Search

Two individuals (patients 7 and 8) received immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) prior to BMT; patient 7 received anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 combination therapy, and patient 8 received anti-PD-L1 and interferon combination therapy. From 2003 to 2020, eight patients received partially mismatched donor BMT for relapsed/refractory MF/SS. Seven patients received grafts from HLA-haploidentical related donors. Primary cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs), a heterogeneous group of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphomas involving the skin, are dominated by two main subtypes: mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS) [[1]]. An eighth patient (patient 5) experienced graft failure after double unrelated donor umbilical cord blood transplantation and within 6 months underwent partially mismatched unrelated donor BMT. [Extracted from the article]

Prior to the introduction of rituximab, primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) had high rates of treatment failure with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP), prompting the use of consolidative mediastinal radiation or more intensive chemotherapy regimens. Cure rates improved dramatically with rituximab, but mediastinal radiation was still commonly employed with R-CHOP. We performed a retrospective review of patients treated with R-CHOP alone without radiation for PMBCL. Of 43 patients with PMBCL, 16 received R-CHOP alone. High-risk factors included 56% with bulky disease, 75% with elevated LDH, 25% with SVC syndrome, and 13% with stage IV disease. Three-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 93% and 100% respectively. These results suggest that R-CHOP alone has a high cure rate in PMBCL while avoiding the side effects of mediastinal radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the leading cause of mortality in patients with HIV in which interim positron emission tomography (PET)-adapted therapy with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma is being studied. It cites that HIV-infected patients manifest an increase of AIDS-defining cancers and non-AIDS-defining cancers prevalent in population.

Busulfan (Bu)/cyclophosphamide (Cy) is a standard conditioning platform for allogeneic transplantation. We developed a strategy separating the Cy into two pre/post-transplantation doses (PTCy), providing myeloablative conditioning and single-agent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis. We investigated the impact of Bu route on treatment-related toxicity for 131 consecutive adult patients. Busulfan was administered in four daily divided doses either orally (n = 72) or intravenously (n = 59) with pharmacokinetics on the first-dose and as necessary on subsequent doses to achieve a target area-under-the-concentration-curve (AUC) of 800-1400 µmol*min/L per dose. BuCy/PTCy with pharmacokinetics is well-tolerated with low treatment-related toxicity. Hepatic veno-occlusive disease incidence was 6% with two fatal events. Bu administration route in the context of BuCy/PTCy did not statistically impact hepatotoxicity, GVHD, relapse, disease-free survival, or overall survival. The BuCy/PTCy platform has a low incidence of treatment-related toxicity, including hepatotoxicity, in hematologic malignancies when using pharmacokinetics for a target AUC of 800-1400 µmol*min/L, irrespective of Bu administration route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) and natural killer (NK) cell lymphoma have poor survival with conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy. Because angiogenesis plays an important role in the biology of PTCL, a fully humanized anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody, bevacizumab (A), was studied in combination with standard cyclosphosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (CHOP) chemotherapy (ACHOP) to evaluate its potential to improve outcome in these patients. Patients were treated with 6-8 cycles of ACHOP followed by eight doses of maintenance A (15 mg/kg every 21 days). Forty-six patients were enrolled on this phase 2 study from July 2006 through March 2009. Forty-four patients were evaluable for toxicity and 39 were evaluable for response, progression and survival. A total of 324 cycles (range: 2-16, median 7) were administered to 39 evaluable patients and only nine completed all planned treatment. The overall response rate was 90% with 19 (49%) complete response/complete response unconfirmed (CR/CRu) and 16 (41%) a partial response (PR). The 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 44% at a median follow-up of 3 years. The median PFS and overall survival (OS) rates were 7.7 and 22 months, respectively. Twenty-three patients died (21 from lymphoma, two while in remission). Grade 3 or 4 toxicities included febrile neutropenia ( n = 8), anemia ( n = 3), thrombocytopenia ( n = 5), congestive heart failure ( n = 4), venous thrombosis ( n = 3), gastrointestinal hemorrhage/perforation ( n = 2), infection ( n = 8) and fatigue ( n = 6). Despite a high overall response rate, the ACHOP regimen failed to result in durable remissions and was associated with significant toxicities. Studies of novel therapeutics are needed for this patient population, whose clinical outcome remains poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older patients with Burkitt lymphoma/leukemia (BL) have inferior outcomes. Because cyclophosphamide is highly active in BL and can be dose-escalated without stem-cell rescue, we designed a short, cyclophosphamide-intensive regimen without anthracyclines for patients aged ≥ 30 with untreated, non-HIV-associated BL/atypical BL. Two cycles involving cyclophosphamide 1500 mg/m2, vincristine, rituximab, prednisone, methotrexate 3 g/m2, and intrathecal cytarabine were delivered 2 weeks apart, followed by intensification with high-dose cyclophosphamide (50 mg/kg/day for 4 days) and rituximab. Of 21 patients, median age 53 (range, 34-75), 71% had stage IV, 95% were high-risk and 29% had performance status 3-4. Response occurred in all evaluable patients post-cycle 2 and in 76% post-intensification. Five non-relapse deaths occurred (four before intensification). The estimated 1-year and 3-year event-free survival was 52%; 1-year and 3-year overall survival was 57%. Seventeen (81%) received intensification (median 30 days to intensification). Brief, anthracycline-sparing, intensive cyclophosphamide (BASIC) therapy yields durable remissions in poorer-risk BL/atypical BL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relapse after autologous stem cell transplant for low grade B-cell lymphoma is common secondary to ineffective conditioning and/or tumor autograft contamination. We investigated high-dose cyclophosphamide and rituximab without stem cell rescue as first-line or salvage therapy in lymphomas. After establishing safety, accrual was increased to evaluate event-free survival (EFS). Eighty-one adults received rituximab (375 mg/m2 days 1, 4, 8, 11, 45, 52), cyclophosphamide (50 mg/kg days 15-18), and pegfilgrastim (day 20). Forty-two patients had low grade B-cell lymphoma [grade I/II follicular (69%), transformed lymphoma (17%), other (15%)]: 45% were treated without measurable disease. Thirty-nine patients had mantle cell lymphoma: 82% were treated without measurable disease. All achieved hematopoietic recovery; 46% required brief hospitalizations. The 5-year EFS and overall survival (OS) for patients with low grade B-cell and transformed lymphoma were 40% and 72%, respectively. The 5-year EFS and OS for patients with MCL were 39% and 62%, respectively. This low-toxicity therapeutic approach obviates the need for stem cell products and establishes a platform for future therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor related to the effectiveness of drug bevacizumab in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer is presented.