The findings, published in Blood Advances, are the first comprehensive analysis of relapse risk factors in children receiving blinatumomab as a replacement for parts of standard chemotherapy. This could lead to a more targeted approach, sparing some children unnecessary chemotherapy while maintaining excellent outcomes.
The research has already informed revisions of national UK treatment guidelines. Dr Sujith Samarasinghe, Consultant Paediatric Haematologist at GOSH and joint lead author, stated: "Being able to accurately predict how this kinder, more effective medicine will help our patients means less chemotherapy, more days at school, more time at home and ultimately more time spent being children."
“"We are already seeing the real-world impact of this work, with the findings now helping guide how children across the UK are treated."
Professor Anthony Moorman from Newcastle University explained that while blinatumomab is transforming leukaemia treatment, traditional risk factors for chemotherapy may not apply. "Our findings show that many of them do not. Instead, a child's early response to blinatumomab, together with specific genetic features of their leukaemia, provides a much more accurate picture of relapse risk."
“"Reducing exposure to chemotherapy has the potential to lessen side effects and improve quality of life, while ensuring that higher-risk patients receive the treatment they need."
The study involved over 200 young patients across 24 centres in the UK and Ireland. Using the findings, researchers developed a new tool called BlinPredict, which combines early treatment response with genetic information to identify patients most at risk of their cancer returning. This marks an important step towards a new generation of treatment strategies for the immunotherapy era.
