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Rowe, Jacob M.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2016-2918

Mayo Clinic

Rambam Health Care Campus

Citations 58

Standard Consolidation/Maintenance Chemotherapy Is Consistently Superior to a Single Autologous Transplant for Adult Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Results of the International ALL Trial (MRC UKALL XII/ECOG E2993)
Rowe, Jacob M. , Buck, Georgina , Tallman, Martin S. , Richards, Susan , Burnett, Alan K. , Franklin, Ian M, Wiernik, Peter H. , Paietta, Elisabeth , Litzow, Mark R. , Marks, David I. , Luger, Selina M. , Dewald, Gordon W., Goldstone, Anthony H., Moorman, Anthony V. , Richards, Susan M, Fielding, Adele K. , Franklin, Ian M, Lazarus, Hillard M.

Blood | October 14, 2019 | Volume: 112 | Issue: 11 | Pages: 3314-3314

10.1182/blood.v112.11.3314.3314 Get It

Abstract The International ALL trial, conducted jointly by the MRC in the UK and ECOG in the US (UKALL XII/E2993), recruited 1929 patients between 1993 and 2006. All patients aged 16 to 64 years with newly diagnosed ALL, received the identical two phases of induction therapy. Patients with an HLA-identical sibling were assigned to a sibling allogeneic transplant and those who were Ph-positive could also get an unrelated-donor transplant. Patients who did not have a donor were to be randomized between a single autologous transplant, after conditioning with etoposide/total body irradiation, versus consolidation/maintenance therapy for 2.5 years. Following randomization, but prior to receiving the assigned or randomized therapy, all patients received intensification with 3 cycles of high-dose methotrexate. After excluding patients assigned to an allogeneic transplant, 1028 patients were eligible for randomization but, as in other major transplant studies, only 457 were randomized. The rationale underlying the randomization was based on the fact that protracted consolidation/maintenance therapy in adults, extrapolated from the pediatric experience, had never been prospectively evaluated in the era of intensive chemotherapy. Given that the mortality from autotransplant is not higher than chemotherapy (Goldstone et al. Blood. 2008), it was postulated that if a single autologous transplant is at least as good as standard protracted chemotherapy that may make it the preferable option, except possibly in females in whom fertility may be an issue. The overall survival and the event-free survival were significantly superior among the chemotherapy patients (p = .05) as previously reported (Goldstone et al. Blood. 2008). Because the literature contains reports suggesting a trend in favor of autologous transplantation in some patients with ALL (Dhédiu et al. Leukemia, 2006), an analysis was performed to see if any subgroup of patients could be identified in whom: 1. chemotherapy may not be superior to autologous transplant and 2. autologous transplant may be superior. The table lists a detailed analysis of overall survival looking at various age groups, B- versus T-lineage, the rapidity with which a complete remission was achieved –after phase I or only after phase II of induction. Detailed analysis was also performed by cytogenetics looking at those with standard risk versus those with high risk abnormalities [ t(9;22), t(4;11), t(8;14)] and low hypodiploidy/near triploidy or a complex karyotype (Moorman et al. Blood. 2007)]. In all groups, the chemotherapy group was at least as efficacious as the autograft group, and in some was even significantly superior to autologous transplantation. There is no evidence that other risk factors, such as relapse rate or treatment-related mortality, influenced these overall survival data. In addition, the tests for heterogeneity were not significant across any group. In conclusion, the overall survival was longer in patients randomized to chemotherapy, although the superiority was not statistically significant in most of the groups. There is no clinical indication for autologous transplantation at any age and particularly this should not be considered for patients over age 50, those with high-risk cytogenetics or T-lineage, and late remitters, for whom it might appear most attractive. Overall Survival (OS) at 5 years in 457 Randomized Patients Chemo Auto Subgroups n OS n OS P (log rank) Age (years) < 20 50 58% 43 46% > 0.1 20–29 61 52% 70 43% > 0.1 30–39 46 39% 46 32% > 0.1 40–49 38 31% 35 31% > 0.1 50 + 33 38% 35 31% > 0.1 B-lineage 169 46% 158 35% 0.03 T-lineage 45 54% 54 49% > 0.1 Time to CR phase I 193 48% 190 41% 0.1 phase II 26 36% 29 19% 0.08 Cytogenetics standard-risk 109 51% 122 44% > 0.1 high-risk 29 23% 27 7% 0.02
Integrative Genome-Wide DNA Methylation and Gene Expression Analysis Reveals Biological and Clinical Insights In Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Geng, Huimin , Paietta, Elisabeth , Deng, Xutao , Li, Yushan , Racevskis, Janis, Richards, Susan , Tallman, Martin S. , Rowe, Jacob M. , Litzow, Mark R. , Elemento, Olivier , Neuberg, Donna , Yuan, Xin Y. , Ketterling, Rhett P. , Richards, Susan M, Melnick, Ari

Blood | October 13, 2019 | Volume: 116 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 852-852

10.1182/blood.v116.21.852.852 Get It

Abstract Abstract 852 Adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is an aggressive disease with <30% long-term survival. This relatively poor outcome can be explained in part by an increased frequency of high-risk molecular subtypes compared to childhood ALL, such as BCR/ABL (20%-40% in adults vs 2%-5% in children). We hypothesized that aberrant epigenetic gene regulation contributes to the pathogenesis and clinical features of adult ALL. We therefore performed genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression microarray studies of 215 adult patients with B-lineage ALL enrolled in the ECOG E2993 phase III trial. Patients had a median follow-up 4.75 years (3.5 months to 13 years) and median age 39 years (17 to 63 years). BCR/ABL(+) cases (n=83) had a worse overall survival (OS, p=0.08) than BCR/ABL(-) cases (n=132). The smaller difference in survival in this series between BCR/ABL(+) and (-) cases is likely due to the use of imatinib in some of these patients. The HELP microarray assay was used to measure DNA methylation at 50,000 CpGs annotated to ∼22,000 RefSeq promoters. The accuracy of HELP was confirmed by extensive quantitative single locus validation studies. Supervised analysis revealed the presence of a markedly aberrant DNA methylation signature (166 genes) in BCR/ABL(+) ALL with the cutoff values of p<0.001 (FDR<0.002) and log fold change>1, and a differential gene expression profile of 416 genes at p<0.001 (FDR<0.004) and log fold change>1. Integrative analysis of expression and DNA methylation indicated that many of these genes are functionally connected within a gene network centered around IL8, which was over expressed and hypomethylated in BCR/ABL(+) cases, along with IL2RA(CD25), CEBPB, ABL1, ID1, IL15, BCL2L13, CD69, NOV, S100A8 and S100A9. KEGG and BioCarta pathway analysis also showed enrichment for IL8 signaling, NF-kB Activation, B Cell Development and Antigen Presentation pathways, suggesting these cytokine networks might play central and distinct roles in BCR/ABL(+) ALL. To identify a core set of functionally relevant genes, we explored the overlap of the DNA methylation and gene expression signatures. The overlap consisted of 13 genes, among which 11 showed inverse correlation, including CD200, GAB1, HLA-DQA1, HLA-DQB1, IL2RA (CD25), LST1, LTB, NOV, ROB04, S100A9, and CD38. Consistent with previous ECOG findings, CD25 positivity was a more dominant predictor than BCR/ABL, and could further stratify BCR/ABL(+) patients into a favorable (CD25-) and a poor (CD25+) outcome group (OS, p=0.07). When comparing CD25(+) and CD25(-) groups among BCR/ABL(+) cases, we found RhoH and UBE2J1 as the top differentially methylated and IL2RA(CD25) as the top differentially expressed genes, and all three genes showed concordant corresponding changes in expression and methylation. The aberrant DNA methylation signature of MLL/AF4 cases was even more dramatic, with 469 identified as differentially methylated (p<0.001 (FDR<0.015), log fold change>1) and 1108 genes differentially expressed (p<0.001 (FDR<0.009), log fold change>1). Integrated analysis of DNA methylation and expression implicated gene pathways centered around TNFA and MYC, respectively. A core set of 44 genes were identified overlapping between the methylation and gene expression signatures, among which 34 showed inverse correlation, including ANXA5, BRE, CAPG, CEBPA, FAIM, FLT3, FUT4, IGFBP7, IL1R2, ITGA7, ITGAE, MAP1A, MAP7, MRPL33, PARP8, RBKS, SLITRK4 and TFR2 with overexpression and hypomethylation, and BTBD3, CCR6, FYN, GAB1, GYPC, HPS4, IL2RA, KCNK3, LCK, LST1, LTB, PRKCH, QPCT, S100A13, SGPL1 and ZAP70 with underexpression and hypermethylation in MLL/AF4(+) ALL. All signatures were independent of B-ALL differentiation stage. Using univariate Cox Hazard Regression model adjusted by age, WBC, CD25 and BCR/ABL status, we furthermore identified 259 expression and 115 methylation markers which were significantly correlated with patient OS risk (p<0.01). Molecularly or immunophenotypically defined poor prognosis adult B- ALLs thus feature specific aberrant DNA methylation profiles with associated inversely correlated gene expression. These gene sets delineate specific biological functions that may contribute to disease phenotype and offer an opportunity for development of targeted therapy. Aberrantly methylated genes in adult B-ALL correlate with clinical risk independent of other clinical or molecular risk factors. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Inability to Tolerate Standard Therapy Is a Major Reason for Poor Outcome In Older Adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL): Results From the International MRC/ECOG Trial
Sive, Jonathan , Litzow, Mark R. , Luger, Selina M. , Marks, David I. , McMillan, Andrew , Richards, Susan , Rowe, Jacob M. , Tallman, Martin S. , Goldstone, Anthony H., Buck, Georgina , Fielding, Adele K. , Lazarus, Hillard M. , Richards, Susan M

Blood | October 12, 2019 | Volume: 116 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 493-493

10.1182/blood.v116.21.493.493 Get It

Abstract Abstract 493 The International MRC UKALL XII/ECOG E2993 trial for adults with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) recruited 1,914 patients to the main part of the trial from 1995 up to its closure in 2006, of whom 100 were over the age of 55 years (median 57, range 55–65). Beginning in 2003 (MRC) or 2004 (ECOG), patients with Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+ve) disease were entered into an Imatinib sub-study. We report here baseline characteristics, treatment course and outcomes, and discuss implications for future management strategies. Direct comparison of the 100 patients over 55 yrs with 1,814 under 55 yrs showed that the groups are comparable for gender, immunophenotype and white cell count but there is an indication that more elderly patients had Ph+ve disease (28% aged ≥55 vs 17% aged <55 of those entered before the start of the Imatinib trial; p=0.02). All patients in this trial received a 2 stage induction regimen, consisting of Daunorubicin, Vincristine, Asparaginase and Steroid followed by Cyclophosphamide, Cytarabine, 6-Mercaptopurine and Methotrexate. CNS prophylaxis with IT Methotrexate and Cytarabine was given during both phases. There was a randomisation to autograft or chemotherapy, but only a small number of patients in this age group were randomised (13 autograft and 13 consolidation chemotherapy). Outcomes Complete remission (CR) rate, event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were all worse in the over 55 age group, and even after achieving CR, the 5-year OS rate was reduced. There were more infections in phase I induction (67% vs 45%, p<0.0001) and more deaths during induction chemotherapy (18% vs 4% p<0.0001). Excluding those who died in induction, 47% had drug dose reductions in phase I or phase II vs 27% <55 yrs (P=0.0006). Of these, Asparaginase was the most common in those aged ≥55 years, usually due to hepatotoxicity. Age p-value <55 vs ≥55 <55 ≥55 Number 1814 100 CR No v Yes p<0.0001 No 131 (7%) 27 (27%) No (died in induction) 70 (4%) 18 (18%) No (but survived induction) 61 (3%) 9 (9%) Yes 1641 (90%) 70 (70%) Unknown 42 (2%) 3 (3%) Deaths 1112/1814 (61%) 78/100 (78%) Relapses 750/1683 (45%) 36/73 (49%) Overall survival at 5 years (95% CI) 41% (38–43%) 21% (12–29%) p<0.0001 Event free survival at 5 years (95% CI) 37% (34–39%) 19% (10–27%) p<0.0001 Relapse free survival at 5 years (95% CI) 50% (48–53%) 38% (25–52%) p=0.08 Overall survival at 5 years (95% CI) in those who achieved CR 44% (41–46%) 30% (18–41%) p=0.03 In those patients aged ≥55 years, baseline factors causing a significantly worse 5-yr EFS were Ph-positivity (0% vs 23%, p=0.005), unfavourable vs standard cytogenetic risk (7% vs 26%, p=0.02) and a presenting WCC >50 × 109/l (0% vs 25% for WCC between 10 and 49.9 × 109/l and 23% for WCC <10 × 109/l, p=0.003). Infection during induction chemotherapy predicted for worse EFS; this was especially significant in those who had infection in both phases of induction (6% vs 38%, p=0.007). In those patients who received chemotherapy and were not transplanted, the differences in outcome were smaller: 5-yr OS 25% in ≥55 years vs 38% in <55 years (p=0.06), 5-yr EFS 22% vs 32% (p>0.1). Conclusion Older adults fared significantly worse than younger adults both in terms of achieving an initial CR and long-term survival. This difference cannot be explained solely by a difference in disease characteristics, and the marked increase in infection and deaths during induction reflect the inability of many older patients to tolerate the intensive level of treatment. This is also supported by the large numbers of drug omissions or dose reductions seen. Our data show that this inability to tolerate induction chemotherapy is a major contributor to the poor outcomes seen in this age group. The less marked differences between age groups when transplant patients are excluded, indicates the significant mortality associated with these procedures in older patients. Alternative approaches to consider in this group include less intensive induction with a steroid and vinca alkaloid combination, in conjunction with targeted therapies (eg Rituximab in B-lineage CD20+ disease, Imatinib Mesylate in Ph+ disease). Even amongst those patients who do achieve CR however, the long-term outcome is worse. Reduced intensity allografts may play a role in carefully selected patients in this age group, and the emerging use of MRD monitoring may also assist in selecting patients for more or less intensive approaches. Disclosures: McMillan: EUSA: Honoraria. Goldstone: Roche: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau.
in Philadelphia-Chromosome-Negative Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Late Relapses Are Not Uncommon, Occur Mostly in Patients at Standard Risk and Have a Relatively Favorable Outcome. Results of the International ALL Trial: MRC Ukallxii/ECOG E2993
Ganzel, Chezi , Victoria, Wang Xin, Rowe, Jacob M. , Richards, Susan , Buck, Georgina , Chopra, Rajesh, Durrant, Ian, Marks, David I. , Franklin, Ian M., McMilan, Andrew K, Litzow, Mark R. , Paietta, Elisabeth , Luger, Selina M. , Wiernik, Peter H. , Douer, Dan , Tallman, Martin S. , Goldstone, Anthony H., Fielding, Adele K. , Richards, Susan M, Durrant, I. Jill, Franklin, Ian M., Lazarus, Hillard M.

Blood | October 12, 2019 | Volume: 126 | Issue: 23 | Pages: 795-795

10.1182/blood.v126.23.795.795 Get It

Abstract This study was coordinated by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (Robert L. Comis, MD and Mitchell D. Schnall, MD, PhD, Group Co-Chairs) and the Medical Research Counsel, United Kingdom, and supported in part by Public Health Service Grants CA180820, CA180794, CA180790, CA189859, CA180853, CA180791, and from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services. Its content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Cancer Institute. Background: Late relapse in acute leukemia is considered a relatively rare event. Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are often considered cured of the disease at 3 years, but information regarding adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients is scarce. Data are presented from one of the largest prospective adult ALL studies, the MRC UKALLXII/ECOG E2993, to evaluate the rate and characteristics of late relapse in ALL. For this purpose, late relapse was defined, arbitrarily, as relapse 3 years post achievement of complete remission (CR) and very late relapse was defined as relapse > 5 years from CR. Methods: The UKALLXII/ECOG E2993 was an international ALL trial conducted jointly by the MRC in the United Kingdom and ECOG in the United States. All patients received identical induction therapy, followed by central nervous system prophylaxis. Patients with a sibling donor (or a matched unrelated donor in Philadelophia-chromosome-positive ALL) were assigned to receive an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT); all others were randomized to undergo an autologous transplant or protracted standard consolidation/ maintenance therapy. The study accrued 2109 patients from 1993 to 2008. Following relapse, patients were followed for survival. For this report only patients registered before the tyrosine kinase inhibitors era are included in the analysis. Results: 1518 study patients were eligible for this analysis, 1208 (79.6%) Philadelphia-chromosome negative (Ph-neg) and 267 (17.5%) Philadelphia-chromosome positive (Ph-pos). 1381 (91%) of the patients achieved CR; 93% of the Ph-neg and 82% of the Ph-pos. 572 patients (37.7%) underwent allogeneic HSCT. The median duration of follow-up of patients who achieved CR was 10 years. Among the 1381 patients who achieved CR, 626 (45.3%) had a documented relapse; 566 (90.4%) relapsed within 3 years of CR and 60 (9.6%) relapsed beyond 3 years ('late relapse') (Figure 1). Among these 60 patients, 18(2.9%) relapsed after 5 years ('very late relapse'). Table. Patients n CR All relapses Relapses< 3 years Relapses≥ 3 years Relapses≥ 5 years All patients 1518 1381 (91%) 626 (45.3%) 566 (90.4%) 60 (9.6%) 18 (2.9%) Ph-neg 1208 (79.6%) 1123 (93%) 485 (40.1%) 429 (88.5%) 56 (11.5%) 17 (3.5%) Ph-pos 268 (17.5%) 219 (82%) 124 (56.6%) 122 (98.4%) 2 (1.6%) 1 (0.8%) Relapse beyond 3 years occurred in 4.3% of all who achieved CR, in 5% of Ph-neg and 0.01% of Ph-pos patients. Among the 60 late relapses, the median time to relapse was 46 months. 61.7% of the late-relapse patients were males, median age was 32 years, 88.3% were B-lineage ALL and the median white cell count at diagnosis was 6000/ul. 56.7% were in cytogenetic standard risk, 8.3% at high risk and the data of 35% are unknown. The median survival for the late relapse patients was longer than for those who relapsed within 3 years. The overall survival (OS) of the 56 Ph-neg patients who relapsed beyond 3 years is shown in Fig 2. Table.Relapse > 3 yearsRelapse > 3 yearsMedian survival from relapse (months)5.411.23-year OS from relapse6.5%29%5-year OS from relapse5.6%19% Conclusions: Late relapses in adults with Ph-neg ALL are not uncommon. About 10% of relapses occur beyond 3 years and 4.3% of all ALL patients who achieved a CR can expect to have a late relapse. These data are in contrast to AML where only 1% of patients relapse beyond 3 years (Watts JM et al, 2014). Most of the late relapse patients were at standard risk and appeared to have a relatively favorable outcome post relapse. Patients with ALL, particularly those who are Ph-neg, cannot be considered as cured at 3 years and need to be closely followed. Figure 1. Time to relapse of Ph-pos and Ph-neg ALL Figure 1. Time to relapse of Ph-pos and Ph-neg ALL Figure 2. Survival from relapse for Ph-neg patients who relapsed after 3 years from CR. Figure 2. Survival from relapse for Ph-neg patients who relapsed after 3 years from CR. Disclosures Rowe: Amgen: Consultancy; BioSight Ltd.: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BioLineRx Ltd.: Consultancy. Douer:Gilead: Consultancy.
Outcome of 1,229 Adult Philadelphia Chromosome Negative B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) Patients (pts) From the International UKALLXII/E2993 Trial: No Difference In Results Between B Cell Immunophenotypic Subgroups
Litzow, Mark R. , Buck, Georgina , Dewald, Gordon W., Luger, Selina M. , Marks, David I. , McMillan, Andrew , Paietta, Elisabeth , Richards, Susan , Rowe, Jacob M. , Tallman, Martin S. , Goldstone, Anthony H., Fielding, Adele K. , Ketterling, Rhett P. , Lazarus, Hillard M. , Moorman, Anthony V. , Richards, Susan M

Blood | October 12, 2019 | Volume: 116 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 524-524

10.1182/blood.v116.21.524.524 Get It

Abstract Abstract 524 The International UKALLXII/E2993 trial enrolled 2091 pts with newly diagnosed adult ALL between 1993 and 2006. Patients received 2 months of combination induction chemotherapy followed by an intensification course of high dose methotrexate and L-asparaginase after which pts were randomized to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) or consolidation and maintenance chemotherapy. Patients <55 years of age with a matched sibling donor were assigned myeloablative allogeneic HSCT (Goldstone, et al, Blood 2008; 111:1827). Here we report a detailed analysis of 1,229 pts from this trial with B-ALL, excluding Philadelphia-chromosome-positive patients. The median age was 30 years (range 14–65) and 59% were male. The median WBC was 9.2×109/L (range 0.1–930) and 73% of pts had a WBC <30 × 109/L. CNS involvement was present in 4% of pts at diagnosis. Comprehensive centralized immunophenotyping was performed in 372 of the 409 (91%) ECOG pts enrolled and initial analysis demonstrated pro-B/pre-pre-B in 17%, early pre-B in 52%, pre-B in 14%, either early pre-B or pre-B in 6%, mature B in 2% and B-lineage, not otherwise specified, in 9%. Outcomes were similar between patients with immunophenotyping data and those without. The complete remission (CR) rate was 93% and there were 4% induction deaths. The overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), relapse risk (RR) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) at 5 years for the overall group is shown in the table. There were no significant differences in CR rate, OS, EFS, RR or NRM for the immunophenotypic subgroups. There was better OS and EFS with less relapse and similar risk of NRM for pts randomized to chemotherapy as compared with autologous HSCT (Figure 1). In the matched sibling donor-no donor comparison, OS and EFS were improved, RR was less and NRM was higher in the donor group (Figure 2). Cytogenetic analysis confirmed that patients with t(4;11) (n=77, 8% total), t(8;14) (n=19, 2% total), a complex karyotype (≥5 abnormalities in the absence of an established chromosomal abnormality) (n=38, 5% total), or low hypoploidy/near triploidy (n=41, 5% total) had an inferior OS and patients with high hyperdiploidy had a superior OS when compared to other patients. In conclusion, this is the largest series of B-ALL in uniformly treated adults ever reported and confirms the superior outcome of patients randomized to chemotherapy as compared with autologous HSCT and shows that patients with a matched sibling donor have an improved survival over patients without a donor. No difference in CR rates or outcome was noted for patients with different immunophenotypic subtypes of B-ALL. Future improvements in outcome of pts with B-ALL will rely on the addition of new agents such as B cell monoclonal antibodies and improvements in allogeneic HCT.Table.Outcomes at 5 years of follow-upnCR rate (%)OSEFSRRNRMOverall12299342375021Pro-B/pre-pre-B639236345421Early pre-B/pre-B2689340345421Age ≤ 35 years746 (61%)9653454516Chi square p<0.0001<0.0001<0.0001<0.0001<0.0001Age >35 years483 (39%)8932265930Randomized to autologous HSCT15735316610Log rank p0.030.010.01NSRandomized to chemotherapy1694742558Matched sib donor34452483032Chi square p0.050.03<0.001<0.001No Donor47445415510Values are % except n and p values. CR=complete remission, OS=overall survival, EFS=event-free survival, RR=relapse risk, NRM=non-relapse mortality NS=not significant. The p values represent the difference between age groups for the first comparison, randomized to autologous HSCT versus chemotherapy for the second comparison and between matched sibling donor and no donor for the third comparison. Overall survival by randomized allocation at 10 years Overall survival by donor availability at 10 years Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Very Poor Long-Term Survival, Also in Contemporary Studies, of Patients with AML Who Relapse after Achieving a First Complete Remission: The ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group Experience
Ganzel, Chezi , Cripe, Larry D., Sun, Zhouxin, Fernández, Hugo F. , Cassileth, Peter A., Douer, Dan , Rowe, Jacob M. , Paietta, Elisabeth , Wiernik, Peter H. , Bennett, John M. , Litzow, Mark R. , Luger, Selina M. , Tallman, Martin S. , Sun, Zhouxin, O’Connell, Michael J. , Lazarus, Hillard M.

Blood | October 11, 2019 | Volume: 126 | Issue: 23 | Pages: 1315-1315

10.1182/blood.v126.23.1315.1315 Get It

Abstract This study was coordinated by the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (Robert L. Comis, MD and Mitchell D. Schnall, MD, PhD, Group Co-Chairs) and supported in part by Public Health Service Grants CA180794, CA180820, CA180795, CA180791, CA189859, CA180790, CA180853, and from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services. Its content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Cancer Institute. Background: Relapse after achieving a complete remission (CR) in AML portends for a poor prognosis and allogeneic transplant after achieving a second remission is the only chance for cure. Patients who undergo a transplant have a 30-40% chance of long term survival. This is a follow-up of a report published 10 years ago (Rowe JM, ASH 2005, abstract 546) and includes contemporary studies and longer follow-up. The study examines the long term overall survival (OS) of AML patients who relapsed after achieving first CR in 9 successive ECOG-ACRIN trials for newly-diagnosed AML patients (E3483, E3489, PC486, E3993, E4995, E1490, E3997, E1900 and E3999) from March 1984 to November 2008. Methods: OS was defined as time from first relapse to death from any cause. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to estimate the event-time distributions for OS. Multivariate model stratified on protocol and treatment were used to examine whether the following factors are prognostic for OS from relapse: age, gender, cytogenetic risk, ECOG performance status, WBC, platelets, hemoglobin, marrow blasts, peripheral blasts, and duration of CR. All P values were based on 2-sided tests. Results: A total of 3160 patients were enrolled in the 9 studies. The median follow-up on patients still alive was 10.0 years. Among those 3160 patients enrolled, 1864 (58.9%) achieved first CR of which 1086 (58.2%) had documented relapse. The median age at diagnosis of the relapsed patients was 50 (range: 16-84) and 50.6% were males. Fifty percent of the patients had reliable cytogenetic results. Of those, 13.5% had favorable cytogenetics, 55.8% - intermediate and 30.6% had unfavorable baseline results. The median OS from relapse was 0.5 years. The 2- and 5-year OS were 16(±1)% and 10(±1)%, respectively. This is true in even the most contemporary studies (E1900 and E3999) with median OS of 0.6 and 0.4 years, respectively. By age stratification (< or ≥ 55), 5-year OS was 13(±1)% and 5(±1)%, respectively (figure 1). Among patients<55, those with unfavorable cytogenetics had the poorest prognosis (median OS of 0.4 years and 5-year OS of 6(±3)%. Those with favorable and intermediate cytogenetics had similar OS with 0.7 and 0.6 years median OS and 5-year OS of 16(±5)% and 17(±3)%, respectively (figure 2). Multivariate analysis was perfomed on 517 patients who had enough baseline information, including cytogenetics. Factors that were significantly associated with OS from relapse included: age (p<0.001), ECOG performance status (p=0.04), hemoglobin (p=0.03), cytogenetics (p=0.045) at baseline and duration of CR (p<0.001). Conclusions: The short- and long-term OS of AML patients post-relapse is dismal (<10%). Although age<55 and favorable cytogenetics at diagnosis are relatively good prognostic factors, the general survival of even these patients is very poor. Disappointingly, these data are also applicable to the most contemporary studies. Long-term survival was possible only in the minority of patients who survived the relapse, achieved a second CR and then successfully underwent an allogeneic transplant. These data are crucial when considering post-remission strategy, and suggest that offering a therapy most likely to lead to cure in CR1 is the preferred option. Figure 1. Probability of OS from relapse by age group Figure 1. Probability of OS from relapse by age group Figure 2. Probability of OS from relapse by cytogenetic risk for patients age <55 Figure 2. Probability of OS from relapse by cytogenetic risk for patients age <55 Disclosures Douer: Gilead: Consultancy. Rowe:BioSight Ltd.: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BioLineRx Ltd.: Consultancy; Amgen: Consultancy.
Integrated DNA/RNA Profiling for Somatic Alterations in Adult B-Cell ALL
Patel, Jay , He, Jie , Brennan, Timothy, Nahas, Michelle, Balassubramanian, Sohail, Otto, Geoff, Lipson, Doron , Stephens, Phil , Miller, Vincent A. , Racevskis, Janis, Litzow, Mark R. , Wiernik, Peter H. , Goldstone, Anthony H., Luger, Selina M. , Viale, Agnès , Rowe, Jacob M. , Tallman, Martin S. , Paietta, Elisabeth , Gönen, Mithat , Rapaport, Franck, van den Brink, Marcel R M , Melnick, Ari , Levine, Ross L.

Blood | October 11, 2019 | Volume: 126 | Issue: 23 | Pages: 1422-1422

10.1182/blood.v126.23.1422.1422 Get It

Abstract Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy observed in the pediatric population. Recent genomic studies have made considerable strides in improving our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of pediatric B-cell ALL. This includes the discovery of recurrent somatic alterations targeting B-cell transcription factors, mutations in epigenetic regulators, and oncogenic mutations which activate signaling effectors, including in Ph-like B-ALL. However, the molecular pathogenesis of adult B-cell ALL has been less well studied, and there is a need to identify novel therapeutic targets in adult B-ALL. We therefore performed detailed genomic profiling in adults with B-cell ALL. We performed targeted DNA/RNA capture and sequencing of 189 patients with B-cell ALL enrolled on the ECOG E2993 clinical trial. All samples were taken at the time of diagnosis before patients were treated with multi-agent chemotherapy and followed for clinical outcomes including overall survival and remission/relapse duration and kinetics. We used the FoundationOne® Heme assay for our genomics study. This platform allows us to identify short events (point substitutions, short insertions/deletions) copy number and fusion events present in DNA and/or RNA. Of the 203 samples profiled, 189 had sufficient quality genomic data with a median coverage of 435 on DNA sequencing and 7.85 million on target distinct reads per case on RNA sequencing. In all, we identified cancer-related mutations in 108 genes, 55 of these genes being mutated in more than one sample. We identified a median of 2.98 genomic alterations per sample (standard deviation of 1.78) in the target gene set, which included all genes known to be altered in B-ALL and in other hematologic malignancies. The most common genomic events were the BCR-ABL1 fusion (69 samples, 36.5%), followed by CDKN2A loss (57 samples, 30%), CDKN2B loss (35 samples, 18%), NRAS and KRAS point mutations (32 samples, 16.9%), and MLL fusion genes with a spectrum of partners (25 samples, 13.2%). Notably, we found that BCR-ABL1 fusion are mutually exclusive with both RAS mutations (p<10^-7) and MLL mutations (p<5*10^-4). We next investigated the spectrum and frequency of alterations observed in different classes of oncogenes/tumor suppressors. We identified mutations which result in activation of oncogenic signaling pathways in 130 cases or 68.7% of our cohort. This included known mutations/fusions, such as BCR-ABL, RAS-MAPK pathway mutations, and JAK-STAT pathway alterations, and included missense alleles, insertion/deletion events, and fusion genes targeting a spectrum of genes including ABL, PDGFRB, and CRLF2. In aggregate, 33.8% of the cohort had mutations which activate signaling exclusive of BCR-ABL, demonstrating the high prevalence of the Ph-like B-ALL subtype in adult B-ALL. We identified mutations affecting key transcription factors, including PAX5 and IKZF1, in 31.2% of our cohort including missense, nonsense and deletion events. To confirm our ability to detect small deletions of PAX5 and IKZF1, we performed array CGH of 50 cases and compared copy number calls using high-throughput sequencing and CGH. Of note, all deletions targeting PAX5 and IKZF1 identified by NGS were confirmed by CGH. We also identified mutations in epigenetic regulators in 30.6% of cases, including MLL fusions, mutations in the DNA methylation/hydroxymethylation the pathway (DNMT3A, TET1, TET2), and mutations targeted chromatin modulators. Detailed analyses of the mutational spectra and their relationship to clinical outcome will be presented at the meeting. Taken together, these data show we can use a clinically validated sequencing assay to identify known and novel somatic mutations in adult B-ALL, including sequence alterations, rearrangements and copy number aberrations. These data demonstrate the feasibility of combined DNA and RNA study to identify a complex landscape of fusions and short mutations with prognostic and therapeutic relevance, and inform the use of genomic profiling in B-ALL in the clinical context. Figure 1. Figure 1. Disclosures He: Foundation Medicine, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Brennan:Foundation Medicine, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Nahas:Foundation Medicine, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Balassubramanian:Foundation Medicine, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Otto:Foundation Medicine, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Lipson:Foundation Medicine, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Stephens:Foundation Medicine, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Miller:Foundation Medicine, Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. van den Brink:Boehringer Ingelheim: Consultancy, Other: Advisory board attendee; Merck: Honoraria; Regeneron: Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Tobira Therapeutics: Other: Advisory board attendee. Rowe:Amgen: Consultancy; BioSight Ltd.: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BioLineRx Ltd.: Consultancy. Levine:Foundation Medicine: Consultancy; CTI BioPharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Loxo Oncology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.
Determinants of Fatal Bleeding during Induction Therapy for Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia in the ATRA Era
Mantha, Simon , Goldman, Debra A., Lee, Ju‐Whei , Zannino, Diana , Douer, Dan , Iland, Harry , Litzow, Mark R. , Stein, Eytan M. , Appelbaum, Frederick R. , Rowe, Jacob M. , Tallman, Martin S. , Devlin, Sean M. , Larson, Richard A.

Blood | October 11, 2019 | Volume: 124 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 948-948

10.1182/blood.v124.21.948.948 Get It

Abstract Background Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is commonly complicated by complex coagulopathy. The early use of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) appears to have reduced induction mortality; however, with modern regimens the risk of early hemorrhagic death remains at about 5-10% in clinical trials and up to 30% in population-based studies. Previously identified as markers of bleeding risk in this setting are: white blood cell count (WBC), peripheral blood blast count, platelet count, fibrinogen, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and creatinine. Nonetheless, uncertainty remains as to which ones are independent predictors. Materials and Methods The database for study was from APL patients enrolled on three large clinical trials that used ATRA for induction: APML3 (single arm of ATRA + idarubicin ± prednisone), APML4 (single arm of ATRA + idarubicin + arsenic trioxide + prednisone) and ECOG 2491 (intergroup I0129, consisting of daunorubicin + cytarabine vs ATRA). Known determinants of bleeding were assessed at baseline and considered as potential predictors of hemorrhagic death in the first 30 days of induction. In univariate analysis, using Wilcoxon Rank Sum and Fisher’s exact test, we looked at the association of the parameters mentioned above with hemorrhagic death within 30 days of induction. Results A total of 619 patients were enrolled: ECOG 2491 (intergroup I0129) - 394, APML3 - 101, and APML4 -124. Among these, thirty (4.8%) deaths from bleeding during the first 30 days (early deaths, ED) following induction were recorded. Baseline characteristics of the patients are shown in Table 1 and Table 2. Initial coagulation parameters (PT, aPTT and fibrinogen) were not available for the ECOG trial. Parameters with significant differences between the ED cases and the remaining of the cohort included WBC (median: 7.4 vs 2.4 /Kmcl respectively, p<0.001), peripheral blood blast count (median: 1.0 vs 0.2 /Kmcl respectively, p=0.049) and platelet count (median: 20 vs 33 /Kmcl respectively, p=0.002). Conclusions In this large cohort of approximately 600 APL patients enrolled on 3 large clinical trials, higher WBC, peripheral blast count and lower platelet count emerged as univariate predictors of early hemorrhagic death. Surprisingly, age, PT, aPTT, fibrinogen and creatinine clearance did not differ between the patients who died from bleeding and the remaining of the cohort. Multivariate analysis will clarify the relative strength of the significant predictors in assessing ED, and will be available, along with coagulation parameters for ECOG, at the time of presentation. These data hopefully will allow us to build a clinical prediction rule to identify patients at the highest risk of early hemorrhagic death. Such a stratification tool could prove useful in future trials testing novel approaches to treat the coagulopathy associated with APL. : Abstract 948. Table 1 Baseline Characteristics of Patients, Continuous Variables Variable Total Death from Bleeding within 30 days No Yes N Median (IQR) N Median (IQR) N Median (IQR) p-value Age (years) 619 40.0 (26.0 - 54.0) 589 40.0 (26.0 - 54.0) 30 47.0 (26.0 - 63.0) 0.15 White Blood Cell Count (K/mcL) 611 2.5 (1.2 - 8.2) 582 2.4 (1.1 - 7.6) 29 7.4 (3.1 - 20.7) <0.001 Peripheral blood blast count (K/mcL) 581 0.2 (0.0 - 2.2) 552 0.2 (0.0 - 1.9) 29 1.0 (0.1 - 5.7) 0.049 Hemoglobin (g/dL) 615 9.3 (8.0 - 10.5) 585 9.3 (7.9 - 10.5) 30 9.4 (8.2 - 10.7) 0.75 Platelets (K/mcL) 615 31.0 (17.0 - 56.0) 585 33.0 (17.0 - 57.0) 30 20.0 (13.0 - 34.0) 0.002 Prothrombin time (s) 184 16.0 (13.3 - 18.2) 179 16.0 (13.3 - 18.1) 5 16.7 (16.5 - 144.3) 0.15 Activated partial thromboplastin time (s) 225 29.0 (26.0 - 32.0) 216 29.0 (26.0 - 32.0) 9 31.2 (29.0 - 38.0) 0.07 Fibrinogen (mg/dL) 217 1.8 (1.3 - 2.6) 208 1.8 (1.3 - 2.6) 9 2.3 (2.0 - 2.5) 0.36 Creatinine Clearance (mg/dL)* 225 389 (261.2 - 511.6) 216 392 (264.9 - 512.4) 9 262 (219.2 - 432.0) 0.15 *calculated using the Jelliffe formula : Table 2 Baseline Characteristics of Patients, Categorical Variables. Variable Total Death from Bleeding within 30 days No Yes N % N % N % p-value ECOG Performance Status 579 93.54 552 93.72 27 90.00 0.50 Good(0-2) Poor(3-4) 36 5.82 33 5.60 3 10.00 Missing 4 0.65 4 0.68 0 0 FAB Classification 248 40.06 239 40.58 9 30.00 >0.95 M3 M3v 67 10.82 65 11.04 2 6.67 Missing 304 49.11 285 48.39 19 63.33 Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Extramedullary Disease Is Common In Newly Diagnosed AML But Has No Independent Prognostic Significance, Including CNS Involvement: Analysis Of 3,522 AML Patients Treated On Consecutive ECOG Trials 1980-2008
Ganzel, Chezi , Manola, Judith , Douer, Dan , Rowe, Jacob M. , Fernández, Hugo F. , Paietta, Elisabeth , Litzow, Mark R. , Lee, Ju‐Whei , Luger, Selina M. , Cripe, Larry D., Oken, Martin M., Cassileth, Peter A., Tallman, Martin S. , Lazarus, Hillard M.

Blood | October 10, 2019 | Volume: 122 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 63-63

10.1182/blood.v122.21.63.63 Get It

Abstract Background Extramedullary disease (EMD) of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was described decades ago but the incidence of this phenomenon and its prognostic impact are not clear. It is also uncertain whether every site of EMD has the same significance. This study explored these questions using a large cohort of AML patients treated on consecutive Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) frontline clinical trials. Methods For AML patients enrolled into ECOG clinical trials, the presence of EMD was captured at baseline on case report forms. From patients with newly diagnosed AML, age 15 and above, who were treated on 11 consecutive different clinical trials, we identified those with or without EMD, defined by physical examination, laboratory findings and imaging, without necessarily a biopsy. We used descriptive statistics to summarize patient and disease characteristics. Univariate analyses of potential prognostic factors were done. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate median overall survival (OS) within each prognostic category and differences were explored using the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the effect of one-unit increases in continuous variables on OS and for multivariable analyses. Multivariate models were built using backward selection. Factors (or groups of factors) significant at the 0.10 level in univariate analyses were tested for inclusion in the model, and retained if they were significant at the 0.05 level. Results Of the 3,522 patients enrolled in 11 different AML clinical trials, we excluded 281; for diagnosis of other types of leukemia (n=220), no EMD evaluation at baseline (n=41) or no survival data (n=20). The overall incidence of EMD was 23.8% (770 out of the remaining 3,241 patients). The sites involved were: lymph nodes 367 (11.3%) patients, spleen 234 (7.2%), liver 173 (5.3%), skin 146 (4.5%), gingiva 104 (3.2%), central nerve system (CNS) 32 (1%), peripheral nerve system (PNS) 8 (0.2%) and other sites 134 (4.1%). In 65 cases (8.4%) EMD was confirmed by biopsy. Most of the patients (64.4%) had only one site of EMD, 163 (21.2%) had 2 sites, 75 (9.7%) - 3 sites, 28 (3.6%) - 4 sites, and 4 patients (0.5%) each had 5 or 6 sites. EMD patients compared to those without EMD; tend to be younger (median age 45.7 vs 52.9 years); male (57.7% vs 52%); poorer ECOG performance status (76.4% with ECOG 0-1 vs 85.9%) and with higher white blood cell count (WBC) at diagnosis (median of 41.6/µl vs 10.2/µl). In univariate analysis, having EMD was associated with a shorter OS (P=0.006). Examination of individual EMD sites revealed that skin (P=0.002), spleen (P=0.0002) and liver (P=0.0007) but not CNS (P=0.35), PNS (P=0.53), nodal involvement (P=0.85) and gingival hypertrophy (P=0.14), were associated with poorer OS. Using proportional hazards models for continuous factors, each additional site of EMD conferred a 9.4% increase in the risk of death. In a multivariable model, after adjusting for known prognostic factors (such as: age, WBC count and cytogenetic risk group), the presence of EMD, number of EMD sites and any specific EMD site were not independently prognostic. Of 165 patients with known favorable cytogenetics EMD was present in only 22 patients (13%). This group appeared to have a worse prognosis, but the numbers are too small for a definitive assessment (figure 1). Conclusions Extramedullary disease is common in newly diagnosed AML with an incidence of almost 24%, but CNS involvement is very rare (0.95%). In contrast to published data, no site of EMD was found to have an independent prognostic impact in multivariate analysis. This large dataset emphasizes the importance of evaluating large number of patients and considering all known risk factors in the multivariate analysis. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Delays in Start of Intensification Therapy Are Common for Adults with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, and Are Associated with Decreased Survival in Patients Who Undergo Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant (SCT)
Kumar, Anita J. , Gimotty, Phyllis A. , Buck, Georgina , Rowe, Jacob M. , Goldstone, Anthony H., Marks, David I. , Litzow, Mark R. , Paietta, Elisabeth , Tallman, Martin S. , Luger, Selina M. , Loren, Alison W. , Gelfand, Joel M. , Fielding, Adele K. , Lazarus, Hillard M.

Blood | October 10, 2019 | Volume: 124 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 208-208

10.1182/blood.v124.21.208.208 Get It

Abstract Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has a high relapse rate in adults. While the biology of the patient may be responsible for the marked difference in survival seen in comparison to children, variable adherence to complex chemotherapy regimens may also play a role. However, there is very little understanding about the risk factors for delays in therapy and the impact of delays on survival. To study delays in newly diagnosed adult ALL patients, we conducted an observational study using data from ECOG 2993/ MRC_UKALLXII (Rowe, Blood 2005). We analyzed Ph- patients who started intensification after documented complete remission (CR). A long delay (LD) was defined as > 98 days from start of induction to start of intensification (IS), which was >2 weeks delay beyond the 84 days recommended per protocol. A Very Long Delay (VLD) was defined as a >4 weeks delay. Of 2109 patients enrolled, 1247 patients met inclusion criteria for analysis. Of note, 435 Ph- patients who achieved CR after induction but did not proceed to intensification were excluded. In univariate analysis, female sex (p<0.001), Black race (p=0.01), and older age (p<0.001) were associated with increased odds of LD. During induction presence of infection (p=0.01), dose reductions (p=0.001), duration of neutropenia (p=0.007), thrombocytopenia (p<0.001), and hospitalization duration (p<0.001) were associated with LD. In multivariate regression, age, female sex, dose reduction, Black race, and hospitalization duration were significantly associated with LD and VLD (Table I). At 2 years after diagnosis, 801/1247 (64.2%) patients were alive. Of the surviving patients, 181 (22.5%) had VLD, and 620 (77.4%), had delay <4 weeks, p=0.073. Of the alloHCT patients, 333 were alive: 57/333 (17%) had VLD, and 276/333 (83%) had been delayed <4 weeks (p=0.036). As of July 2014, 687/1247 (55%) patients have died, with a median time to death from start of intensification of 13.3 months (range 0.8-231). Survival analysis was stratified by post-remission therapy, with living patients censored at date last seen. Patients who received myeloablative allogeneic HCT (allo HCT) had poorer overall survival from start of intensification (OS-IS) and event free survival (EFS-IS) after LD or VLD. While OS-IS and EFS-IS were significantly worse for alloHCT patients after VLD (p=0.02 and p=0.03) respectively, survival was not worse for non-transplant patients after VLD (p=0.24 and p=0.10) (Figure I). In a multivariate Cox regression, adjusting for other high-risk disease features (age, cell lineage, and white cell count at diagnosis), patients who underwent allo HCT had significantly worse OS-IS (HR 1.4, p=0.02) and EFS-IS (HR 1.4, p=0.02) after experiencing VLD compared to alloHCT patients who experienced <4 weeks delay. When evaluating OS and EFS from diagnosis, VLD was still associated with poorer OS (HR 1.34, p=0.04) and EFS (HR 1.34, p=0.03). There was no difference in OS or EFS in patients who received non-transplant post-remission therapy based on delay. In a comprehensive analysis of the largest adult ALL study ever reported, we identified significant risk factors predictive of LD and VLD (>2 and >4 weeks beyond mandatory rest period). Our findings highlighted that patients were delayed because of chemotherapy toxicity and also identified healthcare disparities. VLD was associated with poorer OS and EFS in patients undergoing alloHCT, but not in patients undergoing non-transplant post remission therapy. Further studies are planned to prospectively identify patient barriers to on-schedule treatment with a goal of earlier intervention. The ability to better predict and intervene on risk factors for delay can improve adherence to protocol and optimize long-term survival. Table I: Multivariate Regression for LD and VLD Risk Factors Variable Odds Ratio 95% Confidence Interval p-value Days in the hospital Phase I Induction 1.01 1.00-1.02 0.04 Duration of Thrombocytopenia, Phase I 1.02 1.01-1.03 0.001 Age by Decade 1.2 1.08-1.31 <0.001 Reduced Dose in Induction 1.54 1.08-2.22 0.019 Sex, Female 1.56 1.22-2.0 <0.001 Race, Black 3.4 1.41-7.96 0.006 Figure 1 Figure 1. p=0.023 Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.