Eficacia y seguridad de uso pediátrico de blinatumomab, para el tratamiento de leucemia linfoblástica aguda de precursores de células B con cromosoma philadelphia negativo en recidiva o refractaria / Efficacy and safety of pediatric use of blinatumomab, for the treatment of relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia with Philadelphia chromosome negative

ANTECEDENTES: El presente dictamen ha sido elaborado en el marco de la metodología ad hoc para evaluar solicitudes de tecnologías sanitarias, la cual fue aprobada mediante la Resolución N° 111-IETSI-ESSALUD-2021 del Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación (IETSI). Bajo dicho contexto, el presente documento expone la evaluación de la eficacia y seguridad del uso pediátrico de blinatumomab, para el tratamiento de leucemia linfoblástica aguda de precursores de células B con cromosoma Philadelphia negativo en recidiva o refractaria. ASPECTOS GENERALES: La leucemia linfoblástica aguda (LLA) es la neoplasia hematológica más frecuente de la etapa infantil, potencialmente curable hasta en un 90 % de los casos (Hunger y Mullighan 2015). En Perú, se ha estimado una incidencia esperada de 270 a 360 casos nuevos de LLA por año en niños menores de 14 años (Castro-Arechaga et al. 2018). La LLA se clasifica, según la Organización Mundial de la Salud, en LLA de células B, LLA de células T y leucemia de células de Burkitt, tomando en cuenta la morfología y perfil citogenético de los blastos leucémicos (Terwilliger y Abdul-Hay 2017). La LLA de células B es la forma más común de LLA (Inaba y Mullighan 2020). El cromosoma Philadelphia aparece por una translocación recíproca entre los cromosomas 9 y 22 t (9;22) (q34; q11.2), llegando a estar presente en el 3 % al 5 % de los niños con leucemia linfoblástica aguda (Kaczmarska et al. 2021). Además, se ha observado que en los pacientes con LLA que no presentan el cromosoma Philadelphia (cromosoma Philadelphia negativo o Ph-) presentan una tasa de remisión completa de la enfermedad hasta en un 90 % de los casos con una sobrevida global a los 5 años de 43 % (Huguet et al. 2009). METODOLOGÍA: Se realizó una búsqueda de la literatura con respecto a la eficacia y seguridad del uso pediátrico de blinatumomab, para el tratamiento de leucemia linfoblástica aguda de precursores de células B con cromosoma Philadelphia negativo en recidiva o refractaria. Esta búsqueda se realizó utilizando los buscadores: National Library of Medicine (PubMed-MEDLINE), Cochrane Library, LILACS y Web of Science. Adicionalmente, se realizó una búsqueda manual del listado de referencias bibliográficas de los estudios seleccionados a fin de identificar otros estudios que pudieran ser útiles para la presente evaluación. Por otro lado, se amplió la búsqueda revisando la evidencia generada por grupos internacionales que realizan revisiones sistemáticas (RS), evaluación de tecnologías sanitarias (ETS) y guías de práctica clínica (GPC), tales como The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) y The Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). Esta búsqueda se completó revisando publicaciones de grupos dedicados a la educación, investigación y mejora de la práctica clínica oncológica y hematológica dentro de América y Europa, como The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), The European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), y The British Society for Haematology (BSH). Finalmente, se hizo una búsqueda adicional en la página web del registro de ensayos clínicos administrado por la Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina de los Estados Unidos (https://clinicaltrials.gov/) e International Clinical Trial Registry Platform (ICTRP) (https://apps.who.int/trialsearch/), para poder identificar ensayos clínicos en curso o cuyos resultados no hayan sido publicados para, de este modo, disminuir el riesgo de sesgo de publicación. Las estrategias de la búsqueda para identificar la evidencia de ECA se encuentran en las Tabla A, B, C y D del Material Suplementario. La búsqueda de literatura considero GPC, priorizando aquellas que elaboraran recomendaciones basadas en la evidencia; considerando además aquellas guías de referencia para los servicios de oncología y hematología de la institución; ETS; revisiones sistemáticas con metaanálisis de ECA basado en comparaciones directas; y ECA que abordaran la pregunta PICO del presente dictamen. Al no encontrar ECA que ayudara a responder de manera específica la PICO de interés, se pasó a revisar los ensayos pivotales de aprobación de uso del fármaco blinatumomab en la población de interés. Se incluyeron las publicaciones en inglés y español. Se excluyeron estúdios observacionales, series de casos, reportes de casos, cartas al editor, los comentarios, las editoriales, suplementos y los resúmenes de congresos. RESULTADOS: GPC: guía de práctica clínica; ETS: evaluación de tecnologías sanitarias; RS: revisión sistemática; ECA: ensayo clínico aleatorizado; LiLACS: Literatura Latinoamericana y del Caribe en Ciencias de la Salud; BRISA: Base Regional de Informes de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud de las Américas. Flujograma adaptado de: Page MJ, et al. The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ 2021;372:n71. De los 7 artículos que se recuperaron para ser leídos a texto completo (Yu, Wang, y Huang 2019; von Stackelberg et al. 2016; Queudeville y Ebinger 2021; Ponvilawan et al. 2021; Halford et al. 2021; Brown et al. 2021; Locatelli et al. 2021), ninguno aportó información específica para la pregunta PICO. En la búsqueda manual, se encontraron dos guías de práctica clínica: una de NCCN (NCCN 2022) y otra del Comité Canadiense de Revisión de Medicamentos Oncológicos (Pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review), comité asesor adscrito a CADTH (pCODR-CADTH 2017). Además, se decidió incluir un ensayo de fase 1/fase II (von Stackelberg et al. 2016), al no haber ECA de fase III que respondieran de manera directa la PICO de interés. Este ensayo es el estudio pivotal con el que FDA dio autorización a blinatumomab para el tratamiento de pacientes pediátricos con LLA de precursores de células B en recaída o refractarios (FDA 2018). Asimismo, se incluyó el estudio sin grupo de comparación RIALTO (Locatelli et al. 2022) por ser un ensayo clínico que proporciona información adicional sobre la seguridad de blinatumomab en la población pediátrica. CONCLUSIÓN: Por todo lo expuesto, el IETSI no aprueba el uso pediátrico de blinatumomab, para el tratamiento de leucemia linfoblástica aguda de precursores de células B con cromosoma Philadelphia negativo en recidiva o refractaria.

Response to blinatumomab or inotuzumab ozogamicin for isolated extramedullary relapse of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation: a case study.

Isolated extramedullary relapse (EMR) without bone marrow relapse (BMR) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is a rare condition in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and the role of immunotherapeutic agents for these patients remains unclear. We analyzed treatment outcomes of blinatumomab or inotuzumab ozogamicin (INO) as first- or second-line salvage therapy in nine patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative B-cell precursor ALL presenting with isolated EMR after previous allo-HCT. In seven patients receiving blinatumomab as first-line salvage therapy, 4 (57.1%) achieved complete remission (CR). Among the three patients without remission after blinatumomab, two switched to INO and subsequently showed responses {one CR and one partial response [PR]}, and one switched to multiagent chemotherapy that led to CR. In the two patients receiving first-line salvage therapy with INO, one showed PR and the other achieved CR. Overall, 6 (66.7%) of nine patients achieved CR, and five of them proceeded to allo-HCT in CR. The median overall survival after relapse was 27.8 months. In conclusion, both blinatumomab and INO showed good response rates and a safe bridging role to second allo-HCT in patients with isolated EMR. However, clinical differences between isolated EMR and EMR with BMR remain to be elucidated.

Platelets Contribution to Thrombin Generation in Philadelphia-Negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: The "Circulating Wound" Model.

Current cytoreductive and antithrombotic strategies in MPNs are mostly based on cell counts and on patient's demographic and clinical history. Despite the numerous studies conducted on platelet function and on the role of plasma factors, an accurate and reliable method to dynamically quantify the hypercoagulability states of these conditions is not yet part of clinical practice. Starting from our experience, and after having sifted through the literature, we propose an in-depth narrative report on the contribution of the clonal platelets of MPNs-rich in tissue factor (TF)-in promoting a perpetual procoagulant mechanism. The whole process results in an unbalanced generation of thrombin and is self-maintained by Protease Activated Receptors (PARs). We chose to define this model as a "circulating wound", as it indisputably links the coagulation, inflammation, and fibrotic progression of the disease, in analogy with what happens in some solid tumours. The platelet contribution to thrombin generation results in triggering a vicious circle supported by the PARs/TGF-beta axis. PAR antagonists could therefore be a good option for target therapy, both to contain the risk of vascular events and to slow the progression of the disease towards end-stage forms. Both the new and old strategies, however, will require tools capable of measuring procoagulant or prohaemorrhagic states in a more extensive and dynamic way to favour a less empirical management of MPNs and their potential clinical complications.

Atypical Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Where Are We Now?

Atypical chronic myeloid leukemia, BCR-ABL1 negative (aCML) is a rare myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) with a high rate of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia, and poor survival. Until now, the diagnosis has been based on morphological grounds only, possibly making the real frequency of the disease underestimated. Only recently, new insights in the molecular biology of MDS/MPN syndromes have deepened our knowledge of aCML, enabling us to have a better molecular profile of the disease. The knowledge gleaned from next generation sequencing has complemented morphologic and laboratory WHO criteria for myeloid neoplasms and can provide greater specificity in distinguishing aCML from alternative MDS/MPN or MPNs. The most commonly mutated genes (>20%) in aCML are SETBP1, ASXL1, N/K-RAS, SRSF2, and TET2, and less frequently (< 10%) CBL, CSFR3, JAK2, EZH2, and ETNK1. Several of these mutations affect the JAK-STAT, MAPK, and ROCK signaling pathways, which are targetable by inhibitors that are already in clinical use and may lead to a personalized treatment of aCML patients unfit for allogeneic transplant, which is currently the only curative option for fit patients. In this review, we present two emblematic clinical cases and address the new molecular findings in aCML and the available treatment options.

Defective migration and dysmorphology of neutrophil granulocytes in atypical chronic myeloid leukemia treated with ruxolitinib.

BACKGROUND: The identification of pathologically altered neutrophil granulocyte migration patterns bears strong potential for surveillance and prognostic scoring of diseases. We recently identified a strong correlation between impaired neutrophil motility and the disease stage of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Here, we apply this assay to study quantitively increased neutrophils of a patient suffering from a rare leukemia subtype, atypical chronic myeloid leukemia (aCML). METHODS: A 69-year-old male was analyzed in this study. Besides routine analyses, we purified the patient's neutrophils from peripheral whole blood and studied their migration behavior using time-lapse video microscopy in a standardized assay. These live cell migration analyses also allowed for the quantification of cell morphology. Furthermore, the cells were stained for the markers CD15, CD16, fMLPR, CXCR1 and CXCR2. RESULTS: Despite cytoreductive therapy with hydroxyurea, the patient's WBC and ANC were poorly controlled and severe dysgranulopoiesis with hypogranularity was observed. Neutrophils displayed strongly impaired migration when compared to healthy controls and migrating cells exhibited a more flattened-out morphology than control neutrophils. Because of a detected CSF3R (p.T618I) mutation and constitutional symptoms treatment with ruxolitinib was initiated. Within 1 week of ruxolitinib treatment, the cell shape normalized and remained indistinguishable from healthy control neutrophils. However, neutrophil migration did not improve over the course of ruxolitinib therapy but was strikingly altered shortly before a sinusitis with fever and bleeding from a gastric ulcer. Molecular work-up revealed that under ruxolitinib treatment, the CSF3R clone was depleted, yet the expansion of a NRAS mutated subclone was promoted. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate the usefulness of neutrophil migration analyses to uncover corresponding alterations of neutrophil migration in rare myeloid neoplasms. Furthermore, in addition to monitoring migration the determination of morphological features of live neutrophils might represent a useful tool to monitor the effectiveness of therapeutic approaches.

Accelerated Phase of Atypical Chronic Myeloid Leukemia with Severe Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation at Initial Presentation.

Patients with myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN) are often asymptomatic and thus can remain undiagnosed until they become symptomatic due to progression to the accelerated phase (AP) or transformation to acute leukemia (leukemic transformation; LT). We herein report the case of a previously healthy 38-year-old man who had hyperleukocytosis with dysplastic myeloid precursor cells and severe disseminated intravascular coagulation. Hematopoietic recovery with features of atypical chronic myeloid leukemia (aCML) after induction chemotherapy was a diagnostic clue. Although rare, this case highlights the limitation of the diagnostic approach for aCML with AP or LT at the initial presentation.

Clinical implications of clonal chromosomal abnormalities in Philadelphia negative cells in CML patients after treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Emergence of clonal chromosomal abnormalities in Philadelphia chromosome-negative (CCA/Ph-) cells in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients during the treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is an interesting phenomenon. Although previous studies revealed some potential impact of CCA/Ph- on CML patients' outcome, clinical significance of CCA/Ph- in CML patients remains to be further elucidated. We retrospectively reviewed the patients with CML evaluated at Genoptix Medical Laboratory in Carlsbad, California from 2005 to 2015. Twenty-four CML patients with CCA/Ph- cells were identified. These include 18 patients with single chromosomal abnormality, 4 patients with double chromosomal abnormalities, and two patients with complex cytogenetic abnormalities. In addition to trisomy 8 and monosomy 7, we identified that 20q- was also a common abnormality in CCA/Ph- cells. Most of the patients with CCA/Ph- cells demonstrated no significant dysplasia or increased blasts with two exceptions: one patient with persistent 7q- exhibiting mild dysmegakaryopoiesis, suggestive of an early evolving myelodysplastic syndrome, and another patient with complex cytogenetic abnormalities who developed acute myeloid leukemia after gained MLL amplification. One patient with complex cytogenetic abnormalities showed optimal response to TKI treatment, no overt dysplasia, and no disease progression during almost 4-years of follow-up. More interestingly, FISH tests could identify more cases with double chromosomal abnormalities and these cases showed suboptimal responses to TKI treatments. Our observation indicates that 20q- was also a common abnormality in CCA/Ph- cells, further FISH tests revealed additional CCA/Ph-, and the majority of CML patients with two or more chromosomal abnormalities in Ph- cells showed inferior response to TKI treatments. The results of our study suggest that CML cases with CCA/Ph- may represent a group of patients with heterogeneous genetic alterations.

Treatment of Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms in accelerated/blastic phase with azacytidine. Clinical results and identification of prognostic factors.

There have been some reports on a possible role of azacytidine (AZA) in the treatment of accelerated/blastic phase evolved from Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN-AP/BP), but results are conflicting. In this study, we analyzed a cohort of 39 patients with MPN-AP/BP treated frontline with AZA at the standard dosage (75 mg/m2 ). Median time from diagnosis to AP/BP evolution was 92.3 months (IR 29.9-180.1). All patients were evaluable for hematologic response: two patients (5.2%) died early after AZA initiation, 13 patients (33.3%) had a progressive or stable disease, nine (23.1%) had a hematologic improvement (HI), seven (17.9%) achieved a partial response (PR), and eight (20.5%) a complete response (CR). Overall, 24 patients achieved a clinical hematologic response (HI + PR + CR), with an overall response rate of 61.5%. Median overall survival (OS) from AZA start of the whole cohort was 13.5 months (95% CI, 8.2-18.7). There was no difference in median OS among patients with HI, PR, or CR (P = .908). These three subgroups as "responders" having been considered, a significantly better OS was observed in responder compared with nonresponder patients, with a median OS of 17.6 months (95% CI, 10.1-25.0) versus 4.1 months (95% CI, 0.4-10.0) (P = .001) Only female gender was significant for both achievement of response (.010) and OS duration (P = .002). In conclusion, AZA is useful for the management of MPN-AP/BP, with an overall response rate (HI + PR + CR) of 61.5% and a longer OS in responders.

[Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloid neoplasms in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia during tyrosine kinase inhibtor-therapy].

Objective: To compare the clinical features between the 2 cohorts developing myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myeIogenous Ieukemia in Philadelphia chromosome-negative cells (Ph(-) MDS/AML) and maintaining disease stable in the patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid Ieukemia (Ph(+) CML) who had clonal chromosomal abnormalities in Philadelphia chromosome-negative metaphases (CCA/Ph(-)) during tyrosine kinase inhibtor (TKI) - therapy. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed Ph(+) CML patients who developed CCA/Ph(-) during TKI-therapy from May 2001 to December 2017. Results: Data of CCA/Ph(-) 63 patients, including 7 progressing to Ph(-) MDS/AML and 56 remaining disease stable were collected. Compared with those with stable disease, patients with Ph(-)MDS/AML had lower hemoglobin (P=0.007) and platelet (P=0.006) counts, and higher proportion of peripheral blasts (P<0.001) when the first time CCA/Ph(-) was detected, and more mosonomy 7 abnormality (5/7, 71.4%) when MDS or AML was diagnosed; meanwhile, trisomy 8 (32/56, 57.1%) was more common in those with stable disease. Outcome of the patients with Ph(-) MDS/AML were poor. However, most of those with CCA/Ph(-) and stable disease had optimal response on TKI-therapy. Conclusions: A few patients with Ph(+) CML developed CCA/Ph(-) during TKI-therapy, most of them had stable disease, but very few patients developed Ph(-) MDS/AML with more common occurrence of monosomy 7 or unknown cytopenia. Our data suggested the significance of monitoring of peripheral blood smear, bone marrow morphology and cytogenetic analysis once monosomy 7 or unknown cytopenia occurred.

Eficacia y seguridad de blinatumomab en pacientes con diagnóstico de leucemia linfoblástica aguda de precursores de células b, philadelphia negativo, en recaída y/o refractario / Efficacy and safety of blinatumomab in patients diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia of b-cell precursors, negative philadelphia, relapse and / or refractory

INTRODUCCIÓN: El presente dictamen expone la evaluación de la eficacia y seguridad de blinatumomab; comparado con quimioterapia de rescate (metotrexato, vincristina, etopósido) para el tratamiento de pacientes con diagnóstico de leucemia linfoblástica aguda de precursores de células B, Philadelphia negativo, que hayan recaído o cuya enfermedad haya sido refractaria al tratamiento. La leucemia linfoblástica aguda (LLA) es una neoplasia maligna con proliferación de células precursoras linfoides. Solo el 20 % de las LLA se presentan en adultos. En pacientes de 25 a 59 años de edad, la sobrevida es, aproximadamente, 40 % y en adultos mayores es menor al 20 %. Pueden identificarse tres tipos de LLA: de linaje ambiguo, de células B (LLA-B) y de células T. La LLA-B es el tipo más frecuente (80-85 % de los casos). El pronóstico de los pacientes con LLA-B empeora con la presencia de alteraciones genéticas, como la translocación BCR/ABL; también llamado: cromosoma Philadelphia (Ph) y en los casos recurrentes y/o refractarios (R/R). Estos pacientes requieren de tratamientos más agresivos para lograr la remisión. No obstante, la curación y la sobrevida libre de enfermedad a largo plazo es posible en menos del 25 % de los casos y las remisiones son de corta duración. TECNOLOGÍA SANITARIA DE INTERÉS: Blinatumomab es un anticuerpo bi-específico de células T desarrollado para el tratamiento de neoplasias hematológicas originadas en el linaje de células B, especialmente en casos de LLA-B y linfoma no Hodgkin (Sanford M. 2015) . Aunque al momento de su aparición blinatumomab fue considerado un medicamento revolucionario, se advierte el riesgo de complicaciones potencialmente fatales, como: neutropenia, infecciones, síndrome de liberación de citoquinas o toxicidad neurológica. OBJETIVO: Evaluar la eficacia y seguridad del uso de blinatumomab, en comparación con quimioterapia de rescate en pacientes con LLA-B, Ph(-) en recaída y/o refractario. METODOLOGÍA: Se llevó a cabo una búsqueda sistemática de la literatura con respecto a la eficacia y seguridad de blinatumomab en el tratamiento de pacientes con diagnóstico de leucemia linfoblástica aguda de precursores de células B, Philadelphia negativo, en recaída y/o refractario. Se realizó tanto una búsqueda sistemática como una búsqueda manual en las páginas web de grupos dedicados a la investigación y educación en salud que elaboran guías de práctica clínica (GPC) y evaluaciones de tecnologías sanitarias (ETS). RESULTADOS: La presente evaluación de tecnología sanitaria muestra la evidencia encontrada luego de una búsqueda sistemática, con respecto a la eficacia (sobrevida global, remisión completa de enfermedad, y calidad de vida) y seguridad (incidencia de eventos adversos) de blinatumomab, comparado con quimioterapia de rescate en pacientes adultos con LLA-B, Ph(-) R/R. Al respecto, se identificaron dos guías de práctica clínica (GPC) elaboradas por la European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) en 2016 y la National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) en 2019; tres evaluaciones de tecnologías sanitarias (ETS) elaboradas por la Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) en 2016, el Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) en 2016 y el National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2017; y, tres publicaciones de los años 2017 y 2018 del ensayo clínico aleatorizado (ECA) fase III TOWER; los cuales responden directamente a la PICO establecida en el presente dictamen. CONCLUSIONES: En la presente evaluación de tecnología sanitaria se presenta la evidencia recabada sobre la eficacia y seguridad blinatumomab en comparación con la quimioterapia de rescate en pacientes adultos con LLA-B, Ph(-), R/R. Se recolectó la evidencia de dos GPC, tres ETS y un ECA fase III. Aunque las GPC y las ETS recomiendan blinatumomab para el tratamiento de pacientes adultos con LLA-B, Ph(-), R/R, la confianza en la evidencia utilizada para formular esta recomendación está limitada por: i) la poca cantidad de evidencia primaria disponible: dos ECA fase II (MT 103-211 y MT 103-206) y un ECA fase III (TOWER), ii) los detalles de las recomendaciones de las GPC y ETS difieren entre sí a pesar de provenir prácticamente de la misma evidencia, iii) El ECA TOWER (principal estudio para responder la pregunta PICO) presenta varias limitaciones que afectan la validez de sus resultados, y, iv) la incertidumbre en la evidencia disponible solo logra que blinatumomab sea considerado por las ETS solo como una alternativa de tratamiento (por debajo de la participación de EC de nuevos medicamentos) sujeta a acuerdos económicos (para el caso de las ETS) que mejoren su costo-efectividad. Con respecto a lo expuesto previamente, el equipo técnico del IETSI valoró los siguientes aspectos: i) La LLA-B es una enfermedad de mal pronóstico cuando se presenta en adultos y empeora en los casos R/R, ii) La evidencia disponible no asegura que la magnitud de la eficacia de blinatumomab se traduzca en un cambio clínicamente relevante, iii) Toda vez que blinatumomab ha sido recomendado por las ETS, es bajo la condición de reducir del precio de compra blinatumomab a niveles de costo-efectividad aceptables, y, iv) No es posible asumir un perfil de costo-oportunidad favorable para sistemas públicos de servicios de salud como el nuestro porque no se ha encontrado que blinatumomab sea más eficaz o seguro que otros esquemas de quimioterapia de rescate disponibles en EsSalud. Se queda a la espera de futuras publicaciones con mayor tiempo de seguimiento y que superen las limitaciones presentes en la evidencia disponible hasta la fecha. El Instituto de Evaluación de Tecnologías en Salud e Investigación - IETSI, no aprueba el uso de blinatumomab para el tratamiento de pacientes adultos con LLA-B, Ph(-), R/R.

Targeting few to help hundreds: JAK, MAPK and ROCK pathways as druggable targets in atypical chronic myeloid leukemia.

Atypical Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (aCML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by neutrophilic leukocytosis and dysgranulopoiesis. From a genetic point of view, aCML shows a heterogeneous mutational landscape with mutations affecting signal transduction proteins but also broad genetic modifiers and chromatin remodelers, making difficult to understand the molecular mechanisms causing the onset of the disease. The JAK-STAT, MAPK and ROCK pathways are known to be responsible for myeloproliferation in physiological conditions and to be aberrantly activated in myeloproliferative diseases. Furthermore, experimental evidences suggest the efficacy of inhibitors targeting these pathways in repressing myeloproliferation, opening the way to deep clinical investigations. However, the activation status of these pathways is rarely analyzed when genetic mutations do not occur in a component of the signaling cascade. Given that mutations in functionally unrelated genes give rise to the same pathology, it is tempting to speculate that alteration in the few signaling pathways mentioned above might be a common feature of pathological myeloproliferation. If so, targeted therapy would be an option to be considered for aCML patients.

Clonal chromosomal abnormalities appearing in Philadelphia chromosome-negative metaphases during CML treatment.

Clonal chromosomal abnormalities in Philadelphia chromosome-negative (CCA/Ph-) metaphases emerge as patients with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP-CML) are treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). We assessed the characteristics and prognostic impact of 598 patients with CP-CML treated on clinical trials with various TKIs. CCA/Ph- occurred in 58 patients (10%); the most common were -Y in 25 (43%) and trisomy 8 in 7 patients (12%). Response to TKI therapy was similar for patients with CCA/Ph- and those without additional chromosomal abnormalities (ACAs). We further categorized CCA/Ph- into those in which -Y was the only clonal abnormality, and all others. We found that patients with non -Y CCA/Ph- had worse failure-free survival (FFS), event-free survival (EFS), transformation-free survival (TFS), and overall survival (OS) compared with those without ACAs with the following 5-year rates: FFS (52% vs 70%, P = .02), EFS (68% vs 86%, P = .02), TFS (76% vs 94%, P < .01), and OS (79% vs 94%, P = .03). In a multivariate analysis, non -Y CCA/Ph- increased the risk of transformation or death when baseline characteristics were considered with a hazard ratio of 2.81 (95% confidence interval, 1.15-6.89; P = .02). However, this prognostic impact was not statistically significant when achieving BCR-ABL <10% at 3 months was included in the analysis. In conclusion, non -Y CCA/Ph- are associated with decreased survival when emerging in patients with chronic-phase CML across various TKIs. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00048672, #NCT00038649, and #NCT00050531 (imatinib); #NCT00254423 (dasatinib); #NCT00129740 (nilotinib); and NCT01570868 (ponatinib).

TP53 mutation does not confer a poor outcome in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who are treated with frontline hyper-CVAD-based regimens.

BACKGROUND: Tumor protein 53 (TP53) mutations are uncommon in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and predict a poor outcome. METHODS: TP53 mutation analysis was performed in 164 newly diagnosed adult patients with ALL using a combination of targeted amplicon-based next-generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: TP53 mutations were detected in 25 patients (15%), with a median allelic frequency of 42.2% (range, 5.6%-93.8%). The majority of mutations were single-nucleotide variants of missense type and involved the DNA-binding domain. TP53-mutated (TP53mut ) ALL was found to be significantly associated with older age, lower median white blood cell and platelet counts, lower frequency of Philadelphia chromosome and a higher frequency of low hypodiploid karyotype compared with ALL with wild-type TP53 (TP53wt ). To evaluate the prognostic effect of TP53 mutations, the authors selected 146 patients with B-cell immunophenotype ALL (24 with TP53mut and 122 with TP53wt ) who were uniformly treated with frontline hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone (hyper-CVAD)-based regimens; >90% of these individuals also received a monoclonal antibody. Over a median follow-up duration of 15 months, there was no significant difference in the median overall survival, event-free survival, and duration of complete remission noted between patients with TP53mut ALL and those with TP53wt ALL. CONCLUSIONS: Hyper-CVAD-based regimens appear to negate the poor prognostic impact of TP53 mutations in patients with adult B-cell immunophenotype ALL. Cancer 2017;123:3717-24. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Nilotinib first-line therapy in patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative/BCR-ABL-positive chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase: ENEST1st sub-analysis.

PURPOSE: The ENEST1st sub-analysis presents data based on Philadelphia chromosome (Ph) status, i.e., Ph+ and Ph-/BCR-ABL1 + chronic myeloid leukemia. METHODS: Patients received nilotinib 300 mg twice daily, up to 24 months. RESULTS: At screening, 983 patients were identified as Ph+ and 30 patients as Ph-/BCR-ABL + based on cytogenetic and RT-PCR assessment; 76 patients had unknown karyotype (excluded from this sub-analysis). In the Ph-/BCR-ABL1 + subgroup, no additional chromosomal aberrations were reported. In the Ph+ subgroup, 952 patients had safety and molecular assessments. In the Ph-/BCR-ABL1 + subgroup, 30 patients had safety assessments and 28 were followed up for molecular assessments. At 18 months, the molecular response (MR) 4 rate [MR4; BCR-ABL1 ≤0.01% on International Scale (IS)] was similar in the Ph-/BCR-ABL1+ (39.3%) and Ph+ subgroups (38.1%). By 24 months, the cumulative rates of major molecular response (BCR-ABL1IS ≤0.1%;), MR4, and MR4.5 (BCR-ABL1IS ≤0.0032%) were 85.7, 60.7, and 50.0%, respectively, in the Ph-/BCR-ABL1 + subgroup, and 80.3, 54.7, and 38.3%, respectively, in the Ph+ subgroup. In both Ph-/BCR-ABL1 + and Ph+ subgroups, rash (20 and 22%), pruritus (16.7 and 16.7%), nasopharyngitis (13.3 and 10.4%), fatigue (10 and 14.2%), headache (10 and 15.8%), and nausea (6.7 vs 11.4%) were frequent non-hematologic adverse events, whereas hypophosphatemia (23.3 and 6.8%), anemia (10 and 6.5%), and thrombocytopenia (3.3 and 10.2%) were the common hematologic/biochemical laboratory events. CONCLUSION: Based on similar molecular response and safety results in both subgroups, we conclude that Ph-/BCR-ABL1 + patients benefit from nilotinib in the same way as Ph+ patients.

How I treat atypical chronic myeloid leukemia.

Atypical chronic myeloid leukemia, BCR-ABL1 negative (aCML) is a rare myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) for which no current standard of care exists. The challenges of aCML relate to its heterogeneous clinical and genetic features, high rate of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia, and historically poor survival. Therefore, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation should always be an initial consideration for eligible patients with a suitable donor. Nontransplant approaches for treating aCML have otherwise largely relied on adopting treatment strategies used for MDS and MPN. However, such therapies, including hypomethylating agents, are based on a paucity of data. With an eye toward making a more meaningful impact on response rates and modification of the natural history of the disease, progress will rely on enrollment of patients into clinical trials and molecular profiling of individuals so that opportunities for targeted therapy can be exploited.

Chronic Localized Fibrosing Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis Associated With Lymphedema, Intralymphatic and Intravascular Lymphocytosis, and Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia: A Case Report of Unilateral Erythema Elevatum Diutinum.

One of the pathogenic causes of cutaneous inflammatory pseudotumors is chronic localized fibrosing leukocytoclastic vasculitis (CLFLCV), a vasculitic reaction pattern seen in granuloma faciale (GF), a localized vasculitis, and erythema elevatum diutinum (EED), a generalized vasculitis. Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) are at risk for a diverse spectrum of cutaneous neutrophilic dermatoses such as EED. Herein, we report a 74-year-old man who presented with a large ulcerative, fungating tumor affecting the right flexor ankle caused by CLFLCV. During his workup and management, MDS and Philadelphia chromosome-negative chronic myeloid leukemia was diagnosed. Surgical excision of the inflammatory mass promptly triggered tumor recurrence, whereas antineutrophil therapy (dapsone coupled with hydroxyurea, and prednisone) lead to tumor regression. Histopathologic examination revealed an eosinophilic-rich small-vessel neutrophilic vasculitis associated with storiform and angiocentric fibrosis (GF-like). In the regions of fibrosis, dilated lymphatic and vascular spaces were numerous, some of which were congested with small CD3-positive lymphocytes (intralymphatic and intravascular lymphocytosis). These findings indicate coexisting localized lymphedema. By direct immunofluorescence, IgM and C4d vessel deposits were detected. The pathogenesis of the fibrotic nodules and plaques of CLFLCV is suspected to be due to recurring bouts of immune-complex vasculitis, creating a cycle of vessel damage followed by reparative granulation tissue. Poor lymphatic drainage may be the underlying factor initiating and maintaining recurrent, localized episodes of immune-complex vasculitis and progressive fibrosis. Although his tumor histopathology resembled GF-eosinophilic rich CLFLCV-the clinical context points to a solitary and paraneoplastic case of EED.