Hitzler, Johann

PURPOSE Patients with Down syndrome (DS) and B-ALL experience increased rates of relapse, toxicity, and death. We report results for patients with DS B-ALL enrolled on Children's Oncology Group trials between 2003 and 2019. METHODS We analyzed data for DS (n = 743) and non-DS (n = 20,067) patients age 1-30 years on four B-ALL standard-risk (SR) and high-risk trials. RESULTS Patients with DS exhibited more frequent minimal residual disease (MRD) ≥0.01% at end induction (30.8% v 21.5%; P < .001). This difference persisted at end consolidation only in National Cancer Institute (NCI) high-risk patients (34.0% v 11.7%; P < .0001). Five-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly poorer for DS versus non-DS patients overall (EFS, 79.2% ± 1.6% v 87.5% ± 0.3%; P < .0001; OS, 86.8% ± 1.4% v 93.6% ± 0.2%; P < .0001), and within NCI SR and high-risk subgroups. Multivariable Cox regression analysis of the DS cohort for risk factors associated with inferior EFS identified age >10 years, white blood count >50 × 103/μL, and end-induction MRD ≥0.01%, but not cytogenetics or CRLF2 overexpression. Patients with DS demonstrated higher 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse (11.5% ± 1.2% v 9.1% ± 0.2%; P = .0008), death in remission (4.9% ± 0.8% v 1.7% ± 0.1%; P < .0001), and induction death (3.4% v 0.8%; P < .0001). Mucositis, infections, and hyperglycemia were significantly more frequent in all patients with DS, while seizures were more frequent in patients with DS on high-risk trials (4.1% v 1.8%; P = .005). CONCLUSION Patients with DS-ALL exhibit an increased rate of relapse and particularly of treatment-related mortality. Novel, less-toxic therapeutic strategies are needed to improve outcomes.

Introduction. Myeloid leukemia in children with Down syndrome (ML-DS) is a unique subtype of acute myeloid leukemia, distinguished by an earlier age of onset (under 4 years of age); somatic mutations of GATA1; hypersensitivity of leukemic blasts to cytarabine and other chemotherapeutic agents; lack of CNS involvement; and superior event-free survival (EFS, 85-90% at 5 years). Due to these excellent outcomes, successive protocols by the Children's Oncology Group (COG) have aimed for a reduction of treatment intensity but continue to include a course containing high-dose cytarabine (HD-AraC) for all patients, which is associated with the bulk of infectious toxicity. COG AAML1531 is the first study to evaluate differential treatment for ML-DS patients based on risk-stratification. We report the outcomes for patients with Standard Risk (SR) ML-DS enrolled on AAML1531, who were treated without inclusion of HD-AraC (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02521493?term=AAML1531&rank=1). Methods. Patients older than 90 days and younger than 4 years of age with ML-DS were eligible, including those presenting with myelodysplastic syndrome (&lt; 20% blasts in the bone marrow) and trisomy 21 mosaicism. Pathological and cytogenetic data were reviewed centrally. All patients received the same first course of induction therapy (cytarabine 200 mg/m2/24h IV as continuous infusion, day 1-4; daunorubicin 20 mg/m2IV, day 1-4; thioguanine 50 mg/m2/dose PO twice daily, day 1-4; and a single dose of age-based intrathecal cytarabine on day 1). After this first course, measureable residual disease (MRD) in the bone marrow by multi-dimensional flow cytometry in a reference laboratory was used for risk stratification. Patients with negative MRD (&lt;0.05%) were assigned to Standard Risk (SR) therapy, which was modeled after the AAML0431 predecessor study, but with further reduction of treatment by omission of the course containing HD-AraC/E. coli asparaginase (Induction II of AAML0431). Courses #2 and #3 of SR therapy were identical to the first course except that no further intrathecal chemotherapy was administered. Courses #4 and #5 (cytarabine 100 mg/m2/24h IV as continuous infusion day 1-7; etoposide 125 mg/m2 IV, day 1-3) were identical to the corresponding courses of AAML0431. For patients younger than 36 months, chemotherapy doses were calculated based on weight. Use of dexrazoxane during anthracycline-containing courses was at the discretion of the treating center but was captured by the data collection of the study. Patients with positive MRD (&gt;0.05%) after the first course were assigned to the High Risk (HR) Arm and received intensified therapy (equivalent to that used for non-DS AML). Accrual to the HR arm is ongoing. Results. Interim analysis of SR therapy was performed after 50% of expected EFS events had occurred as of June 30, 2018. The observed EFS was 89.3 +/- 6.1% at 2 years from study entry and significantly lower than expected for comparable MRD-negative patients whose treatment in predecessor study AAML0431 included a course of HD-AraC/E. coliasparaginase (p=0.0002). OS at 2 years was 88.7 +/- 6.8%. Among a total of 114 SR ML-DS patients, 11 developed a relapse, all within the first year from study entry (range 136-327 days). OS at 1 year from relapse was 9.1 +/- 17.3%. Based on the results of interim analysis, the SR arm of AAML1531 was closed to accrual due to lack of efficacy. Cytogenetic analysis showed that complex karyotypes (defined as &gt;3 independent abnormalities including &gt;1 structural one) were significantly more frequent in SR patients who relapsed (40%, n=10) compared to SR patients who did not (9%; n=100; p=0.017). The most common abnormalities were trisomies (61% of cases) of chromosomes 3 and 8, and a gain of a fourth copy of chromosome 21. Monosomy 7 was present in 20% of relapsed vs. 5% of patients without a relapse (p=0.122). Conclusions. MRD measured by multi-dimensional flow cytometry is insufficient to identify a subset of ML-DS patients for whom HD-AraC/E.coliasparaginase can be eliminated from treatment. Cytogenetic profiling may aid in further refining risk-based subsets of ML-DS patients. Additional approaches to risk stratification of ML-DS should be pursued, which take into account the emerging genetic events that co-operate with mutant GATA1 in the development of ML-DS. At this time, HD-AraC/E.coli asparaginase should be included in the treatment of ML-DS, regardless of MRD. Disclosures Druley: Washington University: Employment; ArcherDX Inc.: Employment, Equity Ownership. Loken:Hematologics, Inc: Employment, Equity Ownership. Eidenschink Brodersen:Hematologics, Inc: Employment.

Abstract Background: Children with DS and B-ALL have historically experienced excessive TRM, primarily from infection. Here we provide an interim report on TRM in children with DS and newly diagnosed B-ALL enrolled on Children's Oncology Group (COG) trials for NCI standard risk (SR) (AALL0932) and high risk (HR) B-ALL (AALL1131). Methods: As of 06/30/2015, 203 SR DS-ALL patients have completed Induction on AALL0932 with 146 receiving post-Induction treatment on AALL0932. Eighty-eight HR DS patients have completed Induction on AALL1131, with 80 receiving post-Induction treatment on AALL1131. An additional 26 SR DS patients with poor early response received post-Induction therapy on AALL1131. Adverse events were graded according to NCI CTCAE v4.0, with enhanced data collection for targeted toxicities including infectious toxicities, and enhanced supportive care recommendations. Results: Patient characteristics are summarized in Table 1. TRM on AALL0932 occurred during Induction in 2/203 (1.0%) and post-Induction in 3/146 (2.1%), compared to 17/5528 (0.3%) and 12/3119 (0.4%) in non-DS SR patients (Fisher exact p=0.14 for Induction and p=0.03 for post-Induction). TRM on AALL1131 occurred during Induction in 4/88 (4.5%) and post-Induction in 5/106 (4.7%), compared to 34/2116 (1.6%) and 13/1258 (1.0%) in non-DS AALL1131 patients (p=0.06 for Induction and p=0.01 for post-Induction). Timing, cause, and other circumstances surrounding TRM are provided in Table 2. Gram-negative organisms accounted for the majority of fatal bacterial infections in patients with HR DS-ALL. Conclusion: TRM continues to be higher on current COG trials for patients with DS-ALL compared to non-DS patients. Most of the toxic deaths occur during intensive treatment phases due to infection in the context of profound neutropenia. Patients with HR B-ALL have a higher incidence of toxic death, notably in patients over 15 years of age. Based on our findings, hospitalization and antimicrobial prophylaxis during intensive treatment phases should be considered in children with DS-ALL due to their increased risk of infection-related mortality. Table 1. Patient Characteristics AALL1131 AALL0932 DS-ALL Non-DS ALL DS-ALL Non-DS ALL N 117 2689 207 5619 Median Age at Diagnosis (Years) 10.5 10.3 4.8 4.5 Gender Male 62 1511 117 2981 Female 55 1178 90 2637 Table 2. Treatment-Related Mortality Case Characteristics Case Age Gender Treatment Phase Site of Infection Organism AALL1131 (High Risk) 1 15 F Induction D#29 (RER) Pneumonia, ARDS HMPV (pre-treatment) 2 21 F Induction D#29 (SER) Sepsis 3 17 F Induction D#22 (SER) Sepsis, typhlitis Escherichia coli 4 12 M Induction D#16 (RER) Sepsis, pneumonia (+baseline CHD, AV canal s/p repair 2003) Influenza B 5 19 M Consolidation D#18 Sepsis Citrobacter 6 2 F Delayed Intensification D#101 ARDS/capillary leak (+baseline CHD) Rhinovirus 7 15 F Delayed Intensification D#45 Sepsis, pneumonia Klebsiella, enterovirus, rhinovirus 8 27 M Delayed Intensification D#52 Sepsis Gram negative bacillus 9 14 M Delayed Intensification D#22 Sepsis AALL0932 (Standard Risk) 1 7.3 M Induction Febrile neutropenia, hypotension, cardiorespiratory failure None reported 2 3.0 F Induction Febrile neutropenia, sepsis, liver failure Viridans group Strepococcus coagulase negative staphylococcus HSV, EBV and HHV 3 3.4 M Consolidation Meningitis, brainstem infarction None reported 4 9.7 F Interim Maintenance I Sepsis, Stevens Johnson syndrome/TEN None reported 5 7.2 M Interim Maintenance II Death NOS None reported RER, rapid early responder; SER, slow early responder; CHD, congenital heart disease; AV, atrioventricular; ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome; HMPV, human metapneumovirus; TEN, toxic epidermal necrolysis; HSV, herpes simplex virus; EBV, Epstein-Barr virus; HHV, human herpesvirus. Disclosures Hunger: Sigma Tau: Consultancy; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Merck: Equity Ownership; Spectrum Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy.