Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia can be successfully treated in the frail elderly

Publish date:: June 3, 2020

Key clinical point: Attenuated chemotherapy shows effectiveness in frail and elderly acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients.

Major finding: The complete remission rate was 54%, with the probability of overall survival at 7.6 months.

Study details: A series of 72 older and elderly frail patients with Philadelphia chromosome–negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia prospectively treated with very attenuated chemotherapy.

Disclosures: The study was supported by the CERCA Program/Generalitat de Catalunya and the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute. The authors reported having no disclosures.

Citation:

Ribera J-M et al. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk. 2020 Apr 5. doi: 10.1016/j.clml.2020.03.011.

This Week's Must Reads

Younger adults present with more advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma,

PDAC: Tumor reduction after neoadjuvant therapy may predict postsurgical survival,

Mortality risks rise with age, infections, but not inhibitor status in persons with non-severe hemophilia A,

‘Impressive’ local control with MRI-guided brachytherapy in cervical cancer,

U.S. mothers underestimate role breastfeeding plays in curbing breast cancer,

Must Reads in ALL

In high-risk first relapse ALL, blinatumomab seen superior to consolidation chemo,

Well tolerated with promising responses in ALL/LL: Venetoclax plus navitoclax plus chemotherapy,

Highly effective in Ph-negative B-cell ALL: Hyper-CVAD with sequential blinatumomab,

Study: Complications from childhood ALL and its treatment are common, but can be managed,