Missing the mark? Exploratory analysis of the 10‐year‐old cutoff as an independent marker of high‐risk disease in pediatric B‐ALL

Abstract

AbstractThis single‐center, retrospective study evaluated age as a risk factor for relapsed/refractory disease and/or death in 153 children with B‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The study sample included children near the 10‐year age cutoff for high‐risk disease (6.0‐13.9 years at diagnosis) and without other high‐risk features (high white cell count, unfavorable cytogenetics). Children 10.0‐13.9 years treated per high‐risk protocols did not have inferior outcomes compared with children aged 6.0‐9.9 years initiating treatment per standard‐risk protocols. The study indicates that, in the era of cytogenetics, an age threshold of 10 years might not be an independent prognostic marker. Multicenter analyses are needed.