title: Therapy of molecular relapse in acute promyelocytic leukemia.
abstract: Fourteen patients with PML/RARalpha-positive acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) were given salvage therapy at the time of first molecular relapse. All patients had achieved first molecular remission after the AIDA protocol (all-trans retinoic acid [ATRA] + idarubicin) and were being prospectively monitored by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Molecular relapse was defined as reappearance of RT-PCR-positivity for the PML/RARalpha fusion (sensitivity 10(-4)) in 2 successive marrow samples collected during postconsolidation monitoring. The median duration of first molecular remission was 7.5 months (range, 2 to 25). Salvage therapy consisted of oral ATRA for 30 days followed by 4 daily courses of chemotherapy (CHT) with cytarabine 1 g/m(2)/d and mitoxantrone 6 mg/m(2)/d. Second molecular remission was obtained in 12 of 14 patients (86%). Seven of these 12 attained molecular remission after ATRA alone. Of the 2 patients who persisted PCR(+) after CHT, 1 died in remission and 1 progressed to hematologic relapse. Of 12 patients PCR(-), 8 received consolidation with autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT), and 4 received ATRA-containing maintenance. Ten patients in this group are in sustained second molecular remission at a median time of 9.5+ months (range, 4 to 22+) and 2 underwent hematologic relapse 6 and 13 months, respectively, after transient second molecular remission. The 2-year Kaplan and Meier survival estimate from time of relapse was 92% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 61% to 98%) in this series, and 44% (95% CI: 35% to 52%) in a previous series of 37 patients who received the same treatment at the time of hematologic recurrence (P <.05, by log-rank test). This study suggests that early administration of salvage therapy is advantageous in APL and represents the first experience on therapy of molecular relapse in acute leukemia.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Cellulari ed Ematologia, Università "La Sapienza," Rome, Italy. lococo@bce.med.uniromal.it
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lo Coco
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Diverio
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Avvisati
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Petti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meloni
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Pogliani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biondi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carlo-Stella
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Selleri
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Specchia
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mandelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015255:Idarubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000235:genetics; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; C093476:promyelocytic leukemia-retinoic acid receptor alpha fusion oncoprotein; D003561:Cytarabine; D014212:Tretinoin; D008942:Mitoxantrone; D015255:Idarubicin