Dasatinib for a child with philadelphia chromosome–positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia and persistently elevated minimal residual disease during imatinib therapy

Imatinib has improved outcomes in patients with Philadelphia chromosome–positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Minimal residual disease (MRD) is a useful tool for predicting leukemia relapse. However, there is no consensus on how to treat children with elevation of BCR-ABL transcripts but no evidence of hematologic relapse during chemotherapy combined with imatinib. Here, we report the case of a child with Ph+ all who had persistent elevation of mrd, but no evidence of hematologic relapse while receiving imatinib plus intensive chemotherapy. Dasatinib was substituted for imatinib because no suitable donor for allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) was available. Less-intensive chemotherapy with methotrexate and 6-mercaptopurine was administered concomitantly. No serious adverse events were encountered. With continuous dasatinib combined with chemotherapy, but no allogeneic HSCT, our patient reached complete molecular remission and has been in complete molecular remission for more than 13 months. This report is the first about the long-term use of dasatinib in patients with Ph+ ALL and MRD elevation but hematologic remission during imatinib chemotherapy. In a similar situation, chemotherapy combined with dasatinib instead of allogeneic HSCT could be considered to avoid HSCT-related mortality and morbidity. Clinical trials are needed.