ASCO 2024: Does Gemtuzumab Before SCT Increase Liver-Related Side Effects for AML Patients?

AML specialist Dr. Partow Kebriaei from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, shared findings at the ASCO 2024 conference in June about whether CD33-positive AML patients receiving gemtuzumab before allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT) have an increased risk of liver-related side effects. Read a summary of the key findings below. 

What are Gemtuzumab and Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant?  

Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg) is a targeted cancer therapy used in the treatment of CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML). It works by combining a chemotherapy medicine with an antibody that specifically binds to the CD33 protein found on the surface of AML cells, allowing the medicine to be delivered directly to the cancer cells. This approach helps to minimize the damage to normal cells and improves the effectiveness of the treatment by targeting only the cancerous cells. 

An allogeneic stem cell transplant is a medical procedure in which stem cells (cells capable of forming all types of blood cells) are transferred from a healthy donor to a patient. The term "allogeneic" refers to the fact that the stem cells come from a donor who is genetically different from the recipient. 

Gemtuzumab is often used before stem cell transplantation for CD33-positive AML to decrease the disease burden and improve the chance of transplanted stem cells succeeding. This pre-treatment is often referred to as “conditioning.” 

Does Gemtuzumab Before Stem Cell Transplant Increase Liver-Related Side Effects for AML Patients? 

Gemtuzumab and stem cell transplant as individual treatments have both been associated with liver-related side effects. AML specialists were concerned that pre-treating patients with gemtuzumab before transplant may increase their risk of these side effects. 

Dr. Kebriaei and colleagues evaluated patient data to determine if this was true. They found that overall, the use of gemtuzumab before stem cell transplant was safe for AML patients. At the 100-day check-in following stem cell transplant, liver-related side effects were similar regardless of gemtuzumab pre-treatment. 

In conclusion, Dr. Kebriaei and colleagues found that the use of gemtuzumab before allogeneic stem cell transplant does not increase the risk of liver-related side effects for CD33-positive AML patients. 

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Source

• Safety outcomes in patients with acute myeloid leukemia receiving gemtuzumab ozogamicin and proceeding to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.