Search

Patients with hematological malignancies are at risk for poor outcomes when diagnosed with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). It remains unclear whether cytopenias and specific leukemia subtypes play a role in the clinical course of COVID-19 infection. Here we report outcomes and their clinical/laboratory predictors for 65 patients with acute and chronic leukemias diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 8, 2020 and May 19, 2020 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Most patients had CLL (48%) or AML (26%). A total of 14 (22%) patients required high flow nasal cannula or were intubated for mechanical ventilation and 11 patients (17%) died. A diagnosis of AML (OR 4.7, p=0.028), active treatment within the last 3 months (OR 5.22, p=0.047), neutropenia within seven days prior and up to 28 days after SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis (11.75, p=0.001) and ≥ 3 comorbidities (OR 6.55, p=0.019) were associated with increased odds of death.

Hypofibrinogenemia (HF) in acute leukemia has largely been attributed to hyperfibrinolysis and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Pathological alterations in hemostasis through various m...

INTRODUCTION Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a rare, chronic B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by distinctive morphologic features and an indolent clinical course. The discovery of a recurrent activating mutation in BRAF (BRAF V600E) as a disease-defining genetic event in HCL has substantial diagnostic and therapeutic implications. Areas covered: Herein the authors review the role of BRAF V600E and RAF-MEK-ERK signaling in the pathogenesis of HCL, anecdotal clinical reports of BRAF inhibitor monotherapy in management of relapsed or refractory HCL, larger phase 2 trials investigating efficacy of BRAF inhibitor therapy for HCL, adverse effects commonly associated with BRAF inhibitor therapy, including cutaneous toxicity, and mechanisms of therapeutic resistance. Expert opinion: Ongoing and planned studies will help to optimize the use of BRAF inhibitor therapy for HCL by determining the efficacy of BRAF inhibition in combination with other antigen targeted or molecularly targeted therapies, and more broadly, to determine how hematologists can best utilize and sequence emerging diagnostic and therapeutic modalities in the care of patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed or refractory HCL.