| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS, INTERVENTIONS, AND THERAPEUTIC TRIALS
From the Department of Human Biotechnologies and
Hematology, University La Sapienza of Roma, and Ematologia Istituto
Regina Elena, IFO, Rome, Italy.
The use of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in
combination with chemotherapy has markedly improved the prognosis for
patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL); the higher complete
remission (CR) and survival rates now reported in this disease almost
approach those obtained for other highly curable hematologic
malignancies. Of 77 patients with APL who were consecutively treated at
a single institution and who achieved CR after induction and
consolidation therapy, 5 (6.5%) acquired therapy-related
myelodysplasia (tMDS), acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), or both
(tMDS-AML). Of these, 3 of 46 (6.5%) patients received front-line
chemotherapy with or without ATRA and acquired tMDS-AML while in first
remission of APL. Two underwent repeated chemotherapy cycles with ATRA
because of APL relapse and acquired tMDS-AML while in the second
or third remission of APL. In 2 patients, clinical and biologic
characteristics of tMDS-AML were as expected for postalkylating forms
(long latency, MDS phase preceding AML, karyotypic aberrations
involving chromosomes 5 or 7), even though one of them had not
previously received alkylating drugs. Three of the 5 patients died
shortly after tMDS-AML diagnosis, one is alive with tMDS, and one is
alive and in CR after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. The
occurrence of tMDS-AML after successful therapy for APL is an emerging
problem. The availability of prognostic score systems at initial
diagnosis and monitoring of residual disease by polymerase chain
reaction might allow better tailoring of treatment intensity in APL to
spare unnecessary toxicity and to minimize the risk for tMDS-AML in
patients who are presumably cured.
(Blood. 2002;99:822-824) Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a
subtype of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) that is
characterized by peculiar clinical and biologic features. These include
severe hemorrhagic diathesis at presentation, specific chromosome
translocation t(15;17) resulting in the fusion of promyelocytic (PML)
and retinoic acid receptor The development of therapy-related myelodysplasia or AML
(tMDS-AML) after treatment for other tumors is one of the most serious complications occurring after chemotherapy for highly curable malignancies such as breast cancer, Hodgkin disease, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.13-15
Among chemotherapy agents, alkylating drugs and topoisomerase II
inhibitors such as anthracyclines and epipodophillotoxins have
been frequently associated with the development of tMDS-AML. Regarding
tMDS-AML occurring after treatment for APL, sporadic cases have been
reported to date,16-24 but no studies have investigated
this issue by analyzing large series of patients. We report here our
experience with the development of tMDS-APL in a consecutive
group of 77 patients with APL treated at a single institution.
Patients
Therapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia
GIMEMA 0389. Twenty-eight patients who received diagnoses from January 1989 to March 1993 were randomly assigned to undergo induction treatment with idarubicin (IDA) alone (10 mg/m2 for 4 days) versus IDA at the same dosage plus cytarabine (ARA-C) (200 mg/m2 continuous infusion [c.i.] for 7 days).28 Patients in complete remission (CR) were administered 3 polychemotherapy consolidation courses as reported.4,28 At the end of consolidation, patients in CR were randomly assigned to undergo maintenance therapy with methotrexate (MTX, 15 mg/m2 per week) and 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP, 90 mg/m2 per day) for 2 years versus no further therapy. AIDA protocol. Sixty patients given diagnoses from April 1993 to December 1998 underwent the AIDA regimen as reported.4 Follow-up studies Patients were monitored at regular time intervals after the end of consolidation therapy. Bone marrow samples were collected every 3 to 4 months and were analyzed by RT-PCR for PML-RAR
amplification as reported elsewhere.4,26 The diagnosis of
tMDS-AML was established according to the FAB
criteria.29
Cytogenetic analysis Karyotypic analyses were carried out in marrow samples collected at the time of evolution in tMDS-tAML in all patients using direct technique and short-term culture (24 hours). The GTG banding method was used, and karyotypes were defined according to standard nomenclature.
Of 88 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed APL, 8 died
during induction, 2 died during consolidation therapy, one did not
achieve molecular remission at the end of consolidation, and the
remaining 77 (87.5%) obtained hematologic and molecular remission after induction and consolidation therapy. Five patients (3 of 53 or
5.6% in the AIDA 0493 study and 2 of 24 or 8.3% in the GIMEMA 0389 study) acquired tMDS-AML during follow-up. Initial clinical features
and therapies for APL in these 5 patients are reported in Table
1. Patient 1 had been reported
previously.30 Three patients (patients 1-3) were in first
CR when tMDS-AML was diagnosed, whereas 2 patients (patients 4-5)
received further treatment for APL relapse before tMDS-AML developed,
including alkylating agents as part of the conditioning regimen before
autologous stem cell transplantation (AuSCT). Of the 2 latter patients,
patient 4 received a diagnosis of tMDS-AML when in second CR, and
patient 5 acquired tMDS-AML while in third CR. In all 5 patients,
RT-PCR monitoring indicated molecular remission (ie negativity of the
PML-RAR
The main morphologic and karyotypic features of the tMDS-AML
phase
In light of poor performance status, 3 patients (patients 2-4) received only supportive care as therapy for tMDS. Of these, one is alive with tMDS 18 months after diagnosis of tMDS, and 2 died of progressive disease shortly after tMDS development. Patient 1 underwent reinduction and consolidation therapy followed by allogeneic SCT and died on day +50 from hepatic GvHD. Finally, patient 5, who acquired MDS in third CR, received supportive care for 5 months and then underwent allogeneic SCT. She is alive and in CR from APL or MDS 12 months after SCT.
Since the advent of ATRA, APL is increasingly reported as curable.4-12 Thus, larger numbers of long-term survivors of this disease are expected in the near future, and, as a consequence, more patients will be at risk for late complications related to antileukemic treatment. In fact, with few exceptions,31 conventional chemotherapy is still part of the protocol used in the front-line therapy for the disease. Furthermore, chemotherapy is considered essential to obtain sustained molecular remission, which in turn correlates with prolonged survival and potential cure.1-3 Current APL chemotherapy protocols usually include high-dose
anthracyclines, mitoxantrone, and epipodophillotoxins Three patients in the current study acquired tMDS while in prolonged
first hematologic and molecular remission; 2 of them died, one of
disease progression and the other of transplant-related toxicity. It is
conceivable that these patients were cured of APL. Because studies have
also suggested that a relevant proportion of patients with newly
diagnosed APL are overtreated,9,31,34 we emphasize the
need for better tailoring of treatment intensity in this disease by
identifying risk categories at diagnosis and by prospective minimal
residual disease monitoring. Besides identifying patients at risk for
relapse and in need of further treatment, the use of RT-PCR of
PML-RAR
Submitted May 24, 2001; accepted September 24, 2001.
Supported by RomAIL-ONLUS, Associazione Italiana Ricerca sul Cancro, and Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica.
The publication costs of this article were defrayed in part by page charge payment. Therefore, and solely to indicate this fact, this article is hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. section 1734.
Reprints: Roberto Latagliata, Cattedra di Ematologia, Via Benevento 6-00161, Rome, Italy; e-mail: rob.lati{at}libero.it.
1. Fenaux P, Chomienne C, Degos A. Acute promyelocytic leukemia: biology and treatment. Semin Oncol. 1997;24:92-102[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]. 2. Frankel SR, Powell BL. Current approaches to acute promyelocytic leukemia. In: Tallman MS,Gordon LI, eds. Diagnostic and therapeutic advances in hematologic malignancies. Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers; 1999:125-153. 3. Lo Coco F, Nervi C, Avvisati G, Mandelli F. Acute promyelocytic leukemia: a curable disease. Leukemia. 1998;12:1866-1880[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve].
4.
Mandelli F, Diverio D, Avvisati G, et al.
Molecular remission in PML/RAR alpha-positive acute promyelocytic leukemia by combined all-trans retinoic acid and idarubicin (AIDA) therapy: Gruppo Italiano-malattie Ematologiche Maligne dell'Adulto and Associazione Italiana di Ematologia ed Oncologia Pediatrica Cooperative Groups.
Blood.
1997;90:1014-1021
5.
Estey E, Thal PG, Pierce S, Kantarjian H, Keating M.
Treatment of newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia without cytarabine.
J Clin Oncol.
1997;15:483-490 6. Tallman MS, Andersen JW, Schiffer CA, et al. All-trans retinoic acid in acute promyelocytic leukemia. N Engl J Med. 1997;337:1201-1208.
7.
Asou N, Adachi J, Tamura J, et al.
Analysis of prognostic factors in newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia treated with all-trans retinoic acid and chemotherapy.
J Clin Oncol.
1998;16:78-85
8.
Burnett AK, Grimwade D, Solomon E, Wheatley K, Goldstone AH, for the MRC Adult Leukemia Working Party.
Presenting white blood cell count and kinetics of molecular remission predict prognosis in acute promyelocytic leukemia treated with all-trans retinoic acid: result of the randomized MRC trial.
Blood.
1999;93:4131-4143
9.
Sanz MA, Martin G, Rayon C, et al.
A modified AIDA protocol with anthracycline-based consolidation results in high antileukemic efficacy and reduced toxicity in newly diagnosed PML/RARa-positive acute promyelocytic leukemia.
Blood.
1999;94:3015-3021 10. Wang Z, Sun G, Shen Z, Chen S, Chen Z. Differentiation therapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia with all-trans retinoid acid: 10-year experience of its application. Chin Med J. 1999;112:963-967[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve].
11.
Fenaux P, Chastang C, Chevret S, et al.
A randomized comparison of ATRA followed by chemotherapy and ATRA plus chemotherapy, and the role of maintenance therapy in newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia.
Blood.
1999;94:1192-1200 12. Lengfelder E, Reichert A, Schoch C, et al. Double induction strategy including high dose cytarabine in combination with all-trans retinoic acid: effects in patients with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia: German AML Cooperative Group. Leukemia. 2000;14:1362-1370[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]. 13. Carli PM, Sgro C, Parchin-Geneste N, et al. Increase therapy-related leukemia secondary to breast cancer. Leukemia. 2000;14:1014-1017[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve].
14.
Micallef JN, Lillington DM, Apostolidis J, et al.
Therapy-related myelodysplasia and secondary acute myelogenous leukemia after high-dose therapy with autologous hematopoietic progenitor cell support for lymphoid malignancies.
J Clin Oncol.
2000;18:947-955
15.
Leone G, Mele L, Pulsoni A, Equitani F, Pagano L.
The incidence of secondary leukemia.
Haematologica.
1999;84:937-945 16. Jubashi T, Nagai K, Myazaki Y, et al. A unique case of t(15;17) acute promyelocytic leukaemia (M3) developing into acute myeloblastic leukemia (M1) with t(7;21) at relapse. Br J Haematol. 1993;83:665-668[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]. 17. Myazaki H, Ino T, Sobue R, et al. Translocation (3;21)(q26;q22) in treatment-related acute leukemia secondary to acute promyelocytic leukemia. Cancer Genet Cytogenet. 1994;74:84-86[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]. 18. Hatzis T, Standen GR, Howell RT, Savill C, Wagstaff M, Scott GL. Acute promyelocytic leukemia (M3): relapse with acute myeloblastic leukemia (M2) and dic(5;17)(q11;p11). Am J Hematol. 1995;48:40-44[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]. 19. Bseiso AW, Kantarijan H, Estey E. Myelodysplastic syndrome following successful therapy of acute promyelocytic leukemia. Leukemia. 1997;11:168-169[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]. 20. Felice M, Rossi I, Gallego M, et al. Acute trilineage leukemia with monosomy of chromosome 7 following an acute promyelocytic leukemia. Leuk Lymphoma. 1999;34:409-413[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]. 21. Sawada H, Morimoto H, Wake A, Yamasaki Y, Izumi Y. Therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia with a t(10;11)(q23;p15) following successful chemotherapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia with t(15;17). Int J Hematol. 1999;69:270-271[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]. 22. Zompi S, Legrand O, Bouscary D, et al. Therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia after successful therapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia with t(15;17): a report of two cases and a review of the literature. Br J Haematol. 2000;110:610-613[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve].
23.
Pecci A, Invernizzi R.
A therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome with unusual features in a patient treated for acute promyelocytic leukemia.
Haematologica.
2001;86:102-103 24. Au WY, Lam C, Ma E, Man C, Wan T, Kwong YL. Therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome after eradication of acute promyelocytic leukemia: cytogenetic and molecular features. Hum Pathol. 2001;32:126-129[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]. 25. Bennett JM, Catovsky D, Daniel MT, et al. Proposed revised criteria for the classification of acute myeloid leukemia: a report of the French-American-British cooperative group. Ann Intern Med. 1985;103:620-625. 26. Lo Coco F, Diverio D, Pandolfi PP, et al. Molecular evaluation of residual disease as a predictor of relapse in acute promyelocytic leukemia. Lancet. 1992;340:1437-1438[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve].
27.
Diverio D, Lo Coco F, D'Adamo F, et al.
Identification of DNA rearrangements at the RAR 28. Avvisati G. Event-free survival (EFS) duration in newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leucemia (APL) is favorably influenced by induction treatment with idarubicin alone: final results of the GIMEMA randomized study LAP 0389 comparing IDA vs IDA + ARA-C in newly diagnosed APL [abstract]. Blood. 1999;94:505. 29. Bennett JM, Catovsky D, Daniel MT, et al. Proposals for the classification of the myelodysplastic syndromes. Br J Haematol. 1982;51:189-199[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]. 30. Todisco E, Testi A, Avvisati G, et al. Therapy-related acute myelomonocytic leukemia following successful treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia. Leukemia. 1995;9:1533-1535.
31.
Estey EH, Giles FJ, Kantarjian H, et al.
Molecular remissions induced by liposomal-encapsulated all-trans retinoic acid in newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia.
Blood.
1999;94:2230-2235 32. Karp JE, Sarkodee-Adoo CB. Therapy-related acute leukemia. Clin Lab Med. 2000;20:71-81[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve].
33.
Harris NL, Jaffe ES, Diebold J, et al.
World Health Organization classification of neoplastic diseases of the hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues: report of the Clinical Advisory Committee meeting-Airlie House, Virginia, November 1997.
J Clin Oncol.
1999;17:3835-3849
34.
Sanz MA, Lo Coco F, Martin G, et al.
Definition of relapse risk and role of non anthracycline drugs for consolidation in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia: a joint study of the PETHEMA and GIMEMA cooperative groups.
Blood.
2000;96:1247-1253
© 2002 by The American Society of Hematology.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
F. Ravandi, E. Estey, D. Jones, S. Faderl, S. O'Brien, J. Fiorentino, S. Pierce, D. Blamble, Z. Estrov, W. Wierda, et al. Effective Treatment of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia With All-Trans-Retinoic Acid, Arsenic Trioxide, and Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin J. Clin. Oncol., February 1, 2009; 27(4): 504 - 510. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. S. Tallman and J. K. Altman Curative Strategies in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Hematology, January 1, 2008; 2008(1): 391 - 399. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. Leone, L. Pagano, D. Ben-Yehuda, and M. T. Voso Therapy-related leukemia and myelodysplasia: susceptibility and incidence Haematologica, October 1, 2007; 92(10): 1389 - 1398. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
N. Asou, Y. Kishimoto, H. Kiyoi, M. Okada, Y. Kawai, M. Tsuzuki, K. Horikawa, M. Matsuda, K. Shinagawa, T. Kobayashi, et al. A randomized study with or without intensified maintenance chemotherapy in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia who have become negative for PML-RAR{alpha} transcript after consolidation therapy: The Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group (JALSG) APL97 study Blood, July 1, 2007; 110(1): 59 - 66. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. M. Stone, M. R. O'Donnell, and M. A. Sekeres Acute Myeloid Leukemia Hematology, January 1, 2004; 2004(1): 98 - 117. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. Boulton, C. Cole, A. Knight, H. Cleary, R. Snowden, and M. Plumb Low-penetrance genetic susceptibility and resistance loci implicated in the relative risk for radiation-induced acute myeloid leukemia in mice Blood, March 15, 2003; 101(6): 2349 - 2354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
V. A. Morrison, K. R. Rai, B. L. Peterson, J. E. Kolitz, L. Elias, F. R. Appelbaum, J. D. Hines, L. Shepherd, R. A. Larson, and C. A. Schiffer Therapy-Related Myeloid Leukemias Are Observed in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia After Treatment With Fludarabine and Chlorambucil: Results of an Intergroup Study, Cancer and Leukemia Group B 9011 J. Clin. Oncol., September 15, 2002; 20(18): 3878 - 3884. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
M. K. Andersen, J. Pedersen-Bjergaard, F. Lo Coco, R. Latagliata, D. Diverio, M. Breccia, P. Chiusolo, and F. Mandelli Therapy-related MDS and AML in acute promyelocytic leukemia Blood, August 13, 2002; 100(5): 1928 - 1930. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Pagano and A. Pulsoni Second malignancy after treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia: experience of GIMEMA trials Blood, July 30, 2002; 100(4): 1514 - 1515. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2002 by American Society of Hematology Online ISSN: 1528-0020 | |||||||||