The outcome of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) has improved significantly since the introduction of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) as APL therapies. The optimal therapy for APL relapse is believed to require autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) based on historical experience.
To evaluate the outcome of patients with relapsed APL before and after the era of ATRA-ATO.
We reviewed 61 patients with relapsed APL treated from November 1991 to June 2023; 31 patients (51%) received modern therapy with the combination of ATRA and ATO with and without idarubicin and gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO).
Overall, 56 patients (92%) achieved CR after the first salvage therapy; 20 patients received SCT (10 autologous SCT;10 allogeneic SCT). With a median follow-up time of 138 months, the median survival durations were 32 months and 164 months with historical therapy vs. modern (ATRA-ATO) therapy (P = .035); the 5-year survival rates were 44% vs. 71%. With a 10-month landmark analysis, the median survival durations were 102 months vs. not reached, and the 5-year survival rates were 57% and 70% without SCT vs. with SCT (P = .193). The survival benefit with SCT was more prominent in the historical therapy era. However, patients who received the modern combination therapy of ATRA-ATO with and without idarubicin and GO had similar outcomes without vs. with SCT (P = .848).
The combination of ATRA-ATO (+/- GO and idarubicin) is a highly effective salvage therapy in relapsed APL. The use of SCT may not be needed after first relapse-second remission but may be considered in subsequent relapses.
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