Citations

Abstract This retrospective analysis aimed to provide evidence-based risk stratification of TP53-mutated (TP53mut) myeloid neoplasms (MNs). Of 580 MNs harboring TP53mut with variant allele frequency (VAF) ≥2%, 219 (37.8%), 194 (33.4%), 92 (15.9%), and 75 (12.9%) were classified as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with low blasts (MDS-LB), MDS with excess blasts (MDS-EB)-2, and -EB1 according to the revised fourth edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, respectively. Hierarchical analysis identified the following 4 risk groups with distinct survival: (1) MDS-LB, (2) MDS-EB1/EB2/AML VAF <10%, (3) MDS-EB1/EB2 VAF ≥10%, and (4) AML VAF ≥10%. We next evaluated the impact of allelic status, VAF, and complex karyotype (CK). In our cohort, the significance of biallelic status was limited to MDS with <5% blasts and not for blasts 5% to 9%, as proposed by the International Consensus Classification (ICC), or 5% to 19%, as proposed by the fifth edition of the WHO (WHO-5). MDS-EB1 and -EB2 with VAF ≥10% had comparable survival (9.6 vs 7.2 months; P = .12), regardless of allelic status. Contrary to the ICC proposal, MDS-EB1/EB2 with VAF <10% and CK had poor survival compared with those without CK, comparable to MDS-EB1/EB2 with VAF ≥10% (5.6 vs 26.2 vs 6.3 months; P = .003). Survival of TP53mut AML was poor (median 3.9 months) regardless of allelic/CK status. Thus, using ICC or WHO-5 may underestimate prognosis of MDS with blasts 5% to 19% and 5% to 9%, respectively. Collectively, the hierarchical model acknowledges poor survival of 91.9% TP53mut MDS and AML compared with 36.5% and 80.7% by WHO-5 and ICC, respectively.

ABSTRACTA total of 142 patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) associated with multihit TP53 mutations (mTP53 MUT) were accessed from the Mayo Clinic database and included (i) chronic phase MPN (MPN‐CP; N = 19), (ii) accelerated phase MPN (MPN‐AP; N = 14), (iii) blast phase MPN (MPN‐BP; N = 28), and (iv) AML (N = 81). Concurrent ASXL1 MUT, EZH2 MUT, IDH1,MUT and IDH2 MUT were more common in MPN‐MUTBP‐mTP53 compared to AML‐mTP53 MUT. At median of 11.6 months follow‐up, 124 (87%) deaths and 19 (13%) allogeneic stem cell transplantations (ASCT) were documented. Overall survival (OS), calculated from the time of mTP53 MUT detection, was similar between MPN‐BP‐mTP53 MUT (median 4.6 months) and MPN‐AP‐mTP53 MUT (5.6 months; p = 0.5) but both were inferior to MPN‐CP‐mTP53 MUT (11.6 months, p < 0.01). OS in MPN‐CP‐mTP53 MUT was similar to that of AML‐mTP53 MUT (median 7.4 months, p = 0.07). In multivariable analysis, OS was favorably affected by ASCT (HR 0.4, p = 0.03) and disease stage (i.e., chronic phase disease) or achieving response to pre‐transplant chemotherapy (HR 0.2, p < 0.01) and unfavorably by the presence of concurrent TET2 MUT or DNMT3A MUT (HR 2.7, p < 0.01). Based on these risk factors, a 3‐tiered risk model was constructed: low (no risk factors; N = 18; median OS 23.8 months); intermediate (one risk factor; N = 44; 11.1 months); and high (two or more risk factors; N = 80; 4 months; p < 0.01). The current study highlights the equally detrimental impact of mTP53 MUT on long‐term survival in MPN and AML and identifies predictors of short‐term survival.

SummaryGermline variants in DDX41 (DDX41MT‐germline predisposition syndrome [GPS]) are associated with predisposition to haematological malignancies (HM), including lymphoid and myeloid neoplasms (MN). We retrospectively analysed the clinical and molecular features of 195 patients diagnosed and treated at Mayo Clinic with DDX41MT‐GPS. Patients with germline DDX41 pathogenic variants (42.3%) and variants of unknown significance (VUS, 57.6%) were included. The median age was 68.6 years (16.2–93.4). Ninety‐two per cent were Caucasian, 64.1% were male and 30.8% had a family history of HM. There were 92 distinct germline variants among our cohort, and the most common was p.Met1? (15.9%), followed by p.Asp140Glyfs*2 (9.2%). Clinical diagnoses included asymptomatic carriers (10.2%), clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance (CCUS, 6.1%), myeloproliferative neoplasms (6.7%), myelodysplastic syndrome (40.5%), acute myeloid leukaemia (20.5%), lymphoid neoplasms (9.2%), plasma cell dyscrasias (6.1%) and solid tumours (22.5%). Patients with MN were older (median age 70 vs. 63.5 years) and more likely to be male (M:F ratio 2.3 vs. 1.0) and most patients (78.8%) with MN had a normal karyotype. The most common somatic variants involved DDX41 (34.4%), followed by TET2 (11.2%), DNMT3A (9.6%) and ASXL1 (9.2%). In summary, we have comprehensively described the spectrum of clinical phenotypes within the Mayo Clinic DDX41MT‐GPS cohort.

ImportanceAcute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is an acute illness that presents with cytopenia, infections, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Achieving remission has been shown to make a major difference in patient outcomes; however, early death rates in the first month have been as high as 30% due to acute presentation, comorbidities, the rarity of APL, and clinician inexperience.ObjectiveTo develop treatment strategies that would decrease estimated 1-month mortality from 30% to below 15%.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsIn this nonrandomized clinical trial, a treatment algorithm that focused on supportive care was used to prevent early death in patients with APL treated at academic and community health centers between August 2017 and July 2021. Because of the rarity of the disease, expert support was available 24/7 from 7 designated APL experts at 6 participating academic lead centers, and included an additional 293 community centers. When a patient presented with APL, an expert was contacted and a consensus treatment plan was developed using the algorithm and expert suggestions. There were no exclusion criteria and all patients with a confirmed diagnosis of APL regardless of age or comorbid conditions were enrolled. Expert support was provided throughout induction. Initial data analysis was conducted May 2023.Main Outcomes and MeasuresOne-month mortality; additional objectives were to compare outcomes in academic and community centers and assess 1-year and overall survival.ResultsA total of 201 patients were enrolled from 43 centers; 62 at lead centers and 139 from 37 community centers. The median age was 53 years (range, 18-91 years), with 72 patients (35.8%) who were aged 60 years or older; 105 patients (52.2%) were male. Fifty-two patients (26.4%) were diagnosed with high-risk APL. The 1-month mortality rate was 6 deaths of 201 patients (3.0%; 95% CI, 1.1%-6.4%) after adjusting for 1 interim analysis. In a secondary analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method, the 1-month overall survival (OS) rate was 97.0% (95% CI, 93.5%-98.6%) and the 1-year OS rate was 94.5% (95% CI, 90.3%-96.9%).Conclusions and RelevanceIn this nonrandomized clinical trial, use of an algorithm combined with expert support resulted in a dramatic decrease in early death in academic and community centers. Population-wide survival improved in this highly curable disease, which suggests that implementing an accessible support system with APL experts for comanagement is the most logical next step.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03253848

Abstract Background: Age-related clonal hematopoiesis (ARCH) is a precursor state to blood cancers and is associated with epigenetic age acceleration (EpiAgeAccel). While ARCH is associated with increased all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease, not much is known about these risks with therapy-related clonal hematopoiesis (t-CH) – CH occurring in the context of prior cytotoxic chemotherapy/radiation exposure. Methods: Patients were prospectively recruited for CH and EpiAge assessment from Mayo Clinic between 2022 and 2024. CH status was determined using error corrected sequencing on peripheral blood (PB) DNA (sensitivity 0.5% VAF). Patients with CH were classified as t-CH if they had received chemotherapy or radiation prior to CH detection. All other CH cases were classifed as ARCH. For EpiAge analysis, PB DNA was analyzed using the Illumina MethylationEPIC array. The resulting beta values were used to obtain epigentic age estimates using Horvath’s clock, Hannum’s Clock, PhenoAge, DunedinPACE, and estimated telomere lengths (DNAmTL). Results: 106 (62%) of 170 patients assessed were found to have CH. CH patients were classified into ARCH-63 (59%) and t-CH-43 (41%). While the median chronological age (69 vs 67 years) was similar between ARCH and t-CH, t-CH patients had lower Hgb [10.9g/dL vs. 13g/dL (p=0.0001)], lower platelet [146x109/L vs. 192x109/L (p=0.0132)] and lower WBC [4.4x109/L vs. 5.2x109/L (p=0.0345)]. The 3 most common ARCH mutations were TET2 (20%), DNMT3A (19%), and ASXL1 (14%), while PPM1D (27%), TET2 (18%), and DNMT3A (14%) were most frequent in t-CH. There was no significant difference in median EpiAge via Horvath (68 vs 67.5years p=0.2826), Hannum (65 vs 66 years p=0.9333), or PhenoAge (55 vs 56 years p=0.618) between ARCH and t-CH. However, DunedinPACE of aging was higher in t-CH (1.27 vs 1.18 bioyear/chronoyear p=0.0148) and median DNAmTL was shorter in t-CH (6.35 vs 6.49kb p=0.0247), compared to ARCH (Note patients with telomere biology disorders were excluded). Multivariable regression analysis adjusting for chronologic age, smoking status, and male sex showed that both ARCH and t-CH had EpiAgeAccel via Horvath(5.8years p=0.0001, 3.4 years p=0.051), Hannum(5years p=0.001, 4.5 years p=0.007), and PhenoAge (6.7years p=0.002, 7.6 years p=0.002) clocks. t-CH more than doubled DunedinPACE (0.2 bioyear/chronoyear, p&lt;0.001) of aging compared to ARCH (0.08 bioyear/chronoyear, p=0.026). t-CH also demonstrated a significant decrease in DNAmTL (0.34kb, p&lt;0.001) in comparison to ARCH (0.17kb, p=0.015). With a median follow-up of 20 months, t-CH was associated with worse overall survival in comparison to ARCH, and non-CH patients (p=0.013, 93% vs. 90% alive at 10 months, 87 vs. 72% alive at 20 months). Conclusion: Our prospective CH cohort study validates the association between CH and EpiAgeAccel using several different methylation clocks and for the first time highlights an increased pace of aging and shorter DNAmTL in the context of inferior survival outcomes in t-CH. Citation Format: Marissa Li, Jenna Fernandez, Kristina Kirschner, Tamir Chandra, Kristen McCullough, Sarah Aug, Terra Lasho, Christy Finke, James Foran, Cecilia Arana Yi, Yael Kusne, Talha Badar, Abhishek Mangaonkar, Naseema Gangat, Rachel Simon, Alejandro Ferrer, Mrinal Patnaik. A prospective cohort study of biological aging and epigenetic age acceleration in 106 patients with age and therapy-related clonal hematopoiesis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: DNA Methylation, Clonal Hematopoiesis, and Cancer; 2025 Feb 1-4; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A015.

ABSTRACT The clinical relevance of TP53 mutations ( TP53 MUT ) in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and their prognostic interaction with MPN subtype designation has not been systematically studied. In the current study, 114 patients with MPN harboring TP53 MUT (VAF ≥ 2%) were evaluated for overall survival (OS), calculated from the time of TP53 MUT detection: chronic phase myelofibrosis (MF‐CP; N = 61); blast‐phase (MPN‐BP; N = 31) or accelerated‐phase (MPN‐AP; N = 16) MPN, and polycythemia vera/essential thrombocythemia (PV/ET; N = 6). Sixty‐five (57%) patients harbored International Consensus Classification (ICC)‐defined multihit TP53 MUT and 56 (49%) monosomal/complex karyotype (MK/CK). Majority of MPN‐BP (90%) and MPN‐AP (81%) while 39% of MF‐CP and none of PV/ET patients harbored multihit TP53 MUT . OS in MPN‐BP and MPN‐AP was equally dismal (median 6 vs. 4.5 months, respectively; p = 1.0), regardless of multihit configuration ( p = 0.44), while OS in TP53 MUT MPN‐BP/AP ( N = 47; median 4 months) was inferior to that of a separate cohort ( N = 49) with TP53 wild‐type MPN‐BP/AP (median 11 months; p < 0.01). OS in MF‐CP was significantly shorter with multihit versus non‐multihit TP53 MUT (median 10 vs. 35 months; HR 2.9; p < 0.01), independent of other MF‐relevant genetic risk factors, including ASXL1/SRSF2/U2AF1 mutations. Multihit TP53 MUT was also associated with inferior survival following allogeneic stem cell transplant (ASCT): median 9 months versus “not reached” in patients with ( N = 9) versus without ( N = 8) multihit TP53 MUT ( p < 0.01). The presence of multihit or non‐multihit TP53 MUT in MPN‐BP/AP or multihit TP53 MUT in MF‐CP is associated with exceptionally poor prognosis and justifies inclusion into the ICC category of “myeloid neoplasms with mutated TP53 .” By contrast, detection of non‐multihit TP53 MUT , by itself, might not endanger short‐term survival in MF‐CP, PV, or ET.

Abstract Myelodysplastic syndromes/neoplasms (MDSs) are heterogeneous stem cell malignancies characterized by poor prognosis and no curative therapies outside of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Despite some recent approvals by the US Food and Drug Administration, (eg, luspatercept, ivosidenib, decitabine/cedazuridine, and imetelstat), there has been little progress in the development of truly transformative therapies for the treatment of patients with MDS. Challenges to advancing drug development in MDS are multifold but may be grouped into specific categories, including criteria for risk stratification and eligibility, response definitions, time-to-event end points, transfusion end points, functional assessments, and biomarker development. Strategies to address these challenges and optimize future clinical trial design for patients with MDS are presented here.

ABSTRACT Patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (ND‐AML) derive variable survival benefit from venetoclax + hypomethylating agent (Ven‐HMA) therapy. The primary objective in the current study was to develop genetic risk models that are predictive of survival and are applicable at the time of diagnosis and after establishing treatment response. Among 400 ND‐AML patients treated with Ven‐HMA at the Mayo Clinic, 247 (62%) achieved complete remission with (CR) or without (CRi) count recovery. Multivariable analysis–derived hazard ratios (HR), including 1.8 for European LeukemiaNet (ELN) adverse karyotype, 4.7 for KMT2Ar , 1.7 for TP53 MUT , 2.6 for KRAS MUT , and 2.1 for IDH2 WT were applied to develop an HR‐weighted risk model: low, intermediate, and high; respective median survival censored for allogeneic stem cell transplant (ASCT) (3‐year survival) were “not reached” (67%), 19.1 (33%), and 7.1 months (0%). In patients achieving CR/CRi, adverse karyotype, KMT2Ar , KRAS MUT , IDH2 WT predicted inferior survival, allowing for a complementary response‐stratified risk model. The model was externally validated and was shown to be superior to the ELN 2024 risk model (AIC 179 vs. 195 and AUC 0.77 vs. 0.69). Survival was inferior with failure to achieve CR/CRi or not receiving ASCT; 3‐year survival for high‐risk with or without ASCT was 42% versus 0% ( p < 0.01); intermediate 72% versus 43% ( p = 0.06); and low‐risk 88% versus 78% ( p = 0.53). The Mayo genetic risk models offer pre‐treatment and response‐based prognostic tools for ND‐AML treated with Ven‐HMA. The current study underscores the prognostically indispensable role of achieving CR/CRi and ASCT.

Background: The BeatAML Master Trial (BAMT) began in 2016 with a goal of determining the feasibility of a precision-medicine approach in treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in older adults ≥ 60 years of age where outcomes are poor. At the time, standard of care (SOC) for older patients with AML was intensive 7+3 chemotherapy (cytarabine + daunorubicin) if fit and hypomethylating agents (HMA: azacitidine or decitabine) if unfit. Besides confirming the feasibility, the early results (2019) from the Master Trial suggested that patients who received therapy on one of the sub-studies had a lower early death rate and superior overall survival compared to patients receiving off-protocol SOC, which was primarily single-agent HMA at the time. Since then, the 2019 approval of venetoclax (ven) + azacitidine for older unfit AML patients has been transformative and emerged as the SOC. Using data from the BAMT from 2016-2024, we suggest that knowing the comprehensive genomic profile of AML at the time of diagnosis is still beneficial in determining therapy that would lead to the optimal outcome and that development of targeted therapies and combination regimens with ven/HMA is still needed. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of 1096 patients who consented and enrolled on the BAMT (NCT03013998) from Nov 2016 through Jun 2024. Patients ≥ 60 years with newly diagnosed AML were included. Patients underwent therapy on a BeatAML sub-study based on their genetics (N=433) or treatment off-protocol (N=663). We divided the patients according to what therapy they received: (1) Non-Intensive (Off-Protocol, N=121), (2) Ven/HMA (Off-Protocol, N=234), (3) Non-Intensive (Sub-Study, N=407), (4) Intensive (Sub-Study, N=26), and (5) Intensive (Off-Protocol, N=155). 94 patients received no treatment and 59 were unknown. Non-intensive therapies included primarily targeted agents or non-ven combinations. We analyzed baseline characteristics and demographics, overall survival (OS), and the impact of allogenic stem cell transplant (SCT). OS, using Kaplan-Meier method, was measured from the start of therapy to all-cause death, censoring patients at last follow-up. Results: Characteristics and demographics were similar between Groups 1, 2 and 3. Group 4 and 5 were treated with intensive chemotherapy and their characteristics are reflective of younger/fit patients appropriate for the intensive regimen. Groups 4 and 5 also had the longest median OS (mOS) of 40.2 months (95% CI: 13.9-not reached (NR)) and 42.3 months (95% CI: 25.1-NR) respectively. Group 3, which included patients treated with a non-intensive, targeted therapy on a sub-study, had an mOS of 14.0 months (95% CI: 12.3-16.7), which was similar to Group 2, treated with Ven/HMA, that had an mOS of 13.2 months (95% CI: 10.9-16.3). Lastly, patients in Group 1, who were treated primarily with HMA monotherapy, did poorly in comparison, with an mOS of 6.0 months (95% CI: 3.3-10.1). Additionally, we looked at the cumulative incidence rate (CIR) of SCT. The CIR in 12 months of Group 1 was 9.8% (95% CI: 6.9-13.4), Group 2: 5.4% (95% CI: 2.2-10.7), Group 3 and 4 combined: 35.0% (95% CI: 628.1-42.1), and Group 5: 13.1% (95% CI: 6.9-13.4). In a multi-variable analysis, after adjusting for typical favorable risk factors like NPM1 mutations and core binding factor, SCT was highly significant (p&lt;0.0001) in improving OS with a hazard ratio of 0.23 (95% CI: 0.16-0.32), and Group 3 performed similarly to Group 2 (p=0.20). Conclusions: First, our results suggest that it is clinically relevant to correctly identify whether an intensive chemotherapy, targeted-therapy, or ven/HMA regimen is best suited for older AML patients, for which a precision-medicine trial is ideal for. Secondly, in this group of patients, our results show that patients treated with a non-intensive targeted therapy (Group 3) has a similar mOS to those treated with ven/HMA (Group 2). Especially after controlling for patient characteristics, patients in Group 2 performed similar to those in Group 3 (p=0.20). Patients in Group 3 were treated on Beat AML sub-studies which included targeted therapy alone or with non-venetoclax combinations, which is a strong rationale for continued development of targeted agents to optimize toxicity and quality of life with similar survival. Lastly, this data also supports the need to improve the ven/HMA SOC by developing combination regimens with targeted agents to further improve outcomes.

Background: Mutations of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) are recurrent in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the prevalence increases with age. The prognostic impact of IDH1 and IDH2 mutations remains controversial. IDH inhibitors are small molecules that bind within the IDH enzymatic active site, blocking aberrant 2-hydroxyglutarate production and inducing myeloid differentiation. While they can lead to differentiation syndrome, they generally have a more favorable side-effect profile, making them an attractive option for older patients. We aimed to describe the prevalence and prognostic impact of IDH mutations in newly diagnosed (ND) AML patients ≥ 60 years in a large cohort of patients treated on a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society-sponsored trial. Methods: We performed a retrospective observational analysis including patients ≥ 60 years with ND AML who were enrolled on the Beat AML clinical trial (NCT03013998) before May 10, 2023. Patients were treated with a variety of treatment regimens. Cytogenetic analysis and next-generation sequencing (FoundationOne®Heme) were obtained. Mutations were considered present at any detectable VAF. Cox proportional hazard models were used to describe the relative risk of each variable on death over time from the date of trial inclusion. Results: A total of 1023 patients with ND AML were identified. Patients had a median age of 72 (range 60-92) years and the majority were non-Hispanic White (83.2%), and male (57.6%). Ninety-nine (9.7%) patients were IDH1MUT, 193 (18.9%) patients were IDH2MUT including 10 (1.0%) patients with a co-occurring IDH1 and IDH2 gene mutations. Both IDH1MUT and IDH2MUT were associated with 2022 ELN favorable-risk (26.3% and 22.3% for IDH1 and IDH2 respectively, vs 15.5% overall (P&lt;0.001)). IDH1MUT significantly co-occurred with DNMT3AMUT (42.4%), NPM1MUT (44.4%) and less frequently with TP53MUT (10.1%) (P&lt;0.001 for all). IDH2MUT was associated with DNMT3AMUT (35.8%), NPM1MUT (31.1%), SRSF2MUT (38.3%), and less frequently with TET2MUT (6.7%) and TP53MUT (9.3%) (P&lt;0.001 for all). Normal karyotype was higher in IDH1MUT (P&lt;0.001) and IDH2MUT (P&lt;0.001), whereas complex karyotype (P&lt;0.001 for both) and core-binding factor AML (P=0.047, P=0.015) were lower in IDH1MUT and IDH2MUT. To evaluate the impact of IDH mutations in patients ≥ 60 years, we focused on patients evaluable for outcome treated with lower-intensity therapy (LIT) (N=674), and intensive chemotherapy (IC) (N=178), separately. Among the LIT treated patients, 96 patients received treatment with an IDH inhibitor, and 237 patients received a hypomethylating agent (HMA) plus venetoclax. For patients treated with LIT, the hazard ratios (HRs) of death over time were 0.58 [95% CI 0.47-0.72; P&lt;0.002], 0.81 [95% CI 0.59-1.13; P=0.214] and 0.56 [95% CI 0.44-0.72; P&lt;0.001] for IDHMUT, IDH1MUT, IDH2MUT respectively. Among patients receiving IC, the HRs were 1.05 [95% CI 0.68-1.69; P=0.777], 0.70 [95% CI 0.31-1.61; P=0.406] and 1.27 [95% CI 0.77-2.1; P=0.352] for IDHMUT, IDH1MUT, and IDH2MUT respectively. The HR of death for IDH1MUT patients treated with LIT with the addition of an IDH1 inhibitor (N=24) was significantly lower (HR 0.47 [95% CI 0.24-0.92; P=0.027] vs IDH1MUT patients treated without an IDH1 inhibitor, while an IDH2 inhibitor did not change survivial outcomes in patients with IDH2MUT (N=71). Discussion: To our knowledge this is the largest retrospective study characterizing the prevalence of IDH mutations in patients ≥ 60 years with AML. We demonstrated that IDH mutations were detected in ~27% of older patients with AML. Although there could have been selection bias as the Beat AML study had separate IDHMUT study arms, these findings are concordant with other studies showing an increase in frequency of IDH mutations with age. IDH2MUT was associated with a lower HR of death among patients treated with LIT, which was not seen in patients receiving IC. The high prevalence of IDH mutations suggests that IDH inhibitors used as single agents or in combination with lower-intensity therapies are an important class of drugs for this older patient population as they are generally well tolerated, that need further investigation.