Current treatment strategies for Philadelphia chromosome-positive adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Abstract

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is an aggressive hematological disease. The incorporation of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) into the standard treatment regimen for Philadelphia (Ph)-positive ALL significantly improved clinical outcomes. TKI-based induction chemotherapy, followed by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) during the first complete remission (CR), is the standard of care for ALL patients. However, treatment with TKIs alone or TKIs plus low-intensity chemotherapy can achieve CR in some patients. Although this strategy is not enough to induce a deeper molecular response, it can reduce the incidence of treatment-related mortality. Despite promising results from pediatric trials, allogeneic HCT remains an important component of the treatment strategy for Ph-positive adult ALL. However, improving the highly sensitive BCR-ABL1 assays and introducing immunotherapy may decrease the demand for allogeneic HCT. Nevertheless, the treatment of Ph-positive ALL is still challenging, especially in cases with relapsed and refractory disease. Potent TKIs and monoclonal antibodies, such as blinatumomab and inotuzumab, have improved patient outcomes in relapse and refractory cases of ALL. The introduction of effective agents, such as potent TKIs and monoclonal antibodies, may improve the possibility of remission in Ph-positive ALL patients and hopefully cure this disease.