Protocol ALL-IC BFM 2002: Outcomes of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment under Multi-Center Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background. Programs of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment, developed by the BFM (Berlin-Frankfurt -Munster) Group in 2002, remain one the most effective in the world. Long-term (10-15 years) overall survival in ALL children is above 90 %. Great progress in ALL treatment provided ground for including the ALL-IC BFM 2002 protocol into the Clinical Guidelines in 2020 (ID: 529). Aim. To present the outcomes of ALL treatment in children according to ALL-IC BFM 2002 under the multi-center clinical trial. Materials & Methods. From 01.11.2003 to 12.10.2021 the multi-center retrospective-prospective trial included 433 patients with newly diagnosed ALL, aged between 3 months and 21 years. The patients were aged from 0 to 12 (n = 344), from 12 to 18 (n = 70), and older than 18 years (n = 19). All of them were treated with ALL-IC BFM 2002. Overall (OS), disease-free (DFS), and event-free (EFS) survivals were estimated as of 01.12.2021. Results. In the vast majority of patients (97.9 %, n = 424) complete clinical hematological remission was reached by Day 33 of the ALL-IC BFM 2002 treatment. The 10-year OS was 91.8 ± 1.5 %, DFS was 87.4 ± 1.8 %, and EFS was 84.1 ± 1.9 %. The 10-year OS in the groups of standard- and intermediate-risk patients was 92.8 ± 1.7 % and 94.6 ± 2.6 %, respectively, whereas in high-risk ALL relapse patients it was 71.1 ± 11.1 %. Conclusion. The ALL-IC BFM 2002 protocol for treating pediatric ALL is reproducible in federal and regional clinics. The outcomes of the ALL-IC BFM 2002 treatment appeared to be impressive. They are comparable to those achieved in leading European and American clinics. To improve survival of high-risk patients, additional stratifying criteria are required, one of which should be the assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD). MRD detection became a basis for prognostic risk stratification under ALL-IC BFM 2009, the results of which will be presented in 2022-2023.