Brentuximab vedotin and chemotherapy in relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma: a propensity score-matched analysis.

ABSTRACT: Several single-arm studies have explored the inclusion of brentuximab vedotin (BV) in salvage chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for relapsed/refractory (R/R) classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). However, no head-to-head comparisons with standard salvage chemotherapy have been performed. This study presents a propensity score-matched analysis encompassing individual patient data from 10 clinical trials to evaluate the impact of BV in transplant-eligible patients with R/R cHL. We included 768 patients, of whom 386 were treated with BV with or without chemotherapy (BV cohort), whereas 382 received chemotherapy alone (chemotherapy cohort). Propensity score matching resulted in balanced cohorts of 240 patients each. No significant differences were observed in pre-ASCT complete metabolic response (CMR) rates (P = .69) or progression free survival (PFS; P = .14) between the BV and chemotherapy cohorts. However, in the BV vs chemotherapy cohort, patients with relapsed disease had a significantly better 3-year PFS of 80% vs 70%, respectively (P = .02), whereas there was no difference for patients with primary refractory disease (56% vs 62%, respectively; P = .67). Patients with stage IV disease achieved a significantly better 3-year PFS in the BV cohort (P = .015). Post-ASCT PFS was comparable for patients achieving a CMR after BV monotherapy and those receiving BV followed by sequential chemotherapy (P = .24). Although 3-year overall survival was higher in the BV cohort (92% vs 80%, respectively; P < .001), this is likely attributed to the use of other novel therapies in later lines for patients experiencing progression, given that studies in the BV cohort were conducted more recently. In conclusion, BV with or without salvage chemotherapy appears to enhance PFS in patients with relapsed disease but not in those with primary refractory cHL.

Matched control analysis suggests that R-CHOP followed by (R)-ICE may improve outcome in non-GCB DLBCL compared with R-CHOP.

ABSTRACT: Rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) is considered the standard-of-care for patients with advanced-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), despite findings that patients with nongerminal center B-cell like (non-GCB) have significantly worse outcome with this regimen. We evaluated the prognostic significance of baseline risk factors, including cell of origin (COO) classified by the Hans algorithm, within an alternative chemoimmunotherapy program. At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), 151 patients with DLBCL received sequential R-CHOP induction and (R)-ICE (rituximab, ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide) consolidation. Outcome analysis based on COO was validated with a propensity score-matched cohort treated with R-CHOP from the Mayo Clinic component of the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER). Among the patients with GCB (n = 69) and non-GCB (n = 69) at MSK, event-free survival (EFS) of non-GCB was superior to that of GCB (hazard ratio [HR], 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29-0.98). Overall survival (OS) demonstrated an association in the same direction but was not statistically significant (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.33-1.42). Propensity score-matched patients from MSK (n = 108) demonstrated a small attenuation in the HRs for EFS (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.27-1.18) and OS (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.33-1.79) and were no longer statistically significant. In contrast, the matched MER cohort (n = 108) demonstrated an EFS association (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.70-1.95) and OS association (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.64-2.00) in the opposite direction, but were also not statistically significant. R-CHOP induction and (R)-ICE consolidation may overcome the negative prognostic impact of the non-GCB phenotype, per the Hans algorithm, and can be preferentially selected for this population. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT00039195 and #NCT00712582.

PET/CT Biomarkers Enable Risk Stratification of Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma Enrolled in the LOTIS-2 Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: Significant progress has occurred in developing quantitative PET/CT biomarkers in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Total metabolic tumor volume (MTV) is the most extensively studied, enabling assessment of FDG-avid tumor burden associated with outcomes. However, prior studies evaluated the outcome of cytotoxic chemotherapy or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy without data on recently approved FDA agents. Therefore, we aimed to assess the prognosis of PET/CT biomarkers in patients treated with loncastuximab tesirine. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We centrally reviewed screening PET/CT scans of patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL enrolled in the LOTIS-2 (NCT03589469) study. MTV was obtained by computing individual volumes using the SUV ≥4.0 threshold. Other PET/CT metrics, clinical factors, and the International Metabolic Prognostic Index (IMPI) were evaluated. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between biomarkers and treatment response. Cox regression was used to determine the effect of biomarkers on time-to-event outcomes. We estimated biomarker prediction as continuous and binary variables defined by cutoff points. RESULTS: Across 138 patients included in this study, MTV with a cutoff point of 96 mL was the biomarker associated with the highest predictive performance in univariable and multivariable models to predict failure to achieve complete metabolic response (OR, 5.42; P = 0.002), progression-free survival (HR, 2.68; P = 0.002), and overall survival (HR, 3.09; P < 0.0001). IMPI demonstrated an appropriate performance, however, not better than MTV alone. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment MTV demonstrated robust risk stratification, with those patients demonstrating high MTV achieving lower responses and survival to loncastuximab tesirine in relapsed/refractory DLBCL.

Immunochemotherapy plus lenalidomide for high-risk mantle cell lymphoma with measurable residual disease evaluation.

Chemoimmunotherapy followed by consolidative high-dose therapy with autologous stem cell rescue was a standard upfront treatment for fit patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in first remission; however, treatment paradigms are evolving in the era of novel therapies. Lenalidomide is an immunomodulatory agent with known efficacy in treating MCL. We conducted a single-center, investigator-initiated, phase II study of immunochemotherapy incorporating lenalidomide, without autologous stem cell transplant consolidation, enriching for patients with high-risk MCL (clinicaltrials gov. Identifier: NCT02633137). Patients received four cycles of lenalidomide-R-CHOP, two cycles of R-HiDAC, and six cycles of R-lenalidomide. The primary endpoint was rate of 3-year progression-free survival. We measured measurable residual disease (MRD) using a next-generation sequencing-based assay after each phase of treatment and at 6 months following end-oftreatment. We enrolled 49 patients of which 47 were response evaluable. By intent-to-treat, rates of overall and complete response were equivalent at 88% (43/49), one patient with stable disease, and two patients had disease progression during study; 3-year progression-free survival was 63% (primary endpoint not met) and differed by TP53 status (78% wild-type vs. 38% ALT; P=0.043). MRD status was prognostic and predicted long-term outcomes following R-HiDAC and at 6 months following end-of-treatment. In a high-dose therapy-sparing, intensive approach, we achieved favorable outcomes in TP53- wild-type MCL, including high-risk cases. We confirmed that sequential MRD assessment is a powerful prognostic tool in patients with MCL.

Utility of routine pulmonary function test after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation in lymphoma.

This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of routine pulmonary function testing (PFT) at the 12-month mark post-autologous hematopoietic cell transplant (AHCT) in identifying clinically significant lung disease in lymphoma survivors. In 247 patients, 173 (70%) received BEAM (carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan), and 49 (20%) received TBC (thiotepa, busulfan, cyclophosphamide) conditioning regimens. Abnormal baseline PFT was noted in 149 patients (60%). Thirty-four patients had a significant decline (reduction of >/= 20% in DLCO or FEV1 or FVC) in post-AHCT PFT, with the highest incidence in the CNS lymphoma group (39%). The incidence of clinically significant lung disease post-transplant was low at 2% and there was no association between abnormal pre- and 1-year post-transplant PFTs with the development of clinical lung disease. While this study illustrates the impact of treatment regimens on PFT changes, it did not demonstrate a predictive value of scheduled PFTs in identifying clinically significant post-AHCT lung disease.

Prognostic model using 18F-FDG PET radiomics predicts progression-free survival in relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma.

Investigating prognostic factors in patients with relapsed or primary refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (R/R cHL) is essential to optimize risk-adapted treatment strategies. We built a prognostic model using baseline quantitative 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) radiomics features and clinical characteristics to predict the progression-free survival (PFS) among patients with R/R cHL treated with salvage chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation. Metabolic tumor volume and several novel radiomics dissemination features, representing interlesional differences in distance, volume, and standard uptake value, were extracted from the baseline PET. Machine learning using backward selection and logistic regression were applied to develop and train the model on a total of 113 patients from 2 clinical trials. The model was validated on an independent external cohort of 69 patients. In addition, we validated 4 different PET segmentation methods to calculate radiomics features. We identified a subset of patients at high risk for progression with significant inferior 3-year PFS outcomes of 38.1% vs 88.4% for patients in the low-risk group in the training cohort (P < .001) and 38.5% vs 75.0% in the validation cohort (P = .015), respectively. The overall survival was also significantly better in the low-risk group (P = .022 and P < .001). We provide a formula to calculate a risk score for individual patients based on the model. In conclusion, we developed a prognostic model for PFS combining radiomics and clinical features in a large cohort of patients with R/R cHL. This model calculates a PET-based risk profile and can be applied to develop risk-stratified treatment strategies for patients with R/R cHL. These trials were registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02280993, #NCT00255723, and #NCT01508312.

Quantitative PET-based biomarkers in lymphoma: getting ready for primetime.

The use of functional quantitative biomarkers extracted from routine PET-CT scans to characterize clinical responses in patients with lymphoma is gaining increased attention, and these biomarkers can outperform established clinical risk factors. Total metabolic tumour volume enables individualized estimation of survival outcomes in patients with lymphoma and has shown the potential to predict response to therapy suitable for  risk-adapted treatment approaches in clinical trials. The deployment of machine learning tools in molecular imaging research can assist in recognizing complex patterns and, with image classification, in tumour identification and segmentation of data from PET-CT scans. Initial studies using fully automated approaches to calculate metabolic tumour volume and other PET-based biomarkers have demonstrated appropriate correlation with calculations from experts, warranting further testing in large-scale studies. The extraction of computer-based quantitative tumour characterization through radiomics can provide a comprehensive view of phenotypic heterogeneity that better captures the molecular and functional features of the disease. Additionally, radiomics can be integrated with genomic data to provide more accurate prognostic information. Further improvements in PET-based biomarkers are imminent, although their incorporation into clinical decision-making currently has methodological shortcomings that need to be addressed with confirmatory prospective validation in selected patient populations. In this Review, we discuss the current knowledge, challenges and opportunities in the integration of quantitative PET-based biomarkers in clinical trials and the routine management of patients with lymphoma.

Five-year follow-up of KEYNOTE-087: pembrolizumab monotherapy for relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

Previous analyses of the phase 2 KEYNOTE-087 (NCT02453594) trial of pembrolizumab monotherapy demonstrated effective antitumor activity with acceptable safety in patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). However, long-term response durability and outcome of patients who receive a second course after treatment discontinuation after complete response (CR) remain of clinical interest. We present KEYNOTE-087 data after >5 years of median follow-up. Patients with R/R cHL and progressive disease (PD) after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and brentuximab vedotin (BV; cohort 1), salvage chemotherapy and BV without ASCT (cohort 2), or ASCT without subsequent BV (cohort 3), received pembrolizumab for ≤2 years. Patients in CR who discontinued treatment and subsequently experienced PD were eligible for second-course pembrolizumab. Primary end points were the objective response rate (ORR) using blinded central review and safety. The median follow-up was 63.7 months. ORR was 71.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 64.8-77.4; CR, 27.6%; partial response, 43.8%). Median duration of response (DOR) was 16.6 months; median progression-free survival was 13.7 months. A quarter of responders, including half of complete responders, maintained a response for ≥4 years. Median overall survival was not achieved. Among 20 patients receiving second-course pembrolizumab, ORR for 19 evaluable patients was 73.7% (95% CI, 48.8-90.8); median DOR was 15.2 months. Any-grade treatment-related adverse events occurred in 72.9% of patients and grade 3 or 4 adverse events occurred in 12.9% of patients; no treatment-related deaths occurred. Single-agent pembrolizumab can induce durable responses, particularly in patients achieving CR. Second-course pembrolizumab frequently reinduced sustained responses after relapse from initial CR.

Outcomes of Patients with Positive Interim Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Continuing ABVD in the Clinical Setting.

Recent prospective clinical trial data suggest that patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma who continue treatment with ABVD, despite failing to attain a complete metabolic response on interim PET (PET2+), may fare better than previously published. We describe the outcomes of PET2+ patients who continued ABVD and compare the performance of a quantitative measure based on the lesion-to-liver SUV ratio (LLS qPET2+) to that of the subjective Deauville criteria (dvPET2+). We analyzed all patients with newly diagnosed advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma treated with frontline ABVD at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center between 2008 and 2017. Eligibility was set to correspond with the RATHL inclusion criteria. Images were reviewed by two nuclear medicine physicians and discordant cases were resolved with a third expert in consensus. qPET2+ was defined as LLS ≥ 1.3. We identified 227 patients of whom 25% (57) were qPET2+, but only 14% (31) were dvPET2+. Forty-eight patients (84%) continued ABVD with a 3-year PFS of 70% for qPET2+ and 64% for dvPET2+. In conclusion, interim PET interpretation in clinical practice may be associated with a higher rate of scans deemed positive. Irrespective of the criteria for PET2 positivity, a subset of patients may continue ABVD without a dismal outcome.

Molecular Evolution of Classic Hodgkin Lymphoma Revealed Through Whole-Genome Sequencing of Hodgkin and Reed Sternberg Cells.

The rarity of malignant Hodgkin and Reed Sternberg (HRS) cells in classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) limits the ability to study the genomics of cHL. To circumvent this, our group has previously optimized fluorescence-activated cell sorting to purify HRS cells. Using this approach, we now report the whole-genome sequencing landscape of HRS cells and reconstruct the chronology and likely etiology of pathogenic events leading to cHL. We identified alterations in driver genes not previously described in cHL, APOBEC mutational activity, and the presence of complex structural variants including chromothripsis. We found that high ploidy in cHL is often acquired through multiple, independent chromosomal gains events including whole-genome duplication. Evolutionary timing analyses revealed that structural variants enriched for RAG motifs, driver mutations in B2M, BCL7A, GNA13, and PTPN1, and the onset of AID-driven mutagenesis usually preceded large chromosomal gains. This study provides a temporal reconstruction of cHL pathogenesis. SIGNIFICANCE: Previous studies in cHL were limited to coding sequences and therefore not able to comprehensively decipher the tumor complexity. Here, leveraging cHL whole-genome characterization, we identify driver events and reconstruct the tumor evolution, finding that structural variants, driver mutations, and AID mutagenesis precede chromosomal gains. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 171.

Prognostic Value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Treated with a Risk-Adapted Immunochemotherapy Regimen.

Early identification of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are likely to experience disease recurrence or refractory disease after rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) would be useful for improving risk-adapted treatment strategies. We aimed to assess the prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters at baseline, interim, and end of treatment (EOT). Methods: We analyzed the prognostic impact of 18F-FDG PET/CT in 166 patients with DLBCL treated with a risk-adapted immunochemotherapy regimen. Scans were obtained at baseline, after 4 cycles of R-CHOP or 3 cycles of RR-CHOP (double dose of R) and 1 cycle of CHOP alone (interim) and 6 wk after completing therapy (EOT). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier and the impact of clinical/PET factors assessed with Cox models. We also assessed the predictive ability of the recently proposed International Metabolic Prognostic Index (IMPI). Results: The median follow-up was 7.9 y. International Prognostic Index (IPI), baseline metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and change in maximum SUV (ΔSUVmax) at interim scans were statistically significant predictors for OS. Baseline MTV, interim ΔSUVmax, and EOT Deauville score were statistically significant predictors of PFS. Combining interim PET parameters demonstrated that patients with Deauville 4-5 and positive ΔSUVmax ≤ 70% at restaging (∼10% of the cohort) had extremely poor prognosis. The IMPI had limited discrimination and slightly overestimated the event rate in our cohort. Conclusion: Baseline MTV and interim ΔSUVmax predicted both PFS and OS with this sequential immunochemotherapy program. Combining interim Deauville score with interim ΔSUVmax may identify an extremely high-risk DLBCL population.

Pembrolizumab for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma: phase 1b KEYNOTE-013 study.

The multicohort phase 1b KEYNOTE-013 study (NCT01953692) evaluated the safety and efficacy of pembrolizumab in patients with relapsed or refractory NHL who were ineligible for or failed hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Patients received pembrolizumab (cohort 4) or pembrolizumab plus lenalidomide (cohort 5). Primary end points were safety and objective response rate (ORR) per IWG 2007 criteria. Cohort 4 included 89 patients. ORR was 22% (19/86; 90% CI 15-31; 10 CR, nine PR); ORRs by disease type were 48% (10/21), 10% (2/20), 12% (5/41), and 50% (2/4), for PMBCL, FL, DLBCL, and 'other' NHL, respectively. Toxicity was as predicted. Cohort 5 included 19 patients. ORR was 39% (90% CI 20-61; four CR, three PR). Hematologic toxicities were the most common treatment-related AEs. In conclusion, pembrolizumab following HCT ineligibility/failure confirms prior experience in PMBCL but not with NHL subtypes in this study. Additional analyses in DLBCL may not be warranted.

A Deep Learning-Aided Automated Method for Calculating Metabolic Tumor Volume in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Metabolic tumor volume (MTV) is a robust prognostic biomarker in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The available semiautomatic software for calculating MTV requires manual input limiting its routine application in clinical research. Our objective was to develop a fully automated method (AM) for calculating MTV and to validate the method by comparing its results with those from two nuclear medicine (NM) readers. The automated method designed for this study employed a deep convolutional neural network to segment normal physiologic structures from the computed tomography (CT) scans that demonstrate intense avidity on positron emission tomography (PET) scans. The study cohort consisted of 100 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL who were randomly selected from the Alliance/CALGB 50,303 (NCT00118209) trial. We observed high concordance in MTV calculations between the AM and readers with Pearson's correlation coefficients and interclass correlations comparing reader 1 to AM of 0.9814 (p < 0.0001) and 0.98 (p < 0.001; 95%CI = 0.96 to 0.99), respectively; and comparing reader 2 to AM of 0.9818 (p < 0.0001) and 0.98 (p < 0.0001; 95%CI = 0.96 to 0.99), respectively. The Bland-Altman plots showed only relatively small systematic errors between the proposed method and readers for both MTV and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax). This approach may possess the potential to integrate PET-based biomarkers in clinical trials.

A roadmap for clinical trial design in marginal zone lymphoma.

Marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) is commonly underrepresented in clinical trials collectively studying mostly nodal indolent lymphomas.In this manuscript we propose new inclusion and response criteria defined by MZL subtype and disease location for those with extranodal MZL. Progression of disease within 24 months is associated with poor outcomes in MZL and future studies should assess the efficacy of novel agents in this population.

The Impact of Semiautomatic Segmentation Methods on Metabolic Tumor Volume, Intensity, and Dissemination Radiomics in 18F-FDG PET Scans of Patients with Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Consensus about a standard segmentation method to derive metabolic tumor volume (MTV) in classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is lacking, and it is unknown how different segmentation methods influence quantitative PET features. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the delineation and completeness of lesion selection and the need for manual adaptation with different segmentation methods, and to assess the influence of segmentation methods on the prognostic value of MTV, intensity, and dissemination radiomics features in cHL patients. Methods: We analyzed a total of 105 18F-FDG PET/CT scans from patients with newly diagnosed (n = 35) and relapsed/refractory (n = 70) cHL with 6 segmentation methods: 2 fixed thresholds on SUV4.0 and SUV2.5, 2 relative methods of 41% of SUVmax (41max) and a contrast-corrected 50% of SUVpeak (A50P), and 2 combination majority vote (MV) methods (MV2, MV3). Segmentation quality was assessed by 2 reviewers on the basis of predefined quality criteria: completeness of selection, the need for manual adaptation, and delineation of lesion borders. Correlations and prognostic performance of resulting radiomics features were compared among the methods. Results: SUV4.0 required the least manual adaptation but tended to underestimate MTV and often missed small lesions with low 18F-FDG uptake. SUV2.5 most frequently included all lesions but required minor manual adaptations and generally overestimated MTV. In contrast, few lesions were missed when using 41max, A50P, MV2, and MV3, but these segmentation methods required extensive manual adaptation and overestimated MTV in most cases. MTV and dissemination features significantly differed among the methods. However, correlations among methods were high for MTV and most intensity and dissemination features. There were no significant differences in prognostic performance for all features among the methods. Conclusion: A high correlation existed between MTV, intensity, and most dissemination features derived with the different segmentation methods, and the prognostic performance is similar. Despite frequently missing small lesions with low 18F-FDG avidity, segmentation with a fixed threshold of SUV4.0 required the least manual adaptation, which is critical for future research and implementation in clinical practice. However, the importance of small, low 18F-FDG-avidity lesions should be addressed in a larger cohort of cHL patients.

Phase I/Ib Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Buparlisib and Ibrutinib Therapy in MCL, FL, and DLBCL with Serial Cell-Free DNA Monitoring.

PURPOSE: Activation of Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) represent parallel, synergistic pathways in lymphoma pathogenesis. As predominant PI3Kδ inhibition is a possible mechanism of tumor escape, we proposed a clinical trial of dual BTK and pan-PI3K inhibition. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a single-center phase I/Ib trial combining a BTK inhibitor (ibrutinib) and a pan-PI3K inhibitor (buparlisib) in 37 patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-cell lymphoma. Buparlisib and ibrutinib were administered orally, once daily in 28-day cycles until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The clinical trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02756247. RESULTS: Patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) receiving the combination had a 94% overall response rate (ORR) and 33-month median progression-free survival; ORR of 31% and 20% were observed in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma, respectively. The maximum tolerated dose was ibrutinib 560 mg plus buparlisib 100 mg and the recommended phase II dose was ibrutinib 560 mg plus buparlisib 80 mg. The most common grade 3 adverse events were rash/pruritis/dermatitis (19%), diarrhea (11%), hyperglycemia (11%), and hypertension (11%). All grade mood disturbances ranging from anxiety, depression, to agitation were observed in 22% of patients. Results from serial monitoring of cell-free DNA samples corresponded to radiographic resolution of disease and tracked the emergence of mutations known to promote BTK inhibitor resistance. CONCLUSIONS: BTK and pan-PI3K inhibition in mantle cell lymphoma demonstrates a promising efficacy signal. Addition of BCL2 inhibitors to a BTK and pan-PI3K combination remain suitable for further development in mantle cell lymphoma.

Prognostic value of presalvage metabolic tumor volume in patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Identification of new prognostic factors in relapsed/refractory (rel/ref) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is essential for developing risk-adapted approaches. We retrospectively analyzed prognostication based on metabolic tumor volume (MTV) in rel/ref DLBCL (n = 108) before platinum-based salvage chemotherapy. Using 41% SUVmax threshold, patients achieving complete response (CR) exhibited significantly lower baseline values of MTV, compared to those achieving partial response (PR) or with progression of disease (medians MTV 16.26 versus 72.51 versus 98.11 ml, respectively). As a continuous variable, log2(MTV) was predictive of failure to achieve CR (1-unit increase odds ratio [OR] = 1.58, p < 0.001). Log2(MTV) significantly predicted progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), and one-unit increase in log2(MTV) was associated with shorter PFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.12, p = 0.035) and OS (HR = 1.17, p = 0.007). However, heterogeneity in the selection of post-salvage chemotherapy approaches may have affected survival. These data demonstrate the ability of presalvage MTV to discriminate responders from non-responders to platinum-based chemotherapy and predict survival.

Toxicities of high-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation in older patients with lymphoma.

High-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation is an effective consolidation therapy in lymphoma; however, its use in elderly patients has been limited because of concerns for greater toxicity in this group. We investigated the toxicities of carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan (BEAM) and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) in 346 patients in 2 age groups: 279 patients aged 60 to 69 years and 67 patients aged ≥70 years. The majority developed severe toxicities; the most common were febrile neutropenia, gastrointestinal, infections, and cardiovascular. Older patients were at higher risk for grade ≥3 cardiovascular toxicities (hazard ratio [HR], 3.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.25-5.00; P < .001) and skin toxicities (HR, 2.45; 95% CI, 1.08-5.54, P = .032). In the older group, nonrelapse mortality at 100 days and at 2 years was 2.99% (95% CI, 0.55-9.32) and 6.2% (95% CI, 1.97-13.95), respectively, vs 1.79% (95% CI, 0.68-3.92) and 2.91% (95% CI, 1.37-5.42), respectively, in the younger group. When adjusting for the number of grade ≥3 toxicities within the first 100 days, older patients had a 1.71-fold (95% CI, 1.08-2.71) increased risk for progression or death relative to younger patients. Although BEAM followed by AHCT is effective, it is associated with significant organ toxicities, especially in patients aged ≥70 years. Interventions to mitigate toxicities while maintaining efficacy are much needed.

Phase II Trial of Pembrolizumab Plus Gemcitabine, Vinorelbine, and Liposomal Doxorubicin as Second-Line Therapy for Relapsed or Refractory Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma.

PURPOSE: We conducted a phase II study evaluating pembrolizumab plus gemcitabine, vinorelbine, and liposomal doxorubicin (pembro-GVD) as second-line therapy for relapsed or refractory (rel/ref) classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03618550). METHODS: Transplant eligible patients with rel/ref cHL following first-line therapy were treated with two to four cycles of pembrolizumab (200 mg intravenous [IV], day 1), gemcitabine (1,000 mg/m2 IV, days 1 and 8), vinorelbine (20 mg/m2 IV, days 1 and 8), and liposomal doxorubicin (15 mg/m2, days 1 and 8), given on 21-day cycles. The primary end point was complete response (CR) following up to four cycles of pembro-GVD. Patients who achieved CR by labeled fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (Deauville ≤ 3) after two or four cycles proceeded to high-dose therapy and autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (HDT/AHCT). HDT/AHCT was carried out according to institutional standards, and brentuximab vedotin maintenance was allowed following HDT/AHCT. RESULTS: Of 39 patients enrolled, 41% had primary ref disease and 38% relapsed within 1 year of frontline treatment. 31 patients received two cycles of pembro-GVD, and eight received four cycles. Most adverse events were grade 1 or two, whereas few were grade 3 and included transaminitis (n = 4), neutropenia (n = 4), mucositis (n = 2), thyroiditis (n = 1), and rash (n = 1). Of 38 evaluable patients, overall and CR rates after pembro-GVD were 100% and 95%, respectively. Thirty-six (95%) patients proceeded to HDT/AHCT, two received pre-HDT/AHCT involved site radiation, and 13 (33%) received post-HDT/AHCT brentuximab vedotin maintenance. All 36 transplanted patients are in remission at a median post-transplant follow-up of 13.5 months (range: 2.66-27.06 months). CONCLUSION: Second-line therapy with pembro-GVD is a highly effective and well-tolerated regimen that can efficiently bridge patients with rel/ref cHL to HDT/AHCT.