No evidence that FLT3 status should be considered as an indicator for transplantation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML): an analysis of 1135 patients, excluding acute promyelocytic leukemia, from the UK MRC AML10 and 12 trials

Blood. 2005 Nov 15;106(10):3658-65. doi: 10.1182/blood-2005-03-1323. Epub 2005 Aug 2.

Abstract

Fetal liver tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) internal tandem duplications (ITDs) are powerful adverse prognostic indicators for relapse in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) but the most efficacious therapy for FLT3/ITD(+) patients is currently unknown. We evaluated outcome according to FLT3/ITD status in 1135 adult patients treated according to United Kingdom Medical Research Council (UK MRC) AML protocols: 141 received an autograft, and 170 received a matched sibling allograft in first complete remission (CR). An FLT3/ITD was detected in 25% of patients and was an independent predictor for relapse (P < .001). It remained prognostic for increased relapse in patients who received a transplant (odds ratio [OR] = 1.91; 95% confidence intervals [CIs] = 1.13-3.21; P = .02), with no evidence of a difference in effect between patients who received an autograft (OR = 2.39; CIs = 1.24-4.62) and patients who received an allograft (OR = 1.31; CIs = 0.56-3.06) (test for interaction, P = .3) or between patients who did or did not receive a transplant (P = .4). These results were confirmed in an analysis of 186 patients randomized to receive or not receive an autograft in first CR and in a donor-versus-no donor analysis of 683 patients to assess the role of allograft (for latter, FLT3/ITD(-) OR = 0.70, CIs = 0.53-0.92; FLT3/ITD(+) OR = 0.59, CIs = 0.40-0.87; test for interaction, P = .5). These results suggest that at present there is no strong evidence that FLT3 status should influence the decision to proceed to transplantation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Biomarkers, Tumor* / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor* / metabolism
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Gene Duplication*
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / genetics
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / metabolism
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / therapy*
  • Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / genetics
  • Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / metabolism
  • Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / therapy
  • Male
  • Meta-Analysis as Topic
  • Middle Aged
  • Prognosis
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Recurrence
  • Stem Cell Transplantation* / methods
  • Transplantation, Autologous
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • United Kingdom
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3* / genetics
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3* / metabolism

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • FLT3 protein, human
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3