Search

IntroductionComparable indicators on complete cancer prevalence are increasingly needed in Europe to support survivorship care planning. Direct measures can be biased by limited registration time and estimates are needed to recover long term survivors. The completeness index method, based on incidence and survival modelling, is the standard most validated approach.MethodsWithin this framework, we consider two alternative approaches that do not require any direct modelling activity: i) empirical indices derived from long established European registries; ii) pre-calculated indices derived from US-SEER cancer registries. Relying on the EUROCARE-6 study dataset we compare standard vs alternative complete prevalence estimates using data from 62 registries in 27 countries by sex, cancer type and registration time.ResultsFor tumours mostly diagnosed in the elderly the empirical estimates differ little from standard estimates (on average less than 5% after 10-15 years of registration), especially for low prognosis cancers. For early-onset cancers (bone, brain, cervix uteri, testis, Hodgkin disease, soft tissues) the empirical method may produce substantial underestimations of complete prevalence (up to 20%) even when based on 35-year observations. SEER estimates are comparable to the standard ones for most cancers, including many early-onset tumours, even when derived from short time series (10-15 years). Longer observations are however needed when cancer-specific incidence and prognosis differ remarkably between US and European populations (endometrium, thyroid or stomach).DiscussionThese results may facilitate the dissemination of complete prevalence estimates across Europe and help bridge the current information gaps.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been improving the prognosis of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), but there are still large differences in survival among European countries. This raises questions on the added value of results from population-based studies, which use real-world data, compared to results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving patients with CML. There are also questions about the extent of the findings on RCTs effectiveness for patients in the general population. We compare survival data extracted from our previous systematic review and meta-analysis of CML RCTs with the latest updated population-based survival data of EUROCARE-6, the widest collaborative study on cancer survival in Europe. The EUROCARE-6 CML survival estimated in patients (15–64 years) diagnosed in 2000–2006 vs. 2007–2013 revealed that the prognostic improvement highlighted by RCTs was confirmed in real-world settings, too. The study shows, evaluating for the first time all European regions, that the optimal outcome figures obtained in controlled settings for CML are also achievable (and indeed achieved) in real-world settings with prompt introduction of TKIs in daily clinical practice. However, some differences still persist, particularly in Eastern European countries, where overall survival values are lower than elsewhere, probably due to a delayed introduction of TKIs. Our results suggest an insufficient adoption of adequate protocols in daily clinical practice in those countries where CML survival values remain lower in real life than the values obtained in RCTs. New high-resolution population-based studies may help to identify failures in the clinical pathways followed there.

Background: Pesticides exposures could be implicated in the excess of Central Nervous System (CNS) tumors observed in farmers, but evidence concerning individual pesticides remains limited. Carbamate derivative pesticides, including herbicides and fungicides (i.e. (thio/dithio)-carbamates), have shown evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental studies in animals. In the French AGRICAN cohort, we assessed the associations between potential exposures to carbamate herbicides and fungicides and the incidence of CNS tumors, overall and by histological subtype. Methods: AGRICAN enrolled 181,842 participants involved in agriculture. Incident CNS tumors were identified by linkage with cancer registries from enrollment (2005–2007) until 2013. Individual exposures were assessed by combining information on lifetime periods of pesticide use on crops and the French crop-exposure matrix PESTIMAT, for each of the 14 carbamate and thiocarbamate herbicides and the 16 carbamate and dithiocarbamate fungicides registered in France since 1950. Associations were estimated using proportional hazard models with age as the underlying timescale, adjusting for gender, educational level and smoking. Results: During an average follow-up of 6.9 years, 381 incident cases of CNS tumors occurred, including 164 gliomas and 134 meningiomas. Analyses showed increased risks of CNS tumors with overall exposure to carbamate fungicides (Hazard Ratio, HR = 1.88; 95% CI: 1.27–2.79) and, to a lesser extent, to carbamate herbicides (HR = 1.44; 95% CI: 0.94–2.22). Positive associations were observed with specific carbamates, including some fungicides (mancozeb, maneb, metiram) and herbicides (chlorpropham, propham, diallate) already suspected of being carcinogens in humans. Conclusions: Although some associations need to be corroborate in further studies and should be interpreted cautiously, these findings provide additional carcinogenicity evidence for several carbamate fungicides and herbicides. Keywords: Carbamates, Thiocarbamates, Dithiocarbamates, Herbicides, Fungicides, CNS tumors, Occupational exposure, Risk factors, Cohort studies

Arginine methylation is catalyzed by protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) and is involved in various cellular processes, including cancer development. PRMT2 expression is increased in several cancer types although its role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unknown. Here, we investigate the role of PRMT2 in a cohort of patients with AML, PRMT2 knockout AML cell lines as well as a Prmt2 knockout mouse model. In patients, low PRMT2 expressors are enriched for inflammatory signatures, including the NF-κB pathway, and show inferior survival. In keeping with a role for PRMT2 in control of inflammatory signaling, bone marrow-derived macrophages from Prmt2 KO mice display increased pro-inflammatory cytokine signaling upon LPS treatment. In PRMT2-depleted AML cell lines, aberrant inflammatory signaling has been linked to overproduction of IL6, resulting from a deregulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway, therefore leading to hyperactivation of STAT3. Together, these findings identify PRMT2 as a key regulator of inflammation in AML., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have a higher risk of developing other malignancies (OMs) compared to the general population. However, the impact of CLL-related risk factors and CLL-directed treatment is still unclear and represents the focus of this work., Methods: We conducted a retrospective international multicenter study to assess the incidence of OMs and detect potential risk factors in 19,705 patients with CLL, small lymphocytic lymphoma, or high-count CLL-like monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis, diagnosed between 2000 and 2016. Data collection took place between October 2020 and March 2022., Findings: In 129,254 years of follow-up after CLL diagnosis, 3513 OMs were diagnosed (27.2 OMs/1000 person-years). The most common hematological OMs were Richter transformation, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Non-melanoma skin (NMSC) and prostate cancers were the most common solid tumors (STs).The only predictor for MDS and AML development was treatment with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide with/without rituximab (FC ± R) (OR = 3.7; 95% CI = 2.79-4.91; p < 0.001). STs were more frequent in males and patients with unmutated immunoglobulin heavy variable genes (OR = 1.77; 95% CI = 1.49-2.11; p < 0.001/OR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.6-2.24; p < 0.001).CLL-directed treatment was associated with non-melanoma skin and prostate cancers (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.36-2.41; p < 0.001/OR = 2.11; 95% CI = 1.12-3.97; p = 0.021). In contrast, breast cancers were more frequent in untreated patients (OR = 0.17; 95% CI = 0.08-0.33; p < 0.001).Patients with CLL and an OM had inferior overall survival (OS) than those without. AML and MDS conferred the worst OS (p < 0.001)., Interpretation: OMs in CLL impact on OS. Treatment for CLL increased the risk for AML/MDS, prostate cancer, and NMSC. FCR was associated with increased risk for AML/MDS., Funding: AbbVie, and EU/EFPIAInnovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking HARMONY grant n° 116026., Competing Interests: TC received honoraria from AbbVie. LS received consulting fees from AbbVie, BeiGene, AstraZeneca, Lilly, and Janssen, honoraria from Janssen and Octapharma, support for attending meetings from BeiGene and Janssen and advisory board fees from Merck. SMu received advisory board fees from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Roche and BeiGene. JAHR received honoraria as a consultant from Janssen, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Lilly, and BeiGene and support for attending meetings from Janssen, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and BeiGene. LI received honoraria from AbbVie, Roche, and Janssen-Cilag. APK received advisory board fees and research money from Janssen, AbbVie, BMS, AstraZeneca, Roche/Genentech, support for attending meetings from Janssen and AbbVie. M-DL received travel expenses from Janssen and AbbVie. GMR received honoraria for participation to speaker's bureau from AbbVie, Astra Zeneca, Beigene, and Janssen, and support for attending meetings from Janssen. JVT received consulting fees from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, BeiGene, and Janssen, honoraria for scientific talks from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, BeiGene, Janssen, Lilly, and Roche, travel support from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, BeiGene, Janssen, Roche, and Lilly, and advisory boards fees for AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, BeiGene. GI received honoraria from Novartis, BMS, Sandoz, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Kite/Gilead, and Miltenyi, support for attending meetings from Kite/Gilead, AstraZeneca, and AbbVie and advisory board fees from Kite/Gilead, Novartis, BMS, and Autolus. FBi received support for attending meetings from AbbVie. RCo received support for attending meetings from Janssen-Cilag and S.A. SG received honoraria support for attending meetings from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Jazz, Novartis, and Incyte, honoraria from Roche, Celgene, Pfizer, and Janssen, and support for attending meetings from Jazz, AstraZeneca, and Roche. RGS received support for attending meetings from AbbVie and S.L.U. RG received honoraria, consulting fees, and support for attending meetings from AbbVie, Beigene, Roche, Janssen, AstraZeneca. YH received honoraria from Janssen, AbbVie, Roche, AstraZeneca, Medion, and Lilly. OJ received honoraria from Johnson and Johnson, AstraZeneca, and Lilly, honoraria from Johnson and Johnson, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and Lilly, and support for attending meetings from Johnson and Johnson, and AbbVie. LK received consulting fees from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Beigene, Takeda, and Novartis. MKM received honoraria from Novartis, Pfizer, and Gad Medical LTD and support for attending meetings from Novartis. IKo received honoraria and consulting fees from AbbVie and Janssen. IM received honoraria from AbbVie, Roche, Sandoz, AstraZeneca, and Janssen, and support for attending meetings from AbbVie, Roche, and Takeda. ANB received honoraria, advisory board fees and support for attending meetings from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Takeda, Janssen, and Beigene. JO received honoraria from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and Janssen. GR received consulting fees from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Janssen, and Beigene, and is currently employed by AstraZeneca. TP received honoraria and advisory board fees from AbbVie, Janssen-Cilag, and AstraZeneca and support for attending meeting from AstraZeneca. MS received honoraria and support for attending meeting from AstraZeneca, AbbVie, and Janssen-Cilag and owns shares of stock in AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Merck, Eli Lilly, Sanofi, Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer, Gilead, and GSK. MSp received honoraria and consulting and advisory board fees, and support for attending meeting from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and Janssen. ET received support for attending meetings from Takeda. TV received honoraria from Takeda, Roche, Genesis Pharma, Merck, Novartis, Gilead, Sandoz, AstraZeneca, Integris, and Servier and support for attending meetings from Takeda, Roche, Genesis Pharma, Merck, Pfizer, and Winmedica. CV received honoraria from AbbVie, consulting fees from AstraZeneca and support for attending meeting from AstraZeneca, Takeda, and Janssen. RW received honoraria from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and Beigene, support for attending meetings from Janssen, AbbVie, and AstraZeneca and advisory board fees from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Beigene, and SecuraBio. EWS received honoraria from AbbVie, Roche, and Janssen-Cilag and support for attending meetings from AbbVie. LY received honoraria from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Gilead, Janssen, Jazz, MSD, and Pfizer, support for attending meetings from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Gilead, Janssen, and Pfizer, and advisory board fees from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Jazz, Janssen, Beigene, and Celgene. MAn received consulting fees from AbbVie, Takeda, Janssen, Roche, Genesis, Gilead, and Amgen and honoraria from AbbVie, Takeda, Roche, Genesis, Gilead, and Novartis. MC received honoraria, advisory board fees, and support for attending meetings from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and Janssen. ACu received honoraria, advisory board fees, and support for attending meetings from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Beigene, Janssen, and Lilly. FD support for attending meetings from Janssen and AbbVie. GG received honoraria, and advisory board fees from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Beigene, Janssen and advisory board fees from Lilly. EN received honoraria from AbbVie. LSm received consulting fees, honoraria and support for attending meetings from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and Janssen and advisory board fees from AbbVie and AstraZeneca. NS received honoraria from Janssen, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and Lilly, and support for attending meetings from Janssen and AstraZeneca. CT received honoraria from AbbVie, Beigene, Janssen, and LOXO. FB received consulting fees, honoraria and payment for expert testimony from AbbVie, Genentech, Novartis, Takeda, Janssen, Roche, Mundipharma, Celgene/BMS, AstraZeneca, Lilly, Beigene, Gilead and TG Therapeutics, Advantage Allogene, Lava Therapeutics, and Enterome. MDo received honoraria and advisory board fees from AbbVie, AstraZeneca and Janssen, advisory board fees from Swixx, and support for attending meetings from Janssen. PG received honoraria and consulting fees from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, BMS, Janssen, Lilly/Loxo Oncology, MSD, and Roche; grant support from AbbVie, AstraZeneca, BMS, Janssen. KS received honoraria from Janssen, AbbVie, Lilly and AstraZeneca, consulting fees and support for attending meetings from Janssen and AstraZeneca. GK, EM, DC, JK, CD, MA, SA, TAS, FBa, MB, ACa, AM, AKM, RC, SC, ACh, ZD, MDi, DD, GDS, BD, ME, SEA, AE, AF, AG, EG, IGGM, AGo, AjG, RGu, SH, EH, SJ, EKa, VK, BK, MK, EK, RJK, JL, DL, IL, TL, ALG, JM, LMR, MMa, SM, CMB, BM, FM, RM, MMo, RMu, UKN, ACO, DO, IPS, MP, ZK, PP, CP, AP, LR, RR, MDDS, AS, YS, MSi, SS, DSAS, TT, KT, AV, GV, VV, ZX, MYa, MY, JZ, DA, BB, MCa, RCl, BE, OBK, LL, GP, PPa, VMP, SP, PS, LT, AC, have no conflict of interest to disclose., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been improving the prognosis of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), but there are still large differences in survival among European countries. This raises questions on the added value of results from population-based studies, which use real-world data, compared to results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving patients with CML. There are also questions about the extent of the findings on RCTs effectiveness for patients in the general population. We compare survival data extracted from our previous systematic review and meta-analysis of CML RCTs with the latest updated population-based survival data of EUROCARE-6, the widest collaborative study on cancer survival in Europe. The EUROCARE-6 CML survival estimated in patients (15-64 years) diagnosed in 2000-2006 vs. 2007-2013 revealed that the prognostic improvement highlighted by RCTs was confirmed in real-world settings, too. The study shows, evaluating for the first time all European regions, that the optimal outcome figures obtained in controlled settings for CML are also achievable (and indeed achieved) in real-world settings with prompt introduction of TKIs in daily clinical practice. However, some differences still persist, particularly in Eastern European countries, where overall survival values are lower than elsewhere, probably due to a delayed introduction of TKIs. Our results suggest an insufficient adoption of adequate protocols in daily clinical practice in those countries where CML survival values remain lower in real life than the values obtained in RCTs. New high-resolution population-based studies may help to identify failures in the clinical pathways followed there., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Vener, Rossi, Minicozzi, Marcos-Gragera, Poirel, Maynadié, Troussard, Pravettoni, De Angelis, Sant and the EUROCARE-6 Working Group.)

Background: No robust data assesses the risk of all-cause death and cardiovascular (CV) events in multiple myeloma (MM) patients., Patients and Methods: From 1 January to 31 December 2013, 3,381,472 adults were hospitalised (for any reason) in French hospitals. We identified 15,774 patients diagnosed with known MM at baseline. The outcome analysis (all-cause death, CV death, myocardial infarction (MI), ischaemic stroke, or hospitalization for bleedings) was performed with follow-ups starting at the time of the last event. For each MM patient, a propensity score-matched patient without MM was selected., Results: The mean follow-up in the propensity-score-matched population was 3.7 ± 2.3 years. Matched patients with MM had a higher risk of all-death (yearly rate 20.02 vs. 11.39%) than patients without MM. No difference was observed between the MM group and no-MM group for CV death (yearly rate 2.00 vs. 2.02%). The incidence rate of MI and stroke was lower in the MM group: 0.86 vs. 0.97%/y and 0.85 vs. 1.10%/y, respectively. In contrast, MM patients had a higher incidence rate of rehospitalization for major bleeding (3.61 vs. 2.24%/y) and intracranial bleeding (1.03 vs. 0.84%/y)., Conclusions: From a large nationwide database, we demonstrated that MM patients do not have a higher risk of CV death or even a lower risk of both MI and ischaemic stroke. Conversely, MM patients had a higher risk of both major and intracranial bleedings, highlighting the key issue of thromboprophylaxis in these patients.

Background: A previous International Lymphoma Epidemiology (InterLymph) Consortium evaluation of joint associations between five immune gene variants and autoimmune conditions reported interactions between B-cell response-mediated autoimmune conditions and the rs1800629 genotype on risk of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes. Here, we extend that evaluation using NHL subtype-specific polygenic risk scores (PRS) constructed from loci identified in genome-wide association studies of three common B-cell NHL subtypes., Methods: In a pooled analysis of NHL cases and controls of Caucasian descent from 14 participating InterLymph studies, we evaluated joint associations between B-cell-mediated autoimmune conditions and tertile (T) of PRS for risk of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL; n = 1,914), follicular lymphoma (n = 1,733), and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL; n = 407), using unconditional logistic regression., Results: We demonstrated a positive association of DLBCL PRS with DLBCL risk [T2 vs. T1: OR = 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08-1.43; T3 vs. T1: OR = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.59-2.07; P-trend (Ptrend) < 0.0001]. DLBCL risk also increased with increasing PRS tertile among those with an autoimmune condition, being highest for those with a B-cell-mediated autoimmune condition and a T3 PRS [OR = 6.46 vs. no autoimmune condition and a T1 PRS, Ptrend < 0.0001, P-interaction (Pinteraction) = 0.49]. Follicular lymphoma and MZL risk demonstrated no evidence of joint associations or significant Pinteraction., Conclusions: Our results suggest that PRS constructed from currently known subtype-specific loci may not necessarily capture biological pathways shared with autoimmune conditions., Impact: Targeted genetic (PRS) screening among population subsets with autoimmune conditions may offer opportunities for identifying those at highest risk for (and early detection from) DLBCL., (©2022 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research.)

Background: We aimed to investigate the impact of the first COVID-19 lockdown on medication adherence, physician access, lifestyle behaviours, and mental health in patients with chronic conditions. Methods: A cross-sectional phone survey was conducted in 1274 housebound adults recruited from 8 regional chronic disease cohorts (CLEO CD study: NCT04390126). Results: Medication adherence was 97%; 305 (41%) patients declared that at least one scheduled visit with a physician was missed during the first lockdown. The main changes in lifestyle behaviours were deterioration in sleep time (duration and/or quality; 71%), increase in screen time (46%), and decrease in physical activity (46%). Nineteen percent experienced psychological distress (Kessler-6 score ≥ 5). An urban living place (OR, 1.76 vs. rural; 95% CI, 1.32−2.33; p = 10−4), worse self-reported mental health (OR, 1.62 vs. about the same or better; 95% CI, 1.17−2.25; p = 0.003), and a K6 score ≥ 5 (OR, 1.52 vs. <5; 95% CI, 1.05−2.21; p = 0.03) were independent factors associated with at least one unhealthy behaviour. Conclusions: Encouraging results were observed in terms of medication adherence. Caution is needed in chronic disease patients living in urban places as well as those presenting psychological distress and worse self-reported mental health to reduce unhealthy behaviours.

Lymphoid neoplasms are a heterogeneous group of lymphoid neoplastic diseases with multiple presentations, and varying prognoses. They are especially frequent in older patients (OPs) and the atypism of this frail elderly population can make the diagnostic process even more difficult. Blood lymphocyte immunophenotyping (BLI) is essential in rapid noninvasive diagnosis orientation and guides complementary investigations. To our knowledge, BLI prescription has never been evaluated in OPs. We hypothesized that, when there is a suspicion of lymphoid neoplasm in the geriatric population, a BLI is performed in view of various clinical or biological abnormalities. This study aimed to: (1) describe the characteristics of hospitalized OPs having undergone BLI for suspected lymphoid neoplasm, (2) identify the causes leading to BLI prescription, and (3) identify the most profitable criteria for BLI prescription. This was a descriptive retrospective study on 151 OPs aged ≥75 years who underwent BLI over a 2-year period. Regarding BLI prescriptions, eight had lymphocytosis, constituting the "lymphocytosis group" (LG+), while the 143 others had BLI prescribed for reasons other than lymphocytosis (LG-), mainly general weakness and anemia. In the LG-, we compared OPs with positive and negative BLI results. The criteria found to be profitable for BLI prescription were lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, lymphocytosis, and thrombocytopenia. BLI identified circulating lymphoid neoplasms (positive BLI) in 21/151 OPs, mainly marginal zone lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In polymorbid OPs, as per our study population, the diagnostic and therapeutic complexity explained in part the sole use of indirect and minimally invasive diagnostic techniques such as BLI.

Introduction: Since 2009, multiple randomized trials have shown faster and deeper responses in CML patients treated with new-generation TKI (NG-TKI) compared to those treated with imatinib (IM). Are the same results observed in the general population?, Materials and Methods: Patients were identified from the three French hematological malignancies population-based registries. All CML patients (ICD-O-3: 9875/3) diagnosed between 2006 and 2016 and resided in registries areas were included. The TKI generation effect on achievement of MMR in first-line therapy was assessed through a multivariate competitive risk analysis. An alluvial plot described the pathways leading to death., Results: In total, 507 CML patients received TKI in first-line treatment, 22% were enrolled in a clinical trial. After adjustment, NG-TKI patients were significantly more likely to achieve MMR during first-line therapy than IM patients (HR: 1.88 CI 95% [1.35-2.61]). At the end of follow-up, 212 patients were still in first-line therapy (46 of them died), 203 switched to second-line (43 subsequently died), 26 were on TFR from first-line (4 subsequently died), and 20 stopped their treatment (16 subsequently died)., Discussion: In this comprehensive real-life setting, the results were consistent with clinical trials. The results are not sufficient to conclude that a NG-TKI treatment is superior with regard to these patients, despite indications regarding differences between the TKI generation effect on survival and tolerance., (© 2021 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

With improvements in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) diagnosis and treatment, more patients are surviving for longer periods. A French population of 9453 AML patients aged ≥15 years diagnosed from 1995 to 2015 was studied to quantify the proportion cured (P), time to cure (TTC) and median survival of patients who are not cured (MedS). Net survival (NS) was estimated using a flexible model adjusted for age and sex in sixteen AML subtypes. When cure assumption was acceptable, the flexible cure model was used to estimate P, TTC and MedS for the uncured patients. The 5-year NS varied from 68% to 9% in men and from 77% to 11% in women in acute promyelocytic leukemia (AML-APL) and in therapy-related AML (t-AML), respectively. Major age-differenced survival was observed for patients with a diagnosis of AML with recurrent cytogenetic abnormalities. A poorer survival in younger patients was found in t-AML and AML with minimal differentiation. An atypical survival profile was found for acute myelomonocytic leukemia and AML without maturation in both sexes and for AML not otherwise specified (only for men) according to age, with a better prognosis for middle-aged compared to younger patients. Sex disparity regarding survival was observed in younger patients with t-AML diagnosed at 25 years of age (+28% at 5 years in men compared to women) and in AML with minimal differentiation (+23% at 5 years in women compared to men). All AML subtypes included an age group for which the assumption of cure was acceptable, although P varied from 90% in younger women with AML-APL to 3% in older men with acute monoblastic and monocytic leukemia. Increased P was associated with shorter TTC. A sizeable proportion of AML patients do not achieve cure, and MedS for these did not exceed 23 months. We identify AML subsets where cure assumption is negative, thus pointing to priority areas for future research efforts.

Diagnosis of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) is usually straightforward, involving clinical, immunophenotypic (Matutes score), and (immuno)genetic analyses (to refine patient prognosis for treatment). CLL cases with atypical presentation (e.g., Matutes ≤ 3) are also encountered, and for these diseases, biology and prognostic impact are less clear. Here we report the genomic characterization of a case of atypical B-CLL in a 70-yr-old male patient; B-CLL cells showed a Matutes score of 3, chromosomal translocation t(14;18)(q32;q21) ( BCL2/IGH ), mutated IGHV , deletion 17p, and mutations in BCL2 , NOTCH1 (subclonal), and TP53 (subclonal). Quite strikingly, a novel PAX5 mutation that was predicted to be loss of function was also seen. Exome sequencing identified, in addition, a potentially actionable BRAF mutation, together with novel somatic mutations affecting the homeobox transcription factor NKX2-3 , known to control B-lymphocyte development and homing, and the epigenetic regulator LRIF1 , which is implicated in chromatin compaction and gene silencing. Neither NKX2-3 nor LRIF1 mutations, predicted to be loss of function, have previously been reported in B-CLL. Sequencing confirmed the presence of these mutations together with BCL2 , NOTCH1 , and BRAF mutations, with the t(14;18)(q32;q21) translocation, in the initial diagnostic sample obtained 12 yr prior. This is suggestive of a role for these novel mutations in B-CLL initiation and stable clonal evolution, including upon treatment withdrawal. This case extends the spectrum of atypical B-CLL with t(14;18)(q32;q21) and highlights the value of more global precision genomics for patient follow-up and treatment in these patients., (© 2021 Burlet et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.)

Objectives This study aimed to estimate the risk of lymphoma and its major subtypes in relation to occupational exposure to specific organic dusts. Methods We explored the association in 1853 cases and 1997 controls who participated in the EpiLymph case-control study, conducted in six European countries in 1998-2004. Based on expert assessment of lifetime occupational exposures, we calculated the risk of the major lymphoma subtypes associated with exposure to six specific organic dusts, namely, flour, hardwood, softwood, natural textile, synthetic textile, and leather, and two generic (any types) groups: wood and textile dusts. Risk was predicted with unconditional regression modeling, adjusted by age, gender, study center, and education. Results We observed a 2.1-fold increase in risk of follicular lymphoma associated with ever exposure to leather dust [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-4.20]. After excluding subjects who ever worked in a farm or had ever been exposed to solvents, risk of B-cell lymphoma was elevated in relation to ever exposure to leather dust [odd ratio (OR) 2.2, 95% CI 1.00-4.78], but it was not supported by increasing trends with the exposure metrics. Risk of Hodgkin lymphoma was elevated (OR 2.0, 95% CI 0.95-4.30) for exposure to textile dust, with consistent upward trends by cumulative exposure and three independent exposure metrics combined (P=0.023, and P=0.0068, respectively). Conclusions Future, larger studies might provide further insights into the nature of the association we observed between exposure to textile dust and risk of Hodgkin lymphoma.

Medical diagnostic X-rays are an important source of ionizing radiation (IR) exposure in the general population; however, it is unclear if the resulting low patient doses increase lymphoma risk. We examined the association between lifetime medical diagnostic X-ray dose and lymphoma risk, taking into account potential confounding factors, including medical history. The international Epilymph study (conducted in the Czech-Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain) collected self-reported information on common diagnostic X-ray procedures from 2,362 lymphoma cases and 2,465 frequency-matched (age, sex, country) controls. Individual lifetime cumulative bone marrow (BM) dose was estimated using time period-based dose estimates for different procedures and body parts. The association between categories of BM dose and lymphoma risk was examined using unconditional logistic regression models adjusting for matching factors, socioeconomic variables, and the presence of underlying medical conditions (atopic, autoimmune, infectious diseases, osteoarthritis, having had a sick childhood, and family history of lymphoma) as potential confounders of the association. Cumulative BM dose was low (median 2.25 mGy) and was not positively associated with lymphoma risk. Odds ratios (ORs) were consistently less than 1.0 in all dose categories compared to the reference category (less than 1 mGy). Results were similar after adjustment for potential confounding factors, when using different exposure scenarios, and in analyses by lymphoma subtype and by type of control (hospital-, population-based). Overall no increased risk of lymphoma was observed. The reduced ORs may be related to unmeasured confounding or other sources of systematic bias.We found little evidence that chronic medical conditions confound lymphoma risk and medical radiation associations., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare and aggressive leukemia for which we developed a nationwide network to collect data from new cases diagnosed in France. In a retrospective, observational study of 86 patients (2000-2013), we described clinical and biological data focusing on morphologies and immunophenotype. We found expression of markers associated with plasmacytoid dendritic cell origin (HLA-DRhigh, CD303+, CD304+, and cTCL1+) plus CD4 and CD56 and frequent expression of isolated markers from the myeloid, B-, and T-lymphoid lineages, whereas specific markers (myeloperoxidase, CD14, cCD3, CD19, and cCD22) were not expressed. Fifty-one percent of cytogenetic abnormalities impact chromosomes 13, 12, 9, and 15. Myelemia was associated with an adverse prognosis. We categorized chemotherapeutic regimens into 5 groups: acute myeloid leukemia (AML)-like, acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL)-like, lymphoma (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone [CHOP])-like, high-dose methotrexate with asparaginase (Aspa-MTX) chemotherapies, and not otherwise specified (NOS) treatments. Thirty patients received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), and 4 patients received autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation. There was no difference in survival between patients receiving AML-like, ALL-like, or Aspa-MTX regimens; survival was longer in patients who received AML-like, ALL-like, or Aspa-MTX regimens than in those who received CHOP-like regimens or NOS. Eleven patients are in persistent complete remission after allo-HCT with a median survival of 49 months vs 8 for other patients. Our series confirms a high response rate with a lower toxicity profile with the Aspa-MTX regimen, offering the best chance of access to hematopoietic cell transplantation and a possible cure., (© 2019 by The American Society of Hematology.)

Background: Gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a rare disease, and most available data on gastric MALT lymphoma (GML) come from clinical studies of selected patients treated in centres of excellence., Aims: To analyse the clinical features, management and survival of GML patients in a population-based study in France METHODS: All new cases of GML diagnosed between 2002 and 2010 in 11 French areas covered by cancer registries were included. Pathology reports were verified and, if necessary, reviewed by an expert pathologist. All clinical data were retrospectively collected from medical files and analysed using stata V. 14 software., Results: Four hundred and sixteen patients with confirmed GML (50% male, median age 67 years) were identified. Among them, 44 showed an early transformation into diffuse large B cell lymphoma and were considered to have had an initially missed high-grade lymphoma. At diagnosis, 76% of patients were at stage IE/II, and 24% at stage III/IV of the disease. Helicobacter pylori infection was found in 57% of the patients. Eradication treatment was administered to 76% of patients and complete remission (CR) was obtained in 39%. One hundred and ninety patients received at least one other treatment, including 10 already in CR after eradication. Altogether, CR was obtained in 70% of patients and the 5-year overall survival was 79% (95% CI [75-83])., Conclusions: In comparison to clinical series, in the general population, GMLs are more frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage, their clinical management is heterogeneous, and there is a risk of misdiagnosis and overtreatment. These results highlight the necessity of following currently available guidelines in this field., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Multiple myeloma risk increases with higher adult body mass index (BMI). Emerging evidence also supports an association of young adult BMI with multiple myeloma. We undertook a pooled analysis of eight case-control studies to further evaluate anthropometric multiple myeloma risk factors, including young adult BMI. Methods: We conducted multivariable logistic regression analysis of usual adult anthropometric measures of 2,318 multiple myeloma cases and 9,609 controls, and of young adult BMI (age 25 or 30 years) for 1,164 cases and 3,629 controls. Results: In the pooled sample, multiple myeloma risk was positively associated with usual adult BMI; risk increased 9% per 5-kg/m 2 increase in BMI [OR, 1.09; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-1.14; P = 0.007]. We observed significant heterogeneity by study design ( P = 0.04), noting the BMI-multiple myeloma association only for population-based studies ( P = 0.0003). Young adult BMI was also positively associated with multiple myeloma (per 5-kg/m trend = 0.0003). Young adult BMI was also positively associated with multiple myeloma (per 5-kg/m 2 ; OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.3; P <0.0001); we noted statistically significant associations with multiple myeloma for persons overweight (25-<30 kg/m P ) or obese (30+ kg/m interaction ) in both younger and usual adulthood (vs. individuals consistently <25 kg/m 2 ) or obese (30+ kg/m 2 ) in both younger and usual adulthood (vs. individuals consistently <25 kg/m 2 ), but not for those overweight or obese at only one time period. Conclusions: BMI-associated increases in multiple myeloma risk were highest for individuals who were overweight or obese throughout adulthood. Impact: These findings provide the strongest evidence to date that earlier and later adult BMI may increase multiple myeloma risk and suggest that healthy BMI maintenance throughout life may confer an added benefit of multiple myeloma prevention. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(6); 876-85. ©2017 AACR ., (©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is a rare condition usually considered to have a favourable prognosis. However, it is not known whether polychemotherapy or immunosuppressive-based therapy is the best approach for treating SPTCL. Using data collected between 2000 and 2012 in France, we analysed clinical, biological and pathological data of 27 patients with SPTCL. Medical history revealed that 40% of patients had been previously diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and 22% with inflammatory panniculitis. Haemophagocytic syndrome was present in 37% of cases. Autoantibodies were positive in 65% of cases. Complete remission (CR) was reached in 74% of cases. Immunosuppressive drug treatment was given in 69.5% of patients (group 1) and polychemotherapy in 30.5% (group 2). CR was 81.2% and 28.5% (p?=?0.025), respectively. Progression rate was 6.2% and 42.8% (p?=?0.067), respectively. This study suggests that immunosuppressive drugs should be considered as the first-line treatment for SPTCL.

The survival of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma has increased during the last decade as a result of addition of anti-CD20 to anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Although the trend is encouraging, there are persistent differences in survival within and between the USA and European countries suggesting that non-biological factors play a role. Our aim was to investigate the influence of such factors on relative survival of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. We conducted a retrospective, multicenter, registry-based study in France on 1165 incident cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma between 2002 and 2008. Relative survival analyses were performed and missing data were controlled with the multiple imputation method. In a multivariate analysis, adjusted for age, sex and International Prognostic Index, we confirmed that time period was associated with a better 5-year relative survival. The registry area, the medical specialty of the care department (onco-hematology versus other), the time to travel to the nearest teaching hospital, the place of treatment (teaching versus not-teaching hospital -borderline significance), a comorbidity burden and marital status were independently associated with the 5-year relative survival. Adjusted for first-course treatment, inclusion in a clinical trial and treatment discussion in a multidisciplinary meeting were strongly associated with a better survival outcome. In contrast, socio-economic status (determined using the European Deprivation Index) was not associated with outcome. Despite therapeutic advances, various non-biological factors affected the relative survival of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The notion of lymphoma-specific expertise seems to be essential to achieve optimal care management and reopens the debate regarding centralization of these patients' care in hematology/oncology departments., (Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation.)

Background: Based on epidemiological commonalities, multiple sclerosis (MS) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), two clinically distinct conditions, have long been suspected to be aetiologically related. MS and HL occur in roughly the same age groups, both are associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, and they cluster mutually in families (though not in individuals). We speculated if in addition to sharing environmental risk factors, MS and HL were also genetically related. Using data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of 1816 HL patients, 9772 MS patients and 25 255 controls, we therefore investigated the genetic overlap between the two diseases., Methods: From among a common denominator of 404 K single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) studied, we identified SNPs and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles independently associated with both diseases. Next, we assessed the cumulative genome-wide effect of MS-associated SNPs on HL and of HL-associated SNPs on MS. To provide an interpretational frame of reference, we used data from published GWAS to create a genetic network of diseases within which we analysed proximity of HL and MS to autoimmune diseases and haematological and non-haematological malignancies., Results: SNP analyses revealed genome-wide overlap between HL and MS, most prominently in the HLA region. Polygenic HL risk scores explained 4.44% of HL risk (Nagelkerke R(2)), but also 2.36% of MS risk. Conversely, polygenic MS risk scores explained 8.08% of MS risk and 1.94% of HL risk. In the genetic disease network, HL was closer to autoimmune diseases than to solid cancers., Conclusions: HL displays considerable genetic overlap with MS and other autoimmune diseases., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.)

Background: Various occupations have been associated with an elevated risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), but results have been inconsistent across studies., Objectives: We investigated occupational risk of NHL and of four common NHL subtypes with particular focus on occupations of a priori interest., Methods: We conducted a pooled analysis of 10,046 cases and 12,025 controls from 10 NHL studies participating in the InterLymph Consortium. We harmonized the occupational coding using the 1968 International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-1968) and grouped occupations previously associated with NHL into 25 a priori groups. Odds ratios (ORs) adjusted for center, age, and sex were determined for NHL overall and for the following four subtypes: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL)., Results: We confirmed previously reported positive associations between NHL and farming occupations [field crop/vegetable farm workers OR = 1.26; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05, 1.51; general farm workers OR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.37]; we also confirmed associations of NHL with specific occupations such as women's hairdressers (OR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.74), charworkers/cleaners (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.36), spray-painters (OR = 2.07; 95% CI: 1.30, 3.29), electrical wiremen (OR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.54), and carpenters (OR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.93). We observed subtype-specific associations for DLBCL and CLL/SLL in women's hairdressers and for DLBCL and PTCL in textile workers., Conclusions: Our pooled analysis of 10 international studies adds to evidence suggesting that farming, hairdressing, and textile industry-related exposures may contribute to NHL risk. Associations with women's hairdresser and textile occupations may be specific for certain NHL subtypes., Citation: 't Mannetje A, De Roos AJ, Boffetta P, Vermeulen R, Benke G, Fritschi L, Brennan P, Foretova L, Maynadié M, Becker N, Nieters A, Staines A, Campagna M, Chiu B, Clavel J, de Sanjose S, Hartge P, Holly EA, Bracci P, Linet MS, Monnereau A, Orsi L, Purdue MP, Rothman N, Lan Q, Kane E, Seniori Costantini A, Miligi L, Spinelli JJ, Zheng T, Cocco P, Kricker A. 2016. Occupation and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and its subtypes: a pooled analysis from the InterLymph Consortium. Environ Health Perspect 124:396-405; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409294.

Background: Female sex hormones are known to have immunomodulatory effects. Therefore, reproductive factors and exogenous hormone use could influence the risk of multiple myeloma in women. However, the role of hormonal factors in multiple myeloma etiology remains unclear because previous investigations were underpowered to detect modest associations., Methods: We conducted a pooled analysis of seven case-control studies included in the International Multiple Myeloma Consortium, with individual data on reproductive factors and exogenous hormone use from 1,072 female cases and 3,541 female controls. Study-specific odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using logistic regression and pooled analyses were conducted using random effects meta-analyses., Results: Multiple myeloma was not associated with reproductive factors, including ever parous [OR = 0.92; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.68-1.25], or with hormonal contraception use (OR = 1.04; 95% CI, 0.80-1.36). Postmenopausal hormone therapy users had nonsignificantly reduced risks of multiple myeloma compared with never users, but this association differed across centers (OR = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.37-1.15, I(2) = 76.0%, Pheterogeneity = 0.01)., Conclusions: These data do not support a role for reproductive factors or exogenous hormones in myelomagenesis., Impact: Incidence rates of multiple myeloma are higher in men than in women, and sex hormones could influence this pattern. Associations with reproductive factors and exogenous hormone use were inconclusive despite our large sample size, suggesting that female sex hormones may not play a significant role in multiple myeloma etiology., (©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Background: A proportion of the genetic variants involved in susceptibility to Hodgkin lymphoma differ by the tumor's Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status, particularly within the MHC region., Methods: We have conducted an SNP imputation study of the MHC region, considering tumor EBV status in 1,200 classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) cases and 5,726 control subjects of European origin. Notable findings were genotyped in an independent study population of 468 cHL cases and 551 controls., Results: We identified and subsequently replicated a novel association between a common genetic variant rs6457715 and cHL. Although strongly associated with EBV-positive cHL [OR, 2.33; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.83-2.97; P = 7 × 10(-12)], there was little evidence for association between rs6457715 and the EBV-negative subgroup of cHL (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.92-1.21), indicating that this association was specific to the EBV-positive subgroup (Phet < P = 10(-8)). Furthermore, the association was limited to EBV-positive cHL subgroups within mixed cell (MCHL) and nodular sclerosis subtypes (NSHL), suggesting that the association is independent of histologic subtype of cHL., Conclusions: rs6457715, located near the HLA-DPB1 gene, is associated with EBV-positive cHL and suggests this region as a novel susceptibility locus for cHL., Impact: This expands the number of genetic variants that are associated with cHL and provides additional evidence for a critical and specific role of EBV in the etiology of this disease., (©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Calreticulin (CALR) mutations have recently been reported in 70-84% of JAK2V617F-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), and this detection has become necessary to improve the diagnosis of MPN. In a large single-centre cohort of 298 patients suffering from Essential Thrombocythemia (ET), the JAK2V617F, CALR and MPL mutations were noted in 179 (60%), 56 (18.5%) and 13 (4.5%) respectively. For the detection of the CALR mutations, three methods were compared in parallel: high-resolution melting-curve analysis (HRM), product-sizing analysis and Sanger sequencing. The sensitivity for the HRM, product-sizing analysis and Sanger sequencing was 96.4%, 98.2% and 89.3% respectively, whereas the specificity was 96.3%, 100% and 100%. In our cohort, the product-sizing analysis was the most sensitive method and was the easiest to interpret, while the HRM was sometimes difficult to interpret. In contrast, when large series of samples were tested, HRM provided results more quickly than did the other methods, which required more time. Finally, the sequencing method, which is the reference method, had the lowest sensitivity but can be used to describe the type of mutation precisely. Altogether, our results suggest that in routine laboratory practice, product-sizing analysis is globally similar to HRM for the detection of CALR mutations, and that both may be used as first-line screening tests. If the results are positive, Sanger sequencing can be used to confirm the mutation and to determine its type. Product-sizing analysis provides sensitive and specific results, moreover, with the quantitative measurement of CALR, which might be useful to monitor specific treatments.

Background: Excess adiposity has been associated with lymphomagenesis, possibly mediated by increased cytokine production causing a chronic inflammatory state. The relationship between obesity, cytokine polymorphisms, and selected mature B-cell neoplasms is reported., Method: Data on 4,979 cases and 4,752 controls from nine American/European studies from the InterLymph consortium (1988-2008) were pooled. For diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma (FL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), joint associations of body mass index (from self-reported height and weight) and 12 polymorphisms in cytokines IL1A (rs1800587), IL1B (rs16944, rs1143627), IL1RN (rs454078), IL2 (rs2069762), IL6 (rs1800795, rs1800797), IL10 (rs1800890, rs1800896), TNF (rs1800629), LTA (rs909253), and CARD15 (rs2066847) were investigated using unconditional logistic regression. BMI-polymorphism interaction effects were estimated using the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI)., Results: Obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2)) was associated with DLBCL risk [OR = 1.33; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02-1.73], as was TNF-308GA+AA (OR = 1.24; 95% CI, 1.07-1.44). Together, being obese and TNF-308GA+AA increased DLBCL risk almost 2-fold relative to those of normal weight and TNF-308GG (OR = 1.93; 95% CI, 1.27-2.94), with a RERI of 0.41 (95% CI, -0.05-0.84; Pinteraction = 0.13). For FL and CLL/SLL, no associations with obesity or TNF-308GA+AA, either singly or jointly, were observed. No evidence of interactions between obesity and the other polymorphisms were detected., Conclusions: Our results suggest that cytokine polymorphisms do not generally interact with BMI to increase lymphoma risk but obesity and TNF-308GA+AA may interact to increase DLBCL risk., Impact: Studies using better measures of adiposity are needed to further investigate the interactions between obesity and TNF-308G>A in the pathogenesis of lymphoma., (©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Background: Incidence rates of lymphoma are usually higher in men than in women, and oestrogens may protect against lymphoma., Methods: We evaluated occupational exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) among 2457 controls and 2178 incident lymphoma cases and subtypes from the European Epilymph study., Results: Over 30 years of exposure to EDCs compared to no exposure was associated with a 24% increased risk of mature B-cell neoplasms (P-trend=0.02). Associations were observed among men, but not women., Conclusions: Prolonged occupational exposure to endocrine disruptors seems to be moderately associated with some lymphoma subtypes.

Background: Past investigations of cigarette smoking and multiple myeloma have been underpowered to detect moderate associations, particularly within subgroups. To clarify this association, we conducted a pooled analysis of nine case-control studies in the International Multiple Myeloma Consortium, with individual-level questionnaire data on cigarette smoking history and other covariates., Methods: Using a pooled population of 2,670 cases and 11,913 controls, we computed odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) relating smoking to multiple myeloma risk using unconditional logistic regression adjusting for gender, age group, race, education, body mass index, alcohol consumption, and study center., Results: Neither ever smokers (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.87-1.05), current smokers (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.73-0.93), nor former smokers (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.92-1.14) had increased risks of multiple myeloma compared with never smokers. Analyses of smoking frequency, pack-years, and duration did not reveal significant or consistent patterns, and there was no significant effect modification by subgroups., Conclusion: Findings from this large pooled analysis do not support the hypothesis of cigarette smoking as a causal factor for multiple myeloma., Impact: Cigarette smoking is one of the most important risk factors for cancer, but the association with multiple myeloma was inconclusive. This study had excellent power to detect modest associations, and had individual-level data to evaluate confounding and effect modification by potentially important factors that were not evaluated in previous studies. Our findings confirm that smoking is not a risk factor for multiple myeloma. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(3); 631-4. ©2014 AACR., (©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.)

Background: Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), comprised of nodal, extranodal, and splenic subtypes, accounts for 5%-10% of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases. A detailed evaluation of the independent effects of risk factors for MZL and its subtypes has not been conducted., Methods: Data were pooled from 1052 MZL cases (extranodal [EMZL] = 633, nodal [NMZL] = 157, splenic [SMZL] = 140) and 13766 controls from 12 case-control studies. Adjusted unconditional logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs)., Results: Novel findings for MZL subtypes include increased risk for B-cell activating autoimmune conditions (EMZL OR = 6.40, 95% CI = 4.24 to 9.68; NMZL OR = 7.80, 95% CI = 3.32 to 18.33; SMZL OR = 4.25, 95% CI = 1.49 to 12.14), hepatitis C virus seropositivity (EMZL OR = 5.29, 95% CI = 2.48 to 11.28), self-reported peptic ulcers (EMZL OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.35 to 2.49), asthma without other atopy (SMZL OR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.23 to 4.23), family history of hematologic cancer (EMZL OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.37 to 2.62) and of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NMZL OR = 2.82, 95% CI = 1.33 to 5.98), permanent hairdye use (SMZL OR = 6.59, 95% CI = 1.54 to 28.17), and occupation as a metalworker (NMZL OR = 3.56, 95% CI = 1.67 to 7.58). Reduced risks were observed with consumption of any alcohol (EMZL fourth quartile OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.28 to 0.82) and lower consumption of wine (NMZL first to third quartile ORs < 0.45) compared with nondrinkers, and occupation as a teacher (EMZL OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.37 to 0.88)., Conclusion: Our results provide new data suggesting etiologic heterogeneity across MZL subtypes although a common risk of MZL associated with B-cell activating autoimmune conditions was found., (Published by Oxford University Press 2014.)

Background & Aims: Treatment with immunosuppressive thiopurines such as azathioprine is associated with an increased risk of leukemogenesis. We assessed the risk of myeloid disorders, such as acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes, in a large cohort of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in France., Methods: We performed a prospective observational study of 19,486 patients with IBD enrolled in the Cancers Et Surrisque Associé aux Maladies inflammatoires intestinales En France (CESAME) study from May 2004 through June 2005; patients were followed through December 31, 2007. The incidence of myeloid disorders in the general population, which was used for reference, was determined from the French Network of Cancer Registries., Results: During 49,736 patient-years of follow-up, 5 patients were diagnosed with incident myeloid disorders (2 with acute myeloid leukemia and 3 with myelodysplastic syndromes). Four of these patients had been exposed to thiopurines (1 with ongoing treatment and 3 with past exposure). The risk of myeloid disorders was not increased among the overall IBD population, compared with the general population; the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) was 1.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-4.20). The risk of myeloid disorders was not increased among patients with IBD and ongoing thiopurine treatment (SIR, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.05-8.54), but patients with past exposures to thiopurines had an increased risk of myeloid disorders (SIR, 6.98; 95% CI, 1.44-20.36)., Conclusions: Past exposure to thiopurines increases the risk of myeloid disorders 7-fold among patients with IBD. This finding should be considered when initiating thiopurine therapy, so risks and benefits can be calculated., (Copyright © 2014 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) are two subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A number of studies have evaluated associations between risk factors and CLL/SLL risk. However, these associations remain inconsistent or lacked confirmation. This may be due, in part, to the inadequate sample size of CLL/SLL cases., Methods: We performed a pooled analysis of 2440 CLL/SLL cases and 15186 controls from 13 case-control studies from Europe, North America, and Australia. We evaluated associations of medical history, family history, lifestyle, and occupational risk factors with CLL/SLL risk. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs)., Results: We confirmed prior inverse associations with any atopic condition and recreational sun exposure. We also confirmed prior elevated associations with usual adult height, hepatitis C virus seropositivity, living or working on a farm, and family history of any hematological malignancy. Novel associations were identified with hairdresser occupation (OR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.05 to 2.98) and blood transfusion history (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.66 to 0.94). We also found smoking to have modest protective effect (OR = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.81 to 0.99). All exposures showed evidence of independent effects., Conclusions: We have identified or confirmed several independent risk factors for CLL/SLL supporting a role for genetics (through family history), immune function (through allergy and sun), infection (through hepatitis C virus), and height, and other pathways of immune response. Given that CLL/SLL has more than 30 susceptibility loci identified to date, studies evaluating the interaction among genetic and nongenetic factors are warranted., (Published by Oxford University Press 2014.)

Background: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), the most common hematologic malignancy, consists of numerous subtypes. The etiology of NHL is incompletely understood, and increasing evidence suggests that risk factors may vary by NHL subtype. However, small numbers of cases have made investigation of subtype-specific risks challenging. The International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium therefore undertook the NHL Subtypes Project, an international collaborative effort to investigate the etiologies of NHL subtypes. This article describes in detail the project rationale and design., Methods: We pooled individual-level data from 20 case-control studies (17471 NHL cases, 23096 controls) from North America, Europe, and Australia. Centralized data harmonization and analysis ensured standardized definitions and approaches, with rigorous quality control., Results: The pooled study population included 11 specified NHL subtypes with more than 100 cases: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (N = 4667), follicular lymphoma (N = 3530), chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (N = 2440), marginal zone lymphoma (N = 1052), peripheral T-cell lymphoma (N = 584), mantle cell lymphoma (N = 557), lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/Waldenström macroglobulinemia (N = 374), mycosis fungoides/Sézary syndrome (N = 324), Burkitt/Burkitt-like lymphoma/leukemia (N = 295), hairy cell leukemia (N = 154), and acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (N = 152). Associations with medical history, family history, lifestyle factors, and occupation for each of these 11 subtypes are presented in separate articles in this issue, with a final article quantitatively comparing risk factor patterns among subtypes., Conclusions: The International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium NHL Subtypes Project provides the largest and most comprehensive investigation of potential risk factors for a broad range of common and rare NHL subtypes to date. The analyses contribute to our understanding of the multifactorial nature of NHL subtype etiologies, motivate hypothesis-driven prospective investigations, provide clues for prevention, and exemplify the benefits of international consortial collaboration in cancer epidemiology., (Published by Oxford University Press 2014.)

Background: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) comprises biologically and clinically heterogeneous subtypes. Previously, study size has limited the ability to compare and contrast the risk factor profiles among these heterogeneous subtypes., Methods: We pooled individual-level data from 17 471 NHL cases and 23 096 controls in 20 case-control studies from the International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium (InterLymph). We estimated the associations, measured as odds ratios, between each of 11 NHL subtypes and self-reported medical history, family history of hematologic malignancy, lifestyle factors, and occupation. We then assessed the heterogeneity of associations by evaluating the variability (Q value) of the estimated odds ratios for a given exposure among subtypes. Finally, we organized the subtypes into a hierarchical tree to identify groups that had similar risk factor profiles. Statistical significance of tree partitions was estimated by permutation-based P values (P NODE)., Results: Risks differed statistically significantly among NHL subtypes for medical history factors (autoimmune diseases, hepatitis C virus seropositivity, eczema, and blood transfusion), family history of leukemia and multiple myeloma, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and certain occupations, whereas generally homogeneous risks among subtypes were observed for family history of NHL, recreational sun exposure, hay fever, allergy, and socioeconomic status. Overall, the greatest difference in risk factors occurred between T-cell and B-cell lymphomas (P NODE < 1.0×10(-4)), with increased risks generally restricted to T-cell lymphomas for eczema, T-cell-activating autoimmune diseases, family history of multiple myeloma, and occupation as a painter. We further observed substantial heterogeneity among B-cell lymphomas (P NODE < 1.0×10(-4)). Increased risks for B-cell-activating autoimmune disease and hepatitis C virus seropositivity and decreased risks for alcohol consumption and occupation as a teacher generally were restricted to marginal zone lymphoma, Burkitt/Burkitt-like lymphoma/leukemia, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and/or lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma/Waldenström macroglobulinemia., Conclusions: Using a novel approach to investigate etiologic heterogeneity among NHL subtypes, we identified risk factors that were common among subtypes as well as risk factors that appeared to be distinct among individual or a few subtypes, suggesting both subtype-specific and shared underlying mechanisms. Further research is needed to test putative mechanisms, investigate other risk factors (eg, other infections, environmental exposures, and diet), and evaluate potential joint effects with genetic susceptibility., (Published by Oxford University Press 2014.)

Background: The etiology of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a distinctive subtype accounting for 2%-10% of all non-Hodgkin lymphoma, is not known., Methods: We investigated associations with self-reported medical history, lifestyle, family history, and occupational risk factors in a pooled analysis of 557 patients with MCL and 13766 controls from 13 case-control studies in Europe, North America, and Australia. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) associated with each exposure were examined using multivariate logistic regression models., Results: The median age of the MCL patients was 62 years and 76% were men. Risk of MCL was inversely associated with history of hay fever (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.48 to 0.82), and the association was independent of other atopic diseases and allergies. A hematological malignancy among first-degree relatives was associated with a twofold increased risk of MCL (OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.39 to 2.84), which was stronger in men (OR = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.44 to 3.38) than women (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 0.82 to 3.19). A modestly increased risk of MCL was also observed in association with ever having lived on a farm (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.90). Unlike some other non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes, MCL risk was not statistically significantly associated with autoimmune disorders, tobacco smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index, or ultraviolet radiation., Conclusions: The novel observations of a possible role for atopy and allergy and farm life in risk of MCL, together with confirmatory evidence of a familial link, suggest a multifactorial etiology of immune-related environmental exposures and genetic susceptibility. These findings provide guidance for future research in MCL etiology., (Published by Oxford University Press 2014.)

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure has been inversely associated with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) risk, but only inconsistently, only in a few studies, and without attention to HL heterogeneity. We conducted a pooled analysis of HL risk focusing on type and timing of UVR exposure and on disease subtypes by age, histology, and tumor-cell Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status. Four case-control studies contributed 1320 HL cases and 6381 controls. We estimated lifetime, adulthood, and childhood UVR exposure and history of sunburn and sunlamp use. We used 2-stage estimation with mixed-effects models and weighted pooled effect estimates by inverse marginal variances. We observed statistically significant inverse associations with HL risk for UVR exposures during childhood and adulthood, sunburn history, and sunlamp use, but we found no significant dose-response relationships. Risks were significant only for EBV-positive HL (pooled odds ratio, 0.56; 95% confidence interval, 0.35 to 0.91 for the highest overall UVR exposure category), with a significant linear trend for overall exposure (P = .03). Pooled relative risk estimates were not heterogeneous across studies. Increased UVR exposure may protect against HL, particularly EBV-positive HL. Plausible mechanisms involving UVR induction of regulatory T cells or the cellular DNA damage response suggest opportunities for new prevention targets.

Objectives: We evaluated the association between occupational exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in a pooled analysis of four international case-control studies., Methods: Overall, the pooled study population included 3788 NHL cases and 4279 controls. Risk of NHL and its major subtypes associated with TCE exposure was calculated with unconditional logistic regression and polytomous regression analysis, adjusting by age, gender and study., Results: Risk of follicular lymphoma (FL), but not NHL overall or other subtypes, increased by probability (p=0.02) and intensity level (p=0.04), and with the combined analysis of four exposure metrics assumed as independent (p=0.004). After restricting the analysis to the most likely exposed study subjects, risk of NHL overall, FL and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) were elevated and increased by duration of exposure (p=0.009, p=0.04 and p=0.01, respectively) and with the combined analysis of duration, frequency and intensity of exposure (p=0.004, p=0.015 and p=0.005, respectively). Although based on small numbers of exposed, risk of all the major NHL subtypes, namely diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, FL and CLL, showed increases in risk ranging 2-3.2-fold in the highest category of exposure intensity. No significant heterogeneity in risk was detected by major NHL subtypes or by study., Conclusions: Our pooled analysis apparently supports the hypothesis of an increase in risk of specific NHL subtypes associated with occupational exposure to TCE.

Background: Lymphoma occurring in patients aged 90 or older is not uncommon, and its incidence is expected to increase over time. Management of these patients is difficult given their underlying fragility and the lack of information regarding this population., Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 234 patients diagnosed with lymphoma at the age of 90 years or older (90+) between 1990 and 2012 to describe their characteristics, management, outcomes and prognostic factors., Results: The median age was 92 years; 88% were B-cell lymphomas consisting mainly in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The median overall survival (OS) was 7.2 months (range, 0-92 months) for the 227 patients with non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), with a significant difference between aggressive and indolent NHL (5.2 months versus 19.4 months, respectively). We further analyzed 166 NHL patients for whom detailed characteristics were available. Among these patients, 63.5% received a treatment, either local (7.5%) or systemic (56%). Lymphoma was reported as the main cause of death (40%). Treatment administration was associated with improved OS in patients with aggressive (P < 0.001) but not indolent NHL (P = 0.96). In patients with aggressive NHL, hypoalbuminemia appeared as a strong and independent negative prognostic factor., Conclusions: The median OS is short in 90+ patients diagnosed with lymphoma but some patients experience prolonged survival. Lymphoma represents the main cause of death in these patients. Treatment may improve survival of selected patients with aggressive but not indolent NHL. Management of these patients may be guided by prognostic factors identified in this study, notably serum albumin.

Background: Recent findings suggest that alcohol consumption may reduce risk of multiple myeloma., Methods: To better understand this relationship, we conducted an analysis of six case-control studies participating in the International Multiple Myeloma Consortium (1,567 cases, 7,296 controls). Summary ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) relating different measures of alcohol consumption and multiple myeloma risk were computed by unconditional logistic regression with adjustment for age, race, and study center., Results: Cases were significantly less likely than controls to report ever drinking alcohol (men: OR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.59-0.89; women: OR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.68-0.95). The inverse association with multiple myeloma was stronger when comparing current to never drinkers (men: OR = 0.57; 95% CI, 0.45-0.72; women: OR = 0.55; 95% CI, 0.45-0.68), but null among former drinkers. We did not observe an exposure-response relationship with increasing alcohol frequency, duration, or cumulative lifetime consumption. Additional adjustment for body mass index, education, or smoking did not affect our results; and the patterns of association were similar for each type of alcohol beverage examined., Conclusions: Our study is, to our knowledge, the largest of its kind to date, and our findings suggest that alcohol consumption may be associated with reduced risk of multiple myeloma., Impact: Prospective studies, especially those conducted as pooled analyses with large sample sizes, are needed to confirm our findings and further explore whether alcohol consumption provides true biologic protection against this rare, highly fatal malignancy., (©2013 AACR.)

Objectives: We investigated the role of occupational exposure to specific groups of agrochemicals in the aetiology of lymphoma overall, B cell lymphoma and its most prevalent subtypes., Methods: In 1998-2003, 2348 incident lymphoma cases and 2462 controls were recruited to the EPILYMPH case-control study in six European countries. A detailed occupational history was collected in cases and controls. Job modules were applied for farm work including specific questions on type of crop, farm size, pests being treated, type and schedule of pesticide use. In each study centre, industrial hygienists and occupational experts assessed exposure to specific groups of pesticides and individual compounds with the aid of agronomists. We calculated the OR and its 95% CI associated with lymphoma and the most prevalent lymphoma subtypes with unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for age, gender, education and centre., Results: Risk of lymphoma overall, and B cell lymphoma was not elevated, and risk of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) was elevated amongst those ever exposed to inorganic (OR=1.6, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.5) and organic pesticides (OR=1.5, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.1). CLL risk was highest amongst those ever exposed to organophosphates (OR=2.7, 95% CI 1.2 to 6.0). Restricting the analysis to subjects most likely exposed, no association was observed between pesticide use and risk of B cell lymphoma., Conclusions: Our results provide limited support to the hypothesis of an increase in risk of specific lymphoma subtypes associated with exposure to pesticides.

Population-based information on the survival of patients with myeloid malignancies is rare mainly because some entities were not recognized as malignant until the publication of the third revision of the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology and World Health Organization classification in 2000. In this study we report the survival of patients with myeloid malignancies, classified by updated criteria, in Europe. We analyzed 58,800 cases incident between 1995 to 2002 in 48 population-based cancer registries from 20 European countries, classified into HAEMACARE myeloid malignancy groupings. The period approach was used to estimate 5-year relative survival in 2000-2002. The relative overall survival rate was 37%, but varied significantly between the major groups: being 17% for acute myeloid leukemia, 20% for myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasms, 31% for myelodysplastic syndromes and 63% for myeloproliferative neoplasms. Survival of patients with individual disease entities ranged from 90% for those with essential thrombocythemia to 4% for those with acute myeloid leukemia with multilineage dysplasia. Regional European variations in survival were conspicuous for myeloproliferative neoplasms, with survival rates being lowest in Eastern Europe. This is the first paper to present large-scale, European survival data for patients with myeloid malignancies using prognosis-based groupings of entities defined by the third revision of the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology/World Health Organization classifications. Poor survival in some parts of Europe, particularly for treatable diseases such as chronic myeloid leukemia, is of concern for hematologists and public health authorities.

Background: The EPILYMPH study applied a detailed occupational exposure assessment approach to a large multi-centre case-control study conducted in six European countries. This paper analysed multiple myeloma (MM) risk associated with level of education, and lifetime occupational history and occupational exposures, based on the EPILYMPH data set., Methods: 277 MM cases and four matched controls per each case were included. Controls were randomly selected, matching for age (+/- 5 years), centre and gender. Lifetime occupations and lifetime exposure to specific workplace agents was obtained through a detailed questionnaire. Local industrial hygienists assessed likelihood and intensity for specific exposures. The odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals (OR, 95% CI) were calculated for level of education, individual occupations and specific exposures. Unconditional logistic regression models were run for individual occupations and exposures., Results: A low level of education was associated with MM OR=1.68 (95% CI 1.02-2.76). An increased risk was observed for general farmers (OR=1.77; 95% CI 1.05-2.99) and cleaning workers (OR=1.69; 95% CI 1.04-2.72) adjusting for level of education. Risk was also elevated, although not significant, for printers (OR=2.06; 95% CI 0.97-4.34). Pesticide exposure over a period of ten years or more increased MM risk (OR=1.62; 95% CI 1.01-2.58)., Conclusion: These results confirm an association of MM with farm work, and indicate its association with printing and cleaning. While prolonged exposure to pesticides seems to be a risk factor for MM, an excess risk associated with exposure to organic solvents could not be confirmed.