[Efficacy and safety of imatinib for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children].
OBJECTIVE
To study the efficacy and safety of Chinese Childhood Leukemia Group ALL 2008 (CCLG-ALL2008) protocol combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI, imatinib) for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children.


METHODS
The clinical data of 53 patients aged less than 15 years when first diagnosed with Ph+ ALL between October 2008 and December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were assigned to two groups: HR (n=26) and HR+TKI (n=27). The HR group was treated with CCLG-ALL2008 protocol (for high-risk patients). The HR+TKI group was treated with imatinib in combination with CCLG-ALL2008 protocol (for high-risk patients).


RESULTS
The complete remission rate and chemotherapy induction-related mortality rate in the TKI+HR and HR groups were 100% vs 75% and 0 vs 15%, respectively. The 3-year event-free survival (EFS) rate in the HR group was (6±5)%; the 5-year EFS rate of the TKI+HR group was (52±11)%. Compared with the HR group, the TKI+HR group had no increase in the toxic responses to chemotherapy and had a decrease in the infection rate during the induction period.


CONCLUSIONS
Application of imatinib significantly improves the clinical efficacy in children with Ph+ ALL and has good safety.
Pediatric Blood Disease Centre, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300020, China. xfzhu1981@126.com.
Ye
Y
Guo
Tian-Feng
TF
Liu
Min
M
Ruan
Wen-Yu
WY
Yang
Xiao-Juan
XJ
Chen
Li
L
Zhang
Shu-Chun
SC
Wang
Fang
F
Liu
Jia-Yuan
JY
Zhang
Xiao-Ming
XM
Liu
Ben-Quan
BQ
Qi
Yao
Y
Zou
Xiao-Fan
XF
Zhu
D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D010677:Philadelphia Chromosome; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate