not been well established. DNA methylation of 18 candidate genes in 33 AYA ALL patients was analyzed at diagnosis and during treatment, to evaluate the frequency and clinical relevance of aberrant methylation in an AYA population treated on a uniform therapeutic regimen. Of 16 informative genes, there was a median of 6 methylated genes per AYA ALL patient. Correlations were identified between increasing number of methylated genes with male sex (P = 0.04), increased white blood cell (WBC) count (P = 0.04) and increased bone-marrow blast percentage (P = 0.04). Increasing age was associated with EPHA5 methylation (P = 0.05). Overall, patients experienced favorable outcomes with median survival that was not reached. On univariate analysis, methylation of CYP1B1 was associated with worse overall survival (HR 10.7, 95% CI 1.3-87.6, P = 0.03), disease-free survival (HR 3.7, 95% CI 1.1-9.2, P = 0.04) and correlated with decreased CYP1B1 gene expression. A significant incidence of methylation within the AYA ALL population was identified, with increased methylation associated with distinct clinicopathologic features including male gender and elevated WBC count. Our results suggest aberrant methylation among AYA patients is frequent, and may provide a common pathogenic mechanism. The inferior outcome identified with methylation of the cytochrome p450 gene CYP1B1, an enzyme involved in drug metabolism and steroid synthesis, warrants further investigation.

Clinico-biological features of 5202 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia enrolled in the Italian AIEOP and GIMEMA protocols and stratified in age cohorts

The outcome of children and adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia is markedly different. Since there is limited information on the distribution of clinico-biological variables in different age cohorts, we analyzed 5202 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia enrolled in the Italian multicenter AIEOP and GIMEMA protocols and stratified them in nine age cohorts. The highest prevalence of acute lymphoblastic leukemia was observed in children, although a second peak was recorded from the 4(th) decade onwards. Interestingly, the lowest incidence was found in females between 14-40 years. Immunophenotypic characterization showed a B-lineage in 85.8% of patients: a pro-B stage, associated with MLL/AF4 positivity, was more frequent in patients between 10-50 years. T-lineage leukemia (14.2%) was rare among small children and increased in patients aged 10-40 years. The prevalence of the BCR/ABL1 rearrangement increased progressively with age starting from the cohort of patients 10-14 years old and was present in 52.7% of cases in the 6th decade. Similarly, the MLL/AF4 rearrangement constantly increased up to the 5(th) decade, while the ETV6/RUNX1 rearrangement disappeared from the age of 30 onwards. This study shows that acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adolescents and young adults is characterized by a male prevalence, higher percentage of T-lineage cases, an increase of poor prognostic molecular markers with aging compared to cases in children, and conclusively quantified the progressive increase of BCR/ABL(+) cases with age, which are potentially manageable by targeted therapies.

The inferior prognosis of adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is caused by a higher rate of treatment-related mortality and not an increased relapse rate--a population-based analysis of 25 years of the Austrian ALL-BFM (Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster) Study Group

Adolescents aged 15-18 years with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) have been historically reported to have a poorer prognosis than younger children. We retrospectively analysed the characteristics and outcome of 67 adolescents included in a population-based series of 1125 non-infant cases that were enrolled into four Austrian ALL-BFM (Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster) multicentre trials at paediatric institutions within a 25-year period. Five-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 66 ± 6% and 76 ± 5% respectively, and thus lower than in younger children (83 ± 1%, 91 ± 1%; P < 0·001). This was not due to an increased cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) (5-year CIR: 19 ± 5% vs. 13 ± 1%; P = 0·284), but due to an increased incidence of treatment-related death [5-year cumulative incidence of death (CID): 15 ± 4% vs. 3 ± 0%; P < 0·001] as a first event. Furthermore, while 44/67 (66%) non-high-risk adolescents had favourable 5-year EFS and OS rates (76 ± 7%, 89 ± 5%), 18/67 (27%) high-risk adolescents had an inferior outcome (5-year EFS: 56 ± 12%, OS 61 ± 11%, P < 0·05). Among the latter patients the CID was significantly higher than in younger high-risk children (22 ± 10% vs. 6 ± 2%; P = 0·020). Given that adolescent age is an independent risk factor for death as a first event, this specific age group may need particular vigilance when receiving intense BFM-type chemotherapy, as relapse-free survival is similar to younger children.

Cancer survival and excess mortality estimates among adolescents and young adults in Western Australia, 1982-2004: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

Data are limited on cancer outcomes in adolescents and young adults.

METHODS

Based on data from the Western Australian Data Linkage System, this study modelled survival and excess mortality in all adolescents and young adults aged 15-39 years in Western Australia who had a diagnosis of cancer in the period 1982-2004. Relative survival and excess all-cause mortality for all cancers combined and for principal tumour subgroups were estimated, using the Ederer II method and generalised linear Poisson modelling, respectively.

RESULTS

A cancer diagnosis in adolescents and young adults conferred substantial survival decrement. However, overall outcomes improved over calendar period (excess mortality hazard ratio [HR], latest versus earliest diagnostic period: 0.52, trend p<0.0001). Case fatality varied according to age group (HR, oldest versus youngest: 1.38, trend p<0.0001), sex (HR, female versus male: 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62-0.71), ethnicity (HR, Aboriginal versus others: 1.47, CI 1.23-1.76), geographical area (HR, rural/remote versus urban: 1.13, CI 1.04-1.23) and residential socioeconomic status (HR, lowest versus highest quartile: 1.14, trend p<0.05). Tumour subgroups differed substantially in frequency according to age group and sex, and were critical outcome determinants.

CONCLUSIONS

Marked progressive calendar-time improvement in overall outcomes was evident. Further research is required to disentangle the contributions of tumour biology and health service factors to outcome disparities between ethno-demographic, geographic and socioeconomic subgroups of adolescents and young adults with cancer.

Immunophenotype and increased presence of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), cancer of the white blood cells, is a heterogeneous disease that mainly occurs due to the malignant cloning of original and naive lymphocytes. The aim of this study was to explore the immunophenotype, the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) and the expression of cytokines interleukin (IL)-2, IL-10 and TGF-β in patients with ALL. The immunophenotype and levels of CD4(+)CD25(+) Tregs were detected using flow cytometry in the peripheral blood of 35 ALL patients, with 18 healthy individuals being selected as controls. The results suggested that 22 patients had B cell ALL (B-ALL) and 13 had T cell ALL (T-ALL) among the 35 ALL patients. In B-ALL patients, the surface antigen CD19 was most commonly expressed; in T-ALL patients, CD7 was most common. Furthermore, the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells in the peripheral blood of B-ALL and T-ALL patients was higher compared to that of healthy individuals (P<0.05). Additionally, IL-10 and TGF-β levels in cell culture supernatants from B-ALL and T-ALL patients were higher compared to those in the controls (P<0.05); IL-2 levels were lower in ALL patients. No significant differences were observed in the levels of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells, IL-2, IL-10 or TGF-β in B-ALL versus T-ALL patients. The authors concluded that CD19 and CD7 may serve as diagnostic markers of B-ALL and T-ALL, respectively. The increased presence of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells and the altered levels of secreted cytokines are indicative of an immunosuppressive mechanism in the pathogenesis of ALL.

High dose methotrexate treatment in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia may be optimised by a weight-based dose calculation

BACKGROUND

The inter-individual variation in exposure to methotrexate is considerable after intravenous high dose methotrexate (HDMTX) administration and both under- and over exposures may have dire consequences. Thus, optimal dose individualisation is of paramount importance.

PROCEDURE

We studied how pharmacokinetic parameters were related to outcome in 340 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). A population pharmacokinetic model was developed with data from 1284 HDMTX courses in 304 children evaluating age, height, weight, body surface area (BSA), sex, serum creatinine and serum alanine aminotransferase as potential covariates.

RESULT

Body weight improved the population pharmacokinetic model significantly more than any of the other patient characteristics, indicating that body weight may be the better way of dose normalisation. In a logistic regression analysis, higher values of clearance as well as volume of distribution were related to increased relapse risk in the standard (SR) and intermediate risk (IR) groups as well as in the entire cohort. A higher weight was strongly associated with worse outcome in the SR and IR groups, (P = 0.0186 and 0.0121, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that dose normalisation of methotrexate according to body weigh may give more predictable pharmacokinetics of methotrexate and may also improve the outcome for children with ALL.

Improving outcomes for high-risk ALL: translating new discoveries into clinical care

High-risk (HR) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remains one of the greatest challenges in pediatric oncology. Relapsed ALL is a leading cause of death in young people, and further improvements in outcome will required the development of therapeutic approaches directed against rational therapeutic targets, as escalation of the intensity of existing therapies is limited by toxicity. This review summarizes advances in the biology and treatment of HR and relapsed ALL presented at a symposium at the 2010 American Society for Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Annual Meeting. Analysis of large patient cohorts has identified several factors associated with HR of relapse including older age, T-lineage disease, and persisting minimal residual disease (MRD) early in therapy. As the results of salvage therapy remain poor, new treatment approaches are needed. BCR-ABL1-positive (Ph+) ALL has historically had a very poor outcome, but recent studies have demonstrated the impressive improvements in treatment outcome with the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). High-resolution genomic profiling of genetic alterations and gene expression has revolutionized our understanding of the genetic basis of ALL, and has identified several alterations associated with poor outcome, including mutations of the lymphoid transcription factor gene IKZF1 (IKAROS), activating mutations of Janus kinases, and rearrangement of the lymphoid cytokine receptor gene CRLF2. These data indicated that the genetic basis of HR-ALL is multifactorial, and have also provided a new potential therapeutic option directed at JAK inhibition.

Advances in the Biology of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia-From Genomics to the Clinic

Despite impressive advances in cure rates for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), ALL remains the leading cause of disease-related death in young people and new therapeutic approaches directed against rational therapeutic targets are urgently required to improve treatment outcomes. This is particularly true for ALL in older children, adolescents, and adults, in whom treatment outcomes are markedly inferior to those of young children. A major goal of current leukemia research is to use comprehensive genomic analysis of the leukemic cell genome, transcriptome, and epigenome to identify critical new genomic alterations that drive leukemogenesis and influence responsiveness to therapy. Genomic analyses in childhood ALL have been remarkably informative and have identified a number of new structural genetic alterations that play important roles in the establishment of the leukemic clone and determine risk of relapse. Notably, many high-risk ALL cases harbor loss-of-function and dominant mutations of genes that encode transcriptional regulators of lymphoid development coupled with mutations that result in activation of cytokine receptor and kinase signaling pathways. These advances have resulted in new diagnostic approaches and therapeutic trials in ALL. This review will discuss these advances and outline challenges for future studies, including the potential role of genome-wide sequencing approaches and the need for detailed studies of the genetics of ALL in the adolescent and young adult population.

Augmented hyper-CVAD based on dose-intensified vincristine, dexamethasone, and asparaginase in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia salvage therapy

The prognosis of adult patients with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) remains poor. Recent studies in adolescents and young adults reported better outcomes when therapy was intensified. Based on hyper-CVAD (cyclophosphamide/vincristine/doxorubicin/dexamethasone) as a backbone, we designed an augmented version with intensified doses of vincristine, dexamethasone, and asparaginase (L-asparaginase in the first 62 patients and pegaspargase in the remainder) starting from course 1. Ninety patients have been enrolled, with a median age of 34 years (range, 14-70 years). Most patients (78%) had pre-B ALL and were in first salvage (76%), with a first remission duration of 12.6 months (range, 1-78 months). Ten patients had primary refractory disease. Of 88 evaluable patients, 41 (47%) achieved complete remission (CR), with a median time to CR of 29 days (range, 18-80 days). Eight patients (9%) died within the first 30 days. Median CR duration, progression-free survival, and overall survival were 5, 6.2, and 6 months, respectively. Median overall survival of CR patients was 10.2 months (range, 1.4-69.5+ months). Twenty-eight patients (32%) proceeded to stem cell transplantation. Myelosuppression-associated complications were frequent. Pegaspargase was equally effective and easier to administer than L-asparaginase. Augmented hyper-CVAD may be suitable to be studied in younger adults with untreated ALL.

Genomic profiling of high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a heterogeneous disease comprising multiple subtypes with different genetic alterations and responses to therapy. Recent genome-wide profiling studies of ALL have identified a number of novel genetic alterations that target key cellular pathways in lymphoid growth and differentiation and are associated with treatment outcome. Notably, genetic alteration of the lymphoid transcription factor gene IKZF1 is a hallmark of multiple subtypes of ALL with poor prognosis, including BCR-ABL1-positive lymphoid leukemia and a subset of 'BCR-ABL1-like' ALL cases that, in addition to IKZF1 alteration, harbor genetic mutations resulting in aberrant lymphoid cytokine receptor signaling, including activating mutations of Janus kinases and rearrangement of cytokine receptor-like factor 2 (CRLF2). Recent insights from genome-wide profiling studies of B-progenitor ALL and the potential for new therapeutic approaches in high-risk disease are discussed.

Approaches to treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adolescents and young adults

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia affects infants, children, adolescents, and adults. Although most children have a high likelihood of cure, outcomes in adults have much room for improvement. In between lies the adolescent and young adult population, not only in terms of age but also in clinical success rates. This review describes biology, prognostic factors, and treatment approaches in adolescents and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Assessing the outcomes in adult and pediatric clinical trials that enroll adolescents and young adults can be especially useful in determining how best to treat these patients. Current new treatment strategies are also discussed.

Outcomes for children and adolescents with cancer: challenges for the twenty-first century

PURPOSE

This report provides an overview of current childhood cancer statistics to facilitate analysis of the impact of past research discoveries on outcome and provide essential information for prioritizing future research directions.

METHODS

Incidence and survival data for childhood cancers came from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 9 (SEER 9) registries, and mortality data were based on deaths in the United States that were reported by states to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by underlying cause.

RESULTS

Childhood cancer incidence rates increased significantly from 1975 through 2006, with increasing rates for acute lymphoblastic leukemia being most notable. Childhood cancer mortality rates declined by more than 50% between 1975 and 2006. For leukemias and lymphomas, significantly decreasing mortality rates were observed throughout the 32-year period, though the rate of decline slowed somewhat after 1998. For remaining childhood cancers, significantly decreasing mortality rates were observed from 1975 to 1996, with stable rates from 1996 through 2006. Increased survival rates were observed for all categories of childhood cancers studied, with the extent and temporal pace of the increases varying by diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

When 1975 age-specific death rates for children are used as a baseline, approximately 38,000 childhood malignant cancer deaths were averted in the United States from 1975 through 2006 as a result of more effective treatments identified and applied during this period. Continued success in reducing childhood cancer mortality will require new treatment paradigms building on an increased understanding of the molecular processes that promote growth and survival of specific childhood cancers.

Young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia have an excellent outcome with chemotherapy alone and benefit from intensive postinduction treatment: a report from the children's oncology group

PURPOSE

Patients 16 to 21 years of age with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have an inferior outcome compared with younger children, leading some medical oncologists to advocate allogeneic stem-cell transplantation in first remission for these patients. We examined outcome for young adults with ALL enrolled onto the Children's Cancer Group (CCG) 1961 study between 1996 and 2002.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

CCG 1961 entered patients with ALL 1 to 21 years of age with initial WBC count > or = 50,000/microL and/or age > or = 10 years. Randomly assigned therapies evaluated the impact of postinduction treatment intensification on outcome. We examined outcome and prognostic factors for 262 young adults with ALL.

RESULTS

Five-year event-free and overall survival rates for young adult patients are 71.5% (SE, 3.6%) and 77.5% (SE, 3.3%), respectively. Rapid responder patients (< 25% bone marrow blasts on day 7) randomly assigned to augmented therapy had 5-year event-free survival of 81.8% (SE, 7%), as compared with 66.8% (SE, 6.7%) for patients receiving standard therapy (P = .07). One versus two interim maintenance and delayed intensification courses had no significant impact on event-free survival. WBC count more than 50,000/microL was an adverse prognostic factor.

CONCLUSION

Young adult patients with ALL showing a rapid response to induction chemotherapy benefit from early intensive postinduction therapy but do not benefit from a second interim maintenance and delayed intensification phase. Given the excellent outcome with this chemotherapy, there seems to be no role for the routine use of allogeneic stem-cell transplantation in first remission for young adults with ALL.

Survival of European children and young adults with cancer diagnosed 1995-2002

This study analyses survival in 40,392 children (age 0-14 years) and 30,187 adolescents/young adults (age 15-24 years) diagnosed with cancer between 1995 and 2002. The cases were from 83 European population-based cancer registries in 23 countries participating in EUROCARE-4. Five-year survival in countries and in regional groupings of countries was compared for all cancers combined and for major cancers. Survival for 15 rare cancers in children was also analysed. Five-year survival for all cancers combined was 81% in children and 87% in adolescents/young adults. Between-country survival differences narrowed for both children and adolescents/young adults. Relative risk of death reduced significantly, by 8% in children and by 13% in adolescents/young adults, from 1995-1999 to 2000-2002. Survival improved significantly over time for acute lymphoid leukaemia and primitive neuroectodermal tumours in children and for non-Hodgkin lymphoma in adolescents/young adults. Cancer survival in patients <25 years is poorly documented in Eastern European countries. Complete cancer registration should be a priority for these countries as an essential part of a policy for effective cancer control in Europe.

Augmented and standard Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster chemotherapy for treatment of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The augmented Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (aBFM) regimen has demonstrated improved outcomes in children with acute lymphomblastic leukemia (ALL), but efficacy in adults is unknown. In this retrospective study, we evaluated clinical outcomes in 29 adult ALL patients (aged 19-70) treated with standard BFM (sBFM) or dose-intensive aBFM. Patients were stratified into risk groups based on age, cytogenetic abnormalities, peripheral leukocytosis and response to induction chemotherapy. Inter-mediate risk patients less than 50 years old and all high-risk patients were assigned to aBFM. Complete remission after induction therapy was achieved in 93% of patients. Fifteen patients completed a full course of BFM chemotherapy, with seven discontinuing because of relapse, three because of toxicity, two because of transplantation and two toxic deaths. Five-year event-free survival (EFS) was 45% (95% CI 30-67%), with 39% and 50% rates of EFS observed in the aBFM and sBFM subgroups at 5 years, respectively. Overall survival at 5 years was 62% (95% CI 46-82%), with 61% and 62% in the aBFM and sBFM subgroups alive at 5 years, respectively. Two toxic deaths were observed, and infections and neuropathy were the most common toxicities. sBFM and aBFM have efficacy and toxicity comparable with other adult ALL regimens.

Epidemiology of leukaemia and lymphoma in children and young adults from the north of England, 1990-2002

AIM

We aimed to describe and contrast the epidemiology of haematological malignancies among 0-14 and 15-24-year-olds in northern England from 1990 to 2002 and compare clinical trial entry by age group.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Incidence rates were examined by age, sex and period of diagnosis and differences were tested using Poisson regression. Differences and trends in survival were assessed using Cox regression.

RESULTS

1680 subjects were included comprising 948 leukaemias and 732 lymphomas. Incidence rates for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia were significantly higher for 0-14 compared to 15-24-year-olds, whilst Hodgkin lymphoma showed the reverse. No significant changes in incidence were observed. 60% of leukaemia patients aged 15-24 years entered trials compared to 92% of 0-14-year-olds. Survival rates were significantly lower and improved less markedly over time for 15-24 compared to 0-14-year-olds, particularly for leukaemia.

CONCLUSIONS

Trial accrual rates need to be improved amongst 15-24-year-olds and a more structured follow-up approach adopted for this unique population.

What determines the outcomes for adolescents and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated on cooperative group protocols? A comparison of Children's Cancer Group and Cancer and Leukemia Group B studies

We performed a retrospective comparison of presenting features, planned treatment, complete remission (CR) rate, and outcome of 321 adolescents and young adults (AYAs) ages 16 to 20 years with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who were treated on consecutive trials in either the Children's Cancer Group (CCG) or the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) from 1988 to 2001. CR rates were identical, 90% for both CALGB and CCG AYAs. CCG AYAs had a 63% event-free survival (EFS) and 67% overall survival (OS) at 7 years in contrast to the CALGB AYAs, in which 7-year EFS was only 34% (P < .001; relative hazard rate [RHR] = 2.2) and OS was 46% (P < .001; RHR = 1.9). While CALGB AYAs aged 16 to 17 years achieved similar outcomes to all CCG AYAs with a 7-year EFS of 55%, the EFS for 18- to 20-year-old CALGB patients was only 29%. Comparison of the regimens showed that CCG AYAs received earlier and more intensive central nervous system prophylaxis and higher cumulative doses of nonmyelosuppressive agents. There were no differences in outcomes of those who reached maintenance therapy on time compared with those who were delayed. Based on these observations, a prospective study for AYAs with ALL using the more successful approach of the CCG has been initiated.

The changing scene of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The review focuses on the most recent advances in the diagnostic and prognostic work-up of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and its implications in the clinical management of the disease.

RECENT FINDINGS

ALL can be identified on the basis of morphologic, cytochemical and immunophenotypic criteria; modern management of ALL is also based on cytogenetic and genetic evaluations. New technologies, such as gene expression profile analysis, may allow us to further unravel the intrinsic biology of the disease, to improve diagnostic and prognostic stratification, and to design innovative therapeutic strategies. In potentially all cases, specific markers of the disease can be found and utilized together with the rearrangement of immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor genes to monitor minimal residual disease during clinical follow-up. These biologically-defined subgroups of patients may have a different clinical course, response to treatment and variable prognosis.

SUMMARY

Recent biologic advancements are progressively realising the possibility of designing targeted and individualized therapeutic strategies according to the more refined, molecularly defined features of leukemic cells and the presence or absence of residual disease in adult ALL.

Successful management of multifactorial colitis in a recipient of hematopoietic stem cell transplant: a case report

Recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant can develop life-threatening complications at any time following their transplants. These complications require repeated clinical assessment, appropriate and thorough screening as well as a comprehensive management approach.

We report a young adult male who received a sibling allograft in the second complete remission of his acute lymphoblastic leukemia at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Riyadh. The patient developed severe colitis which was caused by: acute exacerbation of chronic graft versus host disease of the lower gastrointestinal tract, cytomegalovirus disease of the colon and a superadded Salmonella infection caused by food poisoning. The multifactorial colitis was properly investigated and successfully managed. To our knowledge, this is the first case of multifactorial colitis in a recipient of hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

MTHFR polymorphisms’ influence on outcome and toxicity in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients

Recently the influence of polymorphisms of different genes involved in metabolism of chemoterapic agents have been studied especially in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We evaluated the influence of C677T and A1298C methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms on time to relapse and survival and on methotrexate (MTX) toxicity in 82 ALL adult patients. Relapse free survival and event free survival between homozygous wild-type and variant patients in both polymorphisms were not significantly different. However, we observed an association between 677TT variant and survival in a subset of ALL patients homogenously treated with MTX-based maintenance (p=0.02). In the same subgroup we confirmed the role of 677TT variant on toxicity during MTX treatment (p=0.003).

Phase 2B trial of aminopterin in multiagent therapy for children with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia

PURPOSE

Aminopterin offers advantages over the related antifolate, methotrexate, including greater potency, complete bioavailability, and more consistent accumulation and metabolism by patients' blasts. This current trial was done to document the toxicity of the aminopterin within a multiagent therapeutic regimen for children with newly diagnosed ALL.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Patients at high risk of relapse were non-randomly assigned to therapy including oral aminopterin 4 mg/m(2), in two doses 12 h apart, in place of methotrexate 100 mg/m(2) in four divided doses.

RESULTS

Thirty-two patients, 22 with pre-B ALL and ten with T-lineage ALL, have been treated with aminopterin, with median follow up of 40 months. Hematologic, mucosal and hepatic toxicity has been tolerable and reversible. There have been no toxic deaths among patients in remission. During weekly AMT therapy, higher mean neutrophil counts were observed among patients who were wild type for polymorphisms in methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase and methionine synthase reductase.

CONCLUSIONS

Aminopterin can be safely incorporated in multiagent therapy for patients with ALL, in place of systemic methotrexate, without causing excessive toxicity. These results support a larger trial comparing the efficacy and toxicity of aminopterin and methotrexate in therapy for patients with ALL.

In vitro functional alterations in the hematopoietic system of adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

In previous studies, we have demonstrated that progenitor cell-enriched marrow cell populations from patients with myeloid leukemia - including both acute (AML) and chronic (CML) - show severe functional alterations when cultured in stroma-free liquid cultures supplemented with stimulatory cytokines. In trying to expand our characterization of the biology of leukemic cells, in the present study we have used a similar approach and analyzed the in vitro growth of equivalent cell populations from patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). ALL marrow cell populations -enriched for hematopoietic progenitors by means of a negative selection procedure- were assessed for their proliferation and expansion potentials, in liquid cultures supplemented with a mixture of early- and late-acting recombinant stimulatory cytokines, throughout a 25-day culture period. ALL cells, although capable of responding to the stimulatory signals provided by hematopoietic stimulators, showed deficient proliferation potentials (reduced capacity to generate more nucleated cells), as compared with their normal counterparts. The capacity to generate myeloid and erythroid progenitors was also significantly reduced in ALL cultures. Interestingly, the functional alterations observed in ALL cultures (i.e., deficient proliferation and expansion potentials) were more pronounced in those from Ph+ patients than in those from Ph- patients. This study indicates that bone marrow cell populations - enriched for hematopoietic progenitor cells - from ALL patients possess deficient proliferation and expansion potentials in vitro, and that such functional alterations are more severe when cells are derived from Ph+ patients, as compared to their Ph- counterparts.

Vinorelbine-based salvage chemotherapy for therapy-refractory aggressive leukaemias

This study examined the ability of the semi-synthetic vinca alkaloid, Vinorelbine/Navelbine, to cause apoptotic death in freshly obtained primary leukaemia cells from 53 patients with haematological malignancies, including 22 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), 24 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), three patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia in blast crisis (CML-BC) and four patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Vinorelbine caused apoptosis in primary leukaemia cells from 42 (79%) of these leukaemia patients. Objective responses, including complete remission (CR) and CR with incomplete haematological recovery, were achieved in 12 of 17 (71%) patients with aggressive and therapy-refractory leukaemias, including five of nine patients with relapsed ALL, three of three patients with CML-BC and four of five patients with rapidly progressive CLL, who were treated with a vinorelbine-based salvage chemotherapy regimen. Drug sensitivity profiling of multidrug-resistant primary cancer cells using apoptosis assays revealed a significant association between Vinorelbine sensitivity in vitro and the likelihood of an objective clinical response to Vinorelbine-based chemotherapy. Vinorelbine-sensitivity testing of primary leukaemia cells might help tailor Vinorelbine-based salvage regimens to those patients who are most likely to respond.

Cancer incidence and survival in European adolescents (1978–1997). Report from the Automated Childhood Cancer Information System project

Data on 15,399 adolescents diagnosed with cancer at age 15-19 years during 1978-1997 in Europe were extracted from the database of the Automated Childhood Cancer Information System (ACCIS). Total incidence in Europe as a whole was 186 per million in 1988-1997. Incidence among males was 1.2 times that among females. Lymphomas had the highest incidence of any diagnostic group, 46 per million, followed by epithelial tumours, 41 per million; central nervous system (CNS) tumours, 24; germ cell and gonadal tumours, 23; leukaemias, 23; bone tumours, 14; and soft tissue sarcomas, 13 per million. Total incidence varied widely between regions, from 169 per million in the East to 210 per million in the North, but lymphomas were the most frequent diagnostic group in all regions. Cancer incidence among adolescents increased significantly at a rate of 2% per year during 1978-1997. Five-year survival for all cancers combined in 1988-1997 was 73% in Europe as a whole. Survival was highest in the North, 78%, and lowest in the East, 57%. Five-year survival was generally comparable with that in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries of the United States of America (USA), but for Ewing's sarcoma it was below 45% in all European regions compared with 56% in the USA. Survival increased significantly during 1978-1997 for all cancers combined and for all diagnostic groups with sufficient registrations for analysis.