Table 3.

Potential prognostic and predictive factors in adult ALL

Risk factorsAnnotations
Patient-related   
Age (y) >30-60 y (continuous variable) Independent PF, usually not affecting risk model (age-adapted protocols) 
>55 y (older adults and elderly) 
Performance (ECOG) >1 Retrospective data; relevance in older patients 
Disease-related   
WBC (×109/L) >30 (B), >100 (T) Variably considered 
Immunophenotype Pro-B, CD20+ (B), pro/pre-T, ETP, and mature-T (T) Variably considered 
Cytogenetics and fluorescence in situ hybridization Ph+, t(4;11), hypodiploidy, and complex∗ Key prognostic elements; beside Ph+ and KMT2Ar variably considered 
Genetics BCR::ABL1+, KMT2Ar Key prognostic elements 
 Ph-like, mutated CLRF2/TP53/JAK-STAT, adverse CNA profile (B), unmutated NOTCH1/FBWX7, and abnormal RAS/PTEN (T) Variably considered 
Miscellaneous CNS involvement Occasionally considered 
 Poor treatment compliance and undue treatment reductions and delay Retrospective data, of greater concern with pediatric-type protocols 
 Pharmacogenomics (affecting antimetabolite disposition) Data in children, not usually assessed in adults 
 Immune marrow microenvironment Investigational, for research purposes 
 Drug response profiling Investigational, for research purposes 
Treatment-response dynamics   
Corticosteroid sensitivity (prephase) Poor prednisone response (PB count ≥1 × 109/L at the end of prephase) Historical relevance, occasionally considered 
Early/incomplete blast cell clearance (BM morphology) Day 8-15 or end of induction BM blasts ≥5% Variably considered 
Time to CR (number of courses) >1 cycle (late CR) Variably considered 
MRD (molecular/flow cytometry) MRD positivity (from end of induction onwards):
≥0.1%/0.01% after induction
≥0.01%/positive after/during consolidation and pre/post-allogeneic SCT 
Key and unifying factor predicting outcome 
Risk factorsAnnotations
Patient-related   
Age (y) >30-60 y (continuous variable) Independent PF, usually not affecting risk model (age-adapted protocols) 
>55 y (older adults and elderly) 
Performance (ECOG) >1 Retrospective data; relevance in older patients 
Disease-related   
WBC (×109/L) >30 (B), >100 (T) Variably considered 
Immunophenotype Pro-B, CD20+ (B), pro/pre-T, ETP, and mature-T (T) Variably considered 
Cytogenetics and fluorescence in situ hybridization Ph+, t(4;11), hypodiploidy, and complex∗ Key prognostic elements; beside Ph+ and KMT2Ar variably considered 
Genetics BCR::ABL1+, KMT2Ar Key prognostic elements 
 Ph-like, mutated CLRF2/TP53/JAK-STAT, adverse CNA profile (B), unmutated NOTCH1/FBWX7, and abnormal RAS/PTEN (T) Variably considered 
Miscellaneous CNS involvement Occasionally considered 
 Poor treatment compliance and undue treatment reductions and delay Retrospective data, of greater concern with pediatric-type protocols 
 Pharmacogenomics (affecting antimetabolite disposition) Data in children, not usually assessed in adults 
 Immune marrow microenvironment Investigational, for research purposes 
 Drug response profiling Investigational, for research purposes 
Treatment-response dynamics   
Corticosteroid sensitivity (prephase) Poor prednisone response (PB count ≥1 × 109/L at the end of prephase) Historical relevance, occasionally considered 
Early/incomplete blast cell clearance (BM morphology) Day 8-15 or end of induction BM blasts ≥5% Variably considered 
Time to CR (number of courses) >1 cycle (late CR) Variably considered 
MRD (molecular/flow cytometry) MRD positivity (from end of induction onwards):
≥0.1%/0.01% after induction
≥0.01%/positive after/during consolidation and pre/post-allogeneic SCT 
Key and unifying factor predicting outcome 

∗Definition of complex karyotype: 5 or more chromosomal abnormalities excluding those patients with an established translocation.38 

CNS, central nervous system; ECOG, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; and ETP, early thymic precursor.

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