Abstract There is a lack of large comparative study on the outcomes of reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) transplantation using fludarabine/busulfan (FB) and fludarabine/melphalan (FM) regimens. Adult AML patients from Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research who received first RIC allo-transplant between 2001 and 2015 were studied. Patients were excluded if they received cord blood or identical twin transplant, total body irradiation in conditioning, or graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis with in vitro T-cell depletion. Primary outcome was overall survival (OS), secondary end points were leukemia-free survival (LFS), nonrelapse mortality (NRM), relapse, and GVHD. Multivariate survival model was used with adjustment for patient, leukemia, and transplant-related factors. A total of 622 patients received FM and 791 received FB RIC. Compared with FB, the FM group had fewer transplant in complete remission (CR), fewer matched sibling donors, and less usage of anti-thymocyte globulin or alemtuzumab. More patients in the FM group received marrow grafts and had transplantation before 2005. OS was significantly lower within the first 3 months posttransplant in the FM group (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.82, P < .001), but was marginally superior beyond 3 months (HR = 0.87, P = .05). LFS was better with FM compared with FB (HR = 0.89, P = .05). NRM was significantly increased in the FM group during the first 3 months of posttransplant (HR = 3.85, P < .001). Long-term relapse was lower with FM (HR = 0.65, P < .001). Analysis restricted to patients with CR showed comparable results. In conclusion, compared with FB, the FM RIC showed a marginally superior long-term OS and LFS and a lower relapse rate. A lower OS early posttransplant within 3 months was largely the result of a higher early NRM.
Second Unrelated Donor (URD) Transplant as a Rescue Strategy for 122 Patients with Primary Non Engraftment: Results from the CIBMTR
Abstract Few data are available on the outcomes of patients who fail to engraft following URD transplantation. We describe the results of 122 patients reported to the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) between 1990 and 2005, who received a second bone marrow (BM) or peripheral blood (PB) URD transplant after failing to achieve an absolute neutrophil count of ≥ 500/mm3 without evidence of recurrent disease. Patients were transplanted for leukemia (n=83), myelodysplastic disorders (n=16), severe aplastic anemia (n=20) and other disease (n=3). The median age at first transplant was 29 years. Approximately one third were in each age range, < 20 (33%), 20–40 (37%) and >40 (29%). The initial transplant was BM in 84% of patients while 51% received BM for the subsequent transplant. One hundred ten of these patients received two transplants, 11 received three and one received 4 transplants. Twenty four used a different donor whereas 98 used the original donor for the second transplant; 28 of these used cells that had been cryopreserved at the initial transplant date. Nearly two thirds of the patients received reduced intensity conditioning or no conditioning for the second transplant. Sixty one percent had ATG as a component of their second transplant. The median interval from first transplant to second transplant was 48 (range, 18–126) days. The median nucleated cell dose was 2 × 108/kg (range, <1–23) for the first transplant and 2 × 108/kg (range, <1–50) for the second. The median follow up of survivors after second transplant was 77 (range, 2–144) months. Univariate probabilities of outcomes for these patients after second transplant were: Outcome N eval Probability (95% CI) *cumulative incidence Neutrophil engraftment* 122 @ 28 days 43 (34–52) % @100 days 48 (39–57) % 30 day mortality 122 39 (31–48) % 100 day mortality 122 75 (67–82) % Overall survival (OS) @ 1 year 122 11 (6–17) % Treatment related mortality (TRM) @ 1 year* 99 86 (79–92) % Disease free survival (DFS) @ 1 year 99 7 (2–12) % Of the 122 patients analyzed, only 10 remain alive. The most common causes of death were graft failure or rejection (33%), organ failure/interstitial pnuemoniatis (22%), infection (15%), GVHD (14%) and recurrent disease (6%). Of the 37 patients who had persistent graft failure 21 (57%) died from infectious causes. We observed no differences between patients who received a graft from the same donor vs. different donor, fresh vs. cryopreserved cells, or small initial graft size vs. large initial graft size. Patients who received a T-cell depleted graft at the time of their first transplant had significantly worse survival at 1 year after their second transplant, 4% (95% CI, 0–11) compared to those patients who had a non T-cell depleted initial graft, 16% (95 % CI, 8–25)(P = 0.02). It appears that a second salvage transplant strategy may be effective in a small group of patients, although the overall DFS at 1 year of only 7% is disappointing. To improve these results, efforts might focus on early identification and treatment of those at highest risk for non engraftment to determine whether such a strategy can alter the natural history we have described.
Cytogenetics Abnormalities Predict the Outcome of Allogeneic Transplantation In AML: A CIBMTR Study
Abstract Abstract 680 Cytogenetics play an essential role in determining the prognosis of patients with AML. However, there is still no validated cytogenetics grouping scheme that specifically applies to patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation, which hampers accurate prognostication and risk stratification. We studied 821 adult patients (median age 41, range 18–74) who underwent SCT between 1999 and 2004 for AML (excluding APL) in CR1 or CR2 and who were reported to the CIBMTR from centers with >20 patients meeting study criteria. 75% of patients received a myeloablative conditioning. 496 patients had a normal karyotype. The primary cytogenetics reports were manually reviewed for 92% of the patients with an abnormal karyotype. We compared the ability of the 6 existing grouping schemes (MRC, CALGB, EORTC/GIMEMA, SWOG/ECOG, DFCI, and Monosomal Karyotype (MK) classifications) to stratify patients, using both the Akaike Information Criterion in multivariable models and the C-statistic. Among all existing schemes, the DFCI system provided a marginally superior stratification for overall and leukemia-free survival. We also built a new classification using individual cytogenetic abnormalities in a Cox model that included other significant covariates (performance status, therapy-related disease, conditioning intensity, graft source, donor match, duration of CR1, and gender match). This CIBMTR scheme (see Table), which is similar to the DFCI scheme except for the inclusion of patients with t(8;21) in the intermediate group, could stratify patients into 3 groups with similar treatment-related mortality but significantly different overall survival, leukemia-free survival, and incidence of relapse. This scheme appeared to apply to both patients in CR1 and in CR2 (see FiguresF2). This transplant-specific scheme could be adopted for prognostication purposes and to stratify patients with karyotypic abnormalities entering transplantation clinical trials. Future studies may clarify the relative outcome of patients with t(8;21) and refine this scheme with the inclusion of molecular abnormalities. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Autologous haematopoietic cell transplantation for non‐Hodgkin lymphoma with secondary CNS involvement
SummaryPre‐existing central nervous system (CNS) involvement may influence referral for autologous haematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) for patients with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The outcomes of 151 adult patients with NHL with prior secondary CNS involvement (CNS+) receiving an AHCT were compared to 4688 patients without prior CNS lymphoma (CNS−). There were significant baseline differences between the cohorts. CNS+ patients were more likely to be younger, have lower performance scores, higher age‐adjusted international prognostic index scores, more advanced disease stage at diagnosis, more aggressive histology, more sites of extranodal disease, and a shorter interval between diagnosis and AHCT. However, no statistically significant differences were identified between the two groups by analysis of progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) at 5 years. A matched pair comparison of the CNS+ group with a subset of CNS− patients matched on propensity score also showed no differences in outcomes. Patients with active CNS lymphoma at the time of AHCT (n = 55) had a higher relapse rate and diminished PFS and OS compared with patients whose CNS lymphoma was in remission (n = 96) at the time of AHCT. CNS+ patients can achieve excellent long‐term outcomes with AHCT. Active CNS lymphoma at transplant confers a worse prognosis.
Conditioning regimens for allotransplants for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: myeloablative or reduced intensity?
Abstract The best conditioning regimen before allogeneic transplantation for high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains to be clarified. We analyzed data from 396 recipients of allotransplants for DLBCL receiving myeloablative (MAC; n = 165), reduced intensity (RIC; n = 143), or nonmyeloablative conditioning (NMAC; n = 88) regimens. Acute and chronic GVHD rates were similar across the groups. Five-year nonrelapse mortality (NRM) was higher in MAC than RIC and NMAC (56% vs 47% vs 36%; P = .007). Five-year relapse/progression was lower in MAC than in RIC/NMAC (26% vs 38% vs 40%; P = .031). Five-year progression-free survival (15%-25%) and overall survival (18%-26%) did not differ significantly between the cohorts. In multivariate analysis, NMAC and more recent transplant year were associated with lower NRM, whereas a lower Karnofsky performance score (< 90), prior relapse resistant to therapy, and use of unrelated donors were associated with higher NRM. NMAC transplants, no prior use of rituximab, and prior relapse resistant to therapy were associated with a greater risk of relapse/progression. In conclusion, allotransplantation with RIC or NMAC induces long-term progression-free survival in selected DLBCL patients with a lower risk of NRM but with higher risk of lymphoma progression or relapse.
Risk Factors for Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease After Human Leukocyte Antigen–Identical Sibling Transplants for Adults With Leukemia
Purpose Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) causes substantial morbidity and mortality after human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical sibling transplants. No large registry studies of acute GVHD risk factors have been reported in two decades. Risk factors may have changed in this interval as transplant-related techniques have evolved. Patients and Methods Acute GVHD risk factors were analyzed in 1,960 adults after HLA-identical sibling myeloablative transplant for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), or chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) reported by 226 centers worldwide to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research from 1995 to 2002. Outcome was measured as time from transplant to onset of grade 2 to 4 acute GVHD, with death without acute GVHD as a competing risk. Results Cumulative incidence of grade 2 to 4 acute GVHD was 35% (95% CI, 33% to 37%). In multivariable analyses, factors significantly associated with grade 2 to 4 acute GVHD were cyclophosphamide + total-body irradiation versus busulfan + cyclophosphamide (relative risk [RR] = 1.4; P < .0001), blood cell versus bone marrow grafts in patients age 18 to 39 years (RR = 1.43; P = .0023), recipient age 40 and older versus age 18 to 39 years receiving bone marrow grafts (RR = 1.44; P = .0005), CML versus AML/ALL (RR = 1.35; P = .0003), white/Black versus Asian/Hispanic race (RR = 1.54; P = .0003), Karnofsky performance score less than 90 versus 90 to 100 (RR = 1.27; P = .014), and recipient/donor cytomegalovirus-seronegative versus either positive (RR = 1.20; P = .04). Stratification by disease showed the same significant predictors of grade 2 to 4 acute GVHD for CML; however, KPS and cytomegalovirus serostatus were not significant predictors for AML/ALL. Conclusion This analysis confirmed several previously reported risk factors for grade 2 to 4 acute GVHD. However, several new factors were identified whereas others are no longer significant. These new data may facilitate individualized risk estimates and raise several interesting biologic questions.