Bortezomib plus dexamethasone versus reduced-dose bortezomib, thalidomide plus dexamethasone as induction treatment before autologous stem cell transplantation in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

The Intergroupe Francophone du Myelome conducted a randomized trial to compare bortezomib-dexamethasone (VD) as induction before high-dose therapy (HDT) and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) to a combination consisting of reduced doses of bortezomib and thalidomide plus dexamethasone (vtD) in patients with multiple myeloma. Overall, a total of 199 patients were centrally randomly assigned to receive VD or vtD. After 4 cycles, the complete response (CR) rate was the same in both groups (13% in the vtD arm, 12% in the VD arm, P = .74). However, the CR plus very good partial response (VGPR) rate was significantly higher in the vtD arm (49% vs 36%, P = .05). After ASCT, the CR plus VGPR rate was significantly higher in the vtD arm (74% vs 58%, P = .02). The reduced doses of bortezomib and thalidomide translated into a reduced incidence of peripheral neuropathy (PN): grade ≥ 2 PN were reported in 34% in the VD arm versus 14% in the vtD arm (P = .001). vtD, including reduced doses of bortezomib and thalidomide, yields higher VGPR rates compared with VD and can be considered a new effective triplet combination before HDT/ASCT.

Long-term outcome of patients in the LNH-98.5 trial, the first randomized study comparing rituximab-CHOP to standard CHOP chemotherapy in DLBCL patients: a study by the Groupe d'Etudes des Lymphomes de l'Adulte.

We report the outcome of patients included in the LNH-98.5 study, which compared cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) to rituximab plus CHOP (R-CHOP) therapy in 399 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) aged 60 to 80 years, with a median follow-up time of 10 years. Clinical event information was updated in all living patients (with the exception of 3 patients) in 2009. Survival end points were improved in patients treated with R-CHOP: the 10-year progression-free survival was 36.5%, compared with 20% with CHOP alone, and the 10-year overall survival was 43.5% compared with 27.6%. The same risk of death due to other diseases, secondary cancers, and late relapses was observed in both study arms. Relapses occurring after 5 years represented 7% of all disease progressions. The results from the 10-year analysis confirm the benefits and tolerability of the addition of rituximab to CHOP. Our findings underscore the need to treat elderly patients as young patients, with the use of curative chemotherapy.

Attenuated immunochemotherapy regimen (R-miniCHOP) in elderly patients older than 80 years with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is a common cancer in elderly patients. Although treatment has been standardised in younger patients, no prospective study has been done in patients over 80 years old. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of a decreased dose of CHOP (doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone) chemotherapy with a conventional dose of rituximab in elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. METHODS: We did a prospective, multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 study of patients aged over 80 years who had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Patients were included from 38 centres in France and Belgium. All patients received six cycles of rituximab combined with low-dose CHOP (R-miniCHOP) at 3-week intervals. Patients received 375 mg/m(2) rituximab, 400 mg/m(2) cyclophosphamide, 25 mg/m(2) doxorubicin, and 1 mg vincristine on day 1 of each cycle, and 40 mg/m(2) prednisone on days 1-5. The primary endpoint was overall survival, both unadjusted and adjusted for treatment and baseline prognostic factors. Analysis was by intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01087424. FINDINGS: 150 patients were enrolled between Jan 9, 2006, and Jan 23, 2009 and 149 were included in the intention-to-treat analyses. Median age was 83 years (range 80-95). After a median follow-up of 20 months (range 0-45), the median overall survival was 29 months (95% CI 21 to upper limit not reached); 2-year overall survival was 59% (49-67%). In multivariate analyses, overall survival was only affected by a serum albumin concentration of 35 g/L or less (hazard ratio 3·2, 95% CI 1·4-7·1; p=0·0053). Median progression-free survival was 21 months (95% CI 13 to upper limit not reached), with a 2-year progression free survival of 47% (38-56). 58 deaths were reported, 33 of which were secondary to lymphoma progression. 12 deaths were attributed to toxicity of the treatment. The most frequent side-effect was haematological toxicity (grade ≥3 neutropenia in 59 patients; febrile neutropenia in 11 patients). INTERPRETATION: R-miniCHOP offers a good compromise between efficacy and safety in patients aged over 80 years old. R-miniCHOP should be considered as the new standard treatment in this subgroup of patients. FUNDING: Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes de l'Adulte (GELA).

Evaluation of the (R)VAD+C regimen for the treatment of newly diagnosed mantle cell lymphoma. Combined results of two prospective phase II trials from the French GOELAMS group.

UNLABELLED: Background There is currently no international consensus for first-line treatment (prior to autologous stem cell transplantation) in mantle cell lymphoma patients. Here, we investigated the efficacy and tolerance of VAD associated with chlorambucil (VAD+C) and rituximab or not before autologous stem cell transplantation. DESIGN AND METHODS: Between 1996 and 2005, 113 previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma patients were enrolled in two consecutive prospective phase II studies. Responses and response factors to the (R)VAD+C regimen were evaluated. The survival prognostic value of the MIPI score and Ki67 were also analyzed. RESULTS: The induction phase of 4 courses of (R)VAD+C showed very low hematologic and extra-hematologic toxicity (grade 3-4 thrombopenia and neutropenia, 9% and 2.7%, respectively and grade 3-4 extra-hematologic toxicities, 1.6%). Overall and complete response rates were 73% and 46%, respectively, and rose to 83% and 51% for the 70% of patients with less than two independent response factors (LDH, B symptoms and lymphocytosis). At the end of treatment, 65% of patients were in complete remission. Progression free and overall survival were significantly better in the transplanted population. The MIPI score was confirmed as a predictor of survival. Ki67, serum LDH, Performance Status (PS) and B symptoms were identified as independent prognostic factors of survival. A prognostic scoring system could stratify patients into three risk groups with markedly different median overall survival of 112, 44 and 11 months, respectively. Conclusions The (R)VAD+C is an effective regimen with very low toxicity. In addition to the MIPI score, Ki67 expression provides additional independent prognostic information for the prediction of overall survival (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00285389).

Carfilzomib Weekly plus Melphalan and Prednisone in Newly Diagnosed Transplant-Ineligible Multiple Myeloma (IFM 2012-03): A Phase I Trial.

PURPOSE: Carfilzomib is a novel generation proteasome inhibitor. The Carmysap trial demonstrated that twice-weekly KMP (carfilzomib, melphalan, prednisone) might challenge the MPV (melphalan, prednisone, bortezomib) standard. We sought to study KMP weekly, allowing to increase carfilzomib's dose with maintained efficacy and improved safety profile. PATIENTS AND METHODS: IFM2012-03, a phase I multicenter study of KMP weekly in elderly patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (eNDMM), aimed to determine the MTD of carfilzomib. Carfilzomib was given intravenously at 36, 45, 56, and 70 mg/m2/day on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 with melphalan and prednisone, for nine 35-day induction cycles, followed by carfilzomib maintenance for 1 year. Three dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) determined MTD at the lower dose. RESULTS: Thirty eNDMMs were treated, 6 per cohort at 36, 45, and 56 mg/m2 and 12 at 70 mg/m². There was one DLT at 36 mg/m2 (lymphopenia), one at 45 mg/m2 (lysis syndrome), two at 56 mg/m2 (cardiac insufficiency and febrile neutropenia), and two at 70 mg/m2 (vomiting and elevated liver enzymes). The safety profile was acceptable; however, specific attention must be paid to the risk of cardiovascular events, especially for elderly patients. The overall response rate was 93.3%, with 46.6% complete response. CONCLUSIONS: The MTD dose of carfilzomib was 70 mg/m2 in this KMP weekly study in eNDMM. Response rates, and especially CR rate, were remarkable in this population, and would benefit from being assessed in a larger-scale study. The IFM2012-03 study demonstrated that the MTD of carfilzomib weekly is 70 mg/m2 in eNDMM, and 56 mg/m2 for patients older than 75 years. Carfilzomib used weekly in combination has a good efficacy and safety profile in eNDMM.

Depression and clinical progression in HIV-infected drug users treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To disentangle the impact of adherence from that of injecting drug status and depressive syndrome on HIV clinical progression in a cohort of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-treated HIV patients infected through drug use. DESIGN: MANIF 2000 is a French cohort of HIV-infected drug users with scheduled medical visits every 6 months. Only patients enrolled in the MANIF 2000 cohort who had a CD4 cell count >200 cells/microl at HAART initiation were selected. The follow-up period included all post-HAART initiation visits. METHODS: HIV clinical progression was defined as either AIDS-related death or reaching a CD4 level <200 cells/microl. Adherence was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire and a structured face-to-face interview. Depressive symptoms were evaluated by a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) score at each visit. Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate crude and adjusted relative hazards and 95% confidence intervals and thus identify independent predictors of clinical progression. RESULTS: Of the 305 HAART-treated patients in the cohort, 243 had CD4 cell count >200 cells/microl at HAART initiation. At the first visit after HAART initiation, median CD4 cell count was 466 cells/microl and 45% had undetectable viral load. Injecting drug users accounted for 17% of the study group. Over the follow-up period, 32 patients experienced HIV clinical progression. Probable depression was encountered in 46% of patients and non-adherence in 31% of the sample. After adjustment on baseline CD4 cell count, predictors of clinical progression were: having a higher level of cumulative non-adherence over the follow-up period [HR (95% CI)=1.2 (1.1-1.3) per 10% increase] and having a high score of depressive symptoms following HAART initiation [HR (95% CI)=5.3 (2.21-3.0)]. CONCLUSIONS: Although depressive syndrome is known to influence non-adherence behaviours that are amongst the major reasons for clinical progression, it is also a predictor of clinical progression in HIV-infected intravenous drug users on HAART, independently of non-adherence behaviours. HIV care providers should be more sensitive to depressive symptoms in order to detect them early and supply HIV patients with specific care. Further research is needed to determine whether treating depressive symptoms may improve adherence and thus delay disease progression and mortality.

Role of long-term nucleoside-analogue therapy in lipodystrophy and metabolic disorders in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.

The role of nucleoside analogues (NAs) in lipodystrophy (LD) syndrome in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients remains controversial. We studied the prevalence of LD in previously untreated patients randomized to receive different NA combinations (in the ALBI-ANRS 070 trial) for 6 months. At month 30 of follow-up, 37 (31%) of 120 patients had >/=1 morphologic change, and 21 (57%) of 37 had isolated peripheral lipoatrophy; corresponding values for the patients who received only NAs throughout follow-up were 20 (30%) of 66 and 14 (67%) of 21, respectively. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with presence of LD at month 30 were initial assignment to the group receiving stavudine and didanosine (odds ratio [OR], 6.7; P=.02), age (OR for being 10 years older, 3.6; P=.002), and HIV RNA level at month 30 (OR, 0.4; P=.007). No difference was observed in cholesterol and glucose levels as a function of any pattern of antiretroviral exposure. Exposure to stavudine and didanosine was associated with LD syndrome (predominantly lipoatrophy).

Chromosomal abnormalities are major prognostic factors in elderly patients with multiple myeloma: the intergroupe francophone du myélome experience.

PURPOSE: Chromosomal abnormalities, especially t(4;14) and del(17p), are major prognostic factors in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). However, this has been especially demonstrated in patients age < 66 years treated with intensive approaches. The goal of this study was to address this issue in elderly patients treated with conventional-dose chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: To answer this important question, we retrospectively analyzed a series of 1,890 patients (median age, 72 years; range, 66 to 94 years), including 1,095 with updated data on treatment modalities and survival. RESULTS: This large study first showed that the incidence of t(4;14) was not uniform over age, with a marked decrease in the oldest patients. Second, it showed that both t(4;14) and del(17p) retained their prognostic value in elderly patients treated with melphalan and prednisone-based chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: t(4;14) and del(17p) are major prognostic factors in elderly patients with MM, both for progression-free and overall survival, indicating that these two abnormalities should be investigated at diagnosis of MM, regardless of age.

Radioimmunotherapy in relapsed follicular lymphoma previously treated by autologous bone marrow transplant: a report of eight new cases and literature review.

Multicenter, retrospective study of standard-dose RIT in eight heavily pre-treated patients with CD20-positive follicular lymphoma who had relapsed after previous autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). Patients underwent nine courses of (90)Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan (0.3 or 0.4 mCi/kg body weight). Responses included five CR, two PR, one SD and one PD. Median DFS was 12 months with median follow-up of 17 months and 1-year OS was 83% (7/8 patients). Grade 4 thrombocytopenia occurred in 7/9 treatments, with no episodes of bleeding, and only two patients received a platelet transfusion. One patient, who had 20% bone marrow involvement at the time of relapse diagnosis, presented with Grade 4 thrombocytopenia and Grade 4 neutropenia and died of septic shock 6 months after RIT. One other case of Grade 4 neutropenia, without a serious infectious syndrome, was observed. Standard-dose RIT seems feasible and potentially effective after ABMT in correctly selected patients with follicular lymphoma.

Dexamethasone-based regimens versus melphalan-prednisone for elderly multiple myeloma patients ineligible for high-dose therapy.

Dexamethasone alone increases life expectancy in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma (MM); however, no large randomized study has compared dexamethasone and dexamethasone-based regimens with standard melphalan-prednisone in newly diagnosed MM patients ineligible for high-dose therapy. In the Intergroupe Francophone du Myélome (IFM) 95-01 trial, 488 patients aged 65 to 75 years were randomized between 4 regimens of treatment: melphalan-prednisone, dexamethasone alone, melphalan-dexamethasone, and dexamethasone-interferon alpha. Response rates at 6 months (except for complete response) were significantly higher among patients receiving melphalan-dexamethasone, and progression-free survival was significantly better among patients receiving melphalan (P < .001, for both comparisons), but there was no difference in overall survival between the 4 treatment groups. Moreover, the morbidity associated with dexamethasone-based regimens was significantly higher than with melphalan-prednisone, especially for severe pyogenic infections in the melphalan-dexamethasone arm and hemorrhage, severe diabetes, and gastrointestinal and psychiatric complications in the dexamethasone arms. Overall, these results indicated that dexamethasone should not be routinely recommended as first-line treatment in elderly patients with MM. In the context of the IFM 95-01 trial, the standard melphalan-prednisone remained the best treatment choice when efficacy and patient comfort were both considered. These results might be useful in the context of future combinations with innovative drugs.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of lopinavir/ritonavir given alone or with a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor.

AIMS: To evaluate the interindividual variability in the plasma concentrations of lopinavir in the context of routine monitoring with or without treatment with a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor and to assess the interaction between the coformulation of lopinavir/ritonavir and efavirenz or nevirapine. METHODS: Plasma trough and peak concentrations (C(trough), C(max)) of lopinavir from 182 HIV-1-infected patients were analysed by high-performace liquid chromatography. Three lopinavir/ritonavir regimens were assessed, namely (A) 400 mg lopinavir/100 mg ritonavir twice daily given alone (n = 125), (B) 400/100 mg twice daily together with a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (n = 25), and (C) 533/133 mg twice daily together with a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (n = 32). RESULTS: Median (ng ml(-1)) C(trough) and C(max) lopinavir (interquartile range, CV) were: (A) 4852 (3198-6891, 56%) and 8501 (6333-11 584, 41%), (B) 2979 (1704-5186, 74%) and 5612 (3362-11 704, 76%) and (C) 5082 (2696-7226, 74%) and 9757 (4883-12 963, 60%). Median C(trough) of lopinavir was lower in patients taking both efavirenz [P = 0.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) for difference between medians 343, 2713] and nevirapine (P = 0.019, 95% CI for difference between medians 354, 3681) compared with those taking lopinavir/ritonavir alone. A higher interindividual variability was observed when lopinavir/ritonavir was given with a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. The risk of achieving a 'suboptimal'C(trough) of lopinavir (below a threshold of 3000 ng ml(-1)) was statistically higher in patients treated with a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (P < 0.001, 95% CI for difference between percentages 8.8, 43.1%) compared with those receiving lopinavir/ritonavir alone. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirmed the interaction between lopinavir and efavirenz, and also demonstrated a significant interaction between the former drug and nevirapine, resulting in lower C(trough) of lopinavir. The wide interpatient variability in this interaction suggests that therapeutic drug monitoring may be useful in optimizing the dose of lopinavir.

Intensive sequential chemotherapy with hematopoietic growth factor support for non-Hodgkin lymphoma in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus.

BACKGROUND: Optimal treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) has yet to be defined, because chemotherapy could exacerbate immunodeficiency, with subsequent adverse effects for patients. METHODS: The authors investigated the feasibility of an intensive chemotherapy regimen for HIV-associated NHL. Thirty-eight patients were treated with a first course of cyclophosphamide (Cy), vincristine, and prednisone; followed by 3 courses of high-dose Cy (2000 mg/m2), doxorubicin (Doxo; 50 mg/m2), vincristine, and prednisone (modified high-dose CHOP); 1 course of high-dose methotrexate (MTX; 8000 mg/m2); and 1 course of high-dose cytarabine (8000 mg/m2). Radiotherapy was added to the treatment regimen for patients with bulky disease or residual tumor. Chemotherapy was administered in conjunction with granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor and antiretroviral therapy. RESULTS: Patients received 91.5%, 93%, 66%, and 63% of the scheduled doses of Cy, Doxo, MTX, and cytarabine, respectively. The complete response rate was 60.5%, with a total response rate of 79%. The 40-month overall survival rate was 43%, the disease-free survival rate was 65%, and the recurrence-free survival rate was 39%. Both an International Prognostic Index score of 0 or 1 and Burkitt-type histology had positive effects on survival, whereas CD4-positive lymphocyte counts, viral burden, and previous highly active antiretroviral therapy did not. CD4-positive T lymphocyte levels decreased from 0.197 +/- 0.156 x10(9)/L before treatment to 0.152 +/- 0.1 x10(9)/L at 6 months after the end of treatment. A decrease in viral load, from 380,000 +/- 785,000 copies/mL before treatment to 25,000 +/- 43,000 copies/mL at 6 months after the end of treatment, also was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study indicate that intensive chemotherapy is effective and tolerable for patients with HIV-associated NHL.