Outcomes of intensification of induction chemotherapy for children with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group

Elgarten CW, Wood AC, Li Y, Alonzo TA, Brodersen LE, Gerbing RB, Getz KD, Huang YV, Loken M, Meshinchi S, Pollard JA, Sung L, Woods WG, Kolb EA, Gamis AS, Aplenc R. Outcomes of intensification of induction chemotherapy for children with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2021 Dec;68(12):e29281. doi: 10.1002/pbc.29281. Epub 2021 Oct 1. PubMed PMID: 34596937; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8717610.

High-risk pediatric acute myeloid leukemia confers a poor prognosis, and alternative strategies are needed to improve outcomes. We hypothesized that intensifying induction on the AAML1031 clinical trial would improve outcomes compared to the predecessor trial AAML0531. Patients on AAML0531 received cytarabine (1600 mg/m2 )/daunorubicin (150 mg/m2 )/etoposide (ADE) for induction II and patients on AAML1031 received mitoxantrone (48 mg/m2 )/cytarabine (8000 mg/m2 ) (MA). Stem cell transplant (SCT) conditioning included busulfan/cyclophosphamide on AAML0531, whereas AAML1031 used busulfan/fludarabine and liberalized donor eligibility. Patients were included in this analysis if they met high-risk criteria common to the two trials by cytogenics or poor disease response after induction I ADE.