title: Asparaginase in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: Cure rates in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia have significantly improved over the past decades. Now, almost 90% of children will survive the disease. The cure rates in adolescents, young adults, and adults have not kept pace with the improvements in younger patients, even though almost an equal proportion of adult patients achieve complete remission as their pediatric counterparts. Differences in treatment regimens might be important. Intensive use of asparaginase has been a key component of successful pediatric therapy. In this review, we focus on the use of asparaginase and the potential of optimizing asparaginase use via monitoring to minimize adverse drug events and improve efficacy of the drug.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Research, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. Electronic address: jdkawedia@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Jitesh D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kawedia
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatrics, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rytting
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001215:Asparaginase / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001215:Asparaginase
keywords: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia; Adults; Asparaginase; Pharmacokinetics; Therapeutic drug monitoring; Toxicities