Minimal Residual Disease–Guided Treatment Deintensification for Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Results From the Malaysia-Singapore Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia 2003 Study

Abstract

To improve treatment outcome for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), we designed the Malaysia-Singapore ALL 2003 study with treatment stratification based on presenting clinical and genetic features and minimal residual disease (MRD) levels measured by polymerase chain reaction targeting a single antigen-receptor gene rearrangement. Five hundred fifty-six patients received risk-adapted therapy with a modified Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster–ALL treatment. High-risk ALL was defined by MRD ≥ 1 × 10⁻³ at week 12 and/or poor prednisolone response, BCR-ABL1, MLL gene rearrangements, hypodiploid less than 45 chromosomes, or induction failure; standard-risk ALL was defined by MRD ≤ 1 × 10⁻⁴ at weeks 5 and 12 and no extramedullary involvement or high-risk features. Intermediate-risk ALL included all remaining patients. Patients who lacked high-risk presenting features (85.7%) received remission induction therapy with dexamethasone, vincristine, and asparaginase, without anthracyclines. Six-year event-free survival (EFS) was 80.6% ± 3.5%; overall survival was 88.4% ± 3.1%. Standard-risk patients (n = 172; 31%) received significantly deintensified subsequent therapy without compromising EFS (93.2% ± 4.1%). High-risk patients (n = 101; 18%) had the worst EFS (51.8% ± 10%); EFS was 83.6% ± 4.9% in intermediate-risk patients (n = 283; 51%). Our results demonstrate significant progress over previous trials in the region. Three-drug remission-induction therapy combined with MRD-based risk stratification to identify poor responders is an effective strategy for childhood ALL.