Tapan Kadia, MD- Professor, Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
In this presentation Tapan Kadia, MD discusses the challenge of high relapse rates despite achieving complete remissions with newer therapies. Historical attempts at maintenance therapy are reviewed, with improvements seen in relapse-free survival but not overall survival.
Dr. Kadia highlights the success of oral hypomethylating agents (HMAs), specifically oral azacitidine, in improving overall survival post-consolidation while maintaining better quality of life and tolerability. The presentation also delves into the benefits of targeted therapies, such as FLT3 inhibitors sorafenib and gilteritinib, in reducing relapse rates post-transplant, particularly in patients with FLT3 mutations and MRD-positive disease. The potential of combining targeted therapies with HMAs and exploring immune-based strategies for maintenance therapy is discussed, along with the concept of personalized maintenance therapy based on specific mutations and leukemia characteristics.