Myeloablative allogeneic versus autologous stem cell transplantation in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in first remission: a prospective sibling donor versus no-donor comparison.

While commonly accepted in poor-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is still disputed in adult patients with standard-risk ALL. We evaluated outcome of patients with ALL in first complete remission (CR1), according to a sibling donor versus no-donor comparison. Eligible patients (433) were entered in 2 consecutive, prospective studies, of whom 288 (67%) were younger than 55 years, in CR1, and eligible to receive consolidation by either an autologous SCT or an allo-SCT. Allo-SCT was performed in 91 of 96 patients with a compatible sibling donor. Cumulative incidences of relapse at 5 years were, respectively, 24 and 55% for patients with a donor versus those without a donor (hazard ratio [HR], 0.37; 0.23-0.60; P < .001). Nonrelapse mortality estimated 16% (+/- 4) at 5 years after allo-SCT. As a result, disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 years was significantly better in the donor group: 60 versus 42% in the no-donor group (HR: 0.60; 0.41-0.89; P = .01). After risk-group analysis, improved outcome was more pronounced in standard-risk patients with a donor, who experienced an overall survival of 69% at 5 years (P = .05). In conclusion, standard-risk ALL patients with a sibling donor may show favorable survival following SCT, due to both a strong reduction of relapse and a modest nonrelapse mortality. This trial is registered with http://www.trialregister.nl under trial ID NTR228.

Quality of life after successful treatment of early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma: 10-year follow-up of the EORTC-GELA H8 randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the longitudinal course of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma during their post-treatment follow-up and re-adaptation to normal life. We report on the HRQoL of patients treated in the randomised H8 trial of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Lymphoma Group and the Groupe d'Etudes des Lymphomes de l'Adulte (GELA). We aimed to assess HRQoL and fatigue following treatment, to analyse relations with treatment, and to identify factors that predict persistent fatigue. METHODS: Patients received HRQoL questionnaires at the end of primary therapy and during follow-up. The EORTC QLQ-C30 was used to assess HRQoL, and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20) was used to assess fatigue. Changes of mean HRQoL scores over time were analysed with mixed models. Multiple polytomic nominal logistic regression was done to identify independent baseline predictors of fatigue within MFI-20 dimensions. Analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. This study is registered with www.ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00379041. FINDINGS: 2666 assessments from 935 patients were analysed. Mean follow-up was 90 months (range 52-118). Age affected all functioning and symptom scores except emotional functioning, with younger age associated with higher functioning and lower severity of symptoms; improvement with time showed similar patterns between age groups. Women reported lower HRQoL and higher symptom scores than did men. Overall, 3.2% (14/439 for role functioning) to 9.7% (43/442 for social functioning) and 5.8% (29/498 for reduced motivation) to 9.9% (49/498 for general fatigue) of patients reported impairments of 10 points or more (on a 0-100 scale) in QLQ-C30 and MFI-20 scores, respectively, independent of age and sex. Emotional domains were more affected than physical ones. There was no relation between HRQoL outcome and type of treatment. Fatigue (MFI-20 scores) at the end of treatment was the only predictive variable for persistent fatigue, with odds ratios varying from 2.58 (95% CI 1.00-6.67) to 41.51 (12.02-143.33; p

[Interstitial pneumonitis as an adverse effect of thalidomide]. / Interstitiële pneumonitis als bijwerking van thalidomide.

A 67-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of progressive dyspnoea. For 2 months he had received second-line treatment with dexamethasone and thalidomide for a multiple myeloma. Physical examination revealed a tachypnoeic patient and arterial blood gas analysis revealed a respiratory alkalosis and severe hypoxaemia. A high-resolution CT scan showed diffuse ground glass opacities in both lungs. Pulmonary function testing indicated severe diffusion capacity impairment. Bronchoalveolar lavage and cultures excluded the possibility of an infectious agent. The thalidomide treatment was discontinued whereupon the hypoxaemia and the ground glass opacities resolved and the diffusion capacity impairment improved. When a patient treated with thalidomide presents with dyspnoea and hypoxaemia with ground glass opacities, thalidomide-induced pneumonitis should be considered. Withdrawing thalidomide is the only treatment.

[Interstitial pneumonitis as an adverse effect of thalidomide]. / Interstitiële pneumonitis als bijwerking van thalidomide.

A 67-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of progressive dyspnoea. For 2 months he had received second-line treatment with dexamethasone and thalidomide for a multiple myeloma. Physical examination revealed a tachypnoeic patient and arterial blood gas analysis revealed a respiratory alkalosis and severe hypoxaemia. A high-resolution CT scan showed diffuse ground glass opacities in both lungs. Pulmonary function testing indicated severe diffusion capacity impairment. Bronchoalveolar lavage and cultures excluded the possibility of an infectious agent. The thalidomide treatment was discontinued whereupon the hypoxaemia and the ground glass opacities resolved and the diffusion capacity impairment improved. When a patient treated with thalidomide presents with dyspnoea and hypoxaemia with ground glass opacities, thalidomide-induced pneumonitis should be considered. Withdrawing thalidomide is the only treatment.