Quimioterapia intensiva asociada a imatinib en leucemia linfoblástica aguda del adulto, Philadelphia positivo. Experiencia en un hospital público / Intensive chemotherapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors in philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Background: Before the advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), patients with Philadelphia-positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (Ph+ALL) had a poor prognosis. The association of TKIs to intensive chemotherapy (CT) improved outcome. Aim: To evaluate results of an intensive CT protocol including TKI in a public hospital in Santiago, Chile. Material and Methods: All patients with Ph+ALL diagnosed between January 2010 and February 2019, and who met inclusion criteria for intensive CT, received the Ph+ALL national protocol in association with imatinib and were included in this analysis. Results: Thirty-five patients aged 15 to 59 years received treatment. Complete response (CR) was obtained in 97%. Measurable residual disease (MRD) was negative in 61% (19/31 evaluable cases) during follow-up, and 55% (16/29) were MRD (-) before three months. Relapse was observed in 13 cases. Three patients underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), two in CR1. The overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) at three years were 52 and 34%, respectively. In patients who achieved MRD negativity before three months, no statistically significant differences in OS (64 and 42% respectively, p = 0.15) or EFS (35 and 32% respectively, p = 0.37) were observed. Conclusions: The prognosis of Ph+ALL improved with the association of imatinib to intensive CT. MRD-negative status before three months in this series was not significantly associated with better outcomes. Our series suggests that the Ph+ALL national protocol associated to TKI is a therapeutic alternative with high CR and aceptable MRD (-) rates.

Leucemia linfoblástica aguda estirpe B Philadelphia negativa en adolescentes y adultos jóvenes: Resultados del Protocolo Terapéutico LLA 15-30, Programa Nacional de Cáncer del Adulto (PANDA), Ministerio de Salud, Chile / Adolescent and young adult Philadelphia negative B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Results of the Chilean protocol LLA 15-30

Background: Intensified treatment of Philadelphia chromosome negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph(-)ALL) in adolescents by pediatric teams, with fve years disease free survival (DFS) rate of 65%, encouraged the use of intensified protocols in patients between 15 and 30 years, improving the DFS from 45% to 60-80%. The protocol LLA 15-30 for patients between 15 and 30 years with Ph(-)ALL, based on the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) protocol AALL0232 resulting in a five years DFS of 78%, was started in 2007 by the PANDA national program. Aim: To report the results of the prospective cohort study evaluating the results of this protocol four years after its implementation. Patients and Methods: Between January 2007 and December 2010, 68 Ph(-) ALL patients, aged between 15-30 years (75% males) were incorporated. Survival was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests. Results: Fifty percent of patients were of high risk. A complete response was achieved in 91%, early death occurred in 6% and induction failure in 3%. Median follow-up was 23 months. Overall survival, disease free survival and relapse rates at 35 months were 61.8, 67.5% and 31% respectively. Conclusions: LLA 15-30 protocol significantly improved three-year overall survival from 31 to 62%. The 20% difference observed with AALL0232 protocol is explained by the high rate of relapse. Improving provider and patient compliance with protocols may eliminate this gap.

Primeros diez trasplantes autólogos de progenitores hematopoyéticos en adultos, en el servicio público de salud en Chile / First ten hematopoietic stem cell transplants performed in the adult public health service in Chile

Background: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an effective therapy for hematological diseases such as lymphoma and multiple myeloma. In 2004, the Cancer Unit of the Ministry of Health incorporated the HSCT to the National Cancer Program in Adults. Until 2008 we purchased services to private institutions while implementing the national center for HSCT of adults in the Hospital del Salvador. Aim: To report the first ten HSCT conducted in this center. Material and Methods: All cases were approved by a national commission for adult HSCT. The entire process was carried out based on evidence-based protocols. Results: Six patients with Hodgkin lymphoma, three with multiple myeloma and one with a diffuse large B cell lymphoma were transplanted. Age range was 19 to 48 years and five patients were male. An average of 2.2 aphereses per patient was required. The CD 34 stem cell collection was 5.06 x 10(6) x Kg. The conditioning regimes were BEAM (carmus-tine, etoposide, cytosine arabinoside, melphalan) and melphalan 200 according to the underlying disease. Seventy percent of the patients developed mild to moderate mucositis and 50% had febrile neutropenia, with good response to treatment. In two cases there was an association with influenza. The engraftment of neutrophils and platelets was achieved on day +10 and +11 respectively. At follow-up until day +100, there was no morbidity or mortality. Conclusions: These results confirm the quality standard that this intervention has achieved in our institution. The Chilean National Center for HSCT on Adults should be established as a public core care, teaching and research facility.