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Optimal treatment for Philadelphia-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia in first remission in the era of high-intensity chemotherapy

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Abstract

The optimal treatment for Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first complete remission (CR1) has not been established in the high-intensity chemotherapy era. The outcomes of patients with Ph-negative ALL who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from a human leukocyte antigen-matched related or unrelated donor in CR1 (HSCT-MRD group and HSCT-MUD group) were obtained from a Japanese registry database. Patients aged 16–24 years and 25–65 years were analyzed separately, and their outcomes were compared to those of patients who continued high-intensity chemotherapy in CR1 in studies (202U group and 202O group) by the Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group (JALSG). In the HSCT-MRD group, patients younger than 25 years had lower overall survival (OS) than the 202U group, presumably due to the higher non-relapse mortality (NRM) in the HSCT-MRD group. Patients 25 years and older had similar OS to the 202O group. The lower relapse rate was counterbalanced by higher NRM in the HSCT-MRD group. In the HSCT-MUD group, patients in both age groups had similar OS to their corresponding groups in the JALSG studies. In conclusion, high-intensity chemotherapy may change the role of HSCT for Ph-negative ALL.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank all the physicians and data managers of the JSTCT centers and the JALSG centers for providing excellent patient care and reporting clinical data to TRUMP and the JALSG studies. We also thank the staff of the Japanese Data Center for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (JDCHCT) for their assistance. This work was supported in part by a grant for Practical Research for Innovative Cancer Control from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) under Grant Number JP19ck0106331 and the Practical Research Project for Allergic Diseases and Immunology (Research Technology of Medical Transplantation) from AMED under Grant Number 19ek0510023h0002.

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Correspondence to Shinichi Kako.

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Ota S has received honoraria from Novartis Pharma K.K. Usui N has received consulting fees from Cmic Co., Ltd., AbbVie GK, Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd., and Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. and honoraria from Celgene Co., Ltd., SymBio Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Japan Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb, MundiPharma K.K., IQVIA Services Japan K.K., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., Zenyaku Co., Ltd., and Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Kiyoi H has received research funding from Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., Zenyaku Kogyo Co., Ltd., FUJIFILM Corporation, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Astellas Pharma Inc., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd., Eisai Co., Ltd., Pfizer Japan Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Novartis Pharma K.K., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Sanofi K.K., Perseus Proteomics Inc. and Celgene Corporation., consulting fees from Astellas Pharma Inc., Amgen Astellas BioPharma K.K., and Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., and honoraria from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Astellas Pharma Inc., and Novartis Pharma K.K. Matsumura I has received research funding from Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Novartis Pharma KK, AbbVie GK., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited., Pfizer Japan Inc., Eisai Co., Ltd., and MSD K.K. and honoraria from Novartis Pharma KK, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Pfizer Japan Inc., DAIICHI SANKYO COMPANY, LIMITED., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Astellas Pharma Inc., and Amgen Astellas BioPharma K.K. Matsumura I also belonged to a laboratory supported, in part, by ONO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited., Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., NIPPON SHINYAKU CO.,LTD., Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd., Shionogi & Co., Ltd., AbbVie GK., ASAHI KASEI PHARMA CORPORATION, Eisai Co., Ltd., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., TAIHO PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD., Sanofi K.K., Pfizer Japan Inc., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Novartis Pharma KK, and Astellas Pharma Inc.

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Kako, S., Hayakawa, F., Imai, K. et al. Optimal treatment for Philadelphia-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia in first remission in the era of high-intensity chemotherapy. Int J Hematol 114, 608–619 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12185-021-03198-4

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