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Purpose: Thrombocytopenia is a serious complication of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) associated with an increased bleeding risk and worse prognosis. Eltrombopag (ELT), a thrombopoietin receptor agonist, can increase platelet counts and reverse anti-megakaryopoietic effects of lenalidomide (LEN) in preclinical studies. We hypothesized ELT would reduce the incidence of thrombocytopenia in MDS. Patients and Methods: We conducted a Phase II multicenter trial of ELT and LEN in adult patients with low- or intermediate-1–risk MDS with symptomatic or transfusion-dependent anemia or thrombocytopenia (NCT01772420). Thrombocytopenic patients were started on ELT and subsequently treated with LEN after platelets were increased. Patients without thrombocytopenia were started on LEN monotherapy and treated with ELT if they became thrombocytopenic. Results: Fifty-two patients were enrolled; mean age was 71 years (range 34–93). Overall response rate (ORR) in the intention-to-treat population was 35% (18/52). ELT monotherapy led to ORR of 33.3% (7/21), 29% achieving hematologic improvement (HI)-Platelets, and 24% bilineage responses. LEN monotherapy had 38% ORR (6/16) with all responders achieving HI-Erythroid. Fifteen patients received both ELT and LEN with ORR of 33.3%, 20% achieved HI-Erythroid, and 20% HI-Platelets with 13% bilineage responses. Median duration of response was 40 weeks for ELT (range 8–ongoing), 41 weeks (25–ongoing) for LEN, and 88 weeks (8.3–ongoing) for ELT/LEN. Non-hematologic grade 3–4 treatment-related adverse events were infrequent. Among patients on ELT, 2 had major bleeding events, 1 had a reversible increase in peripheral blasts, and 1 developed marrow fibrosis after 6 years on ELT. Conclusions: ELT and LEN are well tolerated and effective in achieving hematologic improvement in patients with low-/intermediate-risk MDS.

PURPOSE:Cyberattacks targeting health care organizations are becoming more frequent and affect all aspects of care delivery. Cancer care is particularly susceptible to major disruptions because of the potential of immediate and long-term consequences for patients who often rely on timely diagnostic testing and regular administration of systemic therapy in addition to other local treatment modalities to cure or control their diseases. On October 28, 2020, a cyberattack was launched on the University of Vermont Health Network with wide-ranging consequences for oncology, including loss of access to all network intranet servers, e-mail communications, and the electronic medical record (EMR).METHODS:This review details the immediate challenges faced by hematology and oncology during the cyberattack. The impact and response on inpatient, outpatient, and special patient populations are described. Steps that other academic- and community-based oncology practices can take to lessen the brunt of such an assault are suggested.RESULTS:The two areas of immediate impact after the cyberattack were communications and lack of EMR access. The oncology-specific impact included loss of the individualized EMR chemotherapy plan templates and electronic safeguards built into multistep treatment preparation and delivery. With loss of access to schedules, basic patient information, encrypted communications platforms and radiology, and laboratory and pharmacy services, clinical outpatient care delivery was reduced by 40%. The infusion visit volume dropped by 52% in the first week and new patients could not access necessary services for timely diagnostic evaluation, requiring the creation of command centers to oversee ethical and transparent triage and allocation of systemic therapies and address new patient referrals. This included appropriate transfer of patients to alternate sites to minimize delays. Inpatient care including transitions of care was particularly challenging and addressing patient populations whose survival might be affected by delays in care.CONCLUSION:Oncology health care leaders and providers should be aware of the potential impact of a cyberattack on cancer care delivery and preventively develop processes to mitigate the impact.

As life expectancy for HIV patients improve, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has become a non-AIDS defining illness with a high impact on morbidity and mortality of HIV-infected individuals. We sought to compare outcomes in HIV- versus non-HIV-infected patients treated for HCC at a multiethnic academic medical health system.A retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with HCC from 1/1/2005 to 12/31/2016 was performed. Differences in characteristics among HIV and non-HIV subjects were assessed. Associations between HIV status, viral load, CD4 count, and overall survival (OS) were also assessed.We identified 915 subjects (842 non-HIV and 73 with HIV). HIV-infected subjects were younger, predominantly male non-Hispanic Blacks, and more likely to have HBV and HCV co-infection, and alcohol use at diagnosis compared to non-HIV counterparts. Stage, MELD score, Child-Pugh, and ECOG performance status were similar. HIV-positive patients received systemic therapy at significantly higher rates and liver transplantation for HCC at significantly lower rates than those without HIV. The actuarial 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) for all patients was 48.3% and 39.4%. For HIV-infected subjects, 3- and 5-year OS was significantly worse at 36.8% and 28.3% compared to 49.3% and 40.4%, respectively, for non-HIV subjects (log rank p = 0.033).HIV-infected HCC patients have lower survival rates compared to those without HIV. Despite younger age and similar stage, MELD, and ECOG at diagnosis, HIV portends worse outcomes in patients with HCC.

Even though HIV is associated with worse prognosis in many malignancies, the clinical course of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in HIV + patients has not been well studied. Determining the clinical presentation and outcomes of MDS in these patients would be important for future diagnostic strategies, as anemia and other cytopenias are commonly seen in HIV + patients. Unique data mining software was used to identify cases of MDS or AML in adult patients who were also HIV + at Albert Einstein/Montefiore Medical Center between 1 January 2003 and 1 January 2017. Using Chi-Square and Fisher's exact test, characteristics of the HIV + MDS patients were compared to 135 HIV - MDS patients from the same institution diagnosed between 1997 and 2011. Fourteen biopsy proven MDS patients were identified with concomitant HIV. HIV + MDS patients presented at a younger age (59 vs. 71 yrs

Optimal treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) arising in elderly patients remains a challenge. FDA approval of Ivosidenib and Enasidenib, small molecule inhibitors of isocitrate dehydrogenase enzymes (IDH1 and 2) have opened new avenues of treatment. We present a 60-year-old woman with refractory AML, achieving complete response to the combination therapy of hypomethylating agent, Azacytidine with the IDH2 inhibitor, Enasidenib, and BCL2 inhibitor, Venetoclax. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a patient with IDH2 mutated refractory AML achieving complete response to combination therapy with azacytidine, enasidenib and venetoclax.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a life-threatening opportunistic infection of immunomodulatory therapies. PML cases reported in PubMed (1995-2017) following stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) or chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) for hematologic malignancies were reviewed. We found 107 cases, 40% were HSCT recipients (32 allogeneic, 11 autologous) and 40% indolent lymphomas receiving monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). HSCT cases had longer time to PML diagnosis (10.8 vs. 4 months, p .001), higher proportion of PML therapy response (58% vs. 25%, p = .019), lower mortality rate (56% vs. 88%, p .001), and longer median survival (8 vs. 2 months, p .001). Outcome differences might be caused by selection bias as HSCT patients are most likely treated aggressively; however, time-dependent immune reconstitution might also contribute to their better prognosis. Increased use of mAbs and HSCT are associated with rising PML incidence in hematological malignancies, currently constituting the second largest vulnerable population after HIV-infected patients; further research is needed for its optimal treatment.

Introduction: Lenalidomide (LEN) is approved for treatment of Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) with chromosome 5q deletion (del 5q) as it has shown to induce disease remission and transfusion independence in close to 65% of this population. For patients (pts) without del 5q, LEN has shown to reduce transfusion needs in one-quarter of pts, but its use is limited by significant thrombocytopenia, and pts with platelet counts (PLTs) Methods: Pts aged ≥18 years with low/int risk MDS per IPSS, or non-proliferative chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), with bone marrow blasts Results: 51 pts were accrued, with 44 evaluable pts. Of evaluable pts, most were male (70%), median age was 71 years (range 34-93). 42 (95%) pts had MDS and 2 (5%) CMML. 24 (55%) pts were low-risk per IPSS-R score. 28 (64%) pts were treatment-naïve and 16 (36%) had received ≥1lines of treatment, including erythropoiesis stimulating agents. 24 (55%) pts were assigned to arm A and 20 (45%) pts to arm B. ELT/LEN was well tolerated. Non-hematological grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were few, including G3 hyperbilirubinemia (7%), G3 transaminitis (2%), G3 diarrhea (2%), G3 arthralgias (2%). 2 pts had major bleeding events; there were 2 deaths, one attributable to pneumonia and one to gallbladder cancer. 1 of 31 pts who received ELT had a reversible increase in peripheral blasts while on treatment, and 1 pt had development of marrow fibrosis after 6 years of ELT. ITT analysis of total population (51) revealed an objective response (ORR) of 35%; ORR of 32% (9/28) in arm A (PLTs ≥50,000),and 39% (9/23) in arm B (PLTs 17 pts received ELT alone, among these ORR was 41% (7/17), with 29% achieving bilineage responses, 1 CR. 13 pts received LEN alone, ORR was 46% (6/13), of these 100% achieved RBC-TI. 14 pts received ELT/LEN combination, ORR was 36%, 2 (14%) achieved bilineage responses and 2 (14%) CR. There were 2 HIV-positive MDS pts, both achieved sustained CRs, one with ELT alone and one with ELT/LEN combination. Mean time to response was 9.4 wks (range 6-12.4) for ELT alone, 10.9 wks (range 2.4-16) for LEN alone, and 9.9 wks (range 2-20) for ELT/LEN combination. Mean duration of response was 102 wks for ELT (range 8-ongoing), 63 wks (range 25-ongoing) for LEN, and 66 wks (range 8.3-ongoing) for ELT/LEN as of last follow-up. Conclusions: Treatment with ELT/LEN demonstrates good efficacy with ORR of 40.9%, response durability and an acceptable safety profile for evaluable pts with low/int risk MDS. ELT can lead to single agent responses with an acceptable safety profile and sizable proportion of multilineage responses. One patient developed bone marrow fibrosis and one patient had a transient increase in blasts, hence, undermining these pre-existing safety concerns. Lastly, using our study schema 32% of pts were able to initiate or continue LEN achieving a 36% ORR whereas in prior studies these pts would have been excluded. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Yacoub: Agios: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Acceleron Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; CTI Biopharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Speakers Bureau. Gritsman: iOnctura: Research Funding. Shastri: Kymera Therapeutics: Research Funding; Onclive: Honoraria; GLC: Consultancy; Guidepoint: Consultancy. Verma: Celgene: Consultancy; Acceleron: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Stelexis: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Eli Lilly: Research Funding; Curis: Research Funding; Medpacto: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Stelexis: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Throws Exception: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; GSK: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding. OffLabel Disclosure: Lenalidomide has shown to be effective achieving RBC Transfusion Independence in Myelodysplastic Syndromes without deletion 5q Eltrombopag is a TPO-R agonist, its purpose in this trial is to evaluate if it would increase platelet counts in patients with Myelodisplastic Syndrome.

Anthracycline-based regimens have been an important treatment component for patients with breast cancer. As demonstrated in the last Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTCG) meta-analysis, anthracycline-based regimens decrease breast cancer mortality by 20–30%. Anthracycline toxicities include the rare—but potential morbid—cardiotoxicity or leukemogenic effect, and the almost universal—but very distressing—alopecia. Due to potential toxicities, and large number of patients being exposed, several worldwide trials have re-examined the role of anthracycline-based regimens in the management of breast cancer. Current literature supports that anthracyclines are not required for all patients with breast cancer and should be avoided in those with high cardiac risk. Recent results from the ABC trials suggest that anthracyclines should not be spared for patients with triple negative breast cancer (regardless of axillary node involvement) or HER2−/ER+ with significant node involvement. Based on current literature, for HER2-negative patients with low-risk breast cancer, anthracyclines could be spared with regimens such as cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (CMF) or docetaxel and cyclophosphamide (TC). Patients with intermediate or high-risk breast cancer should be considered for anthracycline-based regimens based on other factors such as age, comorbidities, tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion, and genomic profiling. Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer with low risk could be treated with paclitaxel and trastuzumab. For the remaining patients with HER2 overexpression, while docetaxel, carboplatin, and trastuzumab (TCH) has demonstrated to improve disease-free survival (DFS), anthracycline-containing regimens should be discussed, especially for those with very high-risk breast cancer. Although several biomarkers, such as topoisomerase II (TOP2A) and chromosome 17 centromeric duplication (Ch17CEP) have been proposed to predict benefit from anthracycline regimens, further research is required to delineate their proper utility in the clinical setting.

e16565 Background: Treatment (TX) of breast cancer (BC) in elderly (E) patients (pt) can be problematic due to the increased co-morbidities (CM), multiple medications, and cognitive dysfunction related to age. Due to this many E pt are less likely to have standardized treatment (TX). This study was undertaken to assess if pt over the age of 70 diagnosed with BC received TX based on NCCN guidelines and what CM led to selection of therapies. Methods: A retrospective review at a tertiary care medical center identified 108 pt over the age of 70 with BC from 2001-2011. Clinical data was obtained regarding race, age, stage (ST) at diagnosis, TX, CM, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2neu receptor (H2N) status. Results: Of the 108 pts, 22% were Caucasians, 66% were African-American, 3% Asian, 6% Hispanic, and 2% other. The age range was 70 to 96 years, mean of 75. Staging was as follows: 23% DCIS, 24% ST I, 28% ST II, 9% ST III, and 7% ST IV. 66% were ER positive (+), 60% PR+, and 87% H2N negative. H2N status was not available on 9% of the pts. In 92% of the pt surgical intervention (SI), either lumpectomy (L) with radiation therapy (RT), or mastectomy (M) was done (see table below). 8% of pt either refused SI or were lost to follow-up. ER/PR+ pt hormone therapy (HT) was started in 95% of pt. 3% of ER/PR+ pt refused HT. In stage II and III 60% of pt had adjuvant chemotherapy (CT), only 5% refused CT. In ST IV 30% had HT alone, 50% with CT and HT, and 25% with RT to chest wall for local recurrence. Only 23% of H2N positive pt received Herceptin. 52% of the CT used in stage II and III was cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorouracil (CMF). CM in the CMF pts were as follows 90% cardiovascular disease (CAD), 53% arthritis (AR), 13% history malignancy, and 13% pulmonary disease. In the pt who refused SI, and/or CT the most common CM were 70% CAD, 50% AR, and 25% dementia. Conclusions: The majority of the E BC pt in this cohort had significant CM that made TX challenging. Some pt were not offered appropriate CT (i.e., trastuzumab) due to CM. Age impacts BC TX, but should not hinder the pt receiving optimal tx. Further studies with women over the age of 70 with BC is required to determine the most appropriate TX in this subset of pts. [Table: see text]