A clofarabine-based bridging regimen in patients with relapsed ALL and persistent minimal residual disease (MRD)

Bone Marrow Transplant. 2014 Mar;49(3):440-2. doi: 10.1038/bmt.2013.195. Epub 2013 Dec 9.

Abstract

In patients with relapsed ALL, minimal residual disease (MRD) identified prior to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a strong predictor of relapse. We report our experience using a combination of reduced-dosing clofarabine, CY and etoposide as a 'bridge' to HCT in eight patients with high risk or relapsed ALL and pre-HCT MRD. All patients had detectable MRD (>0.01%, flow cytometry) at the start of therapy with all eight achieving MRD reduction following one cycle. The regimen was well tolerated with seven grade 3/4 toxicities occurring among four of the eight patients. Five patients (62.5%) are alive, one died from relapse (12.5%) and two from transplant-related mortality (25%). The combination of reduced-dose clofarabine, CY and etoposide as bridging therapy appears to be well tolerated in patients with relapsed ALL and is effective in reducing pre-HCT MRD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenine Nucleotides / administration & dosage*
  • Adolescent
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / administration & dosage
  • Arabinonucleosides / administration & dosage*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Clofarabine
  • Cyclophosphamide / administration & dosage
  • Etoposide / administration & dosage
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
  • Neoplasm, Residual / therapy*
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / therapy*
  • Probability
  • Remission Induction
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Adenine Nucleotides
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
  • Arabinonucleosides
  • Etoposide
  • Clofarabine
  • Cyclophosphamide