Clinical and Molecular Predictors of Response and Survival Following Venetoclax Plus Hypomethylating Agents in Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Single-Center Study in Chinese Patients.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and the clinical and molecular predictors of response and survival following venetoclax plus hypomethylating agents (VEN + HMAs) in adult relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML) patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 197 adult R/R AML patients who received the VEN + HMAs regimen. Molecular profiling was performed using targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) of 139 genes to explore potential response and survival genetic predictors.

RESULTS

The median treatment cycle was 1 (1-4) cycle. The composite complete remission (CRc) rate, encompassing complete remission (CR) and CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi), was 44.7%, while the overall response rate (ORR) reached 59.9%. With a median follow-up period of 14.0 months (range: 0.7-54.0 months), the 1-year and 2-year overall survival (OS) rates were 55.4% and 40.2%, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that mutations in and were significantly associated with improved response rates. Conversely, prior exposure to HMA therapy, early relapse, and the presence of mutations were linked to lower response rates. Regarding survival outcomes, the fusion gene, as well as mutations in and , were found to be favorable prognostic factors for OS, whereas mutations in , , , and were associated with worse OS.

CONCLUSIONS

The VEN + HMAs regimen demonstrated considerable efficacy in the treatment of R/R AML patients, with both response rates and overall survival being influenced by distinct genetic features. These findings provide valuable insights into optimizing personalized treatment strategies for this challenging patient population.