Ph-positive and <i>BCR::ABL1</i>-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children

The Role of Cytotoxic Therapy with Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in the Treatment of Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Update of the 2006 Evidence-Based Review

By the whole history of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment protocols development, one of the World ideologist of original science-based therapeutic approaches was German group BFM (Berlin–Frankfurt–Münster). It is not surprisingly that modern ALL treatment protocols, developed by BFM group are high-effective and use in many countries. Understanding the probability of recovery of overwhelming ALL patients majority treated by ALL IC-BFM 2002 protocol, the Scientific-Practical Board of Ministry of Health of Russia in 2020 adopted a protocol as clinical recommendation for pediatric ALL treatment (ID:529).It the current issue BFM ALL treatment protocols evolution is presented and first Russian multicenter experience in pediatric ALL treatment by ALL IC-BFM 2002 protocol. It was 408 pediatric and adolescents patients with primary ALL included the study. All of them were treated by ALL IC-BFM 2002 protocol from 01.11.2003 to 12.05.2021. Survival rate was estimated on 01.06.2021.ALL IC-BFM 2002 demonstrated a high efficiency in multicenter retrospective study. 15-year event-free survival was 83.7 ± 2.1 %, relapsefree survival – 88 ± 1.8 % and overall survival – 93.4 ± 1.4 %. So, ALL IC-BFM 2002 protocol could be realized in Russian clinics and give results similar to world’s leading medical centers.

Successful treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) requires multiagent chemotherapy regimens and central nervous system prophylaxis, including intrathecal methotrexate. Although acute symptomatic seizures can occur during ALL treatment, epilepsy is less common. Furthermore, drug resistant epilepsy (DRE) is rare, presenting with two phenotypes: focal epilepsy, such as temporal lobe, or epileptic encephalopathies (EE), such as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS). For ALL survivors, the development of DRE has significant impact on morbidity, mortality, and quality of life. We describe four patients with ALL remission, who developed EEs, of which 3 had LGS. Mean age at ALL diagnosis was 1.9 years; range 1.1-2.5 years. All, but one, had normal development prior to ALL. No patient had CNS leukemic involvement. All patients received CNS prophylaxis with intrathecal methotrexate, without cranial radiotherapy. Three had symptomatic methotrexate neurotoxicity during treatment. The mean age at first seizure was 5.6 years; range 3.9-7.5 years, with a mean latency of 3.7 years from ALL diagnosis. All patients developed drug resistant EEs, moderate intellectual disability, and neuropsychiatric co-morbidities. Two patients had a minimal response to corpus callosotomy (CC), and one did not respond the ketogenic diet. Successful treatment of childhood ALL is rarely associated with the development of DRE and EEs. Young age at ALL diagnosis (<3 years) may be a predisposing factor. Palliative treatments, including ketogenic diet and CC have limited benefit in these patients. Individual genetic susceptibility to MTX toxicity is likely related to epileptogenesis, and further research is required for epilepsy biomarkers.

Methotrexate (MTX) is one of the staples of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment. MTX targets the folate metabolic pathway (FMP). Abnormal function of the enzymes in FMP, due to genetic aberrations, leads to adverse drug reactions. The aim of this study was to investigate variants in pharmacogenes involved in FMP and their association with MTX pharmacokinetics (MTX elimination profile) and toxicity in the consolidation therapy phase of pediatric ALL patients. Eleven variants in the thymidylate synthetase (TYMS), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), SLC19A1 and SLCO1B genes were analyzed in 148 patients, using PCR- and sequencing-based methodology. For the Serbian and European control groups, data on allele frequency distribution were extracted from in-house and public databases. Our results show that the A allele of SLC19A1 c.80 variant contributes to slow MTX elimination. Additionally, the AA genotype of the same variant is a predictor of MTX-related hepatotoxicity. Patients homozygous for TYMS 6bp deletion were more likely to experience gastrointestinal toxicity. No allele frequency dissimilarity was found for the analyzed variants between Serbian and European populations. Statistical modelling did not show a joint effect of analyzed variants. Our results indicate that SLC19A1 c.80 variant and TYMS 6bp deletion are the most promising pharmacogenomic markers of MTX response in pediatric ALL patients.

BackgroundThere have hardly been any reported cases of children presenting with Kaposi sarcoma as a second malignancy following treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia outside a transplant setting.Case presentationWe report a case of a 5-year-old boy of Bantu origin, which, to our knowledge, could be only the second reported case of oral–visceral Kaposi sarcoma after acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment. The patient presented with a 1-month history of progressive, non-painful, soft tissue oral mass, 1 month after completing treatment for high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He was successfully treated for Kaposi sarcoma on a two-drug regimen (bleomycin and vincristine) with good clinical response.ConclusionVisceral Kaposi sarcoma as a second malignancy may occur after pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment, but its rarity makes it unlikely to raise suspicion among clinicians, thus precluding early diagnosis and treatment. We recommend routine evaluation for Kaposi sarcoma lesions in children undergoing long-term surveillance following treatment for childhood acute leukemia.

Biology and Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Biology and Treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a rare hematologic malignancy resulting in the production of abnormal lymphoid precursor cells. Occurring in B-cell and T-cell subtypes, ALL is more common in children, comprising nearly 30% of pediatric malignancies, but also constitutes 1% of adult cancer diagnoses. Outcomes are age-dependent, with five-year overall survival of greater than 90% in children and less than 20% in older adults. L-asparaginase, an enzyme not found in humans, depletes serum levels of L-asparagine. As leukemic cells are unable to synthesize this amino acid, its deprivation results in cell death. The success of asparaginase-containing regimens in the treatment of pediatric ALL, and poor outcomes with conventional cytotoxic regimens in adults, have led to trials of pediatric or pediatric-inspired regimens incorporating asparaginase in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) and adult populations. Initially purified from Escherichia coli, newer formulations of asparaginase have been developed to address short half-life, high immunogenic potential, and manufacturing difficulties. Unfamiliarity with asparaginase use and management of its unique toxicities may result in treatment-decisions that negatively impact outcomes. In this review, we address the current use of asparaginase in the treatment of ALL, with an emphasis on its role in the treatment of adults, key clinical trials, recognition and management of toxicities, and ongoing directions of study.

Dexamethasone is crucial in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment, however, studies regarding the pharmacokinetics of dexamethasone and its metabolites are scarce. Our study conducted a comprehensive pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic analysis of dexamethasone and metabolite, examining their association with dexamethasone-induced toxicity. Peak and trough concentrations were collected during the maintenance phase from pediatric ALL patients who received oral dexamethasone (6mg/m2/day). NONMEM was used to study the population pharmacokinetics including covariates. Pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) correlations between drug and its active metabolite exposure and adverse effects were examined. 382 samples (dexamethasone: n = 191; 6β-hydroxydexamethasone: n = 191) from 104 children (age range 3.0 -18.8 years) were collected. A one-compartment model described the data best. The estimated apparent dexamethasone total clearance was 26 L/h/70 kg with 18 % inter-individual variability, and an apparent volume of distribution of 123 L/70 kg, yielding a half-life of 3.3 h. Covariate analysis demonstrated that when asparaginase was co-administered, there was a 50 % reduction in both the clearance of dexamethasone and the extent to which dexamethasone was metabolized to 6β-hydroxydexamethasone. A statistically significant but weak positive correlation was observed between dexamethasone drug exposure and fasting hunger scores. Dexamethasone exposure significantly increased with asparaginase co-administration by inhibition of the CYP3A4 pathway. Our study found a statistically significant but weak positive correlation between dexamethasone exposure and increased hunger. These results support the need for more studies on how to personalize dexamethasone dosing in pediatric ALL treatment and adjust doses to limit side effects, especially in case of co-medication.

Pharmacogenetics in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children during the last 50 years has changed significantly, which has increased the survival of patients from 10–15 % in the early 60s to 80–85 % by the mid-2000s. Such results have been achieved through the development of new polychemotherapy regimens, the introduction of neuroleukemia prophylaxis, the strengthening of standard chemotherapy by increasing the dose and / or frequency of chemotherapeutic drugs administration, and the definition of criteria for patient stratification into prognostic risks groups and the development of principles of risk-adopted therapy.However, inspite of the overall success of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia therapy, some variants of acute lymphoblastic leukemia associated with poor prognosis, especially acute lymphoblastic leukemia with BCR-ABL1 and MLL rearrangements. Besides the prolonged persistence of minimal residual disease is also an unfavorable prognostic factor requiring therapy intensification.In the current issue we present the main steps in the evolution of programmed chemotherapy of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Great attention was paid for modern risk-stratifying criteria with an emphasis on minimal residual disease.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer in the United States, with significant rates of overweight and obesity among affected youth. Excessive weight gain during early ALL treatment is linked to poorer health outcomes, including higher relapse rates and long-term morbidities, highlighting the need for interventions to prevent weight gain and improve prognosis. This study's purpose was to adapt family-based health promotion strategies to the early phases of pediatric ALL treatment. Adaptations aimed to create a new intervention (NOURISH-ALL) with the potential to prevent excessive weight gain during ALL treatment. Guided by the Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trials model phase 1a, this adaptation framework included integrating evidence-based recommendations for family stress, nutrition, and physical activity during pediatric cancer treatment into an existing intervention (NOURISH-T). Multimethod formative assessments were conducted with families, youth with ALL, and multidisciplinary experts to further adapt intervention content, format, and delivery to meet the specific needs of families of youth in the early phases of ALL treatment. Sixteen families (11 caregivers; 6 youth with ALL ages 8-12 years) and 11 multidisciplinary experts participated in formative assessments. Adaptations included integration of evidence-based methods to support caregiver distress, consistent messaging around nutrition and activity behaviors, and tailored intervention formats to improve engagement for families with logistical and time-related barriers. This study adapted the NOURISH-T intervention to address the unique challenges faced by families during early pediatric ALL treatment (NOURISH-ALL). Further testing is required to evaluate NOURISH-ALL feasibility and efficacy.

The treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has reached overall survival rates exceeding 90%. The present and future challenges are to cure the remainder of patients still dying from disease, and to reduce morbidity and mortality in those who can be cured with standard-of-care chemotherapy by replacing toxic chemotherapy elements while retaining cure rates. With the novel therapeutic options introduced in the last years, including immunotherapies and targeted antibodies, the treatment of ALL is undergoing major changes. For B-cell precursor ALL, blinatumomab, an anti-CD19 bispecific antibody, has established its role in the consolidation treatment for both high- and standard-risk first relapse of ALL, in the presence of bone marrow involvement, and may also have an impact on the outcome of high-risk subsets such as infant ALL and Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL. Inotuzumab ozogamicin, an anti-CD22 drug conjugated antibody, has demonstrated high efficacy in inducing complete remission in relapsed ALL, even in the presence of high tumor burden, but randomized phase III trials are still ongoing. For T-ALL the role of CD38-directed treatment, such as daratumumab, is gaining interest, but randomized data are needed to assess its specific benefit. These antibodies are currently being tested in patients with newly diagnosed ALL and may lead to major changes in the present paradigm of treatment of pediatric ALL. Unlike the past, lessons may be learned from innovations in adult ALL, in which more drastic changes are piloted that may need to be translated to pediatrics.

Central nervous system (CNS) complications are considered adverse events during the treatment of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This study aimed to assess the incidence, types, clinical and radiologic patterns, risk factors, and the fate of different CNS complications during the treatment of pediatric ALL. A retrospective study included 390 patients with pediatric ALL, treated according to St. Jude total XV protocol at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, from January 2012 to December 2017. Thirty-nine (10%) patients developed different types of CNS complications. Nineteen (4.9%) patients had cerebrovascular complications, 12 (3.1%) patients had posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), and 6 (1.5%) patients had leukoencephalopathy; both CNS infections and leukemic infiltrates were diagnosed in one patient each. CNS complications were significantly higher in patients older than 10 years old, patients with high-risk disease, and patients who were classified as CNS III status with a statistically significant P value of 0.040, 0.020, and 0.002, respectively. There were 31 (79.5%) cases that achieved complete recovery, 6 (15.4%) patients who died, and 2 (5.1%) patients who developed residual neurological deficits. In conclusion, pediatric patients with ALL, who presented with older age, high-risk disease initially, and had initial CNS III status, were at higher risk of developing acute CNS complications during their treatment period. Patients who developed visual disturbances were associated with unfavorable outcomes. Despite that, around 80% of patients showed complete recovery, but still, 15% of them died from these complications.

Minimal Residual Disease following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation