Treatment of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia With All-Trans Retinoic Acid (ATRA) and Idarubicin (AIDA)

Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and idarubicin (AIDA) with a dose reduction in patients older than 70 years of age in the remission induction of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). With regard to the induction, the excellent results obtained by the combination of ATRA and idarubicin (AIDA), especially in terms of antileukemic efficacy (1% of resistance), do not support the introduction of substantial changes in this combination. However, given that most of the induction failures were caused by complications, especially of a hemorrhagic nature, and that these had a major impact in the hyperleukocytic forms and in patients older than 70 years of age, the induction was modified as follows: 1. Reduction of idarubicin dose in patients older than 70 years of age (three days instead of four); 2. Early administration of corticosteroid therapy in all patients as ATRA syndrome prophylaxis. A preliminary analysis of the Italian Group for Adult Hematologic Diseases (Gruppo Italiano Malattie Ematologiche dell'Adulto, GIMEMA) has shown that low dose prednisone use in a prophylactic manner appears to reduce the incidence and severity of the ATRA syndrome, which could also have a favorable impact on the hemorrhagic mortality (non-published data); and 3. Treatment of the hyperfibrinolysis with an antifibrinolytic agent (tranexamic acid). It has been recently reported that APL cells present abnormally high levels of annexins (especially annexin II), and that these levels may provide the fundamental mechanism for the hemorrhagic complications in APL by increasing the production of t-PA dependent plasmin. These findings provide new reasons for the introduction of tranexamic acid in the hemorrhagic prophylaxis of APL.

Timeline

Start

1999-03

Primary completion

2007-08

Completion

2007-11

Publications

• Background Miller WH Jr, Kakizuka A, Frankel SR, Warrell RP Jr, DeBlasio A, Levine K, Evans RM, Dmitrovsky E. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for the rearranged retinoic acid receptor alpha clarifies diagnosis and detects minimal residual disease in acute promyelocytic leukemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Apr 1;89(7):2694-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.89.7.2694.
• Background Slack JL: Recent advances in the biology and treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. Educational Book of the 34th Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Los Angeles, CA 1998, p.54-65
• Background Mandelli F, Diverio D, Avvisati G, Luciano A, Barbui T, Bernasconi C, Broccia G, Cerri R, Falda M, Fioritoni G, Leoni F, Liso V, Petti MC, Rodeghiero F, Saglio G, Vegna ML, Visani G, Jehn U, Willemze R, Muus P, Pelicci PG, Biondi A, Lo Coco F. Molecular remission in PML/RAR alpha-positive acute promyelocytic leukemia by combined all-trans retinoic acid and idarubicin (AIDA) therapy. Gruppo Italiano-Malattie Ematologiche Maligne dell'Adulto and Associazione Italiana di Ematologia ed Oncologia Pediatrica Cooperative Groups. Blood. 1997 Aug 1;90(3):1014-21.
• Background Fenaux P, Chastang C, Chevret S, Sanz M, Dombret H, Archimbaud E, Fey M, Rayon C, Huguet F, Sotto JJ, Gardin C, Makhoul PC, Travade P, Solary E, Fegueux N, Bordessoule D, Miguel JS, Link H, Desablens B, Stamatoullas A, Deconinck E, Maloisel F, Castaigne S, Preudhomme C, Degos L. A randomized comparison of all transretinoic acid (ATRA) followed by chemotherapy and ATRA plus chemotherapy and the role of maintenance therapy in newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia. The European APL Group. Blood. 1999 Aug 15;94(4):1192-200.
• Background Frankel SR, Eardley A, Heller G, Berman E, Miller WH Jr, Dmitrovsky E, Warrell RP Jr. All-trans retinoic acid for acute promyelocytic leukemia. Results of the New York Study. Ann Intern Med. 1994 Feb 15;120(4):278-86. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-120-4-199402150-00004.
• Background Burnett AK, Grimwade D, Solomon E, Wheatley K, Goldstone AH. Presenting white blood cell count and kinetics of molecular remission predict prognosis in acute promyelocytic leukemia treated with all-trans retinoic acid: result of the Randomized MRC Trial. Blood. 1999 Jun 15;93(12):4131-43.
• Background Tallman MS, Andersen JW, Schiffer CA, Appelbaum FR, Feusner JH, Ogden A, Shepherd L, Willman C, Bloomfield CD, Rowe JM, Wiernik PH. All-trans-retinoic acid in acute promyelocytic leukemia. N Engl J Med. 1997 Oct 9;337(15):1021-8. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199710093371501.
• Background Asou N, Adachi K, Tamura J, Kanamaru A, Kageyama S, Hiraoka A, Omoto E, Akiyama H, Tsubaki K, Saito K, Kuriyama K, Oh H, Kitano K, Miyawaki S, Takeyama K, Yamada O, Nishikawa K, Takahashi M, Matsuda S, Ohtake S, Suzushima H, Emi N, Ohno R. Analysis of prognostic factors in newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia treated with all-trans retinoic acid and chemotherapy. Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group. J Clin Oncol. 1998 Jan;16(1):78-85. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1998.16.1.78.
• Background Head D, Kopecky KJ, Weick J, Files JC, Ryan D, Foucar K, Montiel M, Bickers J, Fishleder A, Miller M, et al. Effect of aggressive daunomycin therapy on survival in acute promyelocytic leukemia. Blood. 1995 Sep 1;86(5):1717-28.
• Background Bernard J, Weil M, Boiron M, Jacquillat C, Flandrin G, Gemon MF. Acute promyelocytic leukemia: results of treatment by daunorubicin. Blood. 1973 Apr;41(4):489-96. No abstract available.
• Background Sanz MA, Jarque I, Martin G, Lorenzo I, Martinez J, Rafecas J, Pastor E, Sayas MJ, Sanz G, Gomis F. Acute promyelocytic leukemia. Therapy results and prognostic factors. Cancer. 1988 Jan 1;61(1):7-13. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19880101)61:13.0.co;2-6.
• Background Petti MC, Avvisati G, Amadori S, Baccarani M, Guarini AR, Papa G, Rosti GA, Tura S, Mandelli F. Acute promyelocytic leukemia: clinical aspects and results of treatment in 62 patients. Haematologica. 1987 Mar-Apr;72(2):151-5. No abstract available.
• Background Marty M, Ganem G, Fischer J, Flandrin G, Berger R, Schaison G, Degos L, Boiron M. [Acute promyelocytic leukemia: retrospective study of 119 patients treated with daunorubicin]. Nouv Rev Fr Hematol (1978). 1984;26(6):371-8. French.
• Background Avvisati G, Mandelli F, Petti MC, Vegna ML, Spadea A, Liso V, Specchia G, Bernasconi C, Alessandrino EP, Piatti C, et al. Idarubicin (4-demethoxydaunorubicin) as single agent for remission induction of previously untreated acute promyelocytic leukemia: a pilot study of the Italian cooperative group GIMEMA. Eur J Haematol. 1990 Apr;44(4):257-60. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1990.tb00389.x.

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