A Comparative Analysis of Early T-Cell Precursor Lymphoblastic Leukemia/Lymphoma (ETP-ALL/LBL) and Non-ETP-ALL/LBL in a Tertiary Cancer Care Center Based in Western India

Early T-cell precursor lymphoblastic leukemia (ETP-ALL) has a unique immunophenotype with very early T-cell differentiation. The current study summarises the distinct clinicopathological aspects of ETP-ALL and compares them with non-ETP-ALL. Twenty-nine ETP-ALL and 191 non-ETP-ALL cases were retrieved between 2018 and 2021. A P value was determined for each of the patient charaterisics (Table 1) to see for any significant relationship (P < 0.05) with ETP-ALL versus non-ETP-ALL. Kaplan–Meier log rank test was applied to look for any significant differences in OS for both the ALLs. ETP-ALL had an incidence of 12.6% out of total T-Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL/LBL) in the past 3-years. Compared to non-ETP-ALL, ETP-ALL cases were associated with lower median age and male-to-female ratio. There was no statistically significant difference in the complete remission rate between both the subtypes. ETP-ALL was seen to be associated with high induction failure and relapse rate compared to non-ETP-ALL. To summarise, since the 2-year OS was poor compared to western research (for both ALLs), an intensive chemo-regimen should be implemented in the current situation. Some unusual markers were observed on flow-cytometry (ETP-ALL), which can be useful for MRD quantification, prognosis, and further trials for newer targeted therapies.