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Purpose: The use of early (interim) PET restaging during first-line therapy of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) in clinical practice has considerably increased because of its ability to provide early recognition of treatment failure allowing patients to be transferred to more intensive treatment regimens. Methods: Between June 1997 and June 2009, 304 patients with newly diagnosed HL (147 early stage and 157 advanced stage) were treated with the ABVD regimen at two Italian institutions. Patients underwent PET staging and restaging at baseline, after two cycles of therapy and at the end of the treatment. Results: Of the 304 patients, 53 showed a positive interim PET scan and of these only 13 (24.5%) achieved continuous complete remission (CCR), whereas 251 patients showed a negative PET scan and of these 231 (92%) achieved CCR. Comparison between interim PET-positive and interim PET-negative patients indicated a significant association between PET findings and 9-year progression-free survival and 9-year overall survival, with a median follow-up of 31 months. Among the early-stage patients, 19 had a positive interim PET scan and only 4 (21%) achieved CCR; among the 128 patients with a negative interim PET scan, 122 (97.6%) achieved CCR. Among the advanced-stage patients, 34 showed a persistently positive PET scan with only 9 (26.4%) achieving CCR, whereas 123 showed a negative interim PET scan with 109 (88.6%) achieving CCR. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate the role of an early PET scan as a significant step forward in the management of patients with early-stage or advanced-stage HL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (PET) scan has increased considerably in the clinical management of non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, and its role as a prognostic factor during chemotherapy has been established recently. Methods: Between May 2003 and May 2009, 91 newly diagnosed patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBCL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) were treated with 12 weekly cycles of rituximab-MACOP-B (n = 12 patients with PMLBCL), 6 cycles of rituximab-CHOP21 (n = 65 patients with DLBCL, aged < 60 years and 1 patient with PMLBCL), or 8 weekly cycles of rituximab-VNCOP-B (n = 13 DLBCL patients, aged ≥ 60 years). All patients underwent a staging PET examination at baseline and a midtreatment (interim) PET examination after 6 weeks of rituximab-MACOP-B treatment, 3 cycles of rituximab-CHOP21 treatment, or 4 weeks of rituximab-VNCOP-B treatment and again at the end of the chemo-immunotherapy regimen. Results: At midtreatment evaluation, 35 patients showed a persistently positive PET scan; only 6 (17%) of these patients achieved a continuous complete response (CCR). However, 56 patients presented with a negative interim PET, and 50 (89%) of these patients achieved and maintained a CCR. Comparison between the 2 PET groups indicated a statistically significant association between PET findings and event-free survival (P = .0001) and overall survival (P = .0001). Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that midtreatment PET may represent a significant step forward in helping physicians make crucial decisions on further treatment. Cancer 2011. © 2010 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The use of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (PET) scan has increased considerably in the clinical management of non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, and its role as a prognostic factor during chemotherapy has been established recently. METHODS: Between May 2003 and May 2009, 91 newly diagnosed patients with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBCL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) were treated with 12 weekly cycles of rituximab-MACOP-B (n = 12 patients with PMLBCL), 6 cycles of rituximab-CHOP21 (n = 65 patients with DLBCL, aged < 60 years and 1 patient with PMLBCL), or 8 weekly cycles of rituximab-VNCOPB (n = 13 DLBCL patients, aged ≥ 60 years). All patients underwent a staging PET examination at baseline and a midtreatment (interim) PET examination after 6 weeks of rituximab-MACOP-B treatment, 3 cycles of rituximab-CHOP21 treatment, or 4 weeks of rituximab-VNCOP-B treatment and again at the end of the chemo-immunotherapy regimen. RESULTS: At midtreatment evaluation, 35 patients showed a persistently positive PET scan; only 6 (17%) of these patients achieved a continuous complete response (CCR). However, 56 patients presented with a negative interim PET, and 50 (89%) of these patients achieved and maintained a CCR. Comparison between the 2 PET groups indicated a statistically significant association between PET findings and event-free survival (P = .0001) and overall survival (P = .0001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that midtreatment PET may represent a significant step forward in helping physicians make crucial decisions on further treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Collegium Antropologicum is the property of Croatian Anthropological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Collegium Antropologicum is the property of Croatian Anthropological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Collegium Antropologicum is the property of Croatian Anthropological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ibrutinib has demonstrated a significant clinical impact in patients with de novo and relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), even in cases with unfavorable cytogenetics and molecular markers. All CLL patients' data treated at our Institute with ibrutinib have been retrospectively reviewed. Forty-six patients received ibrutinib either as frontline (10) or second or more advanced treatment (36). Five patients presented with TP53 mutations; 11 had the deletion of chromosome 17p; 17 displayed an unmutated immunoglobulin variable heavy chain status. The median number of cycles administered was 26. Among patients treated frontline, the best overall response rate (ORR) was 90.0%. In patients receiving ibrutinib as a second or later line ORR was 97.2%. Median progression-free survival was 28.8 and 21.1 months for patients treated frontline and as second/later line, respectively. Median overall survival was not reached for those treated frontline and resulted in 4.9 years for patients treated as second/later line. Grade 3–4 hematological toxicities were neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia. Grade 3–4 extrahematological toxicities included diarrhea, cutaneous rash, utero-vesical prolapse, vasculitis, and sepsis. Ibrutinib is effective and well tolerated in CLL. Responses obtained in a real-life setting are durable and the safety profile of the drug is favorable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This review focuses on the effects that a class of drugs, PI3Kδ inhibitors, used for the treatment of patients with lymphoma can have not on the neoplastic cells but on the normal cells and how this effect can modulate the immune response and potentially contribute to the anti-tumor response. The development of small molecules able to block specific or multiple isoforms of phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) has already been an active field of research for many years in the cancer field. PI3Kδ inhibitors are among the targeted agents most extensively studied for the treatment of lymphoma patients and PI3Kδ inhibitors are already approved by regulatory agencies. More recently, it became clear that the anti-tumor activity of PI3K inhibitors might not be due only to a direct effect on the cancer cells but it can also be mediated via inhibition of the kinases in non-neoplastic cells present in the tumor microenvironment. T-cells represent an important component of the tumor microenvironment and they comprise different subpopulations that can have both anti- and pro-tumor effects. In this review article, we discuss the effects that PI3Kδ inhibitors exert on the immune system with a particular focus on the T-cell compartment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: CAR T-cell therapies have undoubtedly revolutionized the treatment of relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. These therapies represent a valuable new treatment option, yielding impressive complete remission rates and improving survival. The aim of this article is to give an overview of emerging real-world evidence since data from every-day clinical practice are still scarce. We report effectiveness and safety data on 30 patients treated at our Institution. Treatment in this setting with CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapies for relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma showed a manageable safety profile and high objective response rate, confirming the encouraging results of the pivotal clinical trials. Large B-cell lymphomas (LBCL) are the most common types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Although outcomes have improved thanks to the introduction of rituximab-based chemoimmunotherapy, certain LBCL still represents a challenge because of initial resistance to therapy or recurrent relapses. Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) and tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) are second-generation autologous CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies approved for patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) LBCL, based on the results of phase II pivotal single-arm trials ZUMA-1 (for axi-cel) and JULIET (for tisa-cel). Here, we report patients outcomes with axi-cel and tisa-cel in the standard of care (SoC) setting for R/R LBCL, treated at our Institution. Data were collected from patients who underwent leukapheresis between August 2019 and February 2021. Toxicities were graded and managed according to the institution's guidelines. Responses were assessed as per Lugano 2014 classification. Of the 30 patients who underwent leukapheresis, 18 (60%) received axi-cel, while 12 (40%) tisa-cel. Grade 3 or higher cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity occurred in 10% and 16% patients, respectively. Best objective and complete response rates were 73.3% and 40%, respectively. Treatment in SoC setting with CD19 CAR T-cell therapies for R/R LBCL showed a manageable safety profile and high objective response rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is an emerging treatment for solid tumors and an attracting research field due to its clinical results. ECT in association with bleomycin is an effective and safe treatment option in the vulvar cancer palliative setting. With regard to cisplatin (CSP)-based ECT, considering the clear evidence on its efficacy in gynecological tumors, the possibility to improve local control with CSP-based ECT is intriguing and a well-designed randomized clinical trial should be addressed to this issue. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is an emerging treatment for solid tumors and an attractive research field due to its clinical results. This therapy represents an alternative local treatment to the standard ones and is based on the tumor-directed delivery of non-ablative electrical pulses to maximize the action of specific cytotoxic drugs such as cisplatin (CSP) and bleomycin (BLM) and to promote cancer cell death. Nowadays, ECT is mainly recommended as palliative treatment. However, it can be applied to a wide range of superficial cancers, having an impact in preventing or delaying tumor progression and therefore in improving quality of life. In addition, during the natural history of the tumor, early ECT may improve patient outcomes. Our group has extensive clinical and research experience on ECT in vulvar tumors in the palliative setting, with 70% overall response rate. So far, in most studies, ECT was based on BLM. However, the potential of CSP in this setting seems interesting due to some theoretical advantages. The purpose of this report is to: (i) compare the efficacy of CSP and BLM-based ECT through a systematic literature review; (ii) report the results of our studies on CSP-resistant squamous cell tumors cell lines and the possibility to overcome chemoresistance using ECT; (iii) discuss the future ECT role in gynecological tumors and in particular in vulvar carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A multicenter prospective observational study was conducted on patients with vulvar cancer (VC) refractory or not amenable to standard therapies undergoing palliative electrochemotherapy (ECT) as per clinical practice. Electrochemotherapy with bleomycin improves quality of life in patients with recurrent vulvar cancer. The assessment was performed with a visual analog pain scale (VAS), EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-L5) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—Vulva cancer (FACT—V). To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the impact of palliative ECT on QoL of VC patients, with a detailed evaluation of potential correlations between tumor characteristics and severity of and response to symptoms. This improvement is higher in patients with clinical response and for smaller and anterior lesions. Based on these results, ECT in VC should be considered as an effective option based on the favorable outcomes both in terms of response and QoL. The ELECHTRA (ELEctroChemoTherapy vulvaR cAncer) project was conceived to collect data on palliative electrochemotherapy (ECT) in vulvar cancer (VC) assessing patients' outcomes (response and survival) and impact on quality of life (QoL). After reporting outcome data in 2019, here, we present the results on QoL. A multicenter prospective observational study was conducted on patients with VC refractory or not amenable to standard therapies undergoing palliative ECT as per clinical practice. The following questionnaires were administered before and after ECT (two and four months later, early and late follow-up): visual analog pain scale (VAS), EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-L5) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—Vulva cancer (FACT—V). Analyses were conducted on both the whole study population and by subgroups (clinical response after ECT and site, number and size of lesions). Questionnaires from 55 patients were evaluated. Compared to the baseline (6.1 ± 2.1), the VAS was significantly reduced at early (4.3 ± 2.5) and late follow-up (4.6 ± 2.8) (p < 0.0001). The FACT—V score improved significantly at early (9.6 ± 4.0) (p < 0.0001) and late follow-up (8.9 ± 4.1) (p < 0.0054) as compared to the baseline (7.1 ± 3.6). No EQ-5D-5L statistically significant changes were observed. Subgroup analyses showed worse QoL in patients with stable or progressive disease, posterior site and multiple or larger than 3 cm nodules. This is the first study reporting improved QoL in VC patients after palliative ECT. Based on these results, ECT in VC should be considered an effective option based on the favorable outcomes both in terms of response and QoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents two case studies including a 21-year-old male with stage IIB supradiaphragmatic Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and a 32-year-old male with stage IIB HL. The study reveals that two patients were treated successfully with the bifunctional alkylating agent bendamustine. It informs that the 21-year-old pateints was treated with the anti-cancer chemotherapy drugs adriamycin, bleomycin, and vinblastine.

The article presents a retrospective monocentric analysis of 14 patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive T-cell lymphomas who received allogeneic stem cell transplant (allo-SCT) at the University of Bologna's Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology in Italy between June 1983 and June 2008. The analysis reveals that all of these patients had a fatal disease progression. These patients were also evaluable for acute graft-versus- host disease (aGVHD) grade assessment.

It is administered continuously until disease progression or intolerable toxicity [[6]]: patients discontinuing treatment due to either causes display significantly different survival rates, as those who stop the drug due to intolerance behave much better than those who discontinue because of disease progression or histologic transformation [[7]]. Ibrutinib is a first-generation oral BTK inhibitor approved for the treatment of patients with I de novo i or relapsed or refractory CLL [[4]]. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder caused by the clonal proliferation and accumulation of small, mature-appearing CD5 SP + sp B-lymphocytes in the blood, bone marrow and lymphoid tissues [[1]]. Disease flare during temporary interruption of ibrutinib therapy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. [Extracted from the article]

Poor literature report actual and detailed costs of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell pathway in a real-life setting. We retrospectively collect data for all patients with relapsed/refractory aggressive large B-cell lymphoma who underwent leukapheresis between August 2019 and August 2022. All costs and medical resource consumption accountability were calculated on an intention-to-treat (ITT) basis, starting from leukapheresis to the time when the patient (infused or not) exited the CAR T-cell pathway for any reason. Eighty patients were addressed to leukapheresis and 59 were finally infused. After excluding CAR-T product cost, the main driver of higher costs were hospitalizations followed by the examinations/procedures and other drugs, respectively 43.9%, 26.3% and 25.4% of the total. Regarding costs of drugs and medications other than CAR T products, the most expensive items are those referred to AEs, both infective and extra-infective within 30 days from infusion, that account for 63% of the total. Density plot of cost analyses did not show any statistically significant difference with respect to the years of leukapheresis or infusion. To achieve finally 59/80 infused patients the per capita patients without CAR-T products results 74,000 euros. This analysis covers a growing concern on health systems, the burden of expenses related to CAR T-cell therapy, which appears to provide significant clinical benefit despite its high cost, thus making economic evaluations highly relevant. The relevance of this study should be also viewed in light of continuously evolving indications for this therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic posed a major challenge in cancer care worldwide which might have an impact on the management of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We conducted a retrospective study comparing characteristics, management, and outcomes of DLBCL patients diagnosed during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (1/3/2020–28/2/2021) to those diagnosed in the previous year (1/3/2019–28/2/2020) in two tertiary centers in Italy and Israel. 182 patients were diagnosed with DLBCL during the study period. More patients were diagnosed during the pandemic compared to the year before: 60 vs. 29 and 54 vs. 39 in Italy and in Israel, respectively. Trends towards older age and higher transformation rates were shown during the pandemic. The interval between the initiation of symptoms and diagnosis was longer during the pandemic. Five and four patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 during treatment in Italy and in Israel, respectively. there was no difference in dose density and intensity of treatment, before and during the pandemic. The median follow-up during and before the pandemic was 15.2 and 25.5 months, respectively. Progression-free survival (PFS) was slightly shorter during the pandemic compared to the year before (64.9% vs. 70.6%; p = 0.0499). In multivariate analysis, older age and transformed disease were independently related to PFS, while diagnosis of DLBCL during the pandemic was not. Despite the challenges caused by COVID-19 pandemic, the management of DLBCL patients remained unchanged including dose density and intensity. Nevertheless, a shorter PFS during the outbreak might be attributed to differences in patients' characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: For primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg-type (PCDLBCL-LT), there are no uniform recommendations for second-line treatment in case of relapse. Case Presentation: Here, we present the case of an elderly relapsed/refractory PCDLBCL-LT patient who obtained a prolonged clinical complete remission with lenalidomide. Conclusion: Lenalidomide as single agent led to an unexpected long complete response with manageable toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the case of 2 patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma treated with valemetostat tosylate, a selective dual inhibitor of histone-lysine N-methyltransferases enhancer of zest homolog 1 and 2, and subsequently bridged to allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Valemetostat led to a quick response and was well tolerated, offering a promising bridge therapy to transplantation for patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma, which is still an unmet medical need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An endobronchial localization of Hodgkin lymphoma is rare, and few experiences since the 1900s have been reported in the literature. Here we report the first case of a relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma with a critical vegetative mass at the level of the trachea successfully treated with pembrolizumab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the good patient performance status (PS), the young age and the several blood transfusions, patient was addressed to allo-SCT, performed four months after CAR-T cells therapy. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in paediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: curative treatment option or bridge to transplant? To the Editor, Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells therapy, consisting in gene-modified autologous T-lymphocytes with an anti-CD19 receptor, has completely changed the outcome of relapse/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (rrDLBCL) patients. [Extracted from the article]

Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma is a very difficult lymphoma to deal with, almost impossible to cure. "Tandem" consolidation therapy with auto-stem cell transplant and allo-stem cell transplant can induce a long-lasting response and potentially cure this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Biopsy of affected tissue is required for lymphoma diagnosis and to plan treatment. Open incisional biopsy is traditionally the method of choice. Nevertheless, it requires hospitalization, availability of an operating room, and sometimes general anesthesia, and it is associated with several drawbacks. Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) can be potentially used to drive biopsy to the most metabolically active area within a lymph node or extranodal masses. Methods: A study of diagnostic accuracy was conducted to assess the performance of a PET-driven needle biopsy in patients with suspect active lymphoma. Results: Overall, 99 procedures have been performed: three (3.0%) were interrupted because of pain but were successfully repeated in two cases. Median SUVmax of target lesions was 10.7. In 84/96 cases, the tissue was considered adequate to formulate a diagnosis (diagnostic yield of 87.5%) and to guide the following clinical decision. The target specimen was a lymph node in 60 cases and an extranodal site in 36. No serious adverse events occurred. The sensitivity of this procedure was 96%, with a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 75%. Conclusion: Patients can benefit from a minimally invasive procedure which allows a timely and accurate diagnosis of lymphoma at onset or relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an unmet clinical need for elderly or unfit diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients ineligible for autologous stem cell transplantation. Lenalidomide is an immunomodulatory agent with antitumor activity in non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with an acceptable toxicity profile and manageable side effects. A 79-year-old Caucasian male with non-germinal center B-cell-like DLBCL achieved complete remission (CR) after first-line treatment with seven out of eight scheduled cycles of a polychemotherapy containing anthracycline, which had to be discontinued early due to the onset of atrial fibrillation. After 5 months, the patient had an early epicardial relapse. He underwent lenalidomide considering age, cardiological comorbidities, and chronic renal failure. After the third cycle, he achieved CR, confirmed at restaging after the sixth cycle of treatment. Lenalidomide was safe and well tolerated in a patient with atrial fibrillation developed after an anthracycline-based regimen and a relapse of the DLBCL. Moreover, this regimen was effective in a case with a rare extranodal involvement of the epicardium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In primary mediastinal large B‐cell lymphoma, central nervous system (CNS) relapse is an uncommon event with a dismal prognosis. We report about the successful management of CNS relapse with chemoimmunotherapy according to MATRix (methotrexate, cytarabine, thiotepa, and rituximab) protocol followed by autologous stem cell transplant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is an uncommon B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorder whose pathogenesis and recurrence are strictly dependent on the presence of the BRAF V600E mutant. A 65-year-old male presented a monomorphic epitheliotropic intestinal T-cell lymphoma (formerly enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma, type II) with HCL not responding to first-line induction with cladribine. The intestinal lymphoma bears the BRAF V600E mutant, which is the molecular hallmark of HCL, being implicated in its pathogenesis. The case is of interest, as it provides the first description of a BRAF V600E-positive intestinal T-cell lymphoma, along with immunohistochemical and molecular demonstration, occurring in concomitance with HCL. A novel digital PCR-base method for HCL disease assessment is also suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: No standard of care is established for plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) and prognosis remains extremely poor, given that patients relapse early after chemotherapy and display resistance to commonly applied cytostatic drugs.Case Presentation: We report a case of nodal, HIV-unrelated PBL in a patient who achieved and maintained a very long lasting complete remission after an intensive therapy consisting consisting of thalidomide plus dexamethasone followed by a consolidation with double autologous stem cell transplantation. Our approach was based on the full application of a standard multiple myeloma treatment and, to the best of our knowledge, it represents the only reported experience so far. This treatment was overall well tolerated.Conclusions: Multiple myeloma-like treatment may represent a possible alternative to intensive lymphoma-directed therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most frequent histology at diagnosis among non-Hodgkin B lymphomas and can be cured in 50-70% of cases after the first-line chemotherapy regimen. Patients who do not respond to first-line treatment can undergo numerous subsequent steps, culminating in allogeneic stem cell transplant (alloSCT). A relapse after alloSCT, however, carries an awful prognosis, seeing the demise of the patient usually in the following months. Here we present the case of a multiple relapsed patient who successfully underwent therapy with pixantrone after alloSCT, obtaining a complete remission without any considerable side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The choice of treatment for cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) is often determined by institutional experience, particularly as there is a paucity of data from phase III trials and a lack of consensus concerning treatment of the advanced stages. Among the several second-line and experimental drugs, gemcitabine could be considered one of the most suitable options for pretreated CTCL. Since it is difficult to find in literature the long-term outcome regarding the efficacy of a single-agent drug in pretreated patients and, in particular, in rare diseases such as CTCL, a retrospective observational study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the long-term outcome of CTCL patients treated with gemcitabine. Twenty-five patients with at least one therapy (range 1-8) performed prior to gemcitabine were found. After gemcitabine treatment, the overall response was 48 % with a 20 % of complete responses. At 15 years, the estimated overall survival is 47 %, progression-free survival 8.8 %, and disease-free survival 40 % (median reached at 2.9 years). All patients received at least three cycles and no grade 3-4 hematological adverse events occurred. At the latest follow-up, two patients are still in continuous complete response. This long-term update on the role of gemcitabine as a single agent in pretreated advanced-stage CTCL confirms this monotherapy as effective and safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) patients could have an excellent prognosis with adequate treatment. Treatments are not generally curative but are extremely effective in inducing long-lasting clinical remissions. An observational retrospective study was conducted on a single-center registry of 144 patients with a median follow-up of 11.5 years, focusing on long-lasting continuous first complete remissions (CR) wondering if patients can be cured only with front-line approach. CR for more than 5 years after first-line therapy were found in 22.2 % cases. The median duration of response was 9.8 years, while for relapsed patients, the first response had a median duration of 2.4 years. Three different subsets of long-lasting first CR were identified: 15 patients are between 5 and 10 years with a median duration of CR of 6.5 years; 7 patients are between 10 and 15 years with a median duration of CR of 12.3 years; and 10 patients present a follow-up superior to 15 years with a median duration of CR of 20.0 years. There is a need for continuous study in this field to better define the optimal therapeutic regimen and, in particular, the biological issues since at least 20-25 % of HCL patients can be cured with only one treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major concerns about radioimmunotherapy (RIT) administration early in the course of follicular lymphoma (FL) are long-term toxicity and the theoretical impairment of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) harvest, but few data are available about mobilization rates after RIT. This study evaluates the impact of prior therapy with RIT (yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan) and different chemotherapy regimens in all FL patients (N = 103) attempting HSC mobilization at our institution over the last 7 years. Sixty-nine patients received R-CHOP (rituximab-cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin-vincristine-prednisone) or CHOP-like regimens, 21 patients received R-FM (rituximab-fludarabine-mitoxantrone), and 13 patients received RIT before HSC mobilization. Median CD34+ cell yield at first mobilization was 7.2 × 106/kg in the R-CHOP group versus 4.3 in the R-FM group versus 1.7 in the RIT group (P = .02 R-CHOP versus R-FM; P < .0001 R-CHOP versus RIT; P < .02 R-FM versus RIT). Although 8 of 13 patients initially failed to collect enough HSC after RIT, a second and/or salvage harvest was successfully performed in 7 patients, with 10 of 13 patients (77%) finally undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). No differences in engraftment kinetics were observed between the three groups (R-CHOP versus R-FM versus RIT). Although mobilization was significantly impaired in patients previously treated with RIT, a salvage HSC harvest and ASCT after RIT were safe and feasible in most patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]