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Background: Our multicentre study aims to identify baseline factors and provide guidance for therapeutic decisions regarding Magnusiomyces‐associated infections, an emerging threat in patients with haematological malignancies. Methods: HM patients with proven (Magnusiomyces capitatus) M. capitatus or (Magnusiomyces clavatus) M. clavatus (formerly Saprochaete capitata and Saprochaete clavata) infection diagnosed between January 2010 and December 2020 were recorded from the SEIFEM (Sorveglianza Epidemiologica Infezioni nelle Emopatie) group and FungiScope (Global Emerging Fungal Infection Registry). Cases of Magnusiomyces fungemia were compared with candidemia. Results: Among 90 Magnusiomyces cases (60 [66%] M. capitatus and 30 (34%) M. clavatus), median age was 50 years (range 2–78), 46 patients (51%) were female and 67 (74%) had acute leukaemia. Thirty‐six (40%) of Magnusiomyces‐associated infections occurred during antifungal prophylaxis, mainly with posaconazole (n = 13, 36%) and echinocandins (n = 12, 34%). Instead, the candidemia rarely occurred during prophylaxis (p <.0001). First‐line antifungal therapy with azoles, alone or in combination, was associated with improved response compared to other antifungals (p =.001). Overall day‐30 mortality rate was 43%. Factors associated with higher mortality rates were septic shock (HR 2.696, 95% CI 1.396–5.204, p =.003), corticosteroid treatment longer than 14 days (HR 2.245, 95% CI 1.151–4.376, p =.018) and lack of neutrophil recovery (HR 3.997, 95% CI 2.102–7.601, p <.001). The latter was independently associated with poor outcome (HR 2.495, 95% CI 1.192–5.222, p =.015). Conclusions: Magnusiomyces‐associated infections are often breakthrough infections. Effective treatment regimens of these infections remain to be determined, but neutrophil recovery appears to play an important role in the favourable outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Compared with older 5‐HT3 receptor antagonists, palonosetron requires fewer drug administrations to prevent chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) following multiple‐day chemotherapy. We conducted a phase II multicenter study comparing palonosetron plus aprepitant to palonosetron alone in patients undergoing a range of induction chemotherapy regimens for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods: Patients were randomized to palonosetron (0.25 mg) every other day until the last dose of chemotherapy alone or with aprepitant on days 1‐3. Patients mainly received an anthracycline on days 1‐3 plus cytarabine administered for 5‐10 days. The primary end point was complete response (CR; no emesis and no rescue medication) over the whole study period (days of chemotherapy plus two additional days). Unplanned analysis of time to anti‐emetic treatment failure (TTF) was also performed. Results: Of the 134 patients enrolled in the study, 130 were evaluable: 68 subjects received palonosetron plus aprepitant and 62 received palonosetron alone. Although the primary end point of CR was similar between the treatment arms (72% vs 69%; P =.55), a higher proportion of patients treated with palonosetron plus aprepitant were free from nausea during the whole study period (43% vs 27%; P =.03). There was also a significant difference in favor of the two‐drug regimens in TTF (median: 5 days vs 3 days; P =.03). Conclusions: The study suggests that every‐other‐day palonosetron plus 3‐day aprepitant can add clinical benefit to the control of CINV caused by multiple‐day, corticosteroid‐free chemotherapy for AML. In this challenging setting of CINV, further investigations of palonosetron in combination with aprepitant administered with an expanded schedule are warranted. ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT02205164. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive fungal infections of the central nervous system (IFI-CNS) are rare and life-threatening complications in hematologic patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). The median patient age was 39 years (range 12-63), and acute leukemia was the most common underlying disease (71%); 16 patients received an allo-HSCT from matched unrelated donors (MUD), 4 from HLA-identical sibling donors and 4 from haploidentical family donor. Regarding new treatment options, a recent retrospective analysis of 36 patients with IFI-CNS provides evidence of good efficacy of isavuconazole therapy with an overall response rate of 58%. [Extracted from the article]

Summary To reduce toxicity in elderly patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia, in 1997 the Gruppo Italiano Malattie Ematologiche Dell'Adulto (GIMEMA) started an amended protocol for patients aged >60 years, with the same induction [all- trans retinoic acid (ATRA) + idarubicin] as in younger patients, followed by a single consolidation course (idarubicin + cytarabine) and maintenance with intermittent ATRA. Among 60 enrolled patients, 54 (90%) achieved haematological remission and six died during induction. Four additional patients died in complete remission (CR) from haemorrhage (2) and infection (2) prior or during consolidation therapy. Eleven patients relapsed at a median time of 17·5 months from CR. The 5-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) rates were 76·1%, 64·6% and 27·4%, respectively. Univariate analysis identified a performance score (PS) = 2 as the only significant adverse prognostic factor for both OS ( P = 0·017) and DFS ( P = 0·0003). Male sex had an unfavourable impact on DFS ( P = 0·021) and on CIR ( P = 0·019), but not on OS ( P = 0·234). In multivariate analysis for DFS, only PS = 2 retained prognostic significance (HR = 4·5, P = 0·0083). In conclusion, the amended GIMEMA protocol is effective, with similar relapse rate and inferior toxicity compared to the original AIDA 0493. However, considering the recent availability of effective new agents, a less aggressive approach should be tested in this setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between July 1992 and June 1996, 3934 new cases of acute leukaemia were registered in the Gruppo Italiano Malattie Ematologiche Maligne dell'Adulto (GIMEMA) Archive of Adult Acute Leukaemia. Two hundred cases (5·1%) presented with a history of primary malignancy (PM), 179 of which were acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The median age of these cases was significantly higher than that of other primitive AML (63 years vs. 57 years; P < 0·001). The number of men was significantly lower than the number of women [74/1544 (4·8%) vs. 105/1420 (7·4%); odds ratio (OR) 0·63, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·46–0·87; P < 0·002], as was the number of patients aged < 65 years [104/1963 (5·3%) vs. 75/1001 (7·5%); OR 0·69, 95% CI 0·50–0·95; P < 0·01]. An increased incidence of cancer was observed among first-degree relatives of patients with AML occurring after a PM (secondary AML; sAML) [66/179 (36·9%) sAML vs. 757/2785 (27·2%) de novo AML, age adjusted; OR 2·62, 95% CI 1·07–6·42; P < 0·005]. Prevalent types of PM were breast cancer, lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease. sAML occurred after a median latency of 52 months (range 2–379). Of the 122 patients who received chemotherapy for sAML, 67 patients (55%) achieved a complete remission (CR), three a partial remission, 15 (12%) died in induction and 37 (30%) were unresponsive. The median duration of CR was 30 weeks (range 4–250). The median overall survival was 7 months (range 1–196). Comparing acute promyelocytic leukaemia with all other French–American–British (FAB) groups, a significant increase in CR achievement was observed [14/18 (77·7%) vs. 53/101 (52·4%), P < 0·046] as well as in median CR duration (55 vs. 24 months, P < 0·02). The analysis of our data suggests that not only previous chemotherapy but also genetic predisposition could play a role in... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elderly patients with untreated acute myeloid leukaemia (AML, n = 47) tested the feasibility of out-patient consolidation therapy and post-consolidation treatment (for patients aged < 71 years) with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (APBSCT). Overall, 13 patients out of 24 (51%) who achieved complete remission (CR) were eligible for further treatment after consolidation. Five patients were primed with granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF); a suitable number of CD34+ cells were harvested in three patients and were actually autotransplanted. The toxicity of APBSCT was negligible. Psychosocial problems impaired treatment of some patients on an out-patient basis. Resistant disease, toxicity and logistic problems reduced the number of patients to whom this procedure could actually be applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the use of the monoclonal antibody gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO), as maintenance therapy for elderly autologous stem cell transplant recipients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Although a small number of patients developed thrombocytopenia, the researchers conclude that GO is efficient when administered in small doses.

Presents a letter to the editor of the "British Journal of Haematology," about the use of rituximab as maintenance therapy after autologous transplantation for patients with multiple myeloma.