Phase II study of clofarabine in pediatric patients with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia

Leukemia is the most common cancer in childhood. It develops when blood leukocytes are transformed into malignant cells. The disease is divided into acute and chronic. In the case of acute leukemia, white blood cells travel from the bone marrow into the bloodstream before they mature, where they multiply rapidly. In the case of chronic leukemia, tumor cells are mature and multiply more slowly.

The doctor who discovered the pathology begins its immediate treatment. It must be remembered that a disease detected on time is easier and faster to cure. Therefore, it is necessary to be attentive to your health and to contact specialists in time.

Treatment

The Israeli clinic Tel Aviv Medical Clinic employs a team of true professionals who know how to establish friendly contact with a child. Thanks to the modern equipment of our department, it is possible to identify pathology at an early stage and prescribe the correct treatment. Our staff provide round-the-clock care and supervision for young patients. In our clinic, the latest therapy protocols are used as treatment. 

The study involved 42 patients who were treated in this study, had an average age of 13 years. During phase II, a study was conducted on the effect of clofarabine in children with refractory or recurrent AML. Clofarabine was administered intravenously over 2 hours at a pediatric dose with a maximum tolerance (MTD) of 52 mg / m 2 per day for 5 consecutive days. The cycles were repeated every 2-6 weeks. The response rate was 26% and included one complete response without platelet recovery and 10 partial responses. Six of 28 patients who were refractory to prior therapy achieved a response. Thirteen patients (31%), including seven responders, underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) after treatment with clofarabine and survived. The most common adverse events were febrile neutropenia, catheter-associated infection, epistaxis, hypotension, nausea, and fever. Temporary elevation of liver enzymes and hypokalemia have occurred frequently. Five patients died within 30 days of the administration of clofarabine due to progressive disease, and five more died due to an adverse event. Thus, we can conclude that Clofarabine is active in children with multiple relapsed or refractory AML. Thanks to the treatment, remission was achieved.