Clinical Efficacy of Ponatinib in Philadelphia-Positive T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with Extramedullary Involvement

Abstract

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a rare entity in the adult acute leukemia setting. Translocation (9;22)(q34;q11) and <i>BCR-ABL1</i> rearrangement are occasionally found in T-ALL and have been reported in no more than 100 cases in the literature (most of which are chronic myeloid leukemia blast crisis). Here, we report the remarkable effectiveness of third-generation tyrosine-kinase inhibitor ponatinib in obtaining hematological and metabolic remission, in a patient with Philadelphia chromosome-positive de novo T-ALL and outcomes of a therapeutic strategy containing chemotherapy intensification, nelarabine, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.