BMSEHA15
Published online 27 January 2010
(Haematologica 2010, 10.3324/haematol.2009.009035)
Copyright © 2010 by Ferrata Storti Foundation
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Cimino, G.
Right arrow Articles by Mandelli, F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Cimino, G.
Right arrow Articles by Mandelli, F.

Article

The therapeutic response and clinical outcome of adults with ALL1(MLL)/AF4 fusion positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia according to the GIMEMA experience

Giuseppe Cimino1, Natalia Cenfra1, Loredana Elia1, Simona Sica2, Mario Luppi3, Giovanna Meloni1, Marco Vignetti1, Francesca Paoloni4, Robin Foà1, Franco Mandelli4

1 Department of Cellular Biotechnologies and Hematology, "Sapienza" University, Rome, Italy
2 Institut of Hematology, Catholic University "Sacro Cuore" Rome, Italy
3 Department of Oncology and Hematology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Azienda Ospedaliera Policlinico, Modena, Italy
4 GIMEMA Data Center, GIMEMA Foundation, Rome, Italy

Correspondence: Giuseppe Cimino, MD, Hematology, University "Sapienza", Via Benevento 6, 00161 Rome, Italy. Phone/ Fax: international +39.06.736556216. E-mail: cimino{at}bce.uniroma1.it

ABSTRACT

The clinical outcome of 21 adults with ALL1(MLL)/AF4 positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia enrolled in the GIMEMA LAL 2000 trial and of 25 patients entered into the previous 0496 study is reported. LAL 2000 included more intensive consolidation and transplants. Complete remission rates were 90% and 88% in the LAL 2000 and 0496 trials, respectively. Fifteen patients were transplanted (5 autologous, 10 allogeneic). At 36 months overall and disease free survivals were 32.9%, 31.8%, 28% and 27.3%, in LAL 2000 and 0496 trials, respectively. Relapses remained the main reason of failure occurring in 10 and 16 of the 19 and 22 responding patients. In the LAL 2000 study, 4 relapses were observed before transplant. Thus, ALL1(MLL)/AF4 abnormality characterized a subset of patients with adverse prognosis in which the overall strategy adopted in the LAL 2000 study, rather than transplants "per se", failed to improve the patient clinical outcome.

Key words: acute lymphoblastic leukemia, ALL1(MLL)/AF4, transplant consolidation, adverse prognosis.