Measurable Residual Disease Results After Consolidation Therapy Predictive of Relapse in Pediatric Leukemia
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Sept. 24, 2024 -- For children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), measurable residual disease (MRD) after the end of first consolidation (EOC) can be used to predict the need for subsequent MRD measurements, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in Leukemia.
Janine Stutterheim, M.D., Ph.D., from the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology in Utrecht, Netherlands, and colleagues examined the clinical relevance of MRD after EOC in intermediate-risk patients treated in DCOG-ALL-10 and DCOG-ALL-9 (271 and 122 patients, respectively) with MRD <0.5 percent at EOC.
The researchers found that the outcomes were excellent for the 178 EOC MRD-negative patients, regardless of MRD results at later time points; the six-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 7.4 and 3.8 percent for those with MRD negativity at all later time points and for those with positivity at one or more later time points, respectively. Comparable outcomes were seen for patients with positive EOC MRD (91 patients), for whom subsequent time points were MRD-negative, with a six-year cumulative incidence of relapse of 7.0 percent. In contrast, the 48 patients who were MRD-positive at EOC and at one or more subsequent time points had a higher risk for relapse, with a six-year cumulative incidence of relapse of 29.4 percent. In the validation cohort of ALL-9, these findings were confirmed.
"In patients with MRD-based intermediate risk ALL who are MRD-negative at EOC, MRD measurement at later time points can be abandoned," the authors write. "For patients who are EOC MRD-positive the subsequent MRD measurements might be informative for further risk stratification and therapeutic intervention."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted September 2024
Read this next
In Pediatric Leukemia, Survival Linked to Duration of Overweight, Obesity
TUESDAY, May 20, 2025 -- For children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), longer duration of overweight or obesity is associated with lower overall and event-free survival...
Molecular Monitoring Improves Survival in Some Patients With Newly Diagnosed Leukemia
WEDNESDAY, May 14, 2025 -- Molecular monitoring of measurable residual disease (MRD), coupled with guided treatment, contributes to improved survival for patients with newly...
Statin Use Improves Outcomes in Chronic, Small Lymphocytic Leukemia
WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 -- For patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic leukemia (SLL), statin use is associated with improved survival, regardless...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.