Stratified Treatment in Pediatric Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma: Result of a Prospective Open-Label Multiple-Institution Study.

PURPOSE: The risk stratification of pediatric anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) has not been standardized. In this study, new risk factors were included to establish a new risk stratification system for ALCL, and its feasibility in clinical practice was explored. MATERIALS AND METHODS: On the basis of the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster 95 (NHL-BFM-95) protocol, patients with minimal disseminated disease (MDD), high-risk tumor site (multiple bone, skin, liver, and lung involvement), and small cell/lymphohistiocytic (SC/LH) pathological subtype were enrolled in risk stratification. Patients were treated with a modified NHL-BFM-95 protocol combined with an anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitor or vinblastine (VBL). RESULTS: A total of 136 patients were enrolled in this study. The median age was 8.8 years. The 3-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival of the entire cohort were 77.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 69.0% to 83.9%) and 92.3% (95% CI, 86.1% to 95.8%), respectively. The 3-year EFS rates of low-risk group (R1), intermediate-risk group (R2), and high-risk group (R3) patients were 100%, 89.5% (95% CI, 76.5% to 95.5%), and 67.9% (95% CI, 55.4% to 77.6%), respectively. The prognosis of patients with MDD (+), stage IV cancer, SC/LH lymphoma, and high-risk sites was poor, and the 3-year EFS rates were 45.3% (95% CI, 68.6% to 19.0%), 65.7% (95% CI, 47.6% to 78.9%), 55.7% (95% CI, 26.2% to 77.5%), and 70.7% (95% CI, 48.6% to 84.6%), respectively. At the end of follow-up, one of the five patients who received maintenance therapy with VBL relapsed, and seven patients receiving anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitor maintenance therapy did not experience relapse. CONCLUSION: This study has confirmed the poor prognostic of MDD (+), high-risk site and SC/LH, but patients with SC/LH lymphoma and MDD (+) at diagnosis still need to receive better treatment (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03971305).

Population-based cohort study of the efficacy of brentuximab vedotin in relapsed systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma using Public Health England data.

Systemic anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (sALCL) is a rare T-cell lymphoma associated with poor prognosis after relapse. The immunoconjugate brentuximab vedotin (BV) first became available for relapsed sALCL in England in 2013, following the results of a pivotal phase II study. We present a population-based study describing outcomes of relapsed sALCL in England after BV, using Public Health England data. We obtained information on all relapsed/refractory (r/r) sALCL patients ≥18 years treated with BV monotherapy in England between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2019. The final cohort comprised 127 patients with a median age of 60 years (range 19-89). Eighteen (14·2%) had received stem cell transplant in first remission. Median two-year overall survival (OS) was 46·6%. The vast majority of deaths (59) occurred within 18 months, with very few events after this. Receipt of BV as second line compared to third or fourth line was associated with significantly improved survival (two-year OS 50·3% vs 29·7%, P = 0·03). There was no difference in OS for different subgroups, including anaplastic lymphoma kinase status, age, gender, or receipt of stem cell transplantation in first response. We report excellent survival following treatment with BV in a real-world setting, comparable with previous clinical trial data.

Aberrant expression and genetic alteration of c-MYC in anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

PURPOSE: c-MYC plays an important role in regulating cellular growth and apoptosis, and it is aberrantly expressed in many human malignancies. Although c-MYC has been extensively investigated in Burkitt lymphoma and diffuse large B cell lymphoma, little has been reported in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and genetic alterations of c-MYC in primary systemic ALCL, characterize its clinicopathologic features and immunophenotypes, and discuss their implications in prognosis. METHODS: Tissue microarrays using samples from 85 ALCL patients were used to evaluate expression of c-MYC and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). c-MYC and ALK genetic alterations were detected using fluorescence in situ hybridization. The Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression methods were used for survival analysis. RESULTS: c-MYC was expressed in 24 of 85 samples (28.2%), and ALK was expressed in 54 (63.5%). c-MYC and ALK were co-expressed in 16 samples (18.8%). c-MYC expression and c-MYC and ALK co-expression increased with ALCL clinical stages and the International Prognostic Index (IPI) score (p < 0.05). Fifty of the samples (58.8%) had ALK rearrangement, and 18 (22.1%) had aneuploidy. c-MYC rearrangement was not detected, but aneuploidy was observed in 19 cases (22.4%). c-MYC aneuploidy was significantly different based on c-MYC expression and the IPI score (p < 0.05). c-MYC was a significant independent prognostic factor for progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with ALCL. CONCLUSION: c-MYC protein expression and c-MYC aneuploidy could predict worse survival in patients with ALCL.

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma: clinical follow-up and analysis of sequential pathologic specimens of untreated patients shows persistent or progressive disease.

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a distinctive type of T-cell lymphoma that arises around textured-surface breast implants. In a subset of patients, this disease can involve surrounding tissues, spread to regional lymph nodes, and rarely metastasize to distant sites. The aim of this study was to assess sequential pathologic specimens from patients with breast implant-associated ALCL to better understand the natural history of early-stage disease. To achieve this goal, we searched our files for patients who had breast implant-associated ALCL and who had undergone earlier surgical intervention with assessment of biopsy or cytologic specimens. We then focused on the patient subset in whom a definitive diagnosis was not established, and patients did not receive current standard-of-care therapy at that time. We identified a study group of ten patients with breast implant-associated ALCL in whom pathologic specimens were collected 0.5 to 4 years before a definitive diagnosis was established. A comparison of these serial biopsy specimens showed persistent disease without change in pathologic stage in three patients, progression in five patients, and persistence versus progression in two patients. Eventually, six patients underwent implant removal with complete capsulectomy and four underwent partial capsulectomy. Seven patients also received chemotherapy because of invasive disease, three of whom also received radiation therapy, two brentuximab vedotin after chemotherapy failure, and one allogeneic stem cell transplant. Eight patients achieved complete remission and two had partial remission after definitive therapy. At time of last follow-up, six patients were alive without disease, one had evidence of disease, one died of disease, and two patients died of unrelated cancers. In summary, this analysis of sequential specimens from patients with breast implant-associated ALCL suggests these neoplasms persist or progress over time if not treated with standard-of-care therapy.

Primary cutaneous anaplastic large-cell lymphoma: a review of the SEER database from 2005 to 2016.

INTRODUCTION: Primary cutaneous anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (PC-ALCL) is a rare T-cell lymphoma. A prior analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database reported only 157 cases of localized primary cutaneous CD30+ T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (PC-ALCL and lymphomatoid papulosis) from 1973 to 2004. Our analysis of the SEER database since 2004 is the largest to date and our results improve our understanding of this disease and their potential prognostic factors. METHODS: We used the SEER database to retrospectively identify patients. Survival was analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and log-rank tests were used to compare survival distributions. RESULTS: There were 501 cases of PC-ALCL recorded from 2005 to 2016. Overall survival rates at 5 and 10 years were found to be 80.6% (95% CI 76.3%-84.3%) and 61.5% (95% CI 54.1%-68.1%) respectively. Age ≥ 60 years [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.09, P = 0.001 and use of chemotherapy (HR = 1.86, P = 0.01)] were associated with lower overall survival. In contrast to the 1973-2004 cohort, the head and neck site was not significantly associated with prognosis on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: PC-ALCL has been increasingly recognized over the past decade. Age > 60 years and use of chemotherapy are associated with a worse outcome. Contrary to prior studies, location was not associated with poor survival.

ALK-Negative Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL): Prognostic Implications of Molecular Subtyping and JAK-STAT Pathway.

The anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is a clinically distinct but heterogeneous entity and lacks the specific immunophenotypic or genetic features compared with the ALK-positive ALCL. Recent molecular studies have provided genetic landscapes of ALK-negative ALCL that have prognostic significance. In this study, we subtyped ALK-negative ALCL based on DUSP22 rearrangements and TP63 expression and also looked for mutations in JAK-STAT pathway. The subtyping of the ALK-negative ALCL in relation to DUSP22 rearrangement and TP63 expression was done using fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The hotspot JAK-STAT mutations were analyzed using Sanger sequencing and amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) expression by immunohistochemistry. Forty-eight cases of ALCL were included with median age of 30 years and sex ratio of 1.8:1. The p63 expression was detected in 26.7% of ALK-negative ALCL cases. DUSP22 rearrangement was noted in 12.5% cases of p63-negative ALK-negative ALCLs. DUSP22 rearranged cases had better overall survival in contrast to p63 expressing and triple negative ALCLs. Triple negative ALCLs showed inferior overall survival rate. STAT3 expression was evident in 61.1% and 60% of ALK-positive and ALK-negative ALCLs, respectively. None of the cases subjected to Sanger sequencing as well as amplification refractory mutation system PCR for hotspot mutation analysis of JAK1 (exon 24) and STAT3 (exon 21) revealed any mutation. ALK-negative ALCL is a genetically heterogeneous disease with widely disparate clinical outcomes. Subtyping of ALK-negative ALCL based on DUSP22 rearrangement and p63 expression provides prognostic information.

Brentuximab vedotin in combination with chemotherapy for pediatric patients with ALK+ ALCL: results of COG trial ANHL12P1.

Approximately 30% of pediatric patients with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) relapse. Although brentuximab vedotin has demonstrated excellent activity in ALCL, it has not been used for newly diagnosed patients. Children's Oncology Group (COG) trial ANHL12P1 determined the toxicity and efficacy of brentuximab vedotin with chemotherapy in children with newly diagnosed nonlocalized anaplastic large cell lymphoma kinase (ALK)+/CD30+ ALCL. From 2013 to 2017, 68 children with ALK+ ALCL were enrolled and received brentuximab vedotin. All patients received 5-day prophase, followed by 6 cycles of chemotherapy. Brentuximab vedotin was given on day 1 of each of the 6 cycles. Of the 67 patients eligible for toxicity evaluation, 66 completed all 6 cycles of chemotherapy, resulting in 399 evaluable cycles. There were no toxic deaths, no case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy syndrome, and no case of grade 3 or 4 neuropathy. The 2-year event-free survival (EFS) was 79.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 67.2-87.1). The 2-year overall survival (OS) was 97.0% (95% CI, 88.1-99.2). Fourteen patients relapsed. Eleven of 14 (79%) relapses occurred within 10 months of diagnosis; only 1 patient (1.5%) relapsed during therapy. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for NPM-ALK at baseline (minimal disseminated disease) demonstrated prognostic value for EFS (P = .0004). Overall, the addition of brentuximab vedotin to standard chemotherapy does not add significant toxicity or alter the desired interval between cycles. The addition of brentuximab vedotin prevented relapses during therapy, and the OS and EFS estimates compare favorably with results obtained using conventional chemotherapy. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01979536.

The clinicopathological relevance of uniform CD56 expression in anaplastic large cell lymphoma: a retrospective analysis of 18 cases.

BACKGROUND: Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) with uniform CD56 expression is a rare condition, that has been described in limited literature, and its clinicopathological features have not yet been well illustrated. The aim of our study was to fully investigate the clinical, histological, immunohistochemical and molecular features of CD56+ ALCL. METHODS: The clinical and histological characteristics of CD56+ ALCL cases were retrospectively evaluated. The immunohistochemical phenotype, status of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement were examined. Overall survival was also analyzed. RESULTS: Eighteen (5.8%) cases with diffuse CD56 expression were identified out of 313 archived ALCL cases with CD56 test. CD56 expression was significantly higher in ALK+ systemic ALCLs (sALCLs) (13/64, 20.3%) than in ALK- sALCLs (3/101, 3.0%) (p < 0.001) as well as primary cutaneous ALCLs (2/148, 1.4%) (p < 0.001). Regarding the CD56+ ALK+ sALCLs, the median age was 20 years (range, 8-60 years) with a male-to-female ratio of 2.3:1, and these cases more frequently affected extranodal sites (11/38, 28.9%) rather than lymph nodes (2/26, 7.7%) (p = 0.038). Eleven (84.6%) cases presented with stage I-II diseases, which was significantly more than their CD56- ALK+ counterparts (45.5%) (p = 0.015). Histologically, 2 ALK+ cases were of small cell variant and all the others displayed characteristic morphology of classic ALCL. Regarding the immunophenotype, both CD30 and CD56 were diffusely positive in all cases. CD3, CD43, anaplastic lymphoma kinase-1 (ALK1), TIA-1, EMA expression was observed in 30.8% (4/13), 90.9% (10/11), 100% (13/13), 100% (9/9), and 80.0% (8/10) cases, respectively. EBV infection was consistently absent. Monoclonal TCR gene rearrangement was found in 100% (5/5) of investigated ALK+ cases. Chemotherapy with a CHOP regimen was most frequently employed. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate for CD56+ ALK+ patients was 92.0%, compared with 73.0% for their CD56- counterparts, but there was no significant difference in OS between the two groups (p = 0.264). CONCLUSIONS: Uniform CD56 expression is an unexpected condition in ALCL. Of ALK+ ALCLs, CD56 expression correlated with a high frequency of early stage and an extranodal predominance. It is of great importance to raise awareness of this condition and familiarity with its characteristic features to avoid diagnostic and therapeutic pitfalls. Further investigations are warranted for a better understanding of this unusual phenotype and the significance of CD56 expression in ALCL.

Neuro-meningeal relapse in anaplastic large-cell lymphoma: incidence, risk factors and prognosis - a report from the European intergroup for childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Relapses involving the central nervous system (CNS) are rare in children and adolescents with ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) treated with regimens including CNS prophylaxis. Early identification of patients at high-risk for CNS relapse would enable stratification and better adaptation of initial treatment especially in the light of the upcoming targeted therapies with limited CNS penetration. We analyzed clinical and histological data of all ALK+ALCL patients with CNS relapse registered in ALCL99-database with the aim to describe risk factors and outcome. Characteristics of patients with no relapse, relapse without CNS involvement and CNS relapse were compared. At a median follow-up of 8 years (0.05-18 years), a CNS involvement was reported at first or subsequent relapse in 26/618 patients. Median interval between initial diagnosis and first CNS relapse was 8 months (IQR 5.55-10.61/range 1.31-130.69). The 5-year cumulative risk of CNS relapse was 4% (95% CI 2.9-5.5). Bone marrow involvement, peripheral blasts and CNS involvement at diagnosis were more frequent in patients with CNS relapse than in patients with no relapse or with relapse with no CNS involvement. The treatment of CNS relapse was heterogeneous. The median survival after CNS relapse was 23.7 months. Eleven patients were alive at last follow-up. Three-year overall survival after CNS relapse was 48.70% (95% CI 30.52-67.23).

Alectinib for relapsed or refractory anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma: An open-label phase II trial.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibition is expected to be a promising therapeutic strategy for ALK-positive malignancies. We aimed to examine the efficacy and safety of alectinib, a second-generation ALK inhibitor, in patients with relapsed or refractory ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). This open-label, phase II trial included patients (aged 6 years or older) with relapsed or refractory ALK-positive ALCL. Alectinib 300 mg was given orally twice a day (600 mg/d) for 16 cycles, and the duration of each cycle was 21 days. Patients who weighed less than 35 kg were given a reduced dose of alectinib of 150 mg twice a day (300 mg/d). Ten patients were enrolled, and the median age was 19.5 years (range, 6-70 years). Objective responses were documented in eight of 10 patients (80%; 90% confidence interval, 56.2-95.9), with six complete responses. The 1-year progression-free survival, event-free survival, and overall survival rates were 58.3%, 70.0%, and 70.0%, respectively. The median duration of therapy was 340 days. No unexpected adverse events occurred. The most common grade 3 and higher adverse event was a decrease in neutrophil count in two patients. Alectinib showed favorable clinical activity and was well tolerated in patients with ALK-positive ALCL who had progressed on standard chemotherapy. Based on the results of the current study, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan approved alectinib for the treatment of recurrent or refractory ALK-positive ALCL in February 2020.

Primary anaplastic large cell lymphoma of the central nervous system in a child: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: To report the clinical characteristics of primary central nervous system T-cell lymphoma with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-1 (ALK-1) positive in an 8-year-old male. PATIENT CONCERNS: The patient presented cognitive impairment, dizziness, vomiting, fever, and convulsions during the disease, followed by progressive and persistent severe headache, progressive increase of intracranial pressure, indifference, disorder of consciousness, mild increase in white blood cells in cerebrospinal fluid, progressive decrease of sugar, progressive increase of protein, abnormal signal of left parietal-occipital, local meningeal enhancement, and cerebrospinal fluid cytology. DIAGNOSIS: He was diagnosed with ALK-1-positive central nervous system T-cell lymphoma. INTERVENTIONS: Meropenem and vancomycin were administered to counter the infection, while dexamethasone alleviated the inflammation. OUTCOMES: The patient died of cerebral hernia due to intracranial hypertension in the eighth week of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: PCNS ALK-1-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma is extremely rare. Also, it is difficult to distinguish from central meningeal lymphoma and central nervous system infection, which might lead to delayed diagnosis. However, early diagnosis depends on the pathological diagnosis of brain tissue biopsy.

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation for peripheral T cell lymphomas: a retrospective study in 285 patients from the Société Francophone de Greffe de Moelle et de Thérapie Cellulaire (SFGM-TC).

BACKGROUND: Peripheral T cell lymphomas form a heterogeneous group with a usually dismal prognostic. The place of allogeneic stem cell transplantation to treat PTCL is debated. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), relapse, and transplant-related mortality (TRM) and associated variables in 285 adults with non-primary cutaneous PTCL (PCTL-NOS (39%), angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphomas (29%), anaplastic T cell lymphomas (15%), and other subtypes (17%)), who received alloSCT in 34 centers between 2006 and 2014. RESULTS: AlloSCT was given as part of front-line therapy (n = 138) to 93 patients in first complete response (CR) and 45 in first partial response (PR), and of salvage therapy (n = 147) to 116 patients for second or more CR/PR and 31 for progressive disease. Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) was given to 172 patients (62%), while 107 (38%) received myeloablative conditioning (MAC). The median follow-up was 72.4 months. The 2- and 4-year OS were 65% and 59%, respectively, and the cumulative incidence of relapse was 18% after 1 year and 19% after 2 years. TRM was 21% at 1 year, 24% after 2 years, and 28% after 4 years. In multivariate analysis, grade III-IV acute GvHD (HR = 2.57, 95% CI 1.53-4.31; p = 0.00036), low Karnofsky score < 80% (HR = 5.14, 95% CI 2.02-13.06; p = 0.00058), and progressive disease status before transplant (HR = 2.21, 95% CI 1.25-3.89; p = 0.0062) were significantly associated with a reduced OS. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrate in the largest retrospective cohort of non-cutaneous PTCL so far reported that alloSCT after RIC or MAC is an effective strategy, even in chemoresistant patients.

Improving survival of 3760 patients with lymphoma: Experience of an academic center over two decades.

BACKGROUND: The treatment outcomes and prognosis of lymphoma are affected by various factors such as hospital types. This study was to describe the temporal trend in the survival of lymphoma in an academic center in China. METHODS: A total of 3840 consecutive patients with lymphoma diagnosed between 1996 and 2015 were reviewed. Eighty patients were excluded, and finally, 3760 patients were analyzed in this study. The cohort was divided into four groups according to calendar periods at diagnosis: 1996-2000, 2001-2005, 2006-2010, and 2010-2015. The overall survival (OS) rates among the four groups were compared. RESULTS: The 5- and 10-year OS for the whole cohort were 62% and 52%, respectively. The 5-year OS of patient with classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), mature B-cell lymphoma (BCL), and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) were 79%, 63%, and 50%, respectively. Among mature BCL, the 5-year OS was highest in follicular lymphoma (77.8%), followed by Burkitt lymphoma (76.5%), marginal zone lymphoma (74.1%), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (61.5%), small lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia (55.1%), and mantle cell lymphoma (44.3%). Among PTCL, the 5-year OS was highest in ALK+anaplastic large cell lymphoma (79.0%), followed by ALK-anaplastic large cell lymphoma (63.1%), natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (57.7%), angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (34.9%, and peripheral T-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (27.6%). Significant improvement in the survival of lymphoma was observed, with the 5-year OS increasing from 48% in 1996-2000 to 65% in 2011-2015 (P < .001). The 5-year OS of patients with cHL, mature BCL, and PTCL changed from 55%, 49%, and 41% in 1996-2000 to 79%, 65%, and 51% in 2011-2015, respectively (P values were .014, .002, and .592, respectively). CONCLUSION: The survival of most types of lymphoma such as cHL and mature BCL, rather than PTCL, was improved significantly during the past two decades.

PD-L1 expression is associated with ALK positivity and STAT3 activation, but not outcome in patients with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

The programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) pathway is a recently recognized mechanism of tumor immune evasion. In this study, programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression was evaluated in 95 patients with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma: 45 ALK+ and 50 ALK-. ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma was more often positive for PD-L1 than ALK- anaplastic large cell lymphoma (76% vs 42%, p = 0.002). ALK- anaplastic large cell lymphoma showed a strong correlation between PD-L1 expression and STAT3 activation (measured by pSTAT3Tyr705) (r = 0.8, p < 0.0001). In contrast, the PD-L1/pSTAT3 correlation was weaker in ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma (r = 0.4, p = 0.08). In ALK- anaplastic large cell lymphoma, the PD-L1+ subgroup was more often EMA positive (69% vs 20%, p = 0.02) and tended to be less often CD2+ (50% vs 83%, p = 0.059). In ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma, PD-L1 was not associated with pathologic features (all p > 0.05). Negative ALK status and high IPI score (≥3) were associated with shorter overall survival (p = 0.009 and p = 0.0005, respectively). Overall survival was not different between patients with PD-L1+ vs PD-L1- anaplastic large cell lymphoma (p = 0.44), regardless of ALK status and International Prognostic Index (IPI) score. We conclude that PD-L1 expression is more common in ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma than ALK- anaplastic large cell lymphoma. In ALK- anaplastic large cell lymphoma, PD-L1 is strongly correlated with STAT3 activation and is associated with more frequent EMA and less frequent CD2 expression. PD-L1 has no prognostic significance in predicting the outcome of patients with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma, regardless of ALK status. PD-L1 expression on the anaplastic large cell lymphoma cells suggests these patients as potential candidates for PD-1 blockade immunotherapy.

High intratumoural galectin-1 expression predicts adverse outcome in ALK- ALCL and CD30+ PTCL-NOS.

Galectin-1 (Gal-1) has been associated with adverse prognosis in several cancers including lymphoma entities with CD30 expression. However, Gal-1 expression has not been systematically assessed in peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL). Specimens from 169 nodal PTCL were assessed for intratumoural Gal-1 expression by immunohistochemistry. Overall survival (OS) in groups exhibiting high and low Gal-1 expression was compared in the cohort and in a subset analysis of CD30-positive PTCL only. Gal-1 expression was also correlated with biomarkers of the tumour microenvironment. No significant difference in OS based on Gal-1 expression was observed in the entire PTCL cohort. However, in the CD30-positive cohort, patients with high Gal-1 levels had significantly poorer outcome (5 years OS 10%, 95% confidence interval CI, 1-36) than their low Gal-1 counterparts (5 years OS 48%, 95% CI, 30-64, P = .021). In univariate analyses age 60 or younger, non-elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and performance score less than 2 correlated with superior survival but high Gal-1 expression significantly predicted adverse outcome at both univariate (HR 2.5, 95% CI, 1.1-5.7, P = .026) and multivariate levels (HR 3.2, 95% CI, 1.2-8.5, P = .017). Tumours with high Gal-1 had few cytotoxic T cells in the tumour microenvironment. High intratumoural Gal-1 expression before therapeutic intervention correlates with adverse outcome in nodal CD30+ , ALK- PTCL patients.

Successful outcome with reduced-intensity condition regimen followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for relapsed or refractory anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.

We report a retrospective analysis of 38 patients (age ≤ 30 years) who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) for relapsed or refractory anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL). Median follow-up for survivors after undergoing allo-SCT was 72 months (range, 35-96 months). Eight patients received reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens, including three patients with fludarabine plus melphalan-based regimens and five patients with fludarabine plus busulfan-based regimens. The remaining 30 patients received myeloablative conditioning (MAC) regimens. Median ages in the RIC and MAC groups were 24 and 15 years, respectively. The 5-year overall survival rates in the RIC and MAC groups were 100% and 49%, respectively (P = 0.018). The 5-year event-free survival rates in the RIC and MAC groups were 88% and 43%, respectively (P = 0.039). In the RIC group, four of the eight patients showed residual disease at allo-SCT, but all eight patients survived with complete remission (CR), including one patient with relapse. This result suggests that allo-SCT using the RIC regimen may be effective for relapsed or refractory ALCL in children, adolescents, and young adults, even in non-CR cases.

Prognostic factors and the impact of frontline therapy in peripheral T-cell lymphoma: 10 years of 'real-world' experience from Western Australia.

We present an analysis of 98 consecutive patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) treated over a 10-year period within Western Australia. The most common frontline therapies were CHO(E)P (47%), HyperCVAD (21%), and reduced intensity therapy or supportive care alone (19%). Median and 4-year overall survival (OS) for the whole cohort were 1.59 years and 34%. Amongst CHO(E)P and HyperCVAD-treated patients, elevated LDH, advanced stage, IPI >1, and non-ALK + ALCL histology predicted inferior progression-free survival (PFS). Inferior OS was predicted by elevated LDH, age >60, IPI >1, and non-ALK + ALCL histology. Response rates and PFS were not significantly different between patients treated with CHO(E)P or HyperCVAD. OS was longer in the HyperCVAD group, however this was not significant on multivariable analysis and appears to relate to the younger age and more aggressive therapy at relapse in this group. Our data confirmed the prognostic utility of the IPI in patients with PTCL and do not demonstrate a clear benefit of HyperCVAD.

Prognostic Factors and Treatment Outcome of Pediatric Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma Treated at the Children Cancer Hospital Egypt.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the current study is to report the epidemiologic data, response rate, treatment outcome, and overall survival of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) patients during the 8-year period. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study included all patients with newly diagnosed ALCL from July 2007 till December 2015. RESULTS: A total of 48 patients were enrolled. The majority (66.7%) were male individuals. Twenty-one patients (43.7%) were low stage I or II, whereas 27 (56.2%) had advanced stage III or IV. Two patients (4.2%) died during induction chemotherapy. Disease status at last follow-up showed 35 patients (72.9%) in complete remission, 5 (10.5%) relapse, and 5 disease progression. The median time to relapse was 17.2 months. Four patients (8.4%) were salvaged by high-dose chemotherapy ifosphamide, carboplatine, etoposide followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, whereas 5 (10.5%) died out of disease progression. The 5-year overall survival and event-free survival were 81.2% and 68.6%, respectively. Median FU period was 58.7 month. Multivariate analysis included age, sex, stage, and response to chemotherapy and showed no statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Treatment of ALCL according to the Children's Oncology Group ANHL 0131 protocol is well tolerated. The relapsing patient could be salvaged by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Anaplastic Large T-Cell Lymphoma in the Intestine of Dogs.

Anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma (ALTCL) is a rare subtype of non-Hodgkin T-cell lymphoma that occasionally occurs in the gastrointestinal tract of humans. Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL) type 1 is the most common type of intestinal lymphoma in dogs, and ALTCL has not previously been reported in the intestinal tract of dogs. Thirteen dogs with intestinal masses diagnosed as intestinal lymphoma with anaplastic morphology were reviewed. Clinical data, including treatment protocols, were available for 11 cases. Immunohistochemistry for CD3, CD20, and CD30 was performed for all cases in addition to PCR for Antigen Receptor Rearrangements (PARR) for assessment of clonality. Eight (62%) of the cases presented with intestinal perforation, and all cases had 1 or more masses arising from the small intestine. Histologically, all cases were characterized by transmural infiltrates of large, CD3-positive and frequently CD30-positive cells. Neoplastic T cells had marked anisocytosis and anisokaryosis, prominent nucleoli, and occasionally indented to reniform nuclei. There was abundant necrosis and inflammation with occasional vascular invasion within neoplastic masses. All cases had a monoclonal T-cell receptor γ gene rearrangement. The median survival time was 5 days, with 1 dog surviving 2 years after the initial diagnosis. ALTCL can occur as an aggressive transmural lymphoma in the gastrointestinal tract of dogs and commonly causes intestinal perforation. ALTCL can be differentiated from EATL type 1 and might have implications for accurate prognostication and selection of therapeutic options in the future.