The time factor and the allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with acute myeloid leukemia

Abstract

Introduction. The current overall effectiveness of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment is largely ensured by the integration of transplantation technologies, but not all patients who are indicated to undergo transplantation of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells (allo-HSCT) can reach this stage.Aim: to analyze the time and volume of the implementation of allo-HSCT in patients with AML in the first complete remission (1CR).Materials and methods. Between January 2020 and December 2023, 477 AML patients from 43 different regions of the Russian Federation were referred to the NMRC for Hematology for the possibility of performing allo-HSCT. In this cohort of patients, the following time parameters were analyzed: days from diagnosis of AML to primary treatment at the transplant center, from primary treatment to search for a donor (related or non-related), from diagnosis of AML to allo-HSCT, from the achievement of 1CR to allo-HSCT.Results. 175 (36.7 %) patients, agreed upon by the Transplant Commission, were selected to undergo allo-HSCT. Of these, only 163 patients, who had allo-HSCT performed before January 2024, were included in further analysis. It was not possible to implement allo-HSCT in the other 236 agreed upon cases due to the following reasons: refusal of the patient — 110 (46.6 %), relapse — 48 (20.3 %) patients, death — 23 (9.7 %) patients. Median time from 1CR to allo-HSCT was 6.8 (0.3– 26) months for all patients: for a related fully compatible donor 5.8 (0.5–26.0) months, for a haploid donor — 6.1 (0.3–23.5) months, in case of non-related — 8.0 (0.6–8.6) months. In 5 years, the NMRC for Hematology managed to reduce the time to the general allo-HSCT in 1CR for patients with AML from 6.5 months in 2018 to 5.8 months in 2023. Also, under the current “AML-21” protocol, the time from 1CR to allo-HSCT in patients included in the multicenter study was minimized to — 4.8 (0.33–11.0) months, and for AML patients from the poor prognosis group — 3.4 (0.33–8.0 months).Conclusion. In addition to achieving full, optimally — MDR-negative remission, the absence of severe concomitant pathology, and the presence of a donor, the time factor must also be considered. In order to cure more AML patients, it is necessary to bring the implementation of allo-HSCT to the earliest possible date after achieving 1CR.