How Induction Cycles before Remission Influence Long-Term Survival in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

• Published in: Blood 2023-11, Vol.142 (Supplement 1), p.6001-6001
• Main Authors: Zhu, Feng, Chen, Nianci, Zhou, Yile, Zhang, Yi, Huang, Jian, Xie, Wanzhuo, Meng, Haitao, Yu, Wen-Juan, Mao, Liping, MAI, Wenyuan, Yang, Chunmei, Wei, Juying, Lou, Yinjun, Yang, Min, Qian, Jiejing, Xu, Gaixiang, Zhou, De, Ma, Liya, Ye, Xingnong, Ren, Yanling, Tong, Hongyan, Wang, Huafeng, Jin, Jie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0006-4971; 1528-0020
• DOI: 10.1182/blood-2023-186048

Background ： Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematologic malignancy characterized by accumulation and expansion of immature myeloid cells in the bone marrow, peripheral blood and other tissues. Despite the progress made in mechanisms and approval of new therapeutics, the clinical outcome of AML remains suboptimal. The achievement of complete remission (CR) after induction chemotherapy is critical because the prognosis of refractory AML was especially unfavorable. However, little is known about the association between remission after first induction therapy and the overall survival (OS) in different subgroups of AML. Study Design and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with newly diagnosed AML from January 2019 to August 2022. The diagnosis and treatment strategies were based on European Leukemia Net (ELN) criteria and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline. Composite complete remission (CRc) rate (CR+CR with incomplete recovery [CRi]) were assessed at the completion of induction or re-induction therapy. Minimal residual disease (MRD) was assessed using multiparameter flow cytometry with a minimum sensitivity of 0.1%. OS was measured from the day of diagnosis until death or the last follow-up date. Results : In total, 679 patients were included and the median age was 59.0 (range, 14.0-93.0) years old. There were 56.8% (386/679) of patients who achieved CRc after the induction therapy (group A), 18.1% (123/679) achieved CRc after the re-induction therapy (group B). The median follow-up period was 24.2 months. Even though there was no significant difference between group A and group B on OS, group A exhibited improved OS when censored at allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) compared to that in group B (group A vs group B:3-year OS rates 65.7% vs 51.1%，p=0.004，Figure A). We further explored the effects of remission depth on survival. The results showed that, after induction therapy, patients achieved CR exhibited superior OS compared with that in CRi (CR vs. CRi, 3-year OS rates 69.4% vs 51.6%, p=0.006). Also, compared with these patients who failed to achieved MRD negativity within re-induction therapy, patients achieved MRD negativity within re-induction therapy showed superior OS when censored at HSCT (MRD- vs. MRD+, 3-year OS rates 64.7% vs 34.9%, p=0.040). After the first reduction therapy, patients achieved CRc but MRD positive benefit from HSCT (HSCT vs Non-HSCT, 3-year rates 83.0% vs 57.9%, p=