Luskin, Marlise R.

ABSTRACTOverviewBlastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare, aggressive hematologic neoplasm that involves multiple organs, including the skin, bone marrow and blood, lymph nodes, and central nervous system. Violaceous tumors or plaques appearing in sun‐exposed areas are characteristic and present in most patients. The disease typically affects adult men aged 60–70 years, although children and younger adults may also be affected.DiagnosisDiagnosis is based on biopsy of an involved site and is typically based on the identification of blastoid cells displaying the classical immunophenotypes CD123, CD4, and CD56 in addition to specific pDC markers.PrognosisThe median overall survival is 18–24 months. Potential risk factors for shortened survival include older age, overt bone marrow involvement, and genetic abnormalities.Therapy and ManagementEither chemotherapy‐based regimens or tagraxofusp, a CD123‐directed interleukin 3 conjugated with diphtheria toxin, may be used for upfront therapy. Eligible patients are recommended to be consolidated with hematopoietic allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Assessment and treatment of the central nervous system is mandatory, and careful monitoring of skin disease in conjunction with dermatology is essential.

AbstractBackgroundAcute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in adults is aggressive, with long‐term outcomes impacted by treatment resistance and toxicity. CD52 is expressed in most cases of B‐ and T‐lineage ALL. Alemtuzumab, a humanized immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody that targets CD52, was identified as a potential agent to improve treatment efficacy without increasing toxicity.MethodsIn this phase 1/2 study (Cancer and Leukemia Group B [CALGB] 10102, NCT00061945), a course of single‐agent alemtuzumab was intercalated into CALGB 19802 backbone chemotherapy after the third course of intensive chemotherapy in those who were CD52+ at diagnosis. Phase 1 tested three dose levels of subcutaneous alemtuzumab (10, 20, and 30 mg 3 times weekly for 4 weeks/12 doses) and demonstrated that 30 mg was tolerable. Phase 2 established feasibility.ResultsThe study enrolled 295 evaluable patients (115 in phase 1, 180 in phase 2); 206 (69.8%) were CD52+. Among evaluable CD52+ patients, 43.7% (90/206) completed the first three treatment modules; 97.8% (88 of 90) were treated with alemtuzumab. Alemtuzumab was associated with cytomegalovirus viremia, which occurred in 23.3% (14 of 60) of patients during and 29.2% (19 of 65) after alemtuzumab treatment. With a median follow‐up of 101.2 months, median overall survival (OS) was 26.3 months (3‐year rate, 44%; 5‐year rate, 36%; 10‐year rate, 31%). Landmark analysis at the start of the fourth course of treatment demonstrated no difference in OS or disease‐free survival between patients who did and who did not receive alemtuzumab.ConclusionAlemtuzumab was feasible to administer in adults with ALL receiving intensive chemotherapy, but was without evidence of benefit.

Background: Core binding factor acute myeloid leukemia (CBF-AML) is defined by the presence of either t(8;21)(q22;q22) or inv(16)(p13.1q22)/t(16;16)(p13.1;q22) and is associated with a favorable outcome, particularly if treated with repetitive cycles of high-dose cytarabine as post-remission therapy. Long-time 10-year overall survival (OS) rate was reported of 58% in FLT3-ITD negative patients (pts; Allen et al. Leukemia 2013). Nevertheless, 30-40% CBF-AML pts experience relapse. FLT3-ITD mutations occur in roughly 5-10% of adult CBF-AML. However, their prognostic relevance is still controversial. Aims: To characterize CBF-AML with FLT3-ITD and compare outcomes according to their genetic background. Methods: We retrospectively studied 65 AML pts with CBF-AML and FLT3-ITD (median age at diagnosis, 54 years; range, 22-81 years) diagnosed between 1996 and 2018 within seven study groups/institutions of the US and Europe. Results: Thirty-two (49%) of the 65 pts harbored t(8;21). Median white blood cell and platelet counts at diagnosis of patients with t(8;21) and inv(16) were 18.3/nl (range, 1.8-202/nl) and 31/nl (range, 7-372/nl), respectively. AML diagnoses were de novo in 61 (94%) and therapy-related in 4 (6%) of the pts. Thirty (46%) pts were female. Cytogenetic analysis revealed additional abnormalities (abn) in 38 (58%) pts, most frequently loss of X or Y (n=13; n=12 associated with t(8;21)), complex karyotype (≥3 abn; n=12; n=7 occurring in t(8;21)), trisomy 22 (n=7, all associated with inv(16)) or trisomy 8 (overall n=6, n=5 occurring in inv(16)). Four pts were positive for both mutations, FLT3-ITD as well as FLT3-TKD. Median ITD allelic ratio were 0.44 (range, 0.003-50) and median ITD size 60 bp (range, 3-120 bp). Three older pts (median age, 75.5 years) were treated with either azacitidine + sorafenib, azacitidine + venetoclax or with etoposide + tipifarnib. All three patients receiving non-intensive therapy died within one year and were excluded from further analysis. Complete remission (CR) after anthracycline-based induction therapy was achieved in 98% (n=61/62) of patients fit for intensive treatment including two pts treated with 7+3 ± midostaurin within the RATIFY trial. One patient died during induction. Fifteen (24%) pts underwent allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Of those, 10 pts were transplanted in 1st and 5 pts in 2nd CR. Median follow-up for the entire cohort was 4.43 years (95%-CI, 3.35-8.97 years). Median and 4-year relapse-free survival (RFS) rates were 3.41 years (95%-CI, 1.26 years - not reached) and 44.9% (95%-CI, 32.9-61.4%). Median and 4-year overall survival rates (OS) were 4.48 years (95%-CI, 2.26 years - not reached) and 51.8% (95%-CI, 39.6.2-67.9%). Neither type of CBF-AML (p=0.60), nor additional chromosomal abn (p=0.80), nor presence of a complex karyotype (p=0.50) had a prognostic impact on OS. Higher age (≥60 years) was an in trend negative prognostic factor on RFS and OS (p=0.07, each). High allelic ratio (≥0.5) had no impact on RFS (p=0.3), but in trend on OS (p=0.10). Conclusions: Despite a high remission rate pts with FLT3-ITD had an inferior outcome as compared to previously published data on CBF-AML without FLT3-ITD. Thus, CBF-AML with FLT3-ITD should not be classified within the low-risk category. CBF pts with FLT3-ITD warrants further study and should be included in FLT3-inhibitor trials. Disclosures Brunner: Astra Zeneca: Research Funding; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Forty Seven Inc: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Jazz Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Research Funding. Novak:Roche: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pfizer: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel,Accommodations; Takeda: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Other: Travel,Accommodations; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Stoelzel:Neovii: Other: Travel funding; Shire: Consultancy, Other: Travel funding; JAZZ Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy. Thiede:Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria; AgenDix GmbH: Employment, Equity Ownership; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Diaceutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Platzbecker:Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria. Levis:Agios: Consultancy, Honoraria; Astellas: Consultancy, Research Funding; FUJIFILM: Consultancy, Research Funding; Menarini: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo Inc: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria.

Key Points Over the last decade, allogeneic HCT has been increasingly administered in the United States to adults aged 70 and older with hematologic malignancies. Allogeneic transplant outcomes were reasonable; high comorbidity and ablative conditioning regimens were associated with inferior outcomes.

BACKGROUND. Variable response to chemotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represents a major treatment challenge. Clinical and genetic features incompletely predict outcome. The value of clinical epigenetic assays for risk classification has not been extensively explored. We assess the prognostic implications of a clinical assay for multilocus DNA methylation on adult patients with de novo AML. METHODS. We performed multilocus DNA methylation assessment using xMELP on samples and calculated a methylation statistic (M-score) for 166 patients from UPENN with de novo AML who received induction chemotherapy. The association of M-score with complete remission (CR) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated. The optimal M-score cut-point for identifying groups with differing survival was used to define a binary M-score classifier. This classifier was validated in an independent cohort of 383 patients from the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Trial 1900 (E1900; NCT00049517). RESULTS. A higher mean M-score was associated with death and failure to achieve CR. Multivariable analysis confirmed that a higher M-score was associated with death ( P = 0.011) and failure to achieve CR ( P = 0.034). Median survival was 26.6 months versus 10.6 months for low and high M-score groups. The ability of the M-score to perform as a classifier was confirmed in patients ≤ 60 years with intermediate cytogenetics and patients who achieved CR, as well as in the E1900 validation cohort. CONCLUSION. The M-score represents a valid binary prognostic classifier for patients with de novo AML. The xMELP assay and associated M-score can be used for prognosis and should be further investigated for clinical decision making in AML patients.

Key Points High-dose daunorubicin benefits AML patients with favorable and intermediate cytogenetics and with FLT3-ITD, NPM1, and DNMT3A mutations. High-dose daunorubicin is required for the favorable impact of the NPM1 mutation in AML.