Premium
Advances in therapy for Philadelphia‐positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia of childhood and adolescence
Author(s) -
Bleckmann Kirsten,
Schrappe Martin
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/bjh.13896
Subject(s) - medicine , oncology , transplantation , hematopoietic stem cell transplantation , stem cell , adverse effect , fusion gene , clinical trial , tyrosine kinase inhibitor , acute lymphocytic leukemia , immunology , pediatrics , leukemia , lymphoblastic leukemia , gene , cancer , biochemistry , chemistry , genetics , biology
Summary The presence of the BCR / ABL 1 fusion gene in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia ( ALL ) is a rare finding and has been an adverse prognostic factor associated with a high risk of therapeutic failure. The current key components of treatment are intensive polychemotherapy and a BCR / ABL 1 kinase domain inhibitor. This treatment approach has been applied in a few clinical trials by paediatric leukaemia study groups. Thus, this subtype of ALL serves as the first model system for truly targeted treatment. The role of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation ( HSCT ) is increasingly called into question, at least in a favourable, though not yet clearly defined, subset of patients. Currently, the choice of the most effective tyrosine kinase inhibitor is not yet settled, in particular, in view of potential reduction of overall treatment intensity.