Search

Inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARPi) are increasingly employed as salvage therapy in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), but cytotoxic drug exposure along with PARP inhibition may favor development of hematological disorders. In our study, of 182 women with EOC treated with PARPi, 16 (8.7%) developed therapy-related myeloid neoplasms (t-MNs), with 12 cases of myelodysplasia and 4 of acute myeloid leukemia. All experienced persistent cytopenia after PARPi discontinuation. Seven patients had del(5q)/-5 and/or del(7q)/-7, nine had a complex karyotype and TP53 mutations, recently reported as risk factor for t-MNs in EOC post-PARPi, were found in 12 out of 13 tested patients. Four patients had a rapid and fatal outcome, one had stable disease, eleven underwent induction therapy, followed by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in seven. Three of these 11 patients experienced refractory disease, and 8 had complete remission. During a 6.8 months (range 2.3-49) median observation time, 3 out of 16 patients were alive, with one surviving patient free of both solid and hematological tumors. Ten patients died because of leukemia, two because of transplant-related events, one from heart failure. Five more patients experienced persistent cell blood count abnormalities following PARPi discontinuation, without reaching MDS diagnostic criteria. A customized Myelo-panel showed clonal hematopoiesis in all five patients. These findings confirm the actual risk of t-MNs in EOC patients after chemotherapy and prolonged PARPi therapy. The management of these patients is complex and outcomes are extremely poor. Careful diagnostic procedures are strongly recommended whenever unusual cytopenias develop in patients receiving PARPi therapy., (© 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Cancer published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of UICC.)

We investigated the occurrence and management of therapy-related hematological disorders (tr-HDs) in women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) exposed to poly-ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPi), after previous chemotherapy. We analyzed 130 consecutive EOC patients treated with PARPi at the European Institute of Oncology, Milan. In line with the literature, overall survival of the entire population was 37% at 5.5 years (89% were advanced stages). Cell blood counts were collected prior to start PARPi, at each new cycle and at monthly intervals. Patients displaying persistent and/or marked hematological abnormalities underwent bone marrow evaluation, with cytogenetic and molecular analysis. Nine patients (6,9%) developed tr-HDs, after a median 22.8 months of PARPi exposure. Two patients died early and could not be treated. Two patients have no indication for active treatment and are presently under close hematological monitoring. Five patients underwent chemotherapy followed, in three cases, by allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation: three patients are in complete remission of their hematological and gynecological malignancies at 13, 19, and 25 months; the remaining two patients died due to progression of their hematological disease. We show the potential risk of hematological disorders in EOC patients treated with chemotherapy and prolonged PARPi therapy. In our series, tr-HDs incidence was higher compared to recent reports in large series. Our observations suggest careful monitoring in order to conclusively define, on large series and prolonged follow-up, the actual risk of tr-HDs in patients under PARPi. Notably, prompt diagnosis of hematological abnormalities and appropriate management allow achievement of remission from severe hematological complications, at least in most patients., (© 2020 Union for International Cancer Control.)