Alemtuzumab therapy in T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia: comparing efficacy in a series treated intravenously and a study piloting the subcutaneous route.

Intravenous alemtuzumab is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL). Alemtuzumab given intravenously as first-line treatment in 32 patients resulted in an overall response rate of 91% with 81% complete responses. Studies in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia have shown subcutaneous alemtuzumab to be equally as effective as intravenous alemtuzumab. The UKCLL05 pilot study examined the efficacy and toxicity of this more convenient method of administration in 9 previously untreated patients with T-PLL. Only 3 of 9 patients (33%) responded to treatment. Furthermore, 2 of 9 patients (22%) died while on treatment. Recruitment was terminated because of these poor results. After rescue therapy with intravenous alemtuzumab and/or pentostatin, median progression-free survival and overall survival were similar to the intravenous group. Alemtuzumab delivered intravenously, but not subcutaneously, remains the treatment of choice for previously untreated T-PLL.

Improvement in Parameters of Hematologic and Immunologic Function and Patient Well-being in the Phase III RESONATE Study of Ibrutinib Versus Ofatumumab in Patients With Previously Treated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Ibrutinib compared with ofatumumab significantly improves progression-free and overall survival in patients with previously treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Measures of well-being were assessed in RESONATE, where previously treated patients with CLL/SLL were randomized to receive ibrutinib 420 mg/day (n = 195) or ofatumumab (n = 196) for up to 24 weeks. Endpoints included hematologic function, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F), disease-related symptoms, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaires Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), and medical resource utilization. RESULTS: With up to 24 months' follow-up (median, 16.4 months), 79% of cytopenic patients showed sustained hematologic improvement (82% with improved platelet count, 69% with improved hemoglobin) on ibrutinib versus 43% on ofatumumab (P < .0001). Higher rates of clinically meaningful improvement were demonstrated with ibrutinib versus ofatumumab for FACIT-F and EORTC global health. Greater improvement was observed in disease-related weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, and abdominal discomfort with ibrutinib versus ofatumumab. Hospitalizations in the first 30 days occurred less frequently with ibrutinib than ofatumumab (0.087 vs. 0.184 events/patient; P = .0198). New-onset diarrhea was infrequent with ibrutinib after the first 6 months (47% at ≤6 months vs. 5% at 12-18 months). With ibrutinib, grade ≥ 3 hypertension occurred in 6%, grade ≥ 3 atrial fibrillation in 4%, major hemorrhage in 2%, and tumor lysis syndrome in 1% of patients. CONCLUSION: Ibrutinib led to significant improvements in hematologic function and disease symptomatology versus ofatumumab, and can restore quality of life while prolonging survival in relapsed/refractory CLL/SLL.

Heterogeneous leukemia stem cells in myeloid blast phase chronic myeloid leukemia.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is an excellent model of the multistep processes in cancer. Initiating BCR-ABL mutations are required for the initial phase of the disease (chronic phase, CP-CML). Some CP-CML patients acquire additional mutation(s) that transforms CP-CML to poor prognosis, hard to treat, acute myeloid or lymphoid leukemia or blast phase CML (BP-CML). It is unclear where in the hemopoietic hierarchy additional mutations are acquired in BP-CML, how the hemopoietic hierarchy is altered as a consequence, and the cellular identity of the resulting leukemia-propagating stem cell (LSC) populations. Here, we show that myeloid BP-CML is associated with expanded populations that have the immunophenotype of normal progenitor populations that vary between patients. Serial transplantation in immunodeficient mice demonstrated functional LSCs reside in multiple populations with the immunophenotype of normal progenitor as well as stem cells. Multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization detected serial acquisition of cytogenetic abnormalities of chromosome 17, associated with transformation to BP-CML, that is detected with equal frequency in all functional LSC compartments. New effective myeloid BP-CML therapies will likely have to target all these LSC populations.