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PRACTICE OF L-ASPARAGINASE USAGE: A SURVEY AMONG HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS TREATING CHILDREN WITH CANCER IN INDIA
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  • Archana MV,
  • Kalasekhar Vijayasekharan,
  • Vinay Munikoty,
  • Ramitha Bhat R,
  • Atul Achyutrao,
  • Vani Lakshmi R,
  • Vasudeva K
Archana MV
Manipal Academy of Higher Education

Corresponding Author:archana.mv@manipal.edu

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Kalasekhar Vijayasekharan
Regional Cancer Centre Thiruvananthapuram
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Vinay Munikoty
Manipal Academy of Higher Education
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Ramitha Bhat R
Manipal Academy of Higher Education
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Atul Achyutrao
Manipal Academy of Higher Education
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Vani Lakshmi R
Manipal Academy of Higher Education
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Vasudeva K
Manipal Academy of Higher Education
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Abstract

Introduction: L‑Asparaginase is an essential chemotherapeutic agent in the therapy of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), which has led to improvement in survival. In low and middle-income countries like India, the outcomes in ALL are inferior compared to the published literature, one of the cause of which are believed to be due to the inferior quality of bioequivalent Asparaginase. The following survey attempts to understand the practice of using this agent among oncologists treating children with cancer in our country. Methods: The researchers designed a structured online questionnaire comprising 25 aspects of L-Asparaginase usage in the study. The questionnaire was directed to the healthcare providers involved in treating children with cancer in India. Results: Of the total 80 responses recorded, 51 (64%) respondents had more than five years of experience in pediatric oncology and were treating at least 5-10 newly diagnosed ALL patients per month. Forty-one (51%) respondents utilized Native Asparaginase, and 21 (26.3%) oncologists used PEGylated-Asparaginase exclusively. The most common route of administration was the intramuscular route (66.3%). Seventy percent of respondents utilized Native form at a dose of 10,000IU/m 2 and 20% at 6000IU/m 2. The amounts used for PEGylated L-Asparaginase were 1000IU/m 2, 2500IU/m 2, and variable doses in 48%, 40%, and 10% of responses, respectively. Though Serum Asparaginase assay (SAA) was not measured routinely in most of the centres, 39 (48.8%) healthcare providers perceived performing SAA helps to make the clinical decision. Conclusion: This survey shows a wide variation in L-Asparaginase usage among healthcare providers caring for children with cancer in our country. As L-Asparaginase is the pivotal component of ALL therapy, uniformity in its usage and dosing with the possibility of monitoring SAA due to the quality of bioequivalent may be one of the critical steps towards improving outcomes in ALL in our country.