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We investigated subclonal cytogenetic aberrations (CA) detected by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (iFISH) in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) enrolled in the Haemato Oncology Foundation for Adults in the Netherlands (HOVON)–65/German-Speaking MM Group (GMMG)–HD4 phase 3 trial. Patients were either treated with 3 cycles of vincristine, Adriamycin, and dexamethasone or bortezomib, Adriamycin, and dexamethasone and then thalidomide or bortezomib maintenance after tandem autologous transplantation. Subclones were defined either by presence of different copy numbers of the same chromosome loci and/or CA present in at least 30% less and maximally 2/3 of cells compared with the main clone CA. Patients with subclones harbored more frequently high risk (31.0%) or hyperdiploid main clone aberrations (24.8%) than patients with t(11;14) in the main clone (10.1%). Gains and deletions of c-MYC were the only CA that occurred more frequently as subclone (8.1%/20.5%) than main clone (6.2%/3.9%, respectively). Treatment with bortezomib completely overcame the negative prognosis of high-risk CA in patients without subclones, but not in patients with additional subclonal CA. High-risk patients treated without bortezomib showed dismal outcome whether subclones were present or not. Cytogenetic heterogeneity defined by subclonal CA is of major prognostic significance in newly diagnosed MM patients treated with bortezomib within the HOVON-65/GMMG-HD4 trial.

We conducted a single-arm phase-II trial (AMLSG 16-10) to evaluate midostaurin with intensive chemotherapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic-cell transplantation (HCT) and a one-year midostaurin maintenance therapy in adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and FLT3internal tandem duplication (ITD). Patients 18-70 years of age with newly diagnosed FLT3-ITD-positive AML were eligible. Primary and key secondary endpoints were event-free (EFS) and overall survival (OS). Results were compared to a historical cohort of 415 patients treated on 5 prior AMLSG trials; statistical analysis was performed using a double-robust adjustment with propensity score weighting and covariate adjustment. Results were also compared to patients (18-59yrs) treated on the placebo arm of the CALGB 10603/RATIFY trial. The trial accrued 440 patients (18-60yrs, n=312; 61-70yrs, n=128). In multivariate analysis, EFS was significantly in favor of patients treated within the AMLSG 16-10 trial compared to the AMLSG control (HR 0.55; P<0.001); both in younger (HR 0.59; P<0.001) and older patients (HR 0.42; P<0.001). Multivariate analysis also showed a significant beneficial effect on OS compared to the AMLSG control (HR 0.57; P<0.001) as well as to the CALGB 10603/RATIFY trial (HR 0.71; p=0.005). The treatment effect of midostaurin remained significant in sensitivity analysis including allogeneic HCT as a time-dependent covariate. Addition of midostaurin to chemotherapy was safe in younger and older patients. In comparison to historical controls, the addition of midostaurin to intensive therapy led to a significant improvement in outcome in younger and older patients with AML and FLT3-ITD. The AMLSG 16-10 trial is registered at clinicaltrialsregistry.eu(Eudra-CT number 2011-003168-63) and clinicaltrials.gov(NCT01477606).