How I treat adult Ph+ ALL

Abstract

The Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome is one of the few genetic aberrations in which a casualty has been proven and, as such, represents a success in the history of medicine. This is also evident in the setting of Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most frequent genetic subgroup in adult ALL, whose incidence increases with age and whose prognosis, before the advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), was particularly poor. The outcome and management of patients with Ph+ ALL have greatly improved since the incorporation of first-, second-, and third-generation TKIs in the therapeutic backbone and is further changing with the more recent introduction of immunotherapy. This allows for long-term survival rates currently ranging between 75% and 80%. The clinical scenario of adult Ph+ ALL has thus changed profoundly, and new challenges are emerging. In this article, illustrative clinical cases are used to discuss the current role of systemic chemotherapy and allogeneic stem cell transplant, the difficulty in treating central nervous system relapses and, more in general, relapses in the current therapeutic era, and the possibility of stopping TKIs. Finally, the challenges related to an optimal management of these patients are discussed.