Clonal Hematopoiesis is Associated With Severe Cytokine Release Syndrome in Patients Treated With Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell (CART) Therapy.

Among patients receiving CD19 or B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) CAR T therapy, inflammation pre- and post-CAR T infusion is implicated in the development of toxicities including cytokine release syndrome (CRS), immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), and likely contributes to prolonged cytopenias. Clonal hematopoiesis (CH), the clonal expansion of hematopoietic stem cells harboring somatic mutations, has been associated with inflammasome upregulation. Herein, we examined the prevalence of pre-CAR T CH in a predominantly transplant-naïve cohort of recipients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) or multiple myeloma (MM), and assessed the relationship between the presence of CH mutations and CAR T-related outcomes including CRS, ICANS, prolonged cytopenia, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). This study included 62 patients with NHL or MM who underwent CD19 or BCMA CAR T therapy from 2017 to 2022 at City of Hope and had available pre-CAR T cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). DNA was isolated with QIAamp DNA Mini Kit (Qiagen) from PBMC samples (94% collected <30d of CART infusion), on which we performed targeted exome sequencing (108 pre-defined gene panel with 1000x sequencing depth) to determine the presence of CH (variant allele frequency [VAF] ≥2%). Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between CH and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) recovery at day +30 and +60, maximum grade CRS and ICANS, grade <2 versus 2+, and OS and PFS at 1y. Covariates considered were age at CART, baseline ANC, sex, race, CAR-HEMATOTOX, LDH, bridging therapy (Y/N), and number of prior lines of therapy. Fifteen (24%) patients had at least one pathogenic CH mutation; 2 (13%) had ≥2 CH mutations concurrently. DMT3A mutations were the most common; 29% of mutations had VAFs >10%. Patients with CH were significantly more likely to develop grade ≥2 CRS (60% versus 28%, p = .03) compared to those without CH (odds ratio [OR] 3.9, 95% CI 1.2-13.2; p = .027). Accounting for baseline ANC (which was higher among the CH cohort and associated with delayed ANC recovery, p = .02) patients with CH did not have a significantly different rate of delayed ANC recovery compared to those without CH (adjusted OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.09-1.5; p = .17). There was no association between CH and ICANS, nor with 1y PFS or OS. CH was frequent (24%) in this cohort of CAR T recipients and was associated with a higher risk of development of grade ≥2 CRS after CAR T. Additional validation studies are currently underway, which may set the stage for consideration of pre-CAR T CH as a biomarker for risk stratification towards more proactive CRS prophylaxis. Translational studies could aim to prove a direct relationship between CH-mutated myeloid cells and CRS.

Brentuximab Vedotin Plus Ibrutinib in Relapsed and Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma.

INTRODUCTION: Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is an antibody-drug conjugate that delivers monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) to CD30+ cells and is safe and effective in relapsed/refractory (r/r) Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Although most patients respond to BV, only a minority will obtain a complete response (CR), and almost all patients eventually progress. Ibrutinib is a Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor highly active in multiple subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma; limited data exist regarding its use in HL. It irreversibly inhibits interleukin-2-inducible kinase (ITK) with Th1 based immune responses. As we previously observed preclinical synergy between ibrutinib and BV, we hypothesized ibrutinib may enhance the antitumor activity of BV in HL. We designed and conducted a phase II trial of ibrutinib plus BV in patients with R/R HL, and herein report the final primary analysis of safety and efficacy. METHODS: This was a multicenter phase II trial with a lead-in cohort in patients with r/r HL. Eligibility criteria included age ≥ 15 years with r/r HL after at least one prior line of therapy. Treatment consisted of 1.8 mg/kg BV intravenously every 3 weeks and ibrutinib 560 mg PO daily (420 mg PO daily in the lead-in cohort). Prior BV was allowed if patients were not refractory. The primary endpoint was the CR rate according to Lugano 2014. Secondary endpoints included toxicities, overall response rate (ORR), and duration of response (DOR). RESULTS: The 39 patients were enrolled onto the study, of which 67% were male; the median age was 33 (range: 17-71). 38% had extranodal disease at baseline, 51% had advanced stage disease, 51% were refractory to the prior therapy, and 21% had prior BV. Of 36 patients who were evaluable for response, the CR rate was 33% and ORR 64%; median DOR was 25.5 months. Thirteen patients proceeded to autologous transplant and 3 patients proceeded to allogeneic transplant for consolidation after response. The most common adverse events were nausea (67%), peripheral neuropathy (62%), diarrhea (59%), fatigue (46%), thrombocytopenia (46%), headache (41%), rash (41%), elevated ALT (38%), anemia (36%), vomiting (36%), abdominal pain (33%), fever (33%), and hypertension (33%). Six patients experienced unacceptable toxicity, defined as Gr 3/4 non-hematologic toxicity or non-resolving Gr 3/4 hematologic toxicity including one patient who died of multiorgan failure from suspected COVID-19 infection during cycle 1. DISCUSSION: The combination of BV and ibrutinib was active in r/r HL; however, given significant toxicity, it cannot be recommended for future development.

Outcomes following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation relapse in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Improved first progression-free survival following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation relapse with the use of immunotherapy.

Toxicities associated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor maintenance following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) offers a potential cure in Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL); nonetheless, relapses are common and the major cause of mortality. One strategy to prevent relapse is tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) maintenance post-HCT, but published clinical experience is primarily with the first-generation TKI imatinib while data with newer generation TKIs are limited. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 185 Ph+ ALL patients who underwent HCT followed by TKI maintenance from 2003 to 2021 at City of Hope. Initially, 50 (27.0%) received imatinib, 118 (63.8%) received a second-generation TKI (2G-TKI), and 17 (9.2%) received ponatinib. A total of 77 patients (41.6%) required a dose reduction of their initial TKI due to toxicity. Sixty-six patients (35.7%) did not complete maintenance due to toxicity; 69 patients (37.3%) discontinued 1 TKI, and 11 (5.9%) discontinued 2 TKIs due to toxicity. Initial imatinib versus 2G-TKI versus ponatinib maintenance was discontinued in 19 (38.0%) versus 68 (57.6%) versus 3 (17.6%) patients due to toxicity (p = .003), respectively. Patients on ponatinib as their initial TKI had a longer duration of TKI maintenance versus 2G-TKI: 576.0 days (range, 72-921) versus 254.5 days (range, 3-2740; p = .02). The most common reasons for initial TKI discontinuation include gastrointestinal (GI) intolerance (15.1%), cytopenia (8.6%), and fluid retention (3.8%). The 5-year overall survival and progression-free survival for the total population were 78% and 71%, respectively. Our findings demonstrate the challenges of delivering post-HCT TKI maintenance in a large real-world cohort as toxicities leading to TKI interruptions, discontinuation, and dose reduction were common.

Coronary artery calcium and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with lymphoma undergoing autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) have a >2-fold risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD; heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke), compared to the general population. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is predictive of CVD in nononcology patients but is not as well studied in patients who underwent HCT and survivors of HCT.The objective of this study was to examine the association between CAC and CVD risk and outcomes after HCT in patients with lymphoma. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of 243 consecutive patients who underwent a first autologous HCT for lymphoma between 2009 and 2014. CAC (Agatston score) was determined from chest computed tomography obtained <60 days from HCT. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratio (HR) estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for covariates (age, conventional risk factors [e.g., hypertension and dyslipidemia], and cancer treatment). RESULTS: The median age at HCT was 55.7 years (range, 18.5-75.1 years), 59% were male, and 60% were non-Hispanic White. The prevalence of CAC was 37%. The 5-year CVD incidence for the cohort was 12%, and there was an incremental increase in the incidence according to CAC score: 0 (6%), 1-100 (20%), and >100 (32%) (p = .001). CAC was significantly associated with CVD risk (HR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.2-7.5) and worse 5-year survival (77% vs. 50%; p < .001; HR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.4), compared to those without CAC. CONCLUSIONS: CAC is independently associated with CVD and survival after HCT. This highlights the importance of integrating readily available imaging information in risk stratification and decision-making in patients undergoing HCT, which sets the stage for strategies to optimize outcomes after HCT.

Results from a phase I trial of pembrolizumab plus vorinostat in relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Outcomes after programmed death-1 (PD-1) blockade in B-cell lymphomas are disappointing with few durable responses. Histone deacetylase inhibitors exhibit favorable immunomodulatory effects and demonstrate synergistic anti-tumor immune responses with anti-PD-1 therapy in preclinical models. We, therefore, developed a phase I study to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of pembrolizumab with vorinostat in relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphomas. Patients were treated in a dose-escalation cohort using a Rolling 6 design followed by an expansion cohort at the recommended phase II dose (R2PD). Fifty-two patients were enrolled (32 Hodgkin and 20 non-Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL]). Here, we report safety data from the dose escalation cohort, and the toxicity and efficacy within NHL patients. Vorinostat was administered twice daily on days 1-5 and 8-12 (dose-level [DL]1: 100 mg; DL2: 200 mg) and pembrolizumab (200 mg) was administered on day 1 of each 3-week cycle. Of six patients treated at DL1, one had a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) (Stevens-Johnson syndrome [SJS]), and one of six had a DLT at DL2 (thromboembolism); therefore, DL2 was the RP2D. The patient developing SJS was treated with corticosteroids, infliximab, and cyclosporine but ultimately died of invasive fungal infection from the extensive immunosuppression used to treat the SJS. The most common adverse events were hypertension, diarrhea, and cytopenias. Of 20 NHL patients, nine had follicular lymphoma (FL) and 11 had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Five DLBCL patients had primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL). The complete and overall response rates (CR and ORR) were 11% and 22% for FL and 45% and 55% for all DLBCL. Amongst DLBCL, the CR and ORR was 80% and 80% for PMBL and 17% and 33% for non-PMBL. In conclusion, pembrolizumab with vorinostat was tolerable and produced responses in relapsed/refractory B-cell NHL, with particularly notable efficacy in PMBL (clinicaltrials gov. Identifier: NCT03150329).

A multi-cohort phase 1b trial of rituximab in combination with immunotherapy doublets in relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma.

Antibodies targeting PD-1 or 4-1BB achieve objective responses in follicular lymphoma (FL), but only in a minority of patients. We hypothesized that targeting multiple immune receptors could overcome immune resistance and increase response rates in patients with relapsed/refractory FL. We therefore conducted a phase 1b trial testing time-limited therapy with different immunotherapy doublets targeting 4-1BB (utomilumab), OX-40 (ivuxolimab), and PD-L1 (avelumab) in combination with rituximab among patients with relapsed/refractory grade 1-3A FL. Patients were enrolled onto 2 of 3 planned cohorts (cohort 1 - rituximab/utomilumab/avelumab; cohort 2 - rituximab/ivuxolimab/utomilumab). 3+3 dose escalation was followed by dose expansion at the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). Twenty-four patients were enrolled (16 in cohort 1 and 9 in cohort 2, with one treated in both cohorts). No patients discontinued treatment due to adverse events and the RP2D was the highest dose level tested in both cohorts. In cohort 1, the objective and complete response rates were 44% and 19%, respectively (50% and 30%, respectively, at RP2D). In cohort 2, no responses were observed. The median progression-free survivals in cohorts 1 and 2 were 6.9 and 3.2 months, respectively. In cohort 1, higher density of PD-1+ tumor-infiltrating T-cells on baseline biopsies and lower density of 4-1BB+ and TIGIT+ T-cells in on-treatment biopsies were associated with response. Abundance of Akkermansia in stool samples was also associated with response. Our results support a possible role for 4-1BB agonist therapy in FL and suggest that features of the tumor microenvironment and stool microbiome may be associated with clinical outcomes (NCT03636503).

Bendamustine lymphodepletion is a well-tolerated alternative to fludarabine and cyclophosphamide lymphodepletion for axicabtagene ciloleucel therapy for aggressive B-cell lymphoma.

Fludarabine/cyclophosphamide (Flu/Cy) is established for lymphodepletion (LD) prior to standard-of-care CAR T-cell therapy for lymphoma. There is ongoing need to test alternative LD regimens to preserve efficacy, improve safety, and address challenges including the recent national fludarabine shortage. We retrospectively evaluated outcomes among patients with relapsed/refractory aggressive B-cell lymphoma who received bendamustine (n = 27) or Flu/Cy (n = 42) LD before axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) at our institution. The median change in absolute lymphocyte count from pre-LD to time of axi-cel infusion was -0.6×109 /L in bendamustine cohort and -0.7×109 /L in Flu/Cy cohort. The best overall response/complete response rates were 77.8% (95% CI: 57.7%-91.4%)/48.1% (95% CI: 28.7%-68.1%) among bendamustine cohort and 81.0% (95% CI: 65.9%-91.4%)/50.0% (95% CI: 34.2%-65.8%) among Flu/Cy cohort. Six-month progression-free survival were 43.8% (95% CI: 24.7%-61.3%) and 55.6% (95% CI: 39.0%-69.3%) in bendamustine and Flu/Cy cohorts, while 6-month overall survival were 81.5% (95% CI: 61.1%-91.8%) and 90.4% (95% CI: 76.4%-96.3%), respectively. Relative to Flu/Cy-treated patients, bendamustine-treated patients did not show an increase in hazards associated with experiencing progression/relapse/death (aHR:1.4 [95% CI: 0.7-2.8]; p = .32) or death (aHR:1.6 [95% CI: 0.5-5.6]; p = .46), after adjusting for baseline number of prior therapies and refractory disease. Any grade/grade ≥3 CRS were observed in 89%/3.7% and 86%/4.8% among bendamustine and Flu/Cy cohorts, while any grade ICANS/grade ≥3 ICANS were observed in 30%/19% and 55%/31% respectively. While more Flu/Cy-treated patients experienced grade ≥3 neutropenia compared with bendamustine-treated patients (100% vs. 68%), grade ≥3 infectious complications were comparable (24% vs. 19% respectively). More patients received bendamustine LD and axi-cel as outpatient than Flu/Cy cohort, without increased toxicities and with shorter median inpatient stays. In conclusion, we observed comparable efficacy and lower any grade ICANS among patients receiving bendamustine relative to Flu/Cy LD, followed by axi-cel.

ASTCT Clinical Practice Recommendations for Transplantation and Cellular Therapies in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma.

Autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto-HCT) has long been the standard approach for patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) chemosensitive diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, the advent of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has caused a paradigm shift in the management of R/R DLBCL patients, especially with the recent approval of CD19-directed CAR-T therapy in the second-line setting in high-risk groups (primary refractory and early relapse [≤12 months]). Consensus on the contemporary role, optimal timing, and sequencing of HCT and cellular therapies in DLBCL is lacking; therefore, the American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) Committee on Practice Guidelines undertook this project to formulate consensus recommendations to address this unmet need. The RAND-modified Delphi method was used to generate 20 consensus statements with a few key statements as follows: (1) in the first-line setting, there is no role for auto-HCT consolidation for patients achieving complete remission (CR) following R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, and prednisone) or similar therapy in non-double-hit/triple-hit cases (DHL/THL) and in DHL/THL cases receiving intensive induction therapies, but auto-HCT may be considered in eligible patients receiving R-CHOP or similar therapies in DHL/THL cases; (2) auto-HCT consolidation with thiotepa-based conditioning is standard of care for eligible patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma achieving CR with first-line therapy; and (3) in the primary refractory and early relapse setting, the preferred option is CAR-T therapy, whereas in late relapse (>12 months), consolidation with auto-HCT is recommended for patients achieving chemosensitivity to salvage therapy (complete or partial response), and CAR-T therapy is recommended for those not achieving remission. These clinical practice recommendations will serve as a tool to guide clinicians managing patients with newly diagnosed and R/R DLBCL.

Pembrolizumab plus vorinostat induces responses in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma refractory to prior PD-1 blockade.

This phase 1 study evaluated the addition of vorinostat to pembrolizumab in patients with relapsed/refractory (RR) classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma. We report the results in cases of cHL. Adult patients with RR cHL who had received ≥1 prior lines of therapy and were ineligible for transplantation were treated in a dose-escalation cohort with 2 dose levels (DLs) and then on an expansion cohort at the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) in 21-day cycles. Vorinostat 100 mg twice a day (DL1) and 200 mg twice a day (DL2) was administered orally from days 1 to 5 and 8 to 12; all patients received pembrolizumab 200 mg IV every 3 weeks. The primary end point was safety and determination of RP2D. In total, 32 patients with cHL were enrolled, including 30 at DL2 (RP2D); 78% had received prior anti-programmed cell death 1 (anti-PD-1) therapy, and 56% were PD-1 refractory. Grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs) included hypertension (9%), neutropenia (9%), hypophosphatemia (9%), thrombocytopenia (6%), and lymphopenia (6%). Immune-related AEs included grade 1 or 2 thyroiditis (13%), grade 1 rash (6%), and grade 3 esophagitis/duodenitis (3%). The overall response rate (ORR) was 72% and complete response (CR) rate was 34%. Patients refractory to prior PD-1 blockade (n = 18) had ORR and CR rates of 56% and 11%, respectively. Pembrolizumab and vorinostat was well tolerated with a high ORR rate in RR cHL including in anti-PD-1-refractory disease. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03150329.

Thrombopoietin Receptor Agonists for Thrombocytopenia Secondary to HER2-Targeted Antibody Drug Conjugates.

Trastuzumab emtansine and trastuzumab deruxtecan are widely used in breast cancer and other solid tumor malignancies. Thrombocytopenia is a common adverse event associated with the use of these agents that can lead to a treatment delay, reduction in dose intensity, and discontinuation. The role of thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RA) remains unknown in this setting. We report a case series of 6 individuals with breast cancer that experienced dose-reductions and therapy delays due to thrombocytopenia secondary to trastuzumab emtansine or trastuzumab deruxtecan therapy and received intervention with TPO-RA. All 6 were able to resume therapy with TPO-RA support.

Results of a Phase II Trial of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Using 90Y-Ibritumomab Tiuxetan (Zevalin) in Combination With Fludarabine and Melphalan in Patients With High-Risk B-Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHCT) is potentially curative for relapsed/refractory (r/r) B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-cell NHL). However, relapse remains a major cause of treatment failure, especially in patients with either positron emission tomography (PET)-positive and/or chemoresistant disease prior to alloHCT. 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin) is a radiolabeled anti-CD20 antibody which is a safe and effective therapy in multiple histologic subtypes of B-cell NHL and has also been incorporated in both autologous HCT (autoHCT) and alloHCT conditioning regimens. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and confirm the safety of the radiolabeled anti-CD20 antibody ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin) combined with the reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) regimen of fludarabine and melphalan (Flu/Mel) in patients with high-risk B-cell NHL. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a phase II trial (NCT00577278) of Zevalin with Flu/Mel in patients with high-risk B-cell NHL. We enrolled 41 patients from October 2007 to April 2014, all of whom had either a fully matched sibling or 8/8 or 7/8 matched unrelated donor (MUD). Patients received 111In-Zevalin (5.0 mCi) on day -21 pre-HCT, followed by 90Y-Zevalin (0.4 mCi/kg) on day -14. Fludarabine (25 mg/m2 daily) was given from days -9 to -5 and melphalan (140 mg/m2) was administered on day -4. All patients received rituximab 250 mg/m2 on day +8 and an additional dose on either day +1 or -21 depending on the baseline rituximab level. Patients with a low rituximab level were given rituximab on days -21 and -15. All patients received tacrolimus/sirolimus (T/S) with or without methotrexate (MTX) for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis starting on day -3, and stem cells were infused on day 0. RESULTS: The 2-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for all patients were 63% and 61%, respectively. The incidence of relapse at 2 years was 20%. Nonrelapse mortality (NRM) at day +100 and 1 year were 5% and 12%, respectively. The overall cumulative incidence of grade II-IV and III-IV acute GVHD (aGVHD) were 44% and 15%, respectively. Extensive chronic GVHD (cGVHD) occurred in 44% of patients. On univariate analysis, histology (diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) vs. others) was negatively predictive for OS (P = .0013) and PFS (P = .0004), while histology (DLBCL vs. others, P = .0128) predicted for relapse. PET positivity pre-HCT did not correlate with any of the efficacy endpoints. CONCLUSION: Addition of Zevalin to Flu/Mel is safe and effective in high-risk NHL and met the prespecific endpoint. Results were suboptimal in patients with DLBCL.

Association Between Pretreatment Skeletal Muscle and Outcomes After CAR T-Cell Therapy.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between baseline skeletal muscle measurements, acute toxicity (immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome [ICANS], cytokine release syndrome), and treatment efficacy in patients undergoing CAR T-cell therapy for B-lineage lymphoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Skeletal muscle measurements were obtained from automated CT measurements in 226 consecutive patients who received CAR T-cell therapy between 2015 and 2021. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to examine progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) at 1-year. Multivariable regression was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals, adjusted for covariates. RESULTS: The median age of the cohort was 63.1 years (range, 18.5-82.4 years), and most patients were male (66%) and had primary refractory disease (58%). Patients with abnormally low skeletal muscle at baseline were at greater risk of ICANS (HR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.05-2.87) and had longer length of hospitalization (mean 27.7 vs 22.9 days; P<.05) compared with those with normal muscle mass. Abnormal skeletal muscle was independently associated with risk of disease progression (HR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.11-2.57) and worse survival (HR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.49-4.00) at 1 year compared with normal skeletal muscle. Individuals who had abnormal skeletal muscle and high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels at baseline had poor 1-year PFS (17%) and OS (12%) compared with those with normal skeletal muscle and LDH levels (72% and 82%, respectively; P<.001). Patients who had abnormal skeletal muscle and LDH levels had a 5-fold risk (HR, 5.34; 95% CI, 2.97-9.62) of disease progression and a 10-fold risk (HR, 9.73; 95% CI, 4.81-19.70) of death (reference: normal skeletal muscle, normal LDH), independent of prior lines of therapy, extent of residual disease at time of CAR T-cell therapy, functional status, or product. CONCLUSIONS: This information can be used for risk stratification prior to CAR T-cell therapy or to implement prehabilitation and nutritional optimization before lymphodepletion as well as thereafter. These efforts will be complementary to ongoing efforts toward sustained efficacy after CAR T-cell therapy.