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Acute Leukemia

Impact of conditioning with TBI in adult patients with T-cell ALL who receive a myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation: a report from the acute leukemia working party of EBMT

Abstract

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is a therapeutic option for adult patients with T-cell ALL (T-ALL). Meanwhile, few allo-SCT data specific to adult T-ALL have been described thus far. Specifically, the optimal myeloablative conditioning regimen is unknown. In this retrospective study, 601 patients were included. Patients received allo-SCT in CR1, CR2, CR >2 or in advanced disease in 69%, 15%, 2% and 14% of cases, respectively. With an overall follow-up of 58 months, 523 patients received a TBI-based regimen, whereas 78 patients received a chemotherapy-based regimen including IV busulfan–cyclophosphamide (IV Bu-Cy) (n=46). Unlike patients aged 35 years, patients aged <35 years who received a TBI-based regimen displayed an improved outcome compared with patients who received a chemotherapy-based regimen (5-year leukemia-free survival (LFS) of 50% for TBI versus 18% for chemo-only regimen or IV Bu-Cy regimens, P=10−5 and 10−4, respectively). In multivariate analysis, use of TBI was associated with an improved LFS (hazard ratio (HR)=0.55 (0.34–0.86), P=0.01) and overall survival (HR=0.54 (0.34–0.87), P=0.01) in patients aged <35 years. In conclusion, younger adult patients with T-ALL entitled to receive a myeloablative allo-SCT may benefit from TBI-based regimens.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all EBMT participating centers (listed in Supplementary Data), especially physicians and data managers for providing data. We also thank Leila Moukhtari and Hervé Finel for excellent data management.

Author contributions

XC, JE, SG and MM designed the study, analyzed data and wrote the manuscript; ML performed statistical analysis and helped writing the manuscript; EP coordinated data collection and management; HS provided and analyzed data; MA, SK-K, GS, ME, FB, DB, SV, MM, MS, TZ, JF, JP, IY-A, DN, GS and AN provided data and commented on the manuscript. All authors approved submission of the manuscript for publication purposes.

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Correspondence to M Mohty.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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This work was presented in part at the ASH 2012 meeting as an oral presentation.

Supplementary Information accompanies this paper on Bone Marrow Transplantation website

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Cahu, X., Labopin, M., Giebel, S. et al. Impact of conditioning with TBI in adult patients with T-cell ALL who receive a myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation: a report from the acute leukemia working party of EBMT. Bone Marrow Transplant 51, 351–357 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2015.278

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