ALL Adult Consortium Trial: Adult ALL Trial

The purpose of this study is to determine the safety and effectiveness of a multi-drug chemotherapy regimen in adult patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). We will use a regimen that is often used in pediatric patients and we will add drugs called PEG-asparaginase and E. coli asparaginase. PEG-asparaginase has been given as an injection in the past and has been used in treatment with both children and adults with ALL. Information from those other research studies suggests that intravenous PEG-asparaginase has been administered safely in both children and adults. We hope to gain more information about the participants disease and how it responds to standard chemotherapy drugs used to treat ALL>

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Doxorubicin; Drug: Cytarabine; Drug: Methotrexate; Drug: Vincristine; Drug: Cyclophosphamide; Drug: Methylprednisone; Drug: Hydrocortisone Sodium Succinate; Drug: Dexamethasone; Drug: 6-MP; Drug: PEG-Asparaginase; Drug: Imatinib; Drug: Etoposide; Procedure: Radiation Therapy; Drug: E. coli Asparaginase

Detailed Description

• This study has several periods of treatment called phases and uses several different drugs in each phase. The drugs may be given by mouth, into a vein, or into the spinal fluid (called intrathecal chemotherapy). In some individuals this treatment helps prevent leukemia cells from coming back in the spinal fluid and brain. Radiation therapy will also be administered as part of this treatment regimen.
• The treatment program consists of 2-different treatment arms with six separate phases of therapy. The phases of treatment are: (1) Steroid prophase (2) Induction (3) Consolidation I (4) Central nervous system (CNS) therapy (5) Consolidation II (6) Continuation.
• The participants treatment arm will depend on the status of their leukemia at the end of the induction therapy (the second phase of treatment). Arm A: all participants who achieve complete remission after Induction and Arm B: all participants who fail to achieve a complete remission after Induction.
• Steroid Prophase: All participants are involved in this treatment phase which consists of two drugs, one given intravenously (IV) and one given intrathecally. This phase lasts 3 days and the purpose is to collect scientific data that might be useful in the future and to see how steroids work in treating leukemia
• Induction: This phase begins immediately after the steroid prophase and lasts about 1 month. Induction is used to cause a remission. Eight drugs are used during this phase of treatment, and administration is either orally, IV or intrathecal. On day 29, participant's bone marrow and peripheral blood counts will be tested. If they have achieved complete remission or partial remission, they will proceed to the next phase of treatment. If they are not in complete remission, they will receive vincristine by IV on days 32, 39 and 46, until complete remission is achieved. If they do not achieve complete or partial remission by day 53 they will be removed from the study.
• Consolidation I: This phase of treatment begins as soon as there is a documented confirmation that the participant's leukemia is either in complete or partial remission. Treatment in this phase lasts about 7 weeks and is intended to further reduce the number of leukemia cells in the body. This consolidation treatment consists of 3 phases: 1A, 1B and 1C. Each phase involves a three week cycle of chemotherapy. Arm A and Arm B will be assigned according to remission status after induction therapy and will determine the order that the participant follows the Consolidation phases.
• Central Nervous System (CNS) Therapy: CNS therapy begins 3 weeks after the end of Consolidation I therapy and should last 3 weeks. Treatment includes a series of lumbar punctures with the administration of anti-leukemia drug as well as oral drugs and IV drugs. Radiation therapy will also be given during this phase of therapy. The purpose of radiation therapy is to prevent leukemia from coming back in the brain. Radiation therapy will be given in either 8 or 10 daily treatments.
• Consolidation II Therapy: This phase begins as soon as CNS therapy ends and lasts about 27-30 weeks. It consists of cycles of chemotherapy repeated every three weeks along with IV PEG-asparaginase administered every 3 weeks. The cycles will be repeated until the participant receives a total of 10 doses of asparaginase.
• Continuation Therapy: This phase begins after the end of the Consolidation II phase. The goal of this phase is to get rid of all leukemia in the body. It consists of cycles of chemotherapy repeated every three weeks and will last until the participant has been in remission for two years.
• During all phases of treatment, participants will have tests and procedures to monitor their health and for research purposes.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 112
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • British Columbia
    • Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5Z 4E6
      • Vancouver Cancer Center
  • Manitoba
    • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3E 0V9
      • Cancer Care Manitoba
  • New Brunswick
    • Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
      • The Moncton Hospital
  • Nova Scotia
    • Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, B3H 2Y9
      • QEII, Health Sciences Centre
  • Quebec
    • Greenfield Park, Quebec, Canada, J4V 2H1
      • Hôpital Charles LeMoyne
    • Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H1T 2M4
      • Hopital Maisonneuve Rosemont
    • Montreal, Quebec, Canada
      • Hôpital Notre-Dame
    • Montreal, Quebec, Canada
      • McGill University Department of Oncology
• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215
      • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
      • Massachusetts General Hospital
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
      • Children's Hospital of Boston
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02215
      • Beth Isreal Deaconess Medical Center
  • New York
    • New York, New York, United States, 10032
      • Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Medical Center
  • Ohio
    • Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43210
      • Ohio State University Medical Center
  • Utah
    • Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, 84143
      • LDS Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 50 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, excluding known mature B-cell ALL by the presence of any of the following: surface immunoglobulin, L3 morphology, t(8;14)(q24;q32), t(8;22), or t(2;8)
• Age 18.00-50.99 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Prior anti-leukemic therapy except 1 week or less of steroids, and/or emergent radiation therapy to the mediastinum, or hydroxyurea or emergent leukopheresis
• Known HIV positive
• Secondary ALL
• Pregnant or breast feeding women
• Patients with an active psychiatric or mental illness making informed consent or careful clinical follow-up unlikely

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Pre-amendment cohort, 2500 IU/m2 q2 weeks; The first 66 patients enrolled under the initial design. In the post-induction phases, IV asparaginase was administered every two weeks at the higher dose of 2500 IU/m2, for a total of 30 post-induction weeks. IV asparaginase was administered as a single dose during induction. Protocol therapy was comprised of 6 phases: Prophase, Induction, Consolidation I, CNS, Consolidation II, and Continuation, and varied based off risk classification.	Drug: Doxorubicin; Induction: Intravenously on days 4 and 5. Consolidation 1A: Intravenously on day 1. CNS Therapy: Intravenously on day 1. Consolidation II: Intravenously day 1 of each cycle.; Drug: Cytarabine; Prophase: Intravenously on days 1-3. Induction: Intrathecal on days 15 or 18. Consolidation IB: Intravenously or subcutaneous on days 2-5 and 9-12. Consolidation IC: Intravenously every 12 hours starting on day 1 CNS Therapy: Intrathecal 4 times over 2 weeks. Consolidation II: Intrathecal once every 18 weeks Continuation: Intrathecal every 18 weeks; Drug: Methotrexate; Induction: Intravenously on day 6 and intrathecally on day 29 or 32. Consolidation IA: Intravenously on day 1 and intrathecally on Day 1 (prior to IV). Consolidation IB: Intrathecally on day 1. CNS Therapy: Intrathecally 4 times over 2 weeks. Consolidation: Intrathecally once every 18 weeks. Continuation: Intravenously weekly and intrathecally every 18 weeks.; Drug: Vincristine; Induction: Intravenously on days 4, 11, 18, 25. Consolidation IA: Intravenously on day 1. CNS Therapy: Intravenously on day 1. Consolidation II: Intravenously on day 1 of each cycle.; Drug: Cyclophosphamide; Consolidation IB: Intravenously on day 1; Drug: Methylprednisone; Prophase: Intravenously on days 1-3; Drug: Hydrocortisone Sodium Succinate; Induction: Intrathecally on day 15 or 18. CNS Therapy: Intrathecally 4 times over 2 weeks. Consolidation II: Intrathecally once every 18 weeks. Continuation: Intrathecally every 18 weeks.; Drug: Dexamethasone; Consolidation IC: Orally on days 1-5 twice per day. Consolidation II: Orally on days 1-5 of each cycle. Continuation: Orally on days 1-5 of each cycle.; Drug: 6-MP; Induction: Orally on days 3-43 or 33-46. Consolidation IA: orally on days 1-14. Consolidation IB: orally on days 1-14. CNS Therapy: Orally on days 1-14. Consolidation II: Orally on days 1-14. Continuation: Orally on days 1-14 of each cycle.; Drug: PEG-Asparaginase; Consolidation IC: Intravenously every 3 weeks, starting on day 8. CNS Therapy: Intravenously every 3 weeks, starting 3 weeks after the Consolidation IC dose. Consolidation II: Intravenously every 3 weeks.; Drug: Imatinib; Used for PH+ ALL subjects enrolled prior to May 1st 2011 only and is used continuously throughout every phase of treatment.; Drug: Etoposide; Consolidation IC: intravenously on days 3, 4 and 5 of this cycle.; Procedure: Radiation Therapy; Given during CNS Therapy either 8 or 10 daily treatments, on days 1-8 or 1-10, depending upon leukemia involvement in the CSF; Drug: E. coli Asparaginase; Intramuscularly Day 7 of Induction.
Experimental: Post-amendment cohort, 2000 IU/m2 q3 weeks; The 46 patients enrolled under amended design, after August 1, 2011. In the post-induction phases, IV asparaginase was administered every 3 weeks at the dose of 2000 IU/m2, for a total of 30 post-induction weeks. E. coli asparaginase was administered as a single dose during induction. Protocol therapy was comprised of 6 phases: Prophase, Induction, Consolidation I, CNS, Consolidation II, and Continuation, and varied based off risk classification.	Drug: Doxorubicin; Induction: Intravenously on days 4 and 5. Consolidation 1A: Intravenously on day 1. CNS Therapy: Intravenously on day 1. Consolidation II: Intravenously day 1 of each cycle.; Drug: Cytarabine; Prophase: Intravenously on days 1-3. Induction: Intrathecal on days 15 or 18. Consolidation IB: Intravenously or subcutaneous on days 2-5 and 9-12. Consolidation IC: Intravenously every 12 hours starting on day 1 CNS Therapy: Intrathecal 4 times over 2 weeks. Consolidation II: Intrathecal once every 18 weeks Continuation: Intrathecal every 18 weeks; Drug: Methotrexate; Induction: Intravenously on day 6 and intrathecally on day 29 or 32. Consolidation IA: Intravenously on day 1 and intrathecally on Day 1 (prior to IV). Consolidation IB: Intrathecally on day 1. CNS Therapy: Intrathecally 4 times over 2 weeks. Consolidation: Intrathecally once every 18 weeks. Continuation: Intravenously weekly and intrathecally every 18 weeks.; Drug: Vincristine; Induction: Intravenously on days 4, 11, 18, 25. Consolidation IA: Intravenously on day 1. CNS Therapy: Intravenously on day 1. Consolidation II: Intravenously on day 1 of each cycle.; Drug: Cyclophosphamide; Consolidation IB: Intravenously on day 1; Drug: Methylprednisone; Prophase: Intravenously on days 1-3; Drug: Hydrocortisone Sodium Succinate; Induction: Intrathecally on day 15 or 18. CNS Therapy: Intrathecally 4 times over 2 weeks. Consolidation II: Intrathecally once every 18 weeks. Continuation: Intrathecally every 18 weeks.; Drug: Dexamethasone; Consolidation IC: Orally on days 1-5 twice per day. Consolidation II: Orally on days 1-5 of each cycle. Continuation: Orally on days 1-5 of each cycle.; Drug: 6-MP; Induction: Orally on days 3-43 or 33-46. Consolidation IA: orally on days 1-14. Consolidation IB: orally on days 1-14. CNS Therapy: Orally on days 1-14. Consolidation II: Orally on days 1-14. Continuation: Orally on days 1-14 of each cycle.; Drug: PEG-Asparaginase; Consolidation IC: Intravenously every 3 weeks, starting on day 8. CNS Therapy: Intravenously every 3 weeks, starting 3 weeks after the Consolidation IC dose. Consolidation II: Intravenously every 3 weeks.; Drug: Imatinib; Used for PH+ ALL subjects enrolled prior to May 1st 2011 only and is used continuously throughout every phase of treatment.; Drug: Etoposide; Consolidation IC: intravenously on days 3, 4 and 5 of this cycle.; Procedure: Radiation Therapy; Given during CNS Therapy either 8 or 10 daily treatments, on days 1-8 or 1-10, depending upon leukemia involvement in the CSF; Drug: E. coli Asparaginase; Intramuscularly Day 7 of Induction.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Asparaginase Completion Rate	Feasibility based on the rate of asparaginase completed defined as the percentage of patients who, after having achieved a complete remission after induction therapy, complete >25 weeks of IV PEG asparaginase as part of intensification therapy. Complete remission is defined as an interpretable bone marrow (a specimen with normal marrow elements present) with fewer than 5% lymphoblasts and peripheral blood without lymphoblasts, and an antigen presenting cell (APC) > 1000/mm3 and platelets > 100,000/mm3, and no evidence of extramedullary leukemia.	Assessed at the end of the 30-week post-induction treatment period or when the participant comes off treatment, whichever occurs first.
Number of Participants With Grade 3 or Worse Toxicity.	Defined as the number of participants who experience the following grade 3 or worse adverse events based on Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v3: Neutrophils, Platelets, Febrile neutropenia, Infection, Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Bilirubin, Liver dysfunction/failure, Hyperglycemia, Stomatitis, CNS hemorrhage, Thrombosis, Seizure, Osteonecrosis, Hypersensitivity, Pancreatitis, Neuropathy.	Assessed on an ongoing basis (at least once every 3 months) while on study, including the treatment phases of Induction, Consolidation I & II, CNS, and Continuation. Treatment duration for this study was a median (range) of 287 days (2-974).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Complete Remission Rate	Complete remission rate is defined as the percentage of patients with an interpretable bone marrow (a specimen with normal marrow elements present) with fewer than 5% lymphoblasts and peripheral blood without lymphoblasts, and an antigen presenting cell (APC) > 1000/mm3 and platelets > 100,000/mm3, and no evidence of extramedullary leukemia.	3-day Steroid prophase and 4-week induction treatment period. Participants are assessed on Day 32 of induction.
3-year Disease Free Survival	Disease-Free Survival (DFS) based on the Kaplan-Meier method is defined as the time from achieving a complete remission to the first of disease recurrence or death, censored at time of last disease assessment. 3-year DFS is the percentage probability of patients remaining alive, relapse-free and without occurrence of second malignant neoplasm 3 years from complete remission. Disease release is defined as >25% lymphoblasts identified morphologically in bone marrow aspirate/biopsy, or identification of lymphoblasts in marrow (any percentage) identified to be leukemic by flow cytometry, cytogenetics, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), immunohistochemistry, or other tests. Appearance of leukemic cells at any extramedullary site (a single, unequivocal lymphoblast in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may qualify as CNS leukemia) also qualifies if confirmed by the PI.	Assessed continuously throughout the treatment period, and annually for 5 years following the completion of protocol treatment (up to 5 years). Relevant for this measure is 3 years from the date of complete remission.
3-year Overall Survival	Overall Survival (OS) based on the Kaplan-Meier method is defined as the time from study entry to death from any cause and will be censored the date last known alive.	Assessed continuously throughout the treatment period, and annually for 5 years following the completion of protocol treatment (up to 5 years). Relevant for this measure is 3 years from the date of study entry.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• Collaborators: Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston Children's Hospital; NCIC Clinical Trials Group
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Daniel DeAngelo, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: April 1, 2007
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 18, 2007
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 18, 2007
• First Posted (Estimated): May 21, 2007

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 12, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 10, 2025
• Last Verified: June 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: ALL
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neoplasms; Immune System Diseases; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Hematologic Diseases; Lymphatic Diseases; Lymphoproliferative Disorders; Immunoproliferative Disorders; Leukemia, Lymphoid; Leukemia; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma; Anti-Infective Agents; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; Antineoplastic Agents; Immunosuppressive Agents; Immunologic Factors; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Antiemetics; Autonomic Agents; Peripheral Nervous System Agents; Gastrointestinal Agents; Glucocorticoids; Hormones; Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; Enzyme Inhibitors; Antirheumatic Agents; Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal; Abortifacient Agents; Reproductive Control Agents; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; Antimetabolites; Dermatologic Agents; Folic Acid Antagonists; Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; Antiviral Agents; Tubulin Modulators; Antimitotic Agents; Mitosis Modulators; Topoisomerase Inhibitors; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; Alkylating Agents; Myeloablative Agonists; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Topoisomerase II Inhibitors; Dexamethasone; Methotrexate; Cyclophosphamide; Cytarabine; Etoposide; Doxorubicin; Vincristine; Hydrocortisone; Hydrocortisone 17-butyrate 21-propionate; Hydrocortisone acetate; Hydrocortisone hemisuccinate; Asparaginase; Pegaspargase
• Other Study ID Numbers: 06-254