Skip to main content

Management of Older Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Pathogenesis and Treatment of Leukemia

Abstract

Although substantial progress is achieved in ALL total therapy in adolescent young adults and adults, marginal improvements in survival over time in older patients present a great challenge. Older patients often carry high-risk genetic lesions that confer resistance to conventional chemotherapy, and a higher incidences of comorbidities and impaired performance status limit their tolerance to receive the same intensity as younger patients, such as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In this chapter, we review the current treatment of older ALL patients with good performance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. National Cancer Institute: Cancer Stat Facts: Leukemia: Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). website: https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/alyl.htm.

  2. Geyer MB, Hsu M, Devlin SM, Tallman MS, Douer D, Park JH. Overall survival among older US adults with ALL remains low despite modest improvement since 1980: SEER analysis. Blood. 2017;129(13):1878–81.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Dinmohamed AG, Szabo A, van der Mark M, Visser O, Sonneveld P, Cornelissen JJ, et al. Improved survival in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the Netherlands: a population-based study on treatment, trial participation and survival. Leukemia. 2016;30(2):310–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. O'Brien S, Thomas DA, Ravandi F, Faderl S, Pierce S, Kantarjian H. Results of the hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone regimen in elderly patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia. Cancer. 2008;113(8):2097–101.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Sive JI, Buck G, Fielding A, Lazarus HM, Litzow MR, Luger S, et al. Outcomes in older adults with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL): results from the international MRC UKALL XII/ECOG2993 trial. Br J Haematol. 2012;157(4):463–71.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Viuff D, Hyttel P, Avery B, Vajta G, Greve T, Callesen H, et al. Ribosomal ribonucleic acid is transcribed at the 4-cell stage in in vitro-produced bovine embryos. Biol Reprod. 1998;59(3):626–31.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Roberts KG, Gu Z, Payne-Turner D, McCastlain K, Harvey RC, Chen IM, et al. High frequency and poor outcome of Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults. J Clin Oncol. 2017;35(4):394–401.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Kozlowski P, Lennmyr E, Ahlberg L, Bernell P, Hulegardh E, Karbach H, et al. Age but not Philadelphia positivity impairs outcome in older/elderly patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Sweden. Eur J Haematol. 2017;99(2):141–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Huguet F, Chevret S, Leguay T, Thomas X, Boissel N, Escoffre-Barbe M, et al. Intensified therapy of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults: report of the randomized GRAALL-2005 clinical trial. J Clin Oncol. 2018;36(24):2514–23.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Huguet F, Leguay T, Raffoux E, Thomas X, Beldjord K, Delabesse E, et al. Pediatric-inspired therapy in adults with Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia: the GRAALL-2003 study. J Clin Oncol. 2009;27(6):911–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Foa R, Vitale A, Vignetti M, Meloni G, Guarini A, De Propris MS, et al. Dasatinib as first-line treatment for adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood. 2011;118(25):6521–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Hunault-Berger M, Leguay T, Thomas X, Legrand O, Huguet F, Bonmati C, et al. A randomized study of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin versus continuous-infusion doxorubicin in elderly patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: the GRAALL-SA1 study. Haematologica. 2011;96(2):245–52.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Aldoss I, Forman SJ, Pullarkat V. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the older adult. J Oncol Pract. 2019;15(2):67–75.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Fathi AT, DeAngelo DJ, Stevenson KE, Kolitz JE, Asch JD, Amrein PC, et al. Phase 2 study of intensified chemotherapy and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for older patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer. 2016;122(15):2379–88.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Sancho JM, Ribera JM, Xicoy B, Morgades M, Oriol A, Tormo M, et al. Results of the PETHEMA ALL-96 trial in elderly patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Eur J Haematol. 2007;78(2):102–10.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Ribera JM, Garcia O, Gil C, Mercadal S, Garcia-Cadenas I, Montesinos P, et al. Comparison of intensive, pediatric-inspired therapy with non-intensive therapy in older adults aged 55-65 years with Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Leuk Res. 2018;68:79–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Lennmyr E, Karlsson K, Ahlberg L, Garelius H, Hulegardh E, Izarra AS, et al. Survival in adult acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL): a report from the Swedish ALL Registry. Eur J Haematol. 2019;103(2):88–98.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Chalandon Y, Thomas X, Hayette S, Cayuela JM, Abbal C, Huguet F, et al. Randomized study of reduced-intensity chemotherapy combined with imatinib in adults with Ph-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood. 2015;125(24):3711–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Rousselot P, Coude MM, Gokbuget N, Gambacorti Passerini C, Hayette S, Cayuela JM, et al. Dasatinib and low-intensity chemotherapy in elderly patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL. Blood. 2016;128(6):774–82.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Fielding AK, Rowe JM, Buck G, Foroni L, Gerrard G, Litzow MR, et al. UKALLXII/ECOG2993: addition of imatinib to a standard treatment regimen enhances long-term outcomes in Philadelphia positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood. 2014;123(6):843–50.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Jabbour E, Short NJ, Ravandi F, Huang X, Daver N, DiNardo CD, et al. Combination of hyper-CVAD with ponatinib as first-line therapy for patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: long-term follow-up of a single-centre, phase 2 study. Lancet Haematol. 2018;5(12):e618–e27.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Ravandi F, O'Brien S, Thomas D, Faderl S, Jones D, Garris R, et al. First report of phase 2 study of dasatinib with hyper-CVAD for the frontline treatment of patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood. 2010;116(12):2070–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Vignetti M, Fazi P, Cimino G, Martinelli G, Di Raimondo F, Ferrara F, et al. Imatinib plus steroids induces complete remissions and prolonged survival in elderly Philadelphia chromosome-positive patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia without additional chemotherapy: results of the Gruppo Italiano Malattie Ematologiche dell’Adulto (GIMEMA) LAL0201-B protocol. Blood. 2007;109(9):3676–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Foa R, Bassan R, Vitale A, Elia L, Piciocchi A, Puzzolo MC, et al. Dasatinib-blinatumomab for Ph-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia in adults. N Engl J Med. 2020;383(17):1613–23.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Giebel S, Marks DI, Boissel N, Baron F, Chiaretti S, Ciceri F, et al. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for adults with Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia in first remission: a position statement of the European Working Group for Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (EWALL) and the Acute Leukemia Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT). Bone Marrow Transplant. 2019;54(6):798–809.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Mohty M, Labopin M, Volin L, Gratwohl A, Socie G, Esteve J, et al. Reduced-intensity versus conventional myeloablative conditioning allogeneic stem cell transplantation for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a retrospective study from the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Blood. 2010;116(22):4439–43.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Popat U, de Lima MJ, Saliba RM, Anderlini P, Andersson BS, Alousi AM, et al. Long-term outcome of reduced-intensity allogeneic hematopoietic SCT in patients with AML in CR. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2012;47(2):212–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Bazarbachi A, Labopin M, Angelucci E, Gulbas Z, Ozdogu H, Arat M, et al. Haploidentical transplantation with post-transplantation cyclophosphamide for T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a report from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Acute Leukemia Working Party. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2020;26(5):936–42.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Ruggeri A, Labopin M, Bacigalupo A, Afanasyev B, Cornelissen JJ, Elmaagacli A, et al. Post-transplant cyclophosphamide for graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis in HLA matched sibling or matched unrelated donor transplant for patients with acute leukemia, on behalf of ALWP-EBMT. J Hematol Oncol. 2018;11(1):40.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Pasic I, Lipton JH, Kim DD, Viswabandya A, Kumar R, Lam W, et al. Post-transplant cyclophosphamide combined with anti-thymocyte globulin for graft-vs-host disease prophylaxis improves survival and lowers non-relapse mortality in older patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Ann Hematol. 2020;99(6):1377–87.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Devillier R, Granata A, Furst S, Harbi S, Faucher C, Weiller PJ, et al. Low incidence of chronic GVHD after HLA-haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation with post-transplantation cyclophosphamide in older patients. Br J Haematol. 2017;176(1):132–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Richard-Carpentier G, Kantarjian HM, Short NJ, Ravandi F, Ferrajoli A, Schroeder HM. A phase ii study of the Hyper-CVAD regimen in sequential combination with blinatumomab as frontline therapy for adults with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Blood. 2018;132:32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Chiaretti S, Bassan R, Vitale A, Elia L, Piciocchi A, Ferrara F, et al. A Dasatinib-Blinatumomab combination for the front-line treatment of adult Ph+ALL patients. Preliminary results of the GIMEMA LAL2116 D-ALBA trial; on behalf of GIMEMA acute leukemia working party. Hemasphere. 2019;3(S1):746.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Assi R, Kantarjian H, Short NJ, Daver N, Takahashi K, Garcia-Manero G, et al. Safety and efficacy of blinatumomab in combination with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor for the treatment of relapsed philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemia. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2017;17(12):897–901.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Rafei H, Kantarjian HM, Jabbour EJ. Targeted therapy paves the way for the cure of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Br J Haematol. 2020;188(2):207–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Kantarjian HM, DeAngelo DJ, Stelljes M, Martinelli G, Liedtke M, Stock W. Inotuzumab ozogamicin versus standard therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2016;375:740–53.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  37. Sadelain M. CAR therapy: the CD19 paradigm. J Clin Invest. 2015;125(9):3392–400.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hong-Hu Zhu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Ethics declarations

The authors declare no conflicts of interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Hu, XX., Zhu, HH. (2023). Management of Older Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. In: Gill, H., Kwong, YL. (eds) Pathogenesis and Treatment of Leukemia. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3810-0_21

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-3810-0_21

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-99-3809-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-99-3810-0

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics