Minimal residual disease-based treatment is adequate for relapse-prone childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia with an intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21: the experience of the ALL-BFM 2000 trial

Abstract

Background: Recently, the UK CCLG and COG reported that an intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21 (iAMP21) in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) loses its adverse prognostic impact with intensified therapy.

Patient and methods: We evaluated the prognosis of iAMP21 among patients from the ALL-BFM (Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster) 2000 trial with 46 of 2 637 (2%) patients iAMP21+.

Results: 8-year event-free-survival (EFS, 64 ± 8% vs. 81 ± 1%, p=0.0026) and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR, 29 ± 8% vs. 14 ± 1%, p=0.008) of the iAMP21 cases were significantly worse compared with non-iAMP21 patients. Within the MRD low-risk group, iAMP21 cases (n=14) had an inferior 8-year EFS (76 ± 12% vs. 92 ± 1%, p=0.0081), but no increased CIR (10 ± 10% vs. 6 ± 1%, p=0.624). Within the MRD intermediate-risk group, iAMP21 cases (n=27) had a worse 8-year EFS (56 ± 11% vs. 78 ± 2%, p=0.0077) and CIR (44 ± 11% vs. 20 ± 2%, p=0.003) with 6/10 relapses occurring after 2 years.

Conclusions: Conclusively, we believe that there is no necessity for enrolling all iAMP21 patients into the high-risk arm of ongoing ALL-BFM trials because MRD low-risk patients have a moderate relapse risk under current therapy. Whether the increased relapse risk in MRD intermediate-risk patients can be avoided by late treatment intensification remains to be answered by the AIEOP-BFM ALL 2009 trial randomly using protracted pegylated L-asparaginase during delayed intensification and early maintenance.