scholarly journals A comparison of early intensive methotrexate/mercaptopurine with early intensive alternating combination chemotherapy for high-risk B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a Pediatric Oncology Group phase III randomized trial

Leukemia ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 15 (7) ◽  
pp. 1038-1045 ◽  
Author(s):  
SJ Lauer ◽  
JJ Shuster ◽  
DH Mahoney ◽  
N Winick ◽  
S Toledano ◽  
...  
Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 994-994
Author(s):  
R. Chesley ◽  
B. A. Bell ◽  
M. Devidas ◽  
B. Bostrom ◽  
G. Erdmann ◽  
...  

Abstract Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) protocol 9605, a phase III study of standard risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), was designed in part to compare daily (QD) versus twice-daily (BID) mercaptopurine (MP) dosing during intensification and continuation therapy. 1082 patients were enrolled between 1996 and 1999. MP is an important antimetabolite in the treatment of ALL. Due to its S-phase dependence and short half-life, dosing frequency may be crucial to toxicity and/or efficacy. MP is converted into two major metabolites, 6-thioguanine (TGN) and 6-methylthioinosinic acid (mMP). Correlations of toxicity and dose frequency were tabulated. Red blood cell (RBC) TGN and mMP levels measured in a randomized subpopulation (226/1082 patients) on POG 9605 found markedly elevated mMP in the QD versus BID group (2020 versus 1275 ng/8x108 RBC) with slightly higher levels of TGN in the QD group (42 versus 40 ng/8x108 RBC). Toxicity events occurring during treatment were recorded according to toxicity code, grade and week of therapy. Toxicity events for 1037/1082 patients were analyzed. For each toxicity, QD and BID groups were compared based on total number of events, number of individual patients, and average number of events per patient. A comparison of the incidence of neutropenia and hepatotoxicity between QD and BID groups became the focus. 518/1037 patients received 6MP 75 mg/m2 daily and 519/1037 patients received 6MP 37.5 mg/m2 twice daily. Decreased ANC were coded as grade 3 (0.5–0.9 x 103/mm3) or grade 4 (less than 0.5 x 103/mm3). Decreased WBC were coded as grade 3 (1.0–1.9 x 103/mm3) or grade 4 (less than 1.0 x 103/mm3). Elevated aminotransferase (ALT/AST) were coded as grade 3 (5.1–20 x normal) or grade 4 (greater than 20 x normal). For grade 4 neutropenia, the QD group had a significantly higher average number of events per patient than the BID group (4.67 versus 4.22, p=0.021). Also for grade 3 ALT/AST, the QD group had a significantly higher average number of events per patient than the BID group (2.40 versus 2.10, p=0.046). In previous studies, higher mMP levels were found to be correlated with elevated aminotransferases. The subpopulation (n=226/1082) data was analyzed to compare metabolite levels in patients who experienced various toxicities. In the QD arm, TGN was significantly elevated in those patients with grades 3 and 4 WBC (p=0.026) and grades 3 and 4 ANC (p=0.032). MMP was significantly elevated in those with grades 3 and 4 WBC (p=0.0066), grades 3 and 4 ANC (p=0.009) and grades 3 and 4 ALT/AST (p=0.0082). QD administration of 6MP is associated with increased levels of methylated metabolites, elevated ALT/AST and decreased ANC. Neutropenia correlates with elevations of both TGN and mMP. Hepatotoxicity correlates with elevations in mMP. Issues of adherence to dosing may also play a role. Implications for patient outcome await data maturation.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 109 (3) ◽  
pp. 926-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirk R. Schultz ◽  
D. Jeanette Pullen ◽  
Harland N. Sather ◽  
Jonathan J. Shuster ◽  
Meenakshi Devidas ◽  
...  

Abstract The Children's Cancer Group (CCG) and the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) joined to form the Children's Oncology Group (COG) in 2000. This merger allowed analysis of clinical, biologic, and early response data predictive of event-free survival (EFS) in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) to develop a new classification system and treatment algorithm. From 11 779 children (age, 1 to 21.99 years) with newly diagnosed B-precursor ALL consecutively enrolled by the CCG (December 1988 to August 1995, n = 4986) and POG (January 1986 to November 1999, n = 6793), we retrospectively analyzed 6238 patients (CCG, 1182; POG, 5056) with informative cytogenetic data. Four risk groups were defined as very high risk (VHR; 5-year EFS, 45% or below), lower risk (5-year EFS, at least 85%), and standard and high risk (those remaining in the respective National Cancer Institute [NCI] risk groups). VHR criteria included extreme hypodiploidy (fewer than 44 chromosomes), t(9;22) and/or BCR/ABL, and induction failure. Lower-risk patients were NCI standard risk with either t(12;21) (TEL/AML1) or simultaneous trisomies of chromosomes 4, 10, and 17. Even with treatment differences, there was high concordance between the CCG and POG analyses. The COG risk classification scheme is being used for division of B-precursor ALL into lower- (27%), standard- (32%), high- (37%), and very-high- (4%) risk groups based on age, white blood cell (WBC) count, cytogenetics, day-14 marrow response, and end induction minimal residual disease (MRD) by flow cytometry in COG trials.


1992 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 606-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Trueworthy ◽  
J Shuster ◽  
T Look ◽  
W Crist ◽  
M Borowitz ◽  
...  

PURPOSE Using the technique of recursive partitioning and amalgamation analysis with verification, the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) investigated the independent prognostic significance of previously published prognostic factors significantly associated with event-free survival (EFS) in B-progenitor cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). PATIENTS AND METHODS Age, leukocyte count, sex, immunophenotype (expression of cytoplasmic immunoglobulin [Ig] and of surface antigens CD10 and CD34), and DNA index (ratio of the flow cytometry-determined DNA content of leukemia cells to that of normal diploid cells) were the variables used in the evaluation of four antimetabolite-based chemotherapy regimens in 1,535 children with the newly diagnosed B-progenitor cell ALL between February 1986 and May 1990. RESULTS There were three subgroups at widely different risks of treatment failure. A DNA index greater than 1.16 was the most prognostic feature. The final prognostic subgrouping was as follows: (1) DNA index greater than 1.16; (2) DNA index less than or equal to 1.16, age less than 11.0 years, and leukocyte count less than 50 x 10(9)/L; and (3) DNA index less than or equal to 1.16, (age greater than 11.0 years, and/or leukocyte count greater than 50 x 10(9)/L). These groups made up 20%, 53%, and 27% of the patients and had 4-year EFS rates (SE) of 90.1% (6.3%), 80.5% (5.1%), and 50.4% (7.6%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Use of the DNA index, leukocyte count, and age--data that are relatively inexpensive and simple to obtain--may be sufficient to stratify patients with B-progenitor cell ALL for risk-directed therapy. Patients at an extremely low risk of failing therapy (approximately 20% of cases in this study) can thus be identified and spared the toxic short-term and late effects of more intensive therapies that may be needed for children with less favorable clinical and biologic features.


Blood ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 602-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
PD Sadowitz ◽  
SD Smith ◽  
J Shuster ◽  
MD Wharam ◽  
GR Buchanan ◽  
...  

Abstract Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who have completed 2.5 to 3 years of initial chemotherapy have an off-therapy relapse rate of approximately 20%. In an attempt to improve the survival of children with a late bone marrow (BM) relapse (ie, occurring greater than 6 months after cessation of primary therapy), the Pediatric Oncology Group designed a randomized study to compare the efficacy of doxorubicin/prednisone and cytarabine/teniposide in a multidrug retreatment chemotherapy program. Treatment consisted of remission reinduction with vincristine, prednisone, and doxorubicin, central nervous system prophylaxis with triple intrathecal chemotherapy, and continuation therapy (for 132 weeks) with alternating cycles of oral 6- mercaptopurine/methotrexate and intravenous vincristine/cyclophosphamide. Patients received intermittent courses of either prednisone/doxorubicin (regimen 1) or teniposide/cytarabine (regimen 2) during continuation therapy and a late intensification phase with either vincristine, prednisone, and doxorubicin (regimen 1) or teniposide and cytarabine (regimen 2). One hundred two of 105 evaluable patients (97%) achieved a second complete remission. Twenty- eight of 50 patients on regimen 1 have failed compared with 28 or 52 patients on regimen 2 (log-rank analysis, P = .68), indicating that this trial was inconclusive as to which treatment regimen was superior. The overall 4-year event-free survival for children with a late BM relapse was 37% +/- 6%. Age less than 10 years at initial diagnosis (P < or = .001), white blood cell count less than 5,000/microL at relapse (P = .036) and duration of first remission greater than 54 months (P = .039) were independently associated with a more favorable outcome. While the randomized trial was inconclusive, prolonged second complete remissions were secured in more than one-third of children with a late BM relapse of ALL. The prognostic factors identified may help select children with a late BM relapse who can be successfully retreated with chemotherapy alone.


Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 96 (7) ◽  
pp. 2543-2549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy R. Schneider ◽  
Andrew J. Carroll ◽  
Jonathan J. Shuster ◽  
D. Jeanette Pullen ◽  
Michael P. Link ◽  
...  

Abstract To further define the cytogenetic differences between B-cell lineage (B-lineage) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and T-cell lineage ALL (T-ALL) and to determine the prognostic value of cytogenetics in childhood T-ALL, the blast cell karyotypes of 343 cases of pediatric T-ALL, the largest series reported to date, were evaluated. Cytogenetics were performed in a single central laboratory, and the children were treated using a single Pediatric Oncology Group protocol. Clear differences between the karyotypic characteristics of B-lineage ALL and T-ALL were confirmed. This study suggests that there may be survival differences associated with some T-ALL blast cell karyotypes. Better survival is associated with only normal karyotypes and with t(10;14) (translocation of chromosomes 10 and 14); worse survival is associated with the presence of any derivative chromosome. Two new recurring chromosome aberrations previously not reported in T-ALL were found: del(1)(p22) and t(8;12)(q13;p13). Ten aberrations found in this series, which were reported only once previously in T-ALL, can now be considered recurring abnormalities in T-ALL. All 12 of these new recurring aberrations are targets for discovery and characterization of new genes that are important in T-cell development and leukemogenesis.


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