Follow our path with asparaginase activity: one technique, but different uses in clinical practice.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common childhood malignancy. One of the drugs used in the treatment is Asparaginase, and monitoring of its activity levels enables better outcomes. Since 2018, our laboratory has been working to establish a regular analysis of activity. This implementation allowed to qualify care by detecting silent inactivation and also establishing desensitization as a safe way to overcome the lack of Erwinia. We were able to monitor children aged 0 to 18 years who were being treated with PEG-ASNase. The activity was assessed on days 7 (90 samples) and 14 (52 samples) after ASNase infusions. 142 samples were analyzed. 95.7% reached an adequate activity level (≥ 0.1 IU/mL). Patients treated with ASNase can develop allergic reactions. With the activity monitoring, is possible to circumvent situations like these and implement desensitization protocols for patients who had clinical hypersensitivity without inactivation. Desensitization induces temporary unresponsiveness to drug antigens, allowing the patients to proceed with the prescribed chemotherapy. We have received samples from four patients being treated with different desensitization protocols. Patients tolerated the protocols well. Only one had a grade 2 reaction during the infusion and activity < 0.1 IU/mL, which resulted in the switch to Erwinia. The dose adaptation is a possible and more recent use of ASNase monitoring and we were able to confirm the feasibility of PEG-ASNase desensitization protocols.

The use of micro-costing in an economic analysis of allogeneic HSCT in Brazil / O uso do microcusteio na análise econômica do TCTH alogênico no Brasil

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi estimar os custos do tratamento do transplante de células--tronco hematopoéticas (TCTH) em um centro de referência no Brasil. Métodos: A população do estudo foi composta por pacientes provenientes da lista de TCTH do Sistema Único de Saúde submetidos ao TCTH em um hospital do sul do Brasil, entre 2016 e 2019. A avaliação de custos foi realizada por meio de um estudo de microcusteio, baseado no Time-Driven Activity-based Costing (TDABC) adaptado para estudos econômicos em saúde e incluiu as seguintes etapas: definição da questão de pesquisa, coleta de dados estruturada e análise estatística dos resultados. Resultados: O custo total do TCTH foi de $ 155.110 ($ 92.794 ­ $ 249.146 USD). O TCTH de doador não aparentado compatível foi mais caro do que o TCTH de doador aparentado compatível. Os principais fatores de custo envolvem complicações pós-transplante, principalmente a ocorrência de infecções. Em relação à composição dos custos, exames e procedimentos representam o maior custo em TCTH (45%). Conclusão: Essas estimativas podem ser aplicáveis a novas avaliações de custo-efetividade do TCTH e ajudar os gestores na tomada de decisão em saúde, especialmente em países de média renda

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate treatment costs of Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) at a reference center in Brazil. Methods: The study population consisted of patients from the Unified Health System HSCT who underwent HSCT in southern Brazil between 2016 and 2019. Costs were measured using a micro-costing approach, based on Time-Driven Activity-based Costing (TDABC) adapted for economic studies in health and included the following steps: definition of the research question, structured data collection, and statistical analysis of results. Results: The total cost of HSCT was $155,110 ($92,794 ­ $249,146 USD). Matched unrelated donor HSCT was more expensive than matched related donor HSCT. The major cost factors involve post- -transplant complications, mainly the occurrence of infections. Concerning cost composition, exams and procedures represent the largest expense in HSCT (45%). Conclusion: These estimates could be applicable to further evaluations for HSCT cost-effectiveness and help healthcare decision-makers in middle-income countries

Epidemiological evaluation and survival of children with acute myeloid leukemia

Abstract Objective: This study aims to describe the epidemiological characteristics and survival rates of children with acute myeloid leukemia treated in hospitals in southern Brazil and compare them with international data. Methods: A multicenter cohort study was conducted with retrospective data collection of all new patients with acute myeloid leukemia under 18 treated at five referral centers in pediatric hematology-oncology in southern Brazil between January 2005 and December 2015. Results: Of the 149 patients with acute myeloid leukemia, 63.0% (n = 94) were male. The median age at diagnosis was 10.5 years (range 0-18 years) and 40.3% (n = 60) had a white blood cell count below 50,000/mm2. The most common Franco-American-British (FAB) subtype was M3 (n = 43, 28.9%). Nine (6.0%) patients had central nervous system disease. In M3 patients, overall survival (OS) was 69.2% and 3-year event-free survival was 67.7%; in non-M3 patients, these rates were 45.3% and 36.7%, respectively. In non-M3 patients, OS was significantly different between transplanted (61.8%) and non-transplanted (38.2%) patients (p = 0.031). Conclusions: These results show a higher prevalence of the Franco-American-British M3 subtype than that reported in the international literature, as well as a decreased OS compared with that of developed countries. Further multicenter Brazilian studies with a larger sample size are encouraged to better understand the characteristics of acute myeloid leukemia, and to improve the treatment and prognosis in this population.

Epidemiological evaluation and survival of children with acute myeloid leukemia.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the epidemiological characteristics and survival rates of children with acute myeloid leukemia treated in hospitals in southern Brazil and compare them with international data. METHODS: A multicenter cohort study was conducted with retrospective data collection of all new patients with acute myeloid leukemia under 18 treated at five referral centers in pediatric hematology-oncology in southern Brazil between January 2005 and December 2015. RESULTS: Of the 149 patients with acute myeloid leukemia, 63.0% (n=94) were male. The median age at diagnosis was 10.5 years (range 0-18 years) and 40.3% (n=60) had a white blood cell count below 50,000/mm2. The most common Franco-American-British (FAB) subtype was M3 (n=43, 28.9%). Nine (6.0%) patients had central nervous system disease. In M3 patients, overall survival (OS) was 69.2% and 3-year event-free survival was 67.7%; in non-M3 patients, these rates were 45.3% and 36.7%, respectively. In non-M3 patients, OS was significantly different between transplanted (61.8%) and non-transplanted (38.2%) patients (p=0.031). CONCLUSIONS: These results show a higher prevalence of the Franco-American-British M3 subtype than that reported in the international literature, as well as a decreased OS compared with that of developed countries. Further multicenter Brazilian studies with a larger sample size are encouraged to better understand the characteristics of acute myeloid leukemia, and to improve the treatment and prognosis in this population.

Aumento renal bilateral como manifestação de leucemia linfocítica aguda / Bilateral renal increase as a manifestation of acute lymphocytic leukemia

As leucemias são o tipo mais frequente de câncer em crianças e adolescentes. A leucemia linfocítica aguda é a forma mais comum de leucemia na infância. A doença surge normalmente entre dois e quatro anos de idade, sendo incomum antes de um ano de vida. As manifestações mais comuns incluem febre, fadiga, letargia, dor óssea e articular. Em 50% dos casos, há hepato e/ou esplenomegalia e linfonodomegalias. Este relato de caso fala sobre uma menina de nove meses que foi levada à emergência do hospital por distensão abdominal, fraqueza em membros inferiores e constipação duas semanas antes. Apresentava massas abdominais endurecidas em flancos, abaulamento em região fronto-temporal direita e linfonodomegalias cervicais. A primeira impressão foi de nefroblastoma bilateral (Tumor de Wilms). A ecografia abdominal e a tTC de abdome mostraram aumento de volume renal bilateral e descartaram nefroblastoma. Em setor de oncologia pediátrica, foi realizada imunofenotipagem compatível com leucemia/linfoma linfoblástico B. No líquor havia 400 células p/uL com 81% de blastos. A avaliação neurológica e a RNM de crânio e neuro-eixo descartaram alteração que justificasse a paresia de membros inferiores. No décimo dia de tratamento, os rins já haviam reduzido até o limite superior da normalidade. O abaulamento da face já havia desaparecido. A paciente apresentou anemia, neutropenia, plaquetopenia e hipoalbuminemia severas. Ao final da indução, apresentou sepse fúngica e bacteriana evoluindo para choque séptico e parada cardiorrespiratória não responsiva às manobras de reanimação. Não foi realizado medulograma no final da indução por piora do quadro clínico e posterior óbito (AU)

Leukemias are the most frequent type of cancer in children and adolescents. Acute lymphocytic leukemia is the most common form of childhood leukemia. The disease usually arises between two and four years of age, being uncommon before one year of life. The most common manifestations include fever, fatigue, lethargy, bone and joint pain. In 50% of cases, there is hepatomegaly and/or splenomegaly and lymph node enlargement. This case report tells of a nine-month old girl who was taken to the hospital emergency room due to abdominal distension, weakness in the lower limbs, and constipation for two weeks. She had abdominal masses that were hardened on the flanks, bulging in the right fronto-temporal region and cervical lymph node enlargements. The first impression was bilateral nephroblastoma (Wilms tumor). Abdominal ultrasound and abdominal CT showed bilateral renal volume increase and ruled out nephroblastoma. In the pediatric oncology sector, immunophenotyping compatible with lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma was performed. In the CSF there were 400 cells/L with 81% blasts. Neurological evaluation and MRI of the skull and neuro-axis ruled out alterations justifying lower limb paresis. By the tenth day of treatment, the kidneys had already reduced to the upper limit of normal. The bulging of the face was gone. The patient presented severe anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and hypoalbuminemia. At the end of the induction, she presented fungal and bacterial sepsis evolving to septic shock and cardiorespiratory arrest unresponsive to resuscitation maneuvers. No myelogram was performed at the end of the induction due to worsening of the clinical picture and subsequent death (AU)