ABSTRACT
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted non-urgent and preventive medical care. During the early peak of the pandemic, an estimated 41% of US adults delayed or avoided medical care (Czeisler et al, CDC, 2020). While there were documented declines in the number of emergency department visits for myocardial infarction, stroke and hyperglycemia, similar data is not available related to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (Lange et al, CDC, 2020). A delay in the diagnosis of AML could lead to presentation when patients are less able to withstand chemotherapy or have a higher disease burden which could compromise overall survival (OS). In this retrospective analysis, we aim to elucidate if there was a difference in clinical, cytogenetic, or molecular presentations and if there was an effect on early mortality as determined by overall survival at 1 and 6 months. Methods We compared the clinical, cytogenetic, and baseline molecular genetics of consecutive adult patients diagnosed with de novo AML at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women's (DFCI/BWH) Hospital from March 23, 2020, the date of the Massachusetts COVID State of Emergency, to August 23, 2020 to a historical cohort of similar patients between presenting between March 23, 2017 and August 23, 2020. Data was obtained from the Hematological Malignancy Data Repository and via review of the medical record. Patients were excluded from this cohort if they were diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, had known antecedent myeloid malignancy, or if they did not have DFCI/BWH 96-gene next-generation sequencing panel (RHP) performed at the time of diagnosis. Baseline clinical, laboratory, cytogenetic, and molecular characteristics and outcomes were compared between the pre-pandemic and pandemic cohorts using chi-squared, Fisher's exact, and Wilcoxon rank sum analyses (where appropriate) at a significance of p<0.05. Results Thirty-eight AML patients presented during the COVID-19 pandemic (PAN) and 308 in the pre-pandemic (PREPAN) period. There was no statistically significant difference in the monthly rate of new patients presenting in PREPAN and PAN cohorts (8 vs. 6 new patients/month, p=0.73). The median age at presentation (64 PREPAN vs. 65 PAN, p=0.77), sex, and therapeutic approach (intensive, non-intensive, supportive care, other) were not statistically different between cohorts. Presenting white blood cell count, platelet count, and fibrinogen were not different between cohorts, while hematocrit was significantly lower in the PAN cohort (23.8% vs. 26.0%, p=0.001). There was a trend for a higher median blast percentage (28.5% vs. 13%, p=0.09) in the PAN cohort. There were no differences between the cohorts in the median number of cytogenetic abnormalities, nor in the incidence of complex karyotype, (25.3% vs. 23.7%) across PREPAN and PAN respectively. There were also no significant differences in the European LeukemiaNet (ELN) risk classification scores across the PREPAN and PAN time periods, with 57.8% vs. 52.6% of total patients presenting with adverse risk disease respectively. When specific mutations of TP53, NPM1, and FLT3 were evaluated, only FLT3 demonstrated a statistical difference with a higher proportion in the pandemic group (p=0.04). OS at 1-month (97.4% and 93.2%, p=0.15) and 6-months (71.1% and 75.0%, p-0.87) were not statistically different in the PREPAN and PAN cohorts, respectively. Conclusion These data represent a novel analysis of the presenting clinical, cytogenetic and molecular characteristics of de novo AML during the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast to other diseases, we did not see fewer de novo AML presentations during the peak of the COVID pandemic. While the reasons are unknown and require validation in large cohorts, the symptoms of leukemia including symptomatic anemia (low hematocrit) and higher WBC and blast count possibly driven by FLT3 mutations may drive patients to seek emergent clinical evaluation despite COVID pandemic barriers. The lack of difference in cytogenetic or other prognostic entities may demonstrate a lack of ymptom correlation causing patients to present for care. The higher incidence of FLT3 mutations and lower hematocrit could reflect more symptomatic presentation of AML during the COVID pandemic. Since these differences may be a surrogate for a higher disease burden, it will be important to compare outcomes at longer time points. [Formula presented] Disclosures: DeAngelo: Pfizer: Consultancy;Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding;Jazz: Consultancy;Incyte: Consultancy;Forty-Seven: Consultancy;Autolus: Consultancy;Amgen: Consultancy;Agios: Consultancy;Takeda: Consultancy;Glycomimetrics: Research Funding;Blueprint: Research Funding;Abbvie: Research Funding;Servier: Consultancy. Stone: Bristol Meyers Squibb: Consultancy;Astellas: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;BerGen Bio: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Boston Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy;Innate: Consultancy;Foghorn Therapeutics: Consultancy;Gemoab: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Glaxo Smith Kline: Consultancy;Celgene: Consultancy;Elevate Bio: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;OncoNova: Consultancy;Syntrix/ACI: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Syndax: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Janssen: Consultancy;Agios: Consultancy, Research Funding;Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Aprea: Consultancy;Arog: Consultancy, Research Funding;Jazz: Consultancy;Macrogenics: Consultancy;Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding;Actinium: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Abbvie: Consultancy;Syros: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Takeda: Consultancy. Garcia: AstraZeneca: Research Funding;Prelude: Research Funding;Pfizer: Research Funding;Genentech: Research Funding;Takeda: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Astellas: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;AbbVie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Winer: Abbvie: Consultancy;Takeda: Consultancy;Novartis: Consultancy.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Decreased quality of life (QOL) due to fatigue in the setting of anemia is common with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), often leading to dependence on red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in considerably reduced blood supply such that the importance of conserving donor RBCs for patients particularly in need is even more crucial (Shander, Anesth Analg 2020). While some patients with MDS experience improved QOL after transfusions, many do not, even at the same ECOG performance status (PS) and hemoglobin (Hb). In a pilot study, we sought to assess the feasibility of a peri-transfusion QOL assessment (PTQA;QOL assessed before and after transfusion) to determine if it could help inform future transfusion decisions for patients with MDS. METHODS: Starting in 2019, patients with MDS at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Yale School of Medicine, and Wake Forest University were screened for eligibility using clinic schedule reports in Epic;those 18 or older with biopsy-proven MDS presenting to clinic for RBC transfusions with no evidence of known CHF or unstable angina were eligible to participate. A Hb threshold of 7.5 g/dL or greater was required for participation (Tanasijevic, Leuk Lymph 2020). The QUALMS, a validated PRO for patients with MDS (Abel, Haematologica, 2016), was used to assess patients' QOL before and after RBC transfusion. At consent, patients were given a study packet including a copy of the QUALMS and were instructed to fill out the survey the day before their upcoming transfusion. One week after RBC transfusion, the patient completed the QUALMS again. Surveys were scored, compared, and compiled into a report that was sent to patients and providers (Figure). Based on the QUALMS validation study, we considered a change by 5 or more points to be potentially clinically significant. After descriptive statistics, two-sided Fisher's Exact tests assessed for associations between patient characteristics (ECOG PS and Hb) and post-transfusion increase in QOL. RESULTS: As of July 2020, a total of 57 patients had been enrolled. Of these, 28 (49%) have completed PTQA with both a pre-transfusion and post-transfusion QUALMS. Mean age was 72 years (standard deviation (SD)=11.6), 19% were female, and 89% had had one or more RBC transfusions within 8 weeks prior to enrollment. For the 29 patients who did not undergo PTQA, 11 are still awaiting their index transfusion;4 passed away before the index transfusion;4 were transplanted before the index transfusion;2 developed AML;7 later became ineligible or were lost to follow up;and 1 withdrew consent. Of the 28 who underwent PTQA, about half had an ECOG performance status of 1, and median Hb at transfusion was 8.05 g/dL (Table). The mean pre-transfusion QUALMS score was 56.1 (SD=15.3) and post-transfusion score was 59.3 (SD=18.0);overall, 35.7% experienced an increase in QOL. Patients with ECOG PS of 1 or 2 were no more likely to have an increase in QOL after RBC transfusion compared to those with PS of 0 (p=1.00). In contrast, 50% of patients with pre-transfusion Hb < 8.0 g/dL had an increase in QOL compared to 25% of patients with Hb >= 8.0 g/dL, although this difference also did not reach significance (p=0.24). CONCLUSIONS: Although PTQA was feasible for about half of patients enrolled, there were many barriers when working with this high-risk MDS population. Moreover, only about one-third of patients experienced an increase in QOL one week after RBC transfusion, arguing that, for some patients, a more limited transfusion schedule may be possible. [Formula presented] Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.