Prognostic Factors for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Advanced-stage Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Nationwide Retrospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: While Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is mostly curable, outcomes for advanced-stage HL remain unsatisfactory. The International Prognostic Score and its modifications were developed to predict HL prognosis; however, more straightforward prognostic factors are needed. This study aimed to identify simpler prognostic factors for advanced-stage newly diagnosed HL (NDHL). METHODS: This retrospective study used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database and the Taiwan Cancer Registry. Patients with advanced-stage NDHL receiving ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine) or ABVD-like regimens between 2009 and 2016 were enrolled. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify prognostic factors for the time to next treatment (TTNT) and overall survival (OS). We used the time-dependent area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) to evaluate model performance. RESULTS: The study included 459 patients with advanced-stage NDHL. A bimodal age distribution (peaks 20-44 and >65 years) was observed. Over a median follow-up of 4.7 years, the complete remission and OS rates were 52% and 76%, respectively. Age ≥60 years (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 1.73, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23-2.43), extranodal involvement (1.40, 1.05-1.87), B symptoms (1.53, 1.13-2.06), and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) ≥1 (1.49, 1.08-2.06) were significantly associated with a shorter TTNT. The time-dependent AUROC was .65. With a time-dependent AUROC of .81, age ≥60 years (4.55, 2.90-7.15) and CCI ≥1 (1.86, 1.18-2.91) were risk factors for worse OS. CONCLUSION: Older age and more comorbidities were risk factors for an inferior OS in advanced-stage NDHL, while older age, extranodal involvement, B-symptoms, and higher CCI were significantly associated with disease relapse.

Charlson comorbidity index predicts outcomes of elderly after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remains the curative therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), but advanced age with multiple comorbidities limits the eligibility for allo-HSCT. We conducted a retrospective study to investigate the comorbidities assessments and prognostic factors that predict outcomes for these patients. METHODS: Clinical data of patients older than 50 years who had received diagnoses of AML or MDS and underwent allo-HSCT were obtained. Information on patient characteristics, including age, gender, allogeneic transplant type, conditioning regimens, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and presence of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) or chronic GVHD, were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-five elderly patients with a median age at allo-HSCT of 57 years were included. The significant prognostic factors associated with worse overall survival (OS) were CCI ≥3 (hazard ratio: 1.88) and grade III-IV acute GVHD (3.18). Similar findings were noted in the non-relapse mortality analysis. To investigate the effects of chronic GVHD on patient outcomes, OS analysis was performed for those with survival >100 days after transplantation. The results revealed CCI ≥3 (1.88) and grade III-IV acute GVHD (2.73) remained poor prognostic factors for OS, whereas mild chronic GVHD (0.43) was associated with better OS. CONCLUSION: This cohort study suggests that CCI ≥3 predicts poor outcomes, primarily due to a higher NRM risk. Careful management of GVHD after transplantation could improve outcomes in elderly patients with AML or MDS after allo-HSCT.

Lenalidomide with dexamethasone to multiple myeloma patients relapsing from bortezomib-based induction therapies: A prospective, observational study.

Lenalidomide with dexamethasone (Len/Dex) is considered to be an effective and well-tolerated regimen to treat multiple myeloma (MM) patients relapsing after bortezomib induction therapy. With the increase in novel agents targeting refractory and relapsed MM, the identification of clinical or laboratory variables that can predict the appropriate candidates of Len/Dex is essential. To address this question, we prospectively assessed 38 adult MM patients who received bortezomib-based induction therapy and were administered Len/Dex for their first relapse. These 38 patients were stratified into the symptomatic relapse group (n = 10) and biological relapse group (n = 28) according to the disease status when Len/Dex was initiated. The overall response rate in the symptomatic group and biological relapse group was 70.0% (7/10) and 60.7% (17/28), respectively (P = 0.964). These two groups harbored a comparable median Len/Dex treatment duration (139 vs. 225 days; P = 0.876) and progression-free survival 2 (PFS2) (501 vs. 1289 days; P = 0.410). Multivariate analyses failed to show that treating biological relapse (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.43-3.88; P = 0.648), PFS with bortezomib-based induction therapies ≥18 months (HR: 1.79; 95% CI: 0.64-5.01; P = 0.266), autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HR: 2.18; 95% CI: 0.56-8.55; P = 0.262), and high-risk cytogenetics (HR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.18-3.93; P = 0.835) were attributed to depth of Len/Dex treatment. In conclusion, whether MM patients treated by Len/Dex for biological relapse would have a better outcome than those prescribed for symptomatic relapse remains inconclusive. Treating significant biological relapse and symptomatic relapse remains the current consensus.

The incidence and risk factors of hepatic veno-occlusive disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Taiwan.

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) is a potentially fatal complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We conducted this study to investigate the incidence and risk factors of hepatic VOD for patients receiving HSCT in Taiwan. We retrospectively analyzed the data from a nationwide registry for patients receiving HSCT, which was collected by the Taiwan Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. The data collection period was from 2009 to 2014. A total 2345 patients were reviewed and 39 patients among them were diagnosed as having hepatic VOD. The cumulative incidence of hepatic VOD in the whole cohort of 2345 patients was 1.66%. In multivariate analysis, disease diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndrome, chronic HCV infection, condition regimens of bulsulfan intravenously administered, and antithymocyte immunoglobulin were independent factors to predict higher risk of hepatic VOD. The overall mortality rate for patients with hepatic VOD was 79%. Patients with hepatic VOD had significant worse survival outcomes when compared with those without hepatic VOD (P = 0.00063). In conclusion, although the incidence is low, hepatic VOD remains a serious complication after HSCT in Taiwan. The findings of this study could be the basis for developing prophylactic or early treatment strategies for hepatic VOD.

Autologous stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma: Post-transplant outcomes of Taiwan Blood and Marrow Transplantation Registry.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a monoclonal plasma cell malignancy. The primary choice of treatment for MM is induction therapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). This study aimed to analyze the treatment efficacy of ASCT in a Taiwanese cohort and evaluate possible prognostic factors. METHODS: From the database of the Taiwan Blood and Marrow Transplantation registry, data on 396 patients with MM who underwent ASCT were reviewed. RESULTS: The average age of participants was 54.8 years, and there were more men than women (57.6% vs. 42.4%). Most patients were diagnosed with IgG-type myeloma (52.4%), followed by IgA-type (23.2%) and light-chain type (21.4%). Patients with Durie Salmon Staging System (DSS) III disease accounted for 61.9% of the study cohort, while 23.7% had stage II and 14.4% had stage I disease. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) after ASCT were 46.5 months and 70.4 months, respectively. DSS III was a poor prognostic factor affecting both PFS and OS with a duration of 35.9 months and 69.0 months, respectively, compared with the other two stages (p = 0.006 and p = 0.03, respectively). In addition, patients with better treatment response before ASCT had better PFS and OS compared with those who did not show a response (both p < 0.0001). The overall incidence of organ toxicities associated with transplantation was low. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our cohort showed that myeloma patients with early DSS and better treatment response before ASCT had better long-term survival outcomes.

Ten-year epidemiology and risk factors of cytomegalovirus infection in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can cause infection and critical diseases in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients. This study aimed to explore the cumulative incidence and risk factors for CMV infection and disease among HSCT recipients in Taiwan. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study using the Taiwan Blood and Marrow Transplantation Registry (TBMTR) included HSCT recipients between 2009 and 2018 in Taiwan. The primary outcome was cumulative incidence of CMV infection or disease at day 100 after HSCT. Secondary outcomes included day 180 cumulative incidence of CMV infection or disease, infection sites, risk factors for CMV infection or disease, survival analysis, and overall survival after CMV infection and disease. RESULTS: There were 4394 HSCT recipients included in the study (2044 auto-HSCT and 2350 allo-HSCT). The cumulative incidence of CMV infection and disease was significantly higher in allo-HSCT than in auto-HSCT patients at day 100 (53.7% vs. 6.0%, P < 0.0001 and 6.1% vs. 0.9%, P < 0.0001). Use of ATG (HR 1.819, p < 0.0001), recipient CMV serostatus positive (HR 2.631, p < 0.0001) and acute GVHD grades ≥ II (HR 1.563, p < 0.0001) were risk factors for CMV infection, while matched donor (HR 0.856, p = 0.0180) and myeloablative conditioning (MAC) (HR 0.674, p < 0.0001) were protective factors. CONCLUSION: The study revealed a significant disparity in terms of the incidence, risk factors, and clinical outcomes of CMV infection and disease between auto and allo-HSCT patients. These findings underscore the importance of considering these factors in the management of HSCT recipients to improve outcomes related to CMV infections.

Chinese expert consensus on Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the treatment of B-cell malignancies.

Targeted therapy with Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment of patients with various B-cell malignancies. BTK inhibitors such as ibrutinib, zanubrutinib, orelabrutinib, and acalabrutinib have shown good clinical efficacy and better safety profiles than those of traditional chemotherapy and chemoimmunotherapy regimens. Multiple studies on new BTK inhibitors are ongoing, which may provide more therapeutic options for the treatment of B-cell malignancies. Considering the unmet need of evidence on BTK inhibitors in all clinical settings and to standardize the use of BTK inhibitors available in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau regions, this consensus has been formulated for the treatment of various B-cell malignancies based on the clinical practice and available evidences on the use of BTK inhibitors. The recommendations of this consensus will provide guidance to physicians and clinical researchers on the effective treatment of B-cell malignancies with BTK inhibitors.

Stem cell transplant for mantle cell lymphoma in Taiwan.

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a B-cell lymphoma featuring an aggressive course and a progressive relapsing pattern. International guidelines recommend early consolidative autologous stem cell transplant (auto-SCT) for eligible patients while reserving allogeneic SCT (allo-SCT) as therapy for refractory cases. Since data describing the implementation of transplants in the Asian population with MCL are limited, we aimed to analyze post-SCT outcomes of 99 MCL patients from the Taiwan Bone Marrow Transplant Registry database. The median age was 56 years, and 11% of the patients had blastoid variant MCL. Ninety-four patients received auto-SCT, while 13 patients received allo-SCT, eight of which received allo-SCT after failing auto-SCT. Before auto-SCT, 52% of the patients were in their first complete remission (CR1). Overall, 37 patients (39%) relapsed after auto-SCT. The median post-auto-SCT progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) were 43.6 months and not reached, respectively. Blastoid variant MCL, transplant not received in CR1, and disease progression within 12 months post-auto-SCT independently predicted inferior OS in multivariable analysis. The median post-allo-SCT OS was 74 months. Two patients (15%) died of MCL recurrence post-allo-SCT. Three patients with refractory diseases were salvaged with ibrutinib or venetoclax to allo-SCT. Treatment strategies incorporating novel agents warrant further optimization.

The Impact of First Complete Remission by PET-CT and Time to Next Treatment on Survival of Follicular Lymphoma Patients.

We retrospectively analyzed the impact of initial positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT) complete remission (CR) and time to next treatment (TTNT) on patient outcome in follicular lymphoma. Between 2002 and 2014, 150 patients could be evaluated for treatment response and long-term outcome. The CR after first line treatment with either rituximab-cyclophosphamide, oncovin, and prednisolone (R-COP) or rituximab-cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, oncovin, and prednisolone (R-CHOP) was 89% and partial response (PR) was 7%. The 5- and 10-year survival rates were 86.0% and 62.6%, respectively. In five years, 11% of patients had died of lymphoma and 3% from other causes. Forty-seven patients (31%) underwent a second line of treatment comprising 19 (40%) with a TTNT shorter than 24 months and 28 (60%) longer than 24 months. There was no difference in overall survival (OS) between R-COP (86%) and R-CHOP (77%) at 5 years, but there were more next treatment events in the R-COP compared with the R-CHOP group on longer follow-up (60% versus 35% at 8 years). For PET-CT response, there was a significant OS difference between initial CR and PR patients (88% versus 70%, p < 0.01), and a longer TTNT was seen in initial CR patients. Patients with a TTNT longer than 24 months had better OS compared with patients with a shorter TTNT (93% versus 54% at 5 years, p < 0.01). In conclusion, patients with initial PET-CT CR and TTNT longer than 24 months had better OS compared with those achieving only PR and shorter TTNT. PET-CT CR should be considered the treatment goal during initial treatment, and more aggressive treatment should be considered for patients with a TTNT of less than 24 months.

Stem cell transplantation for T-cell lymphomas in Taiwan.

T-cell lymphomas are generally aggressive malignancies with poor prognosis. There are no standard treatment guidelines for T-cell lymphomas, and the timing of stem cell transplantation (SCT) is not well known. In this study, we investigated the outcomes of Taiwanese patients with T-cell lymphomas after SCT. We retrospectively analyzed 131 patients with T-cell lymphomas receiving SCT (autologous: 90, allogeneic: 41) from 2009 to 2014. More autologous SCT recipients were ALCL or in complete remission, and more allogeneic recipients had advanced disease. 56 patients who were sensitive to chemotherapy underwent SCT as upfront setting. The 2-year PFS and OS rates were 67.0 and 64.5%, respectively. Regarding disease status before transplantation, patients with CR1 had the best outcomes. Among different subtypes, patients with natural killer/T-cell lymphomas showed the worst outcomes, with 2-year OS rate of 23.5%. The OS rates for the other three major subtypes were as follows: 72.9% for ALCL; 75.0% for AITL; and 51.4% for PTCL-NOS. For more rare subtypes, such as ATLL and SPTCL, data from our study show that SCT can be beneficial. We concluded that upfront autologous SCT is feasible and effective for patients with low PIT, and disease status at transplant is the strong predictor of outcome.

Safety and efficacy of nilotinib in routine clinical practice in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic or accelerated phase with resistance or intolerance to imatinib: results from the NOVEL study.

BACKGROUND: Nilotinib, a second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), is approved for the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in many countries, including Taiwan. Though a number of controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of nilotinib, studies assessing the safety and efficacy of nilotinib in routine clinical practice are limited. METHODS: The current study was an open-label, single-arm study conducted across 12 centers in Taiwan in adult patients with CML in chronic or accelerated phase with confirmed Ph+ chromosome (or BCR-ABL) and resistant or intolerant to one or more previous TKIs. The primary objective was to collect the long-term safety data in patients treated with nilotinib 400 mg, twice daily for up to 2 years. RESULTS: The study enrolled 85 patients with CML, including 76 in the chronic phase (CML-CP) and 9 in the accelerated phase (CML-AP). Overall, 1166 adverse events (AEs) were reported in 80 patients (94.1%), of which 70 AEs (6%) in 28 patients (32.9%) were serious and 336 AEs (28.8%) reported in 60 patients (70.6%) were drug-related. Common drug-related AEs were thrombocytopenia (21.2%), increased alanine aminotransferase (21.2%) and pruritus (17.7%). Of the 85 patients, 19 switched from imatinib due to intolerance - AEs were resolved in 16 of these 19 patients (84.2%). By 24 months, the cumulative rates of complete cytogenetic response (CCyR), major molecular response (MMR), MR4.0 (BCR-ABL1IS ⩽0.01%) and MR4.5 (BCR-ABL1IS ⩽0.0032%) were 75.3, 56.8, 16.2 and 7.4%, respectively. Patients with CML-CP at baseline had higher overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) than those with CML-AP. CONCLUSION: This is the first study that demonstrated that nilotinib is effective and well-tolerated in patients resistant or intolerant to imatinib in the real-world setting in Taiwan, reflecting effective management of CML by physicians under routine clinical practice in Taiwan.

Clinicopathologic analysis of acute myeloid leukemia in a single institution: biphenotypic acute myeloid leukemia may not be an aggressive subtype.

BACKGROUND: Most acute leukemias are classified as lymphoid or myeloid lineages by standard microscopic morphology, cytochemistry and a panel of immunologic markers. The World Health Organization classification of acute leukemia incorporates morphologic, cytogenetic, immunologic and clinical features to define the entities that are biologically homogeneous and that have clinical relevance. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinicopathologic characteristics of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in Taiwan. METHODS: Archival tissues from 70AML patients during the period of 1995 to 2003 were retrieved. Histologic subtype was classified, defined by World Health Organization classification. Clinical data, including age, gender, treatment and outcome, were scrutinized. RESULTS: There were 37 males and 33 females. The median age at onset of disease was 49 years (range, 2-78 years), which was younger in biphenotypic AML (23.5 years) and older in multilineage dysplasia-related AML (61 years). There were 9 cases (13%) with recurrent cytogenetic abnormality, 7 (10%) multilineage dysplasia-related, 7 (10%) therapy-related, 39 (56%) not other categorized and 8 (11%) of ambiguous lineage. The 2- and 5-year overall survival rates of AML were 26.5% and 20.6%, respectively. Histologic subtype was a significant parameter to determine survival (p < 0.05). The median survivals of therapyrelated, multilineage dysplasia-related and biphenotypic AML were 2 months, 9 months and 30.5 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: This was a clinicopathologic study of AML in Taiwan. Histologic subtype plays a significant prognostic role. Multilineage dysplasia- and therapy-related AML have worse prognosis. Biphenotypic AML may not be an aggressive subtype.

Prognostic significance of parapharyngeal space venous plexus and marrow involvement: potential landmarks of dissemination for stage I-III nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the parapharyngeal space venous plexus and marrow of the skull base bones are anatomic landmarks of the potential routes for the spread of disease for Stage I-III (American Joint Commission on Cancer 1997 staging system) nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 364 patients with NPC were enrolled in this study. The selection criteria were Stage I-III disease and primary radiotherapy at our hospital between 1990 and 2001. All patients had undergone MRI to evaluate the head-and-neck tumors. Patients who had undergone inadequate radiotherapy at a dose of <60 Gy and/or preradiotherapy chemotherapy before the imaging evaluation were excluded from the study. RESULTS: Of the 364 patients treated between 1990 and 2001, 163 (44.8%) had low-risk Stage I-III NPC (without parapharyngeal space extension or T3 disease). The 5-year distant metastasis-free survival rate, with and without adjuvant chemotherapy, was 97% and 96%, respectively. The remaining 201 patients had Stage II-III with parapharyngeal space extension or T3 disease. Their 5-year recurrence-free survival rate, with and without adjuvant chemotherapy, was 76.8% and 53.2% (p = 0.01), respectively. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the risk of distant metastasis in Stage I-III NPC patients without parapharyngeal space extension or T3 disease is extremely low. Invasion into the parapharyngeal space venous plexus and marrow of the skull base bones is associated with distant metastasis, and involvement of these anatomic sites is considered a potential route for hematogenous disease spread in patients with Stage I-III NPC.

Clinicopathological analysis of malignant lymphoma in Taiwan, defined according to the World Health Organization classification.

We report the distribution and clinicopathological characteristics of malignant lymphomas in Taiwan, defined according to the WHO classification. Data including age and gender of the patients, clinical staging and disease courses were collected for 598 cases of malignant lymphomas. The results showed that the epidemiological characteristics of malignant lymphomas in Taiwan are similar to those in other Asian countries except for a lower incidence rate of T/NK cell lymphoma.

Improvement of local control of T3 and T4 nasopharyngeal carcinoma by hyperfractionated radiotherapy and concomitant chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: When the primary tumor of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is treated at the base of skull and intracranium with conventional radiotherapy, the result is generally poor. In this report, we investigated whether hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) and concomitant chemotherapy (CCT) could achieve better local control and survival in NPC patients with T3 and T4 lesions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-eight patients (11 T3 and 37 T4 NPC) were treated with HFRT and CCT. HFRT was administered at 1.2 Gy per fraction, two fractions per day, Monday-Friday for 62 fractions for a total dose of 74.4 Gy. Concomitant chemotherapy consisting of cis-diamino-dichloroplatinum (CDDP) alone or CDDP and 5-fluorouracil was delivered simultaneously with radiotherapy during Weeks 1 and 6. Adjuvant chemotherapy consisted of CDDP and 5-fluorouracil for 2 to 3 cycles and was given monthly beginning 1 month after completion of radiation. RESULTS: With a median follow-up of 57 months (range: 28-94 months), the 3-year locoregional control rate was 93%, the disease-free survival rate was 71%, and the overall survival rate was 72%. For T4 patients, the 3-year locoregional control rate was 91%, disease-free survival was 62%, and overall survival was 63%. The major acute toxicity was Grade 3 mucositis in 73% and Grade 2 weight loss in 31% of patients. Fifty percent of patients were tube fed. Most patients tolerated the combined modality treatments relatively well; 88% of patients completed their radiation treatment within 8 weeks. CONCLUSION: HFRT and CCT for T3 and T4 NPC were associated with excellent local control and improved survival. The treatment-related toxicity was acceptable and reversible. We would recommend using HFRT with CCT for advanced T-stage NPC if the three-dimensional conformal radiation planning shows a significant portion of the brainstem to be inside the treatment field.

Nasopharyngeal alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma expressing CD56: a mimicker of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is remarkably rare in adults older than 45 years. Histologically, the tumor is composed of blue round cells with frequent expression of CD56 in addition to myogenic markers. Recent studies of ARMS have shown two specific recurrent translocations: PAX3-FKHR [t(2;13)(q35;q14)] or PAX7-FKHR [t(1;13)(p36;q14)]. Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) occurs most frequently in the upper aerodigestive tract with a male preference in East Asia and Central and South Americas with neoplastic cells frequently expressing CD56. We report a 53-year-old Taiwanese man presenting with a nasopharyngeal mass, cervical lymphadenopathy, and multiple bone metastases. Histologically, the nasopharyngeal biopsy revealed diffuse sheets of small blue round tumor cells without obvious alveolar pattern, angioinvasion or tumor necrosis. An initial erroneous diagnosis of ENKTL was made due to CD56 expression using fresh tumor tissue with flow cytometric analysis and the patient was treated accordingly. Retrospective study showed that the tumor cells expressed CD56, desmin, and myogenin. Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed that the tumor cells were positive for FKHR gene rearrangement, confirming the diagnosis of ARMS. Our case illustrates that a diagnosis of ENKTL based solely on CD56 expression can be misleading for a nasopharyngeal small blue round cell tumor. ARMS should be included as a differential diagnosis, and a correct diagnosis can be reached only after a high index of suspicion and a thorough histological examination with the aid of ancillary studies.

Guidelines for treating iron overload in myelodysplastic syndromes: a Taiwan consensus statement.

Iron overload is common in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients, and an accumulation of evidence shows that iron chelation may have benefits in these patients. However, discussion and consensus about iron chelation therapy (ICT) for MDS patients is lacking in Taiwan and other Southeast Asian countries. An Expert Panel in Taiwan was organized in 2011 to develop iron overload guidelines and provide a uniform reference for physicians treating MDS patients with iron overload, with specific regard to when to initiate ICT, in which patients, and the clinical and scientific rationale behind its use.

Underperformance of gallium-67 scan is greater in relapse than in initial staging, compared with FDG PET.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of gallium-67 scan (GS) and F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET scan in lymphoma staging and recurrence detection by comparing the 2 imaging studies in the same patient. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 42 patients from the period between July 2002 and May 2006 were included in this study. Of the 42 patients, 6 had Hodgkin disease and 36 had non-Hodgkin lymphomas. All of them underwent one or more FDG PET scans and also underwent corresponding GS performed within 7 days of FDG PET, for staging or detection of lymphoma recurrence. Among the non-Hodgkin lymphoma cases, 18 were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, 10 were follicular center cell lymphoma, and 8 were of other types. Of the total 46 pairs of imaging performed in these 42 patients, 27 were for staging, and 19 for restaging after recurrence. RESULTS: In all these studies, FDG PET detected 230 lesion sites, whereas GS detected 85 lesion sites. All of the lesions detected by GS were noted on FDG PET, whereas GS detected only 37.0% of the lesions detected by FDG PET. Among the 27 studies for staging, FDG PET detected 120 lesions, whereas GS detected 68 lesions (56.7%). In the 19 images taken for relapse, FDG PET detected 110 lesions, whereas GS detected only 17 (15.5%). CONCLUSIONS: FDG PET is superior to GS in staging and detecting all types of lymphoma. The difference is notably more significant in recurrence detection.

Improving diagnosis of central venous catheter-related bloodstream infection by using differential time to positivity as a hospital-wide approach at a cancer hospital.

OBJECTIVES: Considering the difficulty of diagnosing catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI), Koo Foundation Sun Yat-Sen Cancer Center uses differential time to positivity (DTP) as a hospital-wide approach to improve the diagnosis of CRBSI in febrile patients with indwelling central venous catheters (CVCs). This study describes the result of a hospital-wide use of DTP in a real practice setting. METHODS: During January 2003-August 2007, 142 positive paired blood cultures from 125 patients without infection focus other than CVC were included. These were evaluated by DTP and semi-quantitative catheter culture (SQCC) to confirm the diagnosis of CRBSI, and were further divided into two groups: confirmed (either by DTP or SQCC) and non-confirmed CRBSI (neither DTP nor SQCC positive). RESULTS: Fifty-nine point two percent (84/142) of episodes were confirmed as CRBSI, of which DTP was positive in 83.3% (n=70). Non-confirmed CRBSI was associated with hematologic malignancy, neutropenia status, previous antibiotics exposure and a lower CVC removal rate. CONCLUSIONS: A hospital-wide approach of DTP was practical and feasible in improving the diagnosis of CRBSI in a real practice setting.

Clinicopathological analysis of 598 malignant lymphomas in Taiwan: seven-year experience in a single institution.

The clinicopathological characteristics of malignant lymphomas vary according to geography. The purpose of this study is to determine the distribution and clinicopathological characteristics of malignant lymphomas in Taiwan. Archival tissue from 598 malignant lymphomas during the period of 1995-2002 was retrieved. They were reclassified according to the World Health Organization classification system. Clinical data, including age, gender, clinical staging, and follow-up, were scrutinized. There were 330 males and 268 females. The median age at onset of disease was 56 years for B-cell lymphoma (BCL), 50 years for T/NK-cell lymphoma (TCL), and 26 years for Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). BCL accounted for 80.6%, TCL for 12.4%, and HL for 7%. The major subtypes of non-HL were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, plasma cell myeloma, marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type, mantle cell lymphoma, unspecified peripheral TCL, and nasal type T/NK-cell lymphoma. Nodular sclerosing subtype was the most common in HL. The frequencies of TCL and HL were relatively low. For histological subtype, enteropathy-type TCL and primary bone marrow HL had higher frequency and poorer prognosis. The 5-year overall survival of BCL, TCL, and HL was 58.9, 34.7, and 83.5%, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest series study of malignant lymphoma in Taiwan. Immunophenotype, histological subtype, and clinical stage play significant roles in prognosis (P < 0.05).