Comparative study of therapy-related and de novo adult b-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

We report a comparative analysis of patients with therapy-related acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (tr-ALL) vs de novo ALL. We identified 331 patients with B-ALL; 69 (21%) were classified as tr-ALL. The most common prior malignancies were breast (23 center dot 2%) and plasma cell disorders (20 center dot 3%). Patients with tr-ALL were older (median 63 center dot 2 vs. 46 center dot 2 years, P < 0.001), more often female (66 center dot 7% vs. 43 center dot 5%, P < 0 center dot 001), and more likely to have hypodiploid cytogenetics (18 center dot 8% vs. 5 center dot 0%, P < 0 center dot 001). In multivariable analysis, patients with tr-ALL were less likely to achieve complete remission [odds ratio (OR) = 0 center dot 16, P < 0 center dot 001] and more likely to be minimal residual disease-positive (OR = 4 center dot 86, P = 0 center dot 01) but had similar OS after diagnosis and allo-haematopoietic cell transplantation.