Prognostic Role of Postinduction Minimal Residual Disease and Myeloid Sarcoma Type Extramedullary Involvement in Pediatric RUNX1-RUNX1T1 (+) Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

BACKGROUND

Acute myeloid leukemia with the t(8;21)(q22;q22) rearrangement (RUNX1-RUNX1T1 (+) AML) is known to have a favorable prognosis. Our study aimed to determine the most important prognostic variables among an aggregate of clinical, genetic, and treatment response-based factors in pediatric RUNX1-RUNX1T1 (+) AML.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

We analyzed the characteristics and outcome of 40 patients who were diagnosed with and treated for RUNX1-RUNX1T1 (+) AML from April 2008 to December 2016 at our institution.

RESULTS

A<-2.2 log fusion transcript decrement after remission induction, myeloid sarcoma type extramedullary involvement (EMI) at diagnosis, higher initial white blood cell count, and presence of KIT mutation predicted lower event-free survival. Both lower fusion transcript decrement after remission induction and the presence of EMI at diagnosis proved to be significant adverse factors in the multivariate study. The 5-year event-free survival was 70.0±7.2% (28/40); 8 of the 12 relapsed patients survive disease-free, resulting in 5-year overall survival of 89.5±5.0% (36/40).

CONCLUSIONS

Kinetics of response to remission induction chemotherapy, measured in terms of the PCR value for the fusion transcript, and the presence of myeloid sarcoma type EMI at diagnosis may predict the risk of relapse in pediatric RUNX1-RUNX1T1 (+) AML.