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Refractory or relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated by clofarabine

07-03-2006

Pediatric patients with refractory or relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) could be treated by clofarabine.

According to a recent report, researchers in the United States conducted a study "to evaluate the efficacy and safety of clofarabine, a novel deoxyadenosine analog, in pediatric patients with refractory or relapsed ALL. In a phase II, open-label, multicenter study, 61 pediatric patients with refractory or relapsed ALL received clofarabine 52 mg/m2 intravenously over 2 hours daily for 5 days, every 2 to 6 weeks. The median age was 12 years (range, 1 to 20 years), and the median number of prior regimens was three (range, 2 to 6 regimens)."

"The response rate was 30%, consisting of 7 complete remissions (CR), 5 CRs without platelet recovery (CRp), and 6 partial remissions. Remissions were durable enough to allow patients to proceed to hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) after clofarabine. Median CR duration in patients who did not receive HSCT was 6 weeks, with 4 patients maintaining CR or CRp for 8 weeks or more (8+, 12, 37+, and 48 weeks) on clofarabine therapy alone. The most common adverse events of grade {{>=}}3 were febrile neutropenia, anorexia, hypotension, and nausea," explained S. Jeha and colleagues, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The researchers concluded, "Clofarabine is active as a single agent in pediatric patients with multiple relapsed or refractory ALL. The toxicity profile is as expected in this heavily pretreated patient population. Studies exploring rational combinations of clofarabine with other agents are ongoing in an effort to maximize clinical benefit."

Jeha and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (Phase II study of clofarabine in pediatric patients with refractory or relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Clin Oncol, 2006;24(12):1917-1923).

For additional information, contact S. Jeha, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Dept. Hematology Oncology, 332 N Lauderdale St., Memphis, TN 38105, USA.

Publisher contact information for the Journal of Clinical Oncology is: American Society Clinical Oncology, 330 John Carlyle St., Ste. 300, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA.

Keywords: Memphis, Tennessee, United States, Adverse Drug Effect, Adverse Drug Event, Adverse Drug Reaction, Biomedical Engineering, Biomedicine, Cell Transplant, Clofarabine, Cancer Drugs, Epidemiology, Hematology, Hematopoietic, Hypotension, Leukemia, Oncology, Pharmaceuticals, Cancer Therapy.

This article was prepared by Clinical Oncology Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2006, Clinical Oncology Week via NewsRx.com.