Biphenotypic acute leukaemia: a case series

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Oncology
• Leukemia Research

Background:

• Biphenotypic acute leukaemia (BAL) is a rare hematologic malignancy.
• Optimal treatment strategies for BAL, whether using acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) or acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) regimens, are not well-defined.
• BAL is characterized by the co-expression of lymphoid and myeloid markers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review clinical data of BAL patients.
• To compare treatment outcomes using AML-specific versus ALL-specific chemotherapy regimens.
• To evaluate the efficacy of different treatment approaches in achieving complete remission and overall survival.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of clinical data from 31 BAL patients.
• Analysis of treatment regimens used (AML-based vs. ALL-based).
• Evaluation of complete remission (CR) rates and overall survival at 2 years.

Main Results:

• Most BAL patients co-expressed B-lymphoid and myeloid markers, with no specific chromosomal abnormality identified.
• Patients treated with ALL-designed regimens achieved a higher CR rate (78%) compared to those treated with AML-designed regimens (57%).
• The overall survival probability at 2 years was 60% across all patients.

Conclusions:

• Treatment of Biphenotypic Acute Leukaemia (BAL) with regimens designed for acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL) may lead to better complete remission rates.
• Further research is warranted to establish definitive treatment guidelines for BAL.
• The findings suggest a potential benefit of ALL-directed therapy in BAL management.