Different outcome in older children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia with different treatment protocols in the...

From 1991 until 2004 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in the Netherlands were treated according to protocols ALL-8 and ALL-9 which were based on different principles. An earlier study showed that the outcome of adolescents highly differed on these protocols.

In this retrospective study, we analyzed whether the outcome of older children 10-15 years of age at diagnosis differed between the Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM)-based ALL-8 regimen and the ALL-9 regimen. Two hundred fifty-four older children who were treated according to protocol ALL-8 (n = 82) or ALL-9 (n = 172) were included in the analysis.

A higher 5-year event-free survival (EFS) rate was found for patients treated according to ALL-8 compared to ALL-9 (79 ± 5% vs. 65 ± 4%, P = 0.02). Patient characteristics did not differ except for a slightly higher age in ALL-8. Therefore, additional analyses were done including only patients who were 12-15 years of age. In this age group there was also a difference in the 5-year EFS (82 ± 5% vs. 61 ± 5%, P = 0.00) as well as in the 5-year overall survival rate; 89 ± 4% compared to 68 ± 5%, respectively (P = 0.01). Major difference between protocols was the use of a consolidation and reinduction/intensification course and higher cumulative doses of asparaginase, methotrexate, and anthracyclines in ALL-8.

Children 10-15 years of age have been undertreated with the ALL-9 regimen and benefit by intensive treatment components as used in ALL-8. We recommend using BFM-based protocols for these older children with ALL.