Agents for refractory/relapsed acute lymphocytic leukemia in adults

Although treatment results for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have improved considerably in the past decades, treating adult patients with relapsed/refractory acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is still difficult. Adults with refractory/relapsed acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) processed to death rapidly associated with chemotherapy resistance, high mortality by reinduction, etc. Only 20% to 30% of those patients acquired complete remission (CR). Those patients are always of short duration unless an allogeneic stem cell transplant is feasible. Median survival is only ranging from 2 to 12 months. Therapeutic strategy on relapsed/refractory acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is always a major therapeutic challenge bothering hematological researchers. Novel agents and unique therapeutic strategies have been developed in recent years. This review focuses on major clinical advances in the agents for refractory/relapsed ALL.