Blood Res 2023; 58(4):
Published online December 31, 2023
https://doi.org/10.5045/br.2023.2023152
© The Korean Society of Hematology
Correspondence to : Keon Hee Yoo, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81 Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06351, Korea
E-mail: hema2170@skku.edu
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Background
Despite improved outcomes for pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the prognosis for relapse remains poor. This study aimed to examine the clinical factors associated with prognosis in relapsed pediatric AML.
Methods
We conducted a chart review of pediatric patients with AML who experienced their first relapse and received treatment at our institution between 2008 and 2019. Risk stratification at diagnosis was performed according to the definition suggested by the ongoing AML 2012 study in Korea, and the clinical factors associated with prognosis were analyzed.
Results
A total of 27 pediatric patients with relapsed AML were identified. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates were 32.9% and 32.9%, respectively. A duration ≥12 months from diagnosis to relapse had a favorable impact on survival outcomes (5-yr OS, 64.0% vs. 15.7%; P=0.007). Patients who achieved complete remission (CR) after 1 course of chemotherapy following relapse (N=15) had a 5-year OS rate of 59.3%, while none of the other patients survived (P<0.0001). Additionally, the 5-year OS differed significantly based on the risk group at initial diagnosis (62.3% [favorable and intermediate prognosis groups, N=11] vs. 13.3% [poor prognosis group, N=15]; P=0.014).
Conclusion
Patients with a longer duration of CR before relapse, who achieved CR following 1 course of reinduction chemotherapy, and were in the favorable or intermediate prognosis group at diagnosis demonstrated better outcomes. These findings emphasize the importance of tailoring treatment strategies based on the expected prognosis at relapse in pediatric patients with AML.
Keywords: Acute myeloid leukemia, Pediatric, Relapse, Prognosis
Blood Res 2023; 58(4): 181-186
Published online December 31, 2023 https://doi.org/10.5045/br.2023.2023152
Copyright © The Korean Society of Hematology.
Jung Hwan Lee1, Hee Young Ju1, Ju Kyung Hyun1, So Jin Kim1, Hee Won Cho1, Jae Kyung Lee1, Ji Won Lee1, Ki Woong Sung1, Keon Hee Yoo1,2,3
1Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 2Department of Health Science and Technology, SAIHST, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 3Cell & Gene Therapy Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
Correspondence to:Keon Hee Yoo, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81 Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06351, Korea
E-mail: hema2170@skku.edu
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Background
Despite improved outcomes for pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the prognosis for relapse remains poor. This study aimed to examine the clinical factors associated with prognosis in relapsed pediatric AML.
Methods
We conducted a chart review of pediatric patients with AML who experienced their first relapse and received treatment at our institution between 2008 and 2019. Risk stratification at diagnosis was performed according to the definition suggested by the ongoing AML 2012 study in Korea, and the clinical factors associated with prognosis were analyzed.
Results
A total of 27 pediatric patients with relapsed AML were identified. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates were 32.9% and 32.9%, respectively. A duration ≥12 months from diagnosis to relapse had a favorable impact on survival outcomes (5-yr OS, 64.0% vs. 15.7%; P=0.007). Patients who achieved complete remission (CR) after 1 course of chemotherapy following relapse (N=15) had a 5-year OS rate of 59.3%, while none of the other patients survived (P<0.0001). Additionally, the 5-year OS differed significantly based on the risk group at initial diagnosis (62.3% [favorable and intermediate prognosis groups, N=11] vs. 13.3% [poor prognosis group, N=15]; P=0.014).
Conclusion
Patients with a longer duration of CR before relapse, who achieved CR following 1 course of reinduction chemotherapy, and were in the favorable or intermediate prognosis group at diagnosis demonstrated better outcomes. These findings emphasize the importance of tailoring treatment strategies based on the expected prognosis at relapse in pediatric patients with AML.
Keywords: Acute myeloid leukemia, Pediatric, Relapse, Prognosis
Patient characteristics..
N (%)/median (range) | |
---|---|
Sex | |
Male | 15 (55.6) |
Female | 12 (44.4) |
Initial WBC count, median (/μL) | 20,400 (1,650–265,800) |
Age at relapse, median (yr) | 6.0 (1.0–18.0) |
Interval from diagnosis to first relapse (mo) | 7 (2–33) |
Remission after 1 course of reinduction | |
Yes | 15 (53.6) |
No | 12 (46.4) |
Prognosis group at initial diagnosis | |
Favorable | 4 (14.8) |
Intermediate | 7 (25.9) |
Poor | 15 (55.6) |
Not available | 1 (3.7) |
Relapsed site | |
BM only | 21 (77.8) |
EM only | 5 (18.5) |
BM+EM | 1 (3.7) |
Molecular abnormality | |
FTL3-ITD | 4 (14.8) |
c-KIT in CBF AML | 1 (3.7) |
CEBPA | 2 (7.4) |
Others | 20 (74.1) |
Abbreviations: BM, bone marrow; CBF, core-binding factor; EM, extramedullary..
Univariate analysis of prognostic factors..
N | 5-yr OS (%) | P | 5-yr EFS (%) | P | Hazard ratio (95% CI) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sex | ||||||
Male | 15 | 38.9 | 0.745 | 33.3 | 0.810 | 1.175 (0.445–3.052) |
Female | 12 | 27.8 | 27.3 | |||
Initial WBC count (/μL) | ||||||
<20,000 | 13 | 34.6 | 0.989 | 33.3 | 0.951 | 1.007 (0.378–2.683) |
>20,000 | 13 | 30.8 | 27.7 | |||
Age at relapse (yr) | ||||||
0–10 | 16 | 35.0 | 0.782 | 30.0 | 0.908 | 1.144 (0.430–3.046) |
>10 | 11 | 34.1 | 30.0 | |||
Interval from diagnosis to first relapse (mo) | ||||||
≥12 | 10 | 64.0 | 0.007 | 60.0 | 0.008 | 4.636 (1.792–12.000) |
<12 | 17 | 15.7 | 12.5 | |||
Remission after 1 course of reinduction | ||||||
Yes | 15 | 59.3 | <0.0001 | 59.3 | <0.0001 | 7.206 (2.403–21.610) |
No | 12 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||
Prognostic group | ||||||
FG+IG | 11 | 62.3 | 0.014 | 60.0 | 0.002 | 3.640 (1.360–9.743) |
PG | 15 | 13.3 | 10.0 | |||
Relapsed site | ||||||
BM only | 21 | 33.3 | 0.258 | 33.0 | 0.676 | |
EM only | 5 | 40.0 | 40.0 | |||
BM+EM | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||
Molecular abnormality | ||||||
FTL3-ITD | 4 | 0.0 | 0.019 | 0.0 | 0.109 | |
c-KITin CBF AML | 1 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |||
CEBPA | 2 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |||
Others | 20 | 30.9 | 30.7 | |||
Previous transplant | ||||||
No | 15 | 26.8 | 0.382 | 25.7 | 0.511 | 1.557 (0.584–4.150) |
Yes | 12 | 43.8 | 41.7 |
Abbreviations: BM, bone marrow; CBF, core-binding factor; EFS, event-free survival; EM, extramedullary; OS, overall survival; FG, favorable prognosis group; IG, intermediate prognosis group; PG, poor prognosis group..
Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors affecting survival..
Odds ratio | 95% CI | P | |
---|---|---|---|
Interval from diagnosis to first relapse | 2.799 | 0.763–10.267 | 0.121 |
Remission after 1 course of reinduction | 16.674 | 3.490–79.658 | 0.001 |
Prognostic group | 1.199 | 0.227–6.339 | 0.831 |
Sujin Choi, Bo Kyung Kim, Hong Yul Ahn, Kyung Taek Hong, Jung Yoon Choi, Hee Young Shin, Hyoung Jin Kang
Blood Res 2020; 55(4): 217-224Hyery Kim
Blood Res 2020; 55(S1): S5-S13Yumi Park, Jinsook Lim, Seonyoung Kim, Ikchan Song, Kyechul Kwon, Sunhoe Koo, and Jimyung Kim
Blood Res 2018; 53(3): 198-204