View clinical trials related to Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute.
Filter by:There is very limited data on the use of arsenic trioxide in newly diagnosed patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. The use of arsenic trioxide was limited to relapsed patients mainly because of the superior efficacy of ATRA as primary therapy for newly diagnosed APML. Though the early study by Niu et al showed 72% remission rates in 11 newly diagnosed patients, the role of arsenic trioxide as primary therapy was limited by the hepatic toxicity seen in this study. Studies from our centre have shown remission rates of 70-75% in newly diagnosed patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. There was no major toxicity seen related to the administration of arsenic trioxide. Follow up data on these patients continue to show long term remission rates above 70%. These remission rates are similar to the data available in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia treated with ATRA. Lu et al studied 19 patients treated with oral arsenic (Tetra-arsenic tetra-sulfide) wherein 84% achieved hematological remission with disease free survival of 76% at 3 years. Studies from other groups using arsenic trioxide alone or in combination with ATRA have shown similar remission rates. Arsenic trioxide as primary therapy for patients with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia is a very attractive treatment option for developing countries mainly because of the low cost involved along with the favorable toxicity profile. However long term remission data is still not available and the ideal course and duration of treatment still needs to be defined. This multi-center study aims to further clarify the efficacy of this agent in the treatment of newly diagnosed cases of acute promyelocytic leukemia and to study the optimal maintenance regimen.
To assess the role of Arsenic trioxide and/or ATRA during consolidation course in APL. It is hoped that the investigational arms will further increase the event-free survival at 2 years, with reduced toxicity and without increasing the relapse rate by comparison with a classical anthracycline-AraC consolidation regimen.
Summary Acute promyelocytic leukemia is defined by a characteristic morphology (AML FAB M3/M3v), by the specific translocation t(15;17) and its molecular correlates (PML/RARa and RARa/PML). Thereby it can be separated from all other forms of acute leukemia. By all-trans retinoic acid in combination with chemotherapy cure rates of 70 to 80% can be reached. On average, about 10% of patients still die in the early phase of the treatment and about 20 to 30% relapse. Molecular monitoring of the minimal residual disease (MRD) by qualitative nested RT-PCR and quantitative REAL-time PCR of PML/RARa allows to follow the individual kinetics of MRD and to identify patients with an imminent hematological relapse. A standardized treatment for patients with relapsed APL has not yet been established. With arsenic trioxide (ATO) monotherapy remission rates over 80% were achieved and long-lasting molecular remissions are described. The drug was mostly well tolerated. ATO exerts a dose dependent dual effect on APL blasts, apoptosis in higher and partial differentiation in lower concentrations. ATO was also successfully administered before allogeneic and autologous transplantation. ATO is approved for the treatment of relapsed and refractory APL in Europe and in the USA. In the present protocol, ATO is given for remission induction: 1. in patients with hematological or molecular first or subsequent relapse of APL and 2. in patients who do not reach a hematological or molecular remission after first line therapy. Induction therapy with ATO is the mandatory part of the protocol. After remission induction, there are several options for postremission therapy. Factors which have influence on the treatment decision in the individual case are: 1. the eligibility for allogeneic transplantation 2. the eligibility for autologous transplantation 3. the presence or absence of contraindications against intensive chemotherapy 4. the PCR status after induction and during follow up (RT-PCR of PML/RARa, sensitivity 10-4) A mandatory form of post-remission therapy is not defined in the protocol. Data and outcomes of any post-remission therapy should be documented in order to collect data of treatment after ATO. The following stratification of post-remission therapy can be performed according to the decision of the treating physician: Patients with a HLA-compatible donor who are suitable for allogeneic stem cell transplantation should be transplanted. In patients with a positive PCR one cycle of intensive chemotherapy (HAM) before transplantation should be considered and patients with a negative result are immediately transplanted without preceding chemotherapy. In patients who do not qualify for allogeneic, but for autologous transplantation, the intensity of the chemotherapy (Ara-C dose of the HAM cycle) is scheduled according to the PCR status after ATO and to the patient's age. In patients under 60 years, the recommended single Ara-C dose is scheduled to 3 g/m² in case of a positive PCR result and to 1 g/m² in case of a negative PCR result after ATO. In all patients aged over 60 years, the Ara-C dose should be uniformly reduced to 1 g/m² independent of the PCR status. Patients who are not eligible for allogeneic or autologous transplantation (too old, no stem cells collected, PCR positive stem cell transplant, contraindications against intensive chemotherapy) receive three further cycles with ATO and ATRA. The group of patients not qualifying for autologous transplantation, but without contraindications against intensive chemotherapy should receive an age adapted HAM, whenever a positive PCR persists or reappears after the three maintenance cycles of ATO. A close monitoring of the PCR of PML/RARa after each treatment cycle is part of the protocol. The main objective of the protocol is to take advantage of the expected low toxicity of ATO and to keep the part of chemotherapy as low as possible.
In AIDA 2000 therapy of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is given in a risk-adapted manner. Risk factors are age and white-blood-cell (WBC)-count at diagnosis. Induction therapy is done with ATRA and idarubicin followed by postremission therapy with daunorubicin and mitoxantrone in age adapted dosages. Patients with an high WBC were additionally treated with cytarabine. Finally a two year period of maintenance therapy with 6-mercaptopurine, methotrexate and ATRA is performed.