Impact of central nervous system involvement in adult patients with Philadelphia-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a GRAALL-2005 study

Whereas the prognosis of adult patients with Philadelphia-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has greatly improved since the advent of pediatric-inspired regimens, the impact of initial central nervous system (CNS) involvement has not been formerly reevaluated. We report herein the outcome of patients with initial CNS involvement included in the pediatric-inspired prospective randomized GRAALL-2005 study. Between 2006 and 2014, 784 adult patients (18-59 years old) with newly diagnosed Philadelphia-negative ALL were included of whom 55 (7%) had CNS involvement. In CNS-positive patients, overall survival was shorter (median 1.9 years vs. not reached, HR=1.8 [1.3-2.6], P