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Chronic Myeloproliferative Neoplasias

Interferon alpha 2 maintenance therapy may enable high rates of treatment discontinuation in chronic myeloid leukemia

Leukemia volume 29, pages 1331–1335 (2015)Cite this article

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Abstract

A minority of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients is capable of successfully discontinuing imatinib. Treatment modalities to increase this proportion are currently unknown. Here, we assessed the role of interferon alpha 2a (IFN) on therapy discontinuation in a previously reported cohort of 20 chronic phase CML patients who were treated upfront with IFN alpha plus imatinib followed by IFN monotherapy to maintain cytogenetic or molecular remission (MR) after imatinib discontinuation. After a median follow-up of 7.9 years (range, 5.2–12.2), relapse-free survival was 73% (8/11 patients) and 84% (5/6 patients) for patients who discontinued imatinib in major MR (MMR) and MR4/MR4.5, respectively. Ten patients discontinued IFN after a median of 4.5 years (range, 0.24–9.3). After a median of 2.8 years (range, 0.7–5.1), nine of them remain in ongoing treatment-free remission with MR5 (n=6) and MR4.5 (n=3). The four patients who still administer IFN are in stable MR5, MR4.5, MR4, and MMR, respectively. In conclusion, an IFN/imatinib induction treatment followed by a temporary IFN maintenance therapy may enable a high rate of treatment discontinuation in CML patients in at least MMR when stopping imatinib.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Deutsche José Carreras Leukämiestiftung (03/01; AR12/12 and AH06/01), to AH, AB and AN, respectively, by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, KFO210 (BU 1321/3-1 to A.B. and NE 310/14-1 to A.N.), and by a research grant of the University Medical Center Gießen and Marburg (to AB). Research support was received from Roche, Grenzach Wyhlen, Germany (to AB and AH).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Klinik für Hämatologie/Onkologie und Immunologie, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, Standort Marburg, Philipps Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany

    A Burchert, K Sohlbach, S Inselmann, C Schütz, S K Metzelder, P Kostrewa, J Hoffmann & A Neubauer

  2. III. Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany

    S Saussele, M C Müller & R Hehlmann

  3. Abt. f. Hämatologie und Internistische Onkologie, Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany

    E Eigendorff, J Ziermann & A Hochhaus

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  1. A Burchert
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Correspondence to A Hochhaus.

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Competing interests

Andreas Burchert: advisory Board Pfizer; Honoraria Bristol Meyers Squibb (BMS), Susanne Saussele: honoraria and Travel support BMS, Novartis, Ekkehard Eigendorff: honoraria and travel support Novartis, BMS, Ariad, Martin C. Müller: research support, honoraria and advisory role: Novartis, BMS, Ariad, Rüdiger Hehlmann: research support Novartis and BMS, Andreas Hochhaus: research support, honoraria and advisory role: Novartis, BMS, Ariad, Pfizer. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Burchert, A., Saussele, S., Eigendorff, E. et al. Interferon alpha 2 maintenance therapy may enable high rates of treatment discontinuation in chronic myeloid leukemia. Leukemia 29, 1331–1335 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2015.45

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