title: Management of patients with systemic mastocytosis: review of M. D. Anderson Cancer Center experience.
abstract: Mastocytosis is characterized by mast cell proliferation that may be limited to the skin (cutaneous mastocytosis) or may involve one or more extracutaneous organs, e.g., the bone marrow (systemic mastocytosis; SM). This study objective is to evaluate the features and outcome of patients referred to M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) with SM. A search of the MDACC database from 1944 to 2002 was conducted for patients with SM and review of their clinical charts. Eighteen patients with mastocytosis were identified in the MDACC database; 15 (11 males and 4 females) had SM and available information. Two had associated myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and one had acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The median age was 58 years (range 31-80). Nine patients were treated with subcutaneous interferon-alpha, and only 1 experienced temporary control of the disease. Three of these patients were then treated with imatinib mesylate: transient improvement was noted in two patients. One patient underwent stem cell transplantation as first therapy and achieved complete remission; this patient had associated MDS and is now in complete remission for 8 years. The patient with associated AML was treated with high-dose cytarabine and idarubicin; he has been in complete remission for 16 months. One patient was treated with induction chemotherapy consisting of high-dose cytarabine and 2CDA but expired due to sepsis. Three patients received symptomatic therapy only; these were the only 3 patients who presented with normal blood counts. SM is rare and has no effective standard of care. Collaboration among academic centers to accrue enough patients to evaluate novel therapeutic strategies is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hennessy
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giles
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cortes
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'brien
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrajoli
authors.forename: Gladys
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ossa
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garcia-Manero
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Faderl
authors.forename: Hagop
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kantarjian
authors.forename: Srdan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verstovsek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001549:Benzamides; D017338:Cladribine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015255:Idarubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D034721:Mastocytosis, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D010879:Piperazines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D003561:Cytarabine; D017338:Cladribine; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D015255:Idarubicin