title: 5-Azacytidine for the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome who relapse after allo-SCT: a retrospective analysis.
abstract: Patients with AML or myelodysplastic syndrome who relapse after allo-SCT have a poor prognosis. In the search for novel treatment strategies for these patients, we conducted a multicenter retrospective analysis and identified 22 patients treated with the DNA-methylation inhibitor 5-azacytidine (5-Aza). Patients received a median number of two cycles 5-Aza (range 1-8) at a dose of 100 mg/m(2) over 5 days following relapse. Eighteen patients (82%) also received a median number of two donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI, range 1-5). Sixteen patients (72%) responded to 5-Aza treatment and five patients (23%) achieved a CR. 5-Aza-induced CR lasted for 433 days (median, range 114-769). Median survival and the estimated 2-year survival rate were 144 days and 23%, respectively. Acute GVHD after DLI was seen in six patients (33%) and four of these patients developed chronic GVHD of the skin. There were no treatment-related deaths. Patients who achieved halving of leukocyte counts after the first 5-Aza cycle had a superior median survival of 802 days compared with 135 days (P=0.0025) in all other patients. On univariate analysis, the achievement of this halving of leukocyte counts was identified as a significant predictor of survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Oncology and Clinical Immunology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf, Germany. Akos.Czibere@med.uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Czibere
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bruns
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kröger
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Platzbecker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zohren
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fenk
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Germing
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gräf
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kobbe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001374:Azacitidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000628:therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D001374:Azacitidine