title: Consolidation with alemtuzumab improves progression-free survival in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) in first remission: long-term follow-up of a randomized phase III trial of the German CLL Study Group (GCLLSG).
abstract: Alemtuzumab has shown considerable activity in untreated and relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. We report our long-term experience in 21 patients within a randomized phase III trial investigating the role of alemtuzumab for consolidation therapy after first-line fludarabine +/- cyclophosphamide, which was stopped prematurely due to severe infections. However, after a median follow-up of 48 months, progression-free survival was significantly prolonged for patients receiving alemtuzumab consolidation compared to those with no further treatment (P = 0.004). Minimal residual disease (MRD) levels were persistently reduced after consolidation. Therefore, despite toxicity, MRD reduction by alemtuzumab consolidation translates into a significantly improved long-term clinical outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. carmen.schweighofer@uk-koeln.de
authors.forename: Carmen D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Schweighofer
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ritgen
authors.forename: Barbara F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Eichhorst
authors.forename: Raymonde
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Abenhardt
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kneba
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hallek
authors.forename: Clemens-Martin
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Wendtner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000074323:Alemtuzumab; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000188:drug therapy; D012074:Remission Induction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000074323:Alemtuzumab; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D014740:Vidarabine; C024352:fludarabine