The goal of this phase II multicenter clinical trial was to evaluate a new intensive chemotherapy program for adults with untreated acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and to examine prospectively the impact of clinical and biologic characteristics on the outcome. One hundred ninety-seven eligible and evaluable patients (16 to 80 years of age; median, 32 years of age) received cyclophosphamide, daunorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, and L-asparaginase; 167 patients (85%) achieved a complete remission (CR), 13 (7%) had refractory disease, and 17 (9%) died during induction. A higher CR rate was observed in younger patients (94% for those < 30 years old, 85% for those 30 to 59 years old, and 39% for those > or = 60 years old, P < .001) and in those who had a mediastinal mass (100%) or blasts with a T-cell immunophenotype. Eighty percent of B-lineage and 97% of T-cell ALL patients achieved a CR (P = .01). The coexpression of myeloid antigens did not affect the response rate or duration. Seventy percent of those with cytogenetic or molecular evidence of the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome and 84% of those without such evidence achieved a CR (P = .11). Patients in remission received multiagent consolidation treatment, central nervous system prophylaxis, late intensification, and maintenance chemotherapy for a total of 24 months. After a median follow-up time of 43 months, the median survival for all 197 patients is 36 months; the median remission duration for the 167 CR patients is 29 months. Favorable pretreatment characteristics relative to remission duration or survival are younger age, the presence of a mediastinal mass or lymphadenopathy, a white blood cell count (WBC) less than 30,000/microL, L1 morphology, T or TMy immunophenotype, and the absence of the Ph chromosome. The estimates of the proportion surviving at 3 years are 69% for patients less than 30 years old, 39% for those 30 to 59 years old, 89% for those who had a mediastinal mass, 59% with WBC less than 30,000/microL, 63% with L1 morphology, 69% for T or TMy antigen expression, and 62% for those who lack the Ph chromosome. Fifteen patients (8%) had no unfavorable prognostic factors and have an estimated probability of survival at 5 years of 100% (95% confidence interval, 77% to 100%). This intensive chemotherapy regimen produces a high remission rate and a high proportion of durable remissions in adults with ALL.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains the most common form of acute leukemia among adults and accounts for the largest number of annual deaths due to leukemias in the United States. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for AML provide recommendations on the diagnostic evaluation and workup for AML, risk assessment based on cytogenetic and molecular features, treatment options for induction and consolidation therapies for younger and older (age ≥ 65 years) adult patients, and key supportive care considerations.
We describe 2 patients who developed prolonged QTc interval on electrocardiogram while being treated with voriconazole. The first patient had undergone induction chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia, and her course had been complicated by invasive aspergillosis and an acute cardiomyopathy. She developed torsades de pointes 3 weeks after starting voriconazole therapy. She was re-challenged with voriconazole without recurrent QTc prolongation or cardiac dysfunction. The second patient had a significantly prolonged QTc interval while on voriconazole therapy. We recommend careful monitoring for QTc prolongation and arrhythmia in patients who are receiving voriconazole, particularly those who have significant electrolyte disturbances, are on concomitant QT prolonging medications, have heart failure such as from a dilated cardiomyopathy, or have recently received anthracycline-based chemotherapy. The potential for synergistic cardiotoxicity must be carefully considered.
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