Alhousani, Mohammad

ABSTRACT The recently published BLAST clinical risk model for chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and its molecular version (BLAST‐Mol) differentiate low, intermediate, and high‐risk groups. The objective of the current retrospective study was to examine the survival impact of allogeneic stem cell transplant (ASCT) in a consecutive series of Mayo Clinic patients ( n = 775; 68% males, median age 71 years) with CMML, overall and adjusted for baseline BLAST/BLAST‐Mol risk categories. At a median follow‐up of 77 months, 151 (20%) patients underwent ASCT. Overall survival (OS) was longer in the ASCT compared to the non‐ASCT cohorts (median 77 vs. 28 months; p < 0.01). The significant difference in OS between the ASCT and non‐ASCT cohorts was retained after adjusting for BLAST clinical risk groups: high‐risk (median 50 vs. 14 months; p < 0.01), intermediate‐risk (81 vs. 28 months; p < 0.01), and low‐risk (111 vs. 65 months; p = 0.04), respectively. The same was mostly the case when OS comparison was adjusted for BLAST‐Mol with respective p values of < 0.01, < 0.01, and 0.08, respectively. Time‐dependent cox models confirmed the favorable survival impact of ASCT in the BLAST/BLAST‐Mol high‐ and intermediate‐risk groups. The current study highlights the benefit of ASCT for BLAST/BLAST‐Mol high‐ and intermediate‐risk groups in CMML and its potential to overcome the adverse impact of some high risk cytogenetic or molecular abnormalities. These observations support the early use of ASCT in CMML, ideally before BT and regardless of genetic characteristics.

Abstract Allogeneic stem cell transplant (ASCT) remains the only curative option in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). We retrospectively analyzed 138 CMML patients who underwent ASCT at the Mayo Clinic. Patients who transitioned to ASCT while in chronic phase (Group A) displayed superior post-transplant survival (PTS), compared to those in whom ASCT was performed after blast transformation (BT; Group B) (median 95 vs. 16 months; p=0.01). In Group A, PTS was superior in patients with <5% bone marrow (BM) blasts at time of ASCT (median 164 vs. 13.5 months; p=0.01). Other predictors of superior PTS included day-100 BM blast <5% or normal cytogenetics (median 164 vs 18 months; p=0.01) or presence of chronic graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD; median 164 vs. 26 months; p=0.01). Pre-ASCT hypomethylating agent exposure (HR=2.03; p=0.03), and receiving more than one line of pre-ASCT chemotherapy (p=0.01) predicted inferior PTS. In multivariable analysis, predictors of superior GVHD-free and relapse-free survival (GRFS) included the use myeloablative conditioning and the absence of morphologically or cytogenetically apparent disease at day-100. The use of post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) was associated with higher cumulative incidence of relapse (p=0.02) and numerically inferior PTS (p=0.1). Group B patients also appeared to benefit from achieving BM blast <5% at time of ASCT (p=0.4) as well as at day-100 (p=0.01), in terms of PTS, while full chimerism and normal cytogenetics at day-100 were associated with superior GRFS. These observations support the value of ASCT in CMML, especially if performed prior to BT and in the presence of <5% BM blasts at time of ASCT. Additionally, the observed detrimental impact of PTCy requires additional studies to confirm and investigate the underlying mechanisms.

6558 Background: Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is currently the only curative therapy in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). Methods: A Mayo Clinic enterprise-wide database search identified 138 CMML cases who underwent ASCT. Conventional statistical methods were used for analyses. Results: 138 CMML patients (transplanted between 1995-2024) were included (median age 63 years; males 62%);104 (group A) received ASCT before and 34 (group B) after blast transformation (BT). At initial diagnosis, CMML-1/CMML-2 and dysplastic/proliferative representations were 78%/22% and 54%/46%; 31% displayed abnormal karyotype and most frequent mutations were ASXL1 (56%), TET2 (44%) and SRSF2 (38%). At time of initial diagnosis, CPSS-Mol risk categories were low (17%), intermediate-1 (11%), intermediate-2 (40%), and high (32%). Median time from diagnosis to ASCT was 11 months (range 0-201). Median overall survival (OS) from the time of initial diagnosis was 67 months (range 4-239) and from the time of ASCT 54 (range 0-212) months. Occurrence of BT before ASCT was associated lower post-transplant survival (PTS; 16 vs 95 months, P=0.01, HR 1.9, 95%CI 1.2-3.2). Bone marrow (BM) blasts, at the time of ASCT, <5%, 5-9%, and 10-19% correlated with median OS of 171, 81, and 18 months in group A (p=0.01) and 50, 25, and 13 months in group B (P=0.07), respectively. Pre-ASCT hypomethylating agent exposure was associated with lower PTS in group A (P=0.02). PTS was also adversely affected by DNMT3A and SETBP1 mutations. In group A, PTS was the longest with myeloablative busulfan-based (median not reached) and the shortest (median 22 months) with Cy-TBI-based conditioning (p=0.1). Donor type did not impact PTS: matched unrelated (63%), matched sibling (23%), mismatched unrelated (7%), or haplo-identical (7%). Post-transplant cyclophosphamide was associated with a numerically lower median PTS (22 months), compared to other forms of GVHD prophylaxis (107 months; p=0.1) and significantly higher non-relapse mortality (p=0.02). Documentation of morphologic CR at day 100 was associated with significantly longer PTS in both groups A (92%,164 vs. 18 months; p=0.01) and B (84%, 42 vs. 11 months; p=0.01). The presence of abnormal karyotype at day 100 was associated with shorter PTS in group A (p=0.01). Grade ≥3 acute and moderate to severe chronic GVHD occurred in 20% and 34%, respectively, in group A patients and in 26% and 44% in group B. GRFS at 1/3 years were 42/21% in group A and 31/16% in group B. At last follow up, 44% in group A and 65% in group B were dead. Causes of death were relapse/non-relapse related in 36/64% in group A and 39/61% in group B. Conclusions: ASCT is effective in securing long-term survival in CMML, especially when the procedure is performed prior to BT and in the setting of <5% BM blasts/promonocytes. Response assessment at day 100 was highly informative of outcome.