Could interferon-alpha benefit acute leukemia patients who have minimal residual disease after stem cell transplants?

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of interferon-alpha (IFN-α) in acute leukemia patients with minimal residual disease after stem cell transplantation.

This study concluded that IFN-α is an effective treatment for acute leukemia patients with minimal residual disease after stem cell transplantation. 

Acute leukemia (AL) occurs when bone marrow cells of the body do not mature properly. The blood cells are abnormal and can lead to infection, a weakened immune system and lack of blood clotting. Allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is a common treatment for AL. Stem cells from a donor are given to a patient to restart the immune system and production of cells.

Minimal residual disease (MRD) is found in some AL patients who have undergone HSCT. MRD refers to a small amount of cancer cells that remain after treatment. IFN-α treatment is a therapy that works to boost the immune system to fight against the cancer cells. It is used for MRD in AL patients who have received HSCT.

It was not known how effective IFN-α would be for patients left with minimal residual disease after allogenic HSCT. 

This study involved 107 AL patients who had undergone allogenic HSCT and were MRD-positive. Patients received IFN-α injections 2 or 3 times a week for a period of 6 months.

75.7% of patients who were MRD-positive after HSCT became MRD-negative after IFN-α treatment.

The 2-year probability of event-free survival after IFN-α treatment was 66.5%. An event could be disease progression or death. The probability of being disease-free at 2 years after IFN-α treatment was 82.4%. The 2-year probability of overall survival (time from treatment until death from any cause) after IFN-α treatment was 87.4%.

Persistent MRD after IFN-α treatment was associated with higher chance of relapse (cancer returning) and poorer survival. 

This study concluded that IFN-α treatment is effective for patients who are MRD-positive after allogenic HSCT. 

The limitations to this study are that it was of short duration and only held in one location.  

Consult your physician about IFN-α as a treatment option.