Aggressive natural killer cell leukemia therapy in the L-asparaginase era: why are we failing?

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Aggressive natural killer cell leukemia (ANKL) is a rare malignancy with poor prognosis and unclear treatment strategies. Given the poor prognosis and lack of a standardized treatment for ANKL, this study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of L-asparaginase (L-ASNase)-based chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT).

Methods

This retrospective study analyzed 51 patients with ANKL (2000-2023) to assess the clinical outcomes and efficacy of L-ASNase-based chemotherapy.

Results

Among the study patients, 18 (36.7%) had poor performance status (ECOG-PS ≥ 3) and 7 (13.7%) died before initiating chemotherapy. Of the 44 treated patients, 30 (58.9%) received L-ASNase-based regimens, showing higher response rates (46.7% vs. 21.4%) and a slightly

SUBMITTER: Yoon SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12549498 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature