Does IPSS-R down staging before transplantation improve the prognosis of patients with Myelodysplastic neoplasms?

In MDS patients higher IPSS-R at transplant is associated with worse transplant outcome. Thus, it may seem beneficial to improve IPSS-R by therapeutic intervention prior to transplantation in order to "down-stage" the disease risk. However, there is no evidence to date to support this approach. A retrospective analysis of the EBMT transplant registry was performed to investigate the role of therapeutic interventions prior to transplantation with regard to changes in IPSS-R and transplant outcomes. A total of 1482 MDS patients with sufficient data to calculate IPSS-R at diagnosis and at time of transplantation were selected and analysed for transplant outcome in a multivariable Cox model including IPSS-R at diagnosis, treatment intervention, change in IPSS-R before transplant and several patient and transplant variables. Transplant outcome was unaffected by IPSS-R change in untreated patients and moderately superior in chemotherapy-treated patients with improved IPSS-R at transplant. Improved IPSS-R after hypomethylating agents (HMA) or other therapies showed no beneficial effect. However, when IPSS-R progressed after chemotherapy, (HMA) or other therapies, transplant outcome was worse than without any prior treatment. Similar results were found when reduction or increase in bone marrow (BM) blasts between diagnosis and transplantation was considered. The results show a limited benefit of IPSS-R down staging or reduction of BM blasts after chemotherapy and no benefit for HMA or other treatments and thus question the role of prior therapy in MDS patients scheduled for transplantation. The model-based survival estimates should help inform decision making for both doctors and patients.

Mismatched related donor allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation compared to other donor types for Ph+ chronic myeloid leukaemia: A retrospective analysis from the Chronic Malignancies Working Party of the EBMT.

Allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) remains an option for tyrosine kinase inhibitor-resistant chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) in first chronic phase (CP1) and high-risk patients with advanced disease phases. In this European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) registry-based study of 1686 CML patients undergoing first allo-HCT between 2012 and 2019, outcomes were evaluated according to donor type, particularly focusing on mismatched related donors (MMRDs). Median age at allo-HCT was 46 years (IQR 36-55). Disease status was CP1 in 43%, second CP (CP2) or later in 27%, accelerated phase in 12% and blast crisis in 18%. Donor type was matched related (MRD) in 39.2%, MMRD in 8.1%, matched unrelated (MUD) in 40.2%, and mismatched unrelated (MMUD) in 12.6%. In 4 years, overall survival (OS) for MRD, MMRD, MUD and MMUD was 61%, 56%, 63% and 59% (p = 0.21); relapse-free survival (RFS) was 48%, 42%, 52% and 46% (p = 0.03); cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) was 33%, 37%, 27% and 30% (p = 0.07); non-relapse mortality (NRM) was 19%, 21%, 21% and 24% (p = 0.21); and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD)-free/relapse-free survival (GRFS) was 16%, 18%, 22% and 15% (p = 0.05) respectively. On multivariate analysis, MMRD use associated with longer engraftment times and higher risk of graft failure compared to MRD or MUD. There was no statistical evidence that MMRD use associated with different OS, RFS and incidence of GvHD compared to other donor types.

Long-term outcomes and renal responses following autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for light chain deposition disease: a retrospective study on behalf of the Chronic Malignancies Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

There is little long-term outcome data on the efficacy of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in light chain deposition disease (LCDD). We identified 51 LCDD patients in the EBMT registry who had undergone upfront ASCT between 1995 and 2021. The median serum creatinine was 280 µmol/L and 45% required renal replacement therapy (RRT) at time of transplant. The melphalan dose was 100mg/m2 in 23%, 140mg/m2 in 55% and 200 mg/m2 in 21%. The rate of very good partial response or better improved from 41% pre-transplant to 66% at Day +100 post-ASCT. In RRT-independent patients, there was a modest improvement in renal function within the first 3 months; the median eGFR increased from 44 to 51 ml/min/1.73 m2. There was no further change between 3 and 12 months post- ASCT. No patient who was RRT-independent at ASCT became RRT dependent by Day + 100 post-ASCT. Median follow-up post-ASCT was 84 months (IQR: 46-122). At 6-years post ASCT, overall survival (OS) was 88% (95% CI: 78-98%) and PFS was 44% (95% CI: 28-60%). The 2-year cumulative incidence of relapse and non-relapse mortality (NRM) was 17% (95% CI: 6-27%) and 2% (95% CI: 0-6%), respectively. The cumulative incidence of renal transplantation at 4 years after ASCT was 27% (95% CI 13-41) with renal transplantation performed between 6.3 and 52.9 months post-ASCT (median 24.7 months). ASCT represents a feasible option for LCDD patients even if RRT dependent at time of transplant. Outcomes are favourable with low NRM and good long-term OS.

Outcomes of CMML patients undergoing allo-HCT are significantly worse compared to MDS-a study of the CMWP of the EBMT.

Although CMML since long has been separated from MDS, many studies continue to evaluate the outcomes of both diseases after hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) together. Data evaluating outcomes of a large CMML cohort after allo-HCT compared to MDS are limited. We aim to compare outcomes of CMML to MDS patients who underwent allo-HCT between 2010 and 2018. Patients ≥18 years with CMML and MDS undergoing allo-HCT reported to the EBMT registry were analyzed. Progression to AML before allo-HCT was an exclusion criterion. Overall survival (OS), progression/relapse-free survival (PFS), relapse incidence (including progression) (REL), and non-relapse mortality (NRM) were evaluated in univariable and multivariable (MVA) Cox proportional hazard models including interaction terms between disease and confounders. In total, 10832 patients who underwent allo-HCT were included in the study, there were a total of 1466 CMML, and 9366 MDS. The median age at time of allo-HCT in CMML (median 60.5, IQR 54.3-65.2 years) was significantly higher than in the MDS cohort (median 58.8, IQR 50.2-64.5 years; p < .001). A significantly higher percentage of CMML patients were male (69.4%) compared to MDS (61.2%; p < .001). There were no clinically meaningful differences in the distribution of Karnofsky score, Sorror HCT-CI score at allo-HCT, and donor type, between the CMML and MDS patients. RIC platforms were utilized in 63.9% of CMML allo-HCT, and in 61.4% of MDS patients (p = .08). In univariable analyses, we found that OS, PFS, and REL were significantly worse in CMML when compared with MDS (all p < .0001), whereas no significant difference was observed in NRM (p = .77). In multivariable analyses, the HR comparing MDS versus CMML for OS was 0.81 (95% CI, 0.74-0.88, p < .001), PFS 0.76 (95% CI 0.70-0.82, p < .001), relapse 0.66 (95% CI 0.59-0.74, p < .001), and NRM 0.87 (95% CI 0.78-0.98, p = .02), respectively. The association between baseline variables and outcome was found to be similar in MDS and CMML (all interaction p > .05) except for a decreasing trend over time of the risk of relapse in CMML (HR allo-HCT per year later 0.94, 95% CI 0.90-0.98), whereas no such trend was observed in MDS (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.98-1.02). The poor outcome observed for CMML could be related to variables not measured in this study or to factors inherent to the disease itself. This study demonstrates that outcomes of CMML patients after allo-HCT are significantly worse compared to MDS. The results of this study may contribute to future recommendations for allo-HCT in CMML patients.

Impact of comorbidities and body mass index on the outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in myelofibrosis: A study on behalf of the Chronic Malignancies Working Party of EBMT.

Investigating the evaluation of eligibility for transplant in myelofibrosis (MF): The role of HCT-CI and BMI. HCT-CI emerges as a key prognostic factor, while BMI shows limited impact. This study expands insights for better clinical decision-making in MF allo-HCT.

Higher Mortality in Patients With Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma Pre-Existing Arterial Hypertension-Real World Data of the Polish Lymphoma Research Group.

BACKGROUND: Arterial hypertension is mentioned as a risk factor in cardio-oncology. This study aimed to assess the long-term prognostic value of arterial hypertension (AH) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). METHODS: We analysed data collected by the Polish Lymphoma Research Group for the evaluation of the outcomes associated with the use of first-line rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone therapy in patients with DLBCL with coexisting AH. Patients with other cardiovascular comorbidities or premature chemotherapy discontinuation due to cardiovascular toxicity were excluded. RESULTS: Pre-existing AH was diagnosed in 65 of 232 patients with DLBCL (28%) included in the study, and was associated with significantly shorter overall survival values (p<0.00001). The rates of DLBCL recurrence, administration of second-, third-, or fourth-line chemotherapy, and lymphoma-related deaths were similar in patients with and those without AH. Cardiovascular deaths were significantly more frequently observed in patients with pre-existing AH (38.5% vs 3.6%, p<0.0001). In the univariate analysis, AH (p=0.000001), older age (p<0.000001), and diabetes (p=0.0065) were identified as significant predictors of all-cause mortality; however, cardiovascular mortality was associated with AH (p<0.000001), older age (p=0.000008), and dyslipidaemia (p=0.03). Multivariate analysis revealed AH as an age-independent significant predictor of all-cause (p=0.00045) and cardiovascular mortality (p<0.000001). CONCLUSION: In the long-term follow-up of patients with DLBCL, the role of AH, as an important age-independent predictor of premature cardiovascular mortality, was so strong that it may have value for use in close surveillance in cardio-oncology clinics.

Molnupiravir is effective in patients with haematological malignancies.

Patients with hematologic malignancies are particularly vulnerable to severe infectious complications. SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with a high risk of severe course and death in this patient population. In addition, immune deficits associated with both the blood cancer and the treatment used make vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 less effective than in immunocompetent individuals. Molnupiravir is one of the first oral antiviral drugs to demonstrate a significant benefit in reducing hospitalisation and death in COVID-19 in the general population. In this context, 175 haematology patients with diagnosed COVID-19, and treated with MOL between January and April 2022, came under our scrutiny with a view to defining their clinical characteristics and outcomes. The most common underlying conditions were lymphomas (45%), multiple myelomas (21%) and acute leukaemias or myelodysplastic syndrome (35%). Of all, 77% of the patients were vaccinated, and half of them received a booster. At 28 days after the breakthrough COVID-19 diagnosis, 35 (20%) subjects required hospital admission. Out of those patients, seven (4%) died during the follow-up due to the progression of COVID. Our results corroborate what has been established to date with regard to the positive clinical and safety outcomes of MOL in haematology patients with mild or moderate COVID-19.

Clinical efficacy and tolerability of venetoclax plus rituximab in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia-a real-world analysis of the Polish Adult Leukemia Study Group.

The results of the MURANO trial showed encouraging progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (RR-CLL) patients treated with venetoclax-rituximab (VEN-R). A retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of VEN-R within the Polish Adult Leukemia Study Group (PALG) centers. The study group included 117 patients with RR-CLL (with early relapse after immunochemotherapy or bearing TP53 aberrations) treated with VEN-R in 2019-2023 outside clinical trials. Patients were treated with a median of 2 (range 1-9) previous lines of therapy. Twenty-two participants were previously treated with BTKi (18.8% out of 117). The median follow-up was 20.3 months (range 0.27-39.1). The overall response rate (ORR) was 95.3% in the group of patients in whom a response to treatment was assessed and 86.3% for all patients. Twenty patients (17.1% out of 117) achieved a complete response (CR), 81 (69.2%) achieved a partial response (PR), and in 5 patients (4.3%), disease progression was noted (assessed as the best response during treatment). The median PFS in the whole cohort was 36.97 (95% CI 24.5, not reached) months, and the median OS was not reached (95% CI 27.03, not reached). Thirty-six patients died during the follow-up, 10 (8.5%; 27.8% of deaths) due to COVID-19 infection. All grade neutropenia (n = 87/117, 74.4%; grade 3 or higher n = 67/117, 57.3%) was the most common treatment adverse event. Forty-five patients (38.5%) remained on treatment, and twenty-two (18.8%) completed 24 months of therapy, while it was discontinued in fifty cases (42.7%). In this real-world setting of early access in very high-risk RR-CLL patients, the VEN-R regimen was associated with shorter median PFS compared with the results of the MURANO trial. This outcome, however, could be attributed to patients' exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the aggressive course of the disease as very high-risk patients, after multiple lines of prior therapies, were included in the Polish Ministry of Health reimbursement program.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients Treated with Azacitidine and Venetoclax for Acute Leukemia: A Report of a Case Series Treated in a Single Institution.

INTRODUCTION: Venetoclax combined with azacitidine (AZA-VEN) constitutes an option for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. There are, however, no data on the COVID-19 incidence and outcome in patients treated with AZA-VEN. METHODS: Patients with acute leukemia treated with AZA-VEN at a single institution were included in this prospective observational study. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were enrolled, 46% with treatment-naïve, and 56% with relapsed/refractory disease. Fifty-four percent of patients were males; the median age was 69 years. Six patients (46%) developed COVID-19 during the observation time. The median time to COVID-19 was 24 days from the initiation of AZA-VEN. The 2-month cumulative incidence of COVID-19 was 46.2%. Two patients (33%) succumbed to COVID-19. The 100-day COVID-19-free survival from AZA-VEN initiation was 61%. The median follow-up time was 4.3 months. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: COVID-19 constitutes a frequent complication of AZA-VEN treatment in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to death in a significant proportion of patients.

Persistent imbalance, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory signature of circulating C-C chemokines and cytokines in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

OBJECTIVE: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a clonal non-malignant disease in which hematopoietic cell apoptosis may play an important pathophysiological role. Previous studies of the content of phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PI(3,4,5)P3) indicated the possibility of remote transmission of anti-apoptotic signals between pathological and normal hematopoietic progenitors. METHODS: The study determined the plasma levels of beta chemokines and cytokines in N = 19 patients with PNH and 31 healthy controls. The research material was peripheral blood plasma (EDTA) stored at -80 °C until the test. Beta chemokine and cytokine concentrations were tested in duplicate with Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine Assay (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA) using a Luminex 200 flow cytometer and xPONENT software (Luminex Corporation, Austin, TX, USA). In peripheral blood CD34+ cells we tested the proportions of PI(3,4,5)P3+ and Annexin binding apoptotic phenotype using FC and phosflow. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the PNH group showed a significant increase in the plasma concentration of some beta chemokines and cytokines, including MIP-1alpha/CCL3, eotaxin/CCL11, MCP1/CCL2, IL4 and G-CSF. In the group of PNH patients, a significant decrease in the concentration of some cytokines was also observed: RANTES/CCL5, MIP-1beta/CCL4, PDGF-BB and IL9. At the same time, the plasma concentrations of the chemokine IP-10/CXCL10 and the cytokines IFN-gamma, TNF, IL6 and IL10 showed no significant deviations from the values for the control group. Anti-apoptotic phenotype and phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate content in PNH clone of CD34+ cells were associated with the level of CCL3 and negatively associated with CCL5, CCL4, PDGF-BB and IL9. CONCLUSIONS: This data suggest the existence of apoptotic and PI(3,4,5)P3 imbalance in PNH CD34+ cells driven by anti-apoptotic cytokine biosignature in PNH. Plasma cytokines and intracellular enzymes that regulate the phosphoinositide pathways may become a therapeutic target in PNH.

Haematological disorders following kidney transplantation.

Transplantation offers cure for some haematological cancers, end-stage organ failure, but at the cost of long-term complications. Renal transplantation is the best-known kidney replacement therapy and it can prolong end-stage renal disease patient lives for decades. However, patients after renal transplantation are at a higher risk of developing different complications connected not only with surgical procedure but also with immunosuppressive treatment, chronic kidney disease progression and rejection processes. Various blood disorders can develop in post-transplant patients ranging from relatively benign anaemia through cytopenias to therapy-related myelodysplasia and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders followed by a rare and fatal condition of thrombotic microangiopathy and haemophagocytic syndrome. So far literature mainly focused on the post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease. In this review, a variety of haematological problems after transplantation ranging from rare disorders such as myelodysplasia and AML to relatively common conditions such as anaemia and iron deficiency are presented with up-to-date diagnosis and management.

The Clinical Tumor Lysis Syndrome in a Patient with Mixed Phenotype Acute Leukemia Undergoing Induction with Venetoclax and Azacitidine: A Case Report.

A combination of azacitidine and venetoclax (AZA-VEN) has been approved for the treatment of adult treatment-naïve acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, ineligible for intensive chemotherapy. The protocol may also constitute an alternative for the treatment of patients with mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL), for which no established treatment guidelines exist. It may be anticipated, that alike in AML or chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the treatment of MPAL may be complicated by the tumor lysis syndrome (TLS). No case of TLS in MPAL after VEN has been however reported so far. Here, we present a case of a patient with MPAL, who received AZA-VEN. The patient had a substantial bulk of disease with generalized lymphadenopathy and increased white blood cell count. Despite preventive measures, the patient developed the clinical TLS, which was successfully treated. Based on the current case and other published cases, the incidence of TLS after AZA-VEN was established at 17%.

Rituximab and Chemotherapy for Newly Diagnosed Follicular Lymphoma: Real-World Report of Polish Lymphoma Research Group.

INTRODUCTION: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common type of indolent B-cell lymphoma with a favorable prognosis in the majority of patients. The induction treatment is still based on rituximab and chemotherapy, though new anti-CD20 antibody and chemo-free regimen have been recently introduced. The aim of the study was to analyze the management, outcomes, and determinants of prognosis of newly diagnosed patients with FL in real-world experience. METHODS: Data of consecutive patients diagnosed with FL in 5 years period (2011-2015) in three oncohematological centers were reviewed. Variables were compared using Mann-Whitney or χ2 test as appropriate, survival outpoints were calculated using Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-one patients were included in the study. The median patients' age at diagnosis was 56.6 years. Low histological grade (G1-G2) was found in 62.1% of patients and advanced clinical stage in 77.0% of patients. ECOG 0 performance status was observed in 57.1% of patients. The median follow-up was 5.91 years. Initially, 31.5% of the patients were qualified to watch-and-wait (W&W) strategy, and 84.0% of the whole patients' group received systemic treatment during the observation period. As induction treatment, 53.9% and 41.4% of patients received RCVP and RCHOP regimens, respectively; 39.8% received rituximab maintenance (RM) after first-line therapy. During follow-up, transformation to aggressive lymphoma occurred in 7.2% of patients. Median overall survival (OS) was not achieved, and median progression-free survival (PFS) was 8.28 years (95% CI; 7.35, NA), 19.6% of patients relapsed during 24 months from the start of the treatment (POD24). Median PFS for POD24 group was 1.1 years (95% CI; 0.56, 1.45) with a median OS longer than 8 years. ECOG 0, low PRIMA PI, and no POD24 were found as determinants of longer PFS and OS. CONCLUSIONS: Our data from clinical practice showed that rituximab and chemotherapy is still an effective method of FL treatment resulting in survival more than 8 years from diagnosis in most patients. RCVP protocol followed with RM is a reasonable choice for the first-line therapy especially in low/intermediate group of patients. The prognosis was significantly worse in patients with POD24. Therefore, searching for precise initial clinical and biological markers is warranted and development therapies to improve prognosis of POD24 patients.

Prevalence of hypogammaglobulinemia and its management with subcutaneous immunoglobulin supplementation in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation-a single-center analysis.

Secondary immunodeficiencies are frequently observed after allo-HSCT. The efficacy of subcutaneous IgG preparations in this population is unknown. A retrospective single-institution study involved 126 adult patients transplanted in 2012-2019 for hematological malignancies. Patients were tested every 2-3 weeks for plasma IgG concentration during the 1st year after transplantation and supplemented with facilitated subcutaneous immunoglobulin when they either had IgG concentration < 500 mg/dl or between 500 and 700 mg/dl and recurrent infection. The IgG concentration < 500 mg/dL was diagnosed in 41 patients, while 500-700 mg/dL in 25 and altogether 53 patients received IgG supplementation. The median number of IgG administrations was 2. The median time to the first IgG administration after allo-HSCT was 4.1 months, while to the next administration (if more than one was required) 53 days (prophylactic group) and 32 days (group with infections). We did not observe any significant toxicity. Two situations were associated with increased probability of meeting criteria for IgG supplementation: diagnosis of either acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (83.8% versus 39.3% for other diagnosis, p = 0.000) and the systemic use of corticosteroids (64.2% versus 31.5% for patients without systemic corticosteroids, p = 0.005). Over 40% of the adult recipients may require at least incidental immunoglobulin supplementation during the first year after allo-HSCT. Low IgG concentrations are associated with inferior outcomes. The subcutaneous route of IgG administration appeared to be safe and may allow for long persistence.

High efficacy of BGD (bendamustine, gemcitabine, and dexamethasone) in relapsed/refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma.

The optimal salvage therapy in relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (R/R HL) has not been defined so far. The goal of this multicenter retrospective study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of BGD (bendamustine, gemcitabine, dexamethasone) as a second or subsequent line of therapy in classical R/R HL. We have evaluated 92 consecutive R/R HL patients treated with BGD. Median age was 34.5 (19-82) years. Fifty-eight patients (63%) had received 2 or more lines of chemotherapy, 32 patients (34.8%) radiotherapy, and 21 patients (22.8%) an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (autoHCT). Forty-four patients (47.8%) were resistant to first line of chemotherapy. BGD therapy consisted of bendamustine 90 mg/m2 on days 1 and 2, gemcitabine 800 mg/m2 on days 1 and 4, dexamethasone 40 mg on days 1-4. Median number of BGD cycles was 4 (2-7). The following adverse events ≥ 3 grade were noted: neutropenia (22.8%), thrombocytopenia (20.7%), anemia (15.2%), infections (10.9%), AST/ALT increase (2.2%), and skin rush (1.1%). After BGD therapy, 51 (55.4%) patients achieved complete remission, 23 (25%)-partial response, 7 (7.6%)-stable disease, and 11 (12%) patients experienced progression disease. AutoHCT was conducted in 42 (45.7%) patients after BGD therapy, and allogeneic HCT (alloHCT) in 16 (17.4%) patients. Median progression-free survival was 21 months. BGD is a highly effective, well-tolerated salvage regimen for patients with R/R HL, providing an excellent bridge to auto- or alloHCT.

Azacitidine for relapse of acute myeloid leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, multicenter PALG analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Relapse of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) or acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) belongs to the major causes of treatment failure. METHODS: Retrospective multicenter analysis of patients diagnosed with AML or MDS who had hematological relapse after allo-HSCT and were treated with azacitidine for this indication. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients receiving azacitidine as the first treatment of relapse (Group_1) and 8 patients receiving azacitidine after other treatment of relapse (Group_2) were included. There were 68% males, median age at initiation of azacitidine was 53 years (15-66). Median time to relapse was 3.5 months and 6.3 months in Group_1 and Group_2, respectively; median time from relapse to azacitidine 0.2 and 2.3 months. Azacitidine 75 mg/m2 , days 1-7, was administered in 78% and 75% of patients in Group_1 and Group_2, concomitant DLI in 48% and 50%. With median follow-up of 4.7 and 13.6 months, the median overall survival was 5.9 and 9.5 months. 17% and 37.5% patients proceeded to salvage allo-HSCT, with median OS of 11.6 months and not reached respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Azacitidine treatment for hematological relapse is associated with poor outcome; nevertheless, a proportion of patients may benefit from it, including patients receiving subsequent salvage allo-HSCT.

Primary cutaneous indolent B-cell lymphomas - a retrospective multicenter analysis and a review of literature.

Introduction: Primary cutaneous indolent B-cell lymphomas (PCBCLs) are not well characterized due to their rarity and indolent character.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data from 52 patients with primary cutaneous follicular lymphoma (PCFL) (n = 26), marginal zone lymphoma (PCMZL) (n = 25) or undefined PCBCL (n = 1) treated in 10 hematology centers in 1999-2019.Results: Patients characteristics and diagnostic approach: In almost half of the patients, pruritus or pain were present at diagnosis. The lesions were predominantly located on the head and trunk. The disease was present in a form of solitary infiltration or disseminated lesions with a similar frequency.Treatment details and outcomes: Surgery, radiotherapy, rituximab alone or combined with chemotherapy were applied as first-line treatment in 33%, 25%, 21% and 21% of patients, with complete response (CR) achieved by 94%, 83%, 50% and 70% of patients, respectively (p = 0.28). The median duration of response (DoR) was 65 months (95%CI 35-155).Survival: After the median follow-up time of 46 months (range: 3-225), the estimated 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 93% and 54%, respectively.Discussion: Clinical presentation was largely consistent with the literature data, however, we observed some differences, including higher predilection to affect upper extremities (25%) and more frequent multifocal appearance in PCFCL (64%) and unifocal in PCMZL (70%).A high proportion of patients with indolent PCBCL achieved CR after the first-line therapy (77%), regardless of treatment mode. We did not find any impact of clinical features on treatment outcomes.Conclusions: All treatment modalities resulted in a high overall response rate. Surgery and/or radiotherapy are the optimal therapeutic options for patients with localized disease. The decision to treat systemically should rather be limited to the generalized form of the disease. High response rate, long duration of remission and excellent long-term survival confirm the truly indolent character of PCFCL and PCMZL.

Stem cell mobilization in multiple myeloma patients relapsing after previous autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A multicenter report by the Polish Myeloma Study Group.

BACKGROUND: Salvage autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (autoHSCT) may be used to treat relapse of multiple myeloma occurring after previous autoHSCT. When insufficient number of hematopoietic stem cells was stored from the initial harvest, remobilization of stem cells is necessary. PURPOSE: The analysis of stem cell remobilization after previous autoHSCT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-eight patients, 60% males, median 59 years, were included. Median time interval between autoHSCT and remobilization was 42 months. The first remobilization was performed mostly after chemotherapy: cyclophosphamide (33%), cytarabine (43%), and etoposide (19%). RESULTS: The first remobilization was successful in 67% patients. About 19% patients required plerixafor rescue, among whom it allowed for successful harvesting in 14%. Use of cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, and etoposide allowed for successful remobilization in 53%, 84%, and 55% patients, respectively. Patients treated with cytarabine had the highest yield of CD34+ cells (median 7.5 × 106 /kg vs 5.8 and 2.4 for etoposide and cyclophosphamide, P = .001). Higher percentage of patients was able to collect ≥2 × 106 CD34+ cells/kg during one leukapheresis after cytarabine (76% vs 21% for cyclophosphamide vs 36% for etoposide, P = .001). Cytarabine use was associated with lower risk of remobilization failure OR = 0.217, P = .02. Toxicity comprised mostly hematological toxicity (thrombocytopenia and neutropenia). One patient succumbed to septic shock. CONCLUSION: Remobilization after previous autoHSCT is feasible only in a proportion of patients. Cytarabine is associated with the highest rate of successful mobilization and the highest yield of mobilized CD34+ cells. The toxicity requires careful surveillance of these patients.

Impact of pre-transplantation sinus abnormalities assessed by Lund-Mackay scoring system on sinusitis occurrence after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in acute leukemia patients.

INTRODUCTION: Screening sinonasal evaluation is routinely performed before allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT), however, data supporting such evaluation is inconsistent. O b j e c t i v e s: Assessment of the utility of screening sinonasal evaluation with computed tomography (CT). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of acute leukemia patients who underwent allo-HCT, for whom screening sinonasal CT scans were reevaluated, and for whom Lund-Mackay score (LMS) was calculated. R e s u l t s: Forty-eight patients, the median age at allo-HCT 38 years (18-58), 52% males, were included. 79% had acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 21% acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Conditioning intensity was myeloablative in 96% of patients, 21% of patients received total body irradiation. 19% of patients had a history of sinusitis before allo-HCT. Screening sinus CT was performed a median of 22 days before allo-HCT. The median LMS was 1 point (0- 10). The severity of sinus abnormalities was: no abnormalities (31%), mild (67%), moderate (2%), severe (0%). Mucosal thickening was the most frequent abnormality (69%). Eleven patients experienced sinusitis after a median of 93 days (11-607) after allo-HCT. 1-year cumulative incidence of sinusitis was 22%. No threshold of LMS and no type of sinus abnormalities were correlated with sinusitis development after allo-HCT. Mild sinus disease at screening did not negatively impact survival in comparison to no sinus disease. C o n c l u s i o n s: Despite the fact, that majority of analyzed patients had either no or mild sinus disease at screening a significant proportion of patients developed sinusitis after allo-HCT. Evaluation of LMS before allo-HCT did not help predict the development of sinusitis after the procedure.

Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria: Multicenter Analysis by the Polish Adult Leukemia Group.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is the sole potential cure for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH); however, the data on its utility in PNH are limited. This retrospective analysis of patients with PNH who underwent allo-HSCT in 11 Polish centers between 2002 and 2016 comprised 78 patients with PHN, including 27 with classic PNH (cPNH) and 51 with bone marrow failure-associated PNH (BMF/PNH). The cohort was 59% male, with a median age of 29 years (range, 12 to 65 years). There was a history of thrombosis in 12% and a history of hemolysis in 81%, and 92% required erythrocyte transfusions before undergoing allo-HSCT. No patient received eculizumab, and 26% received immunosuppressive treatment. The median time from diagnosis to allo-HSCT was 12 months (range, 1 to 127 months). Almost all patients (94%) received reduced-toxicity conditioning, 66% with treosulfan. The stem cell source was peripheral blood in 72% and an identical sibling donor in 24%. Engraftment occurred in 96% of the patients. With a median follow-up of 5.1 years in patients with cPNH and 3.2 years in patients with BMF/PNH, 3-year overall survival (OS) was 88.9% in the former and 85.1% in the latter (P = not significant [NS]). The 3-year OS for patients with/without thrombosis was 50%/92% (P = NS) in the cPNH group and 83.3%/85.3% (P = NS) in the BMF/PNH group. The 3-year OS for in the BMF/PNH patients with/without hemolysis was 93.9%/62.9% (hazard ratio, .13; P = .016). No other factors impacted OS. After allo-HSCT, the frequency of the PNH clone was reduced to 0%, <1%, and <2.4% in 48%, 48%, and 4% of cPNH patients and in 84%, 11%, and 5% of BMF/PNH patients, respectively. The frequency of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) grade II-IV was 23%, and the cumulative 1-year incidence of extensive chronic GVHD was 10.8% in the BMF/PNH group and 3.7% in the cPNH group. Allo-HSCT is a valid option for PNH patients, effectively eliminating the PNH clone with satisfactory overall survival and acceptable toxicity. Reduced-toxicity conditioning with treosulfan is effective and safe in patients with cPNH and BMF/PNH.