Therapy-related chronic myelomonocytic leukemia does not have the high-risk features of a therapy-related neoplasm

Abstract

Therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs) arise after exposure to cytotoxic therapies and are associated with high-risk genetic features and poor outcomes. We analyzed a cohort of patients with therapy-related chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (tCMML; n = 71) and compared its features to that of de novo CMML (dnCMML; n = 461). Median time from cytotoxic therapy to tCMML diagnosis was 6.5 years. Compared with dnCMML, chromosome 7 abnormalities (4% vs. 13%; P = .005), but not complex karyotype (3% vs. 7%; P = .15), were more frequent in tCMML. tCMML was characterized by higher TP53 mutation frequency (4% vs. 12%; P = .04) and lower NRAS (6% vs 22%, P =0.007) and CBL (4% vs 12%, P =0.04) mutation frequency. Prior therapy with antimetabolites (OR, 1.22 [95% CI, 1.05-1.42]; P = .01) and mitotic inhibitors (OR, 1.24 [95% CI, 1.06-1.44]; P = .009) was associated with NF1 and SETBP1 mutations while prior mitotic inhibitor therapy was associated with lower TET2 mutation frequency (OR, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.55-0.92]; P = .01). Although no differences in median overall survival (OS) were observed among tCMML and dnCMML (34.7 months vs 35.9 months, P = .26), multivariate analysis for OS revealed that prior chemotherapy was associated with increased risk of death (HR 1.76 [95% CI, 1.07-2.89]; P = .026). Compared to a cohort of therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome, tCMML had lower TP53 mutation frequency (12% vs 44.4%, P <.001) and less unfavorable outcomes. In summary, tCMML does not exhibit the high-risk features and poor outcomes of t-MNs.