Ruxolitinib is effective in the treatment of a patient with refractory T-ALL

EJHaem. 2020 Dec 4;2(1):139-142. doi: 10.1002/jha2.143. eCollection 2021 Feb.

Abstract

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a rare, aggressive T-cell malignancy. Chemotherapy alone cures only 25-45% of the cases, thus, novel treatment agents and strategies are urgently needed. We assessed the efficacy of ruxolitinib in a patient with a cutaneous relapse after allogeneic blood cell transplantation of a refractory T-ALL with a Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) mutation. In this case report, we were able to show the potential benefit of the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib in JAK3-mutated refractory T-ALL and emphasize the importance of integrating molecular markers in current treatment decision making for patients with T-ALL.