Comparable relapse incidence after unrelated allogeneic stem cell transplantation with post‐transplant cyclophosphamide versus conventional anti‐graft versus host disease prophylaxis in patients with acute myeloid leukemia: A study on behalf of the Acute Leukemia Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation

Abstract

We compared relapse incidence (RI) post‐unrelated transplantation with post‐transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) versus no PTCy graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, in 7049 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients in remission, 707 with PTCy, and 6342 without (No PTCy). The patients in the PTCy group were younger, 52.7 versus 56.6 years (p < .001). There were more 9/10 donors in the PTCy group, 33.8% versus 16.4% (p < .001), and more received myeloablative conditioning, 61.7% versus 50.2% (p < .001). In the No PTCy group, 87.7% of patients received in vivo T‐cell depletion. Neutrophil and platelet engraftment were lower in the PTCy versus No PTCy group, 93.8% and 80.9% versus 97.6% and 92.6% (p < .001). RI was not significantly different in the PTCy versus the No PTCy group, hazard ratio (HR) of 1.11 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9–1.37) (p = .31). Acute GVHD grades II–IV and III–IV, were significantly lower in the PTCy versus the No PTCy group, HR of 0.74 (95% CI 0.59–0.92, p = .007) and HR = 0.56 (95% CI 0.38–0.83, p = .004), as were total and extensive chronic GVHD, HRs of 0.5 (95% CI 0.41–0.62, p < .001) and HR = 0.31 (95% CI 0.22–0.42, p < .001). Non‐relapse mortality (NRM) was significantly lower with PTCy versus the No PTCy group, HR of 0.67 (95% CI 0.5–0.91, p = .007). GVHD‐free, relapse‐free survival (GRFS) was higher in the PTCy versus the No PTCy group, HR of 0.69 (95% CI 0.59–0.81, p = .001). Leukemia‐free survival (LFS) and overall survival (OS) did not differ between the groups. In summary, we observed comparable RI, OS, and LFS, significantly lower incidences of GVHD and NRM, and significantly higher GRFS in AML patients undergoing unrelated donor‐hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with PTCy versus No PTCy GVHD prophylaxis.