RESUMO
First-line therapy for younger patients with peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (T-NHL) consists of 6 courses of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) with or without etoposide (CHOEP), consolidated by high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT). We hypothesized that allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) could improve outcomes. 104 patients with peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, except ALK+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma, 18 to 60 years, all stages, and all age adjusted International Prognostic Index scores, except 0 and stage I, were randomized to 4 cycles of CHOEP and 1 cycle of dexamethasone, cytosine-arabinoside, and platinum (DHAP) followed by high-dose therapy and auto-SCT or myeloablative conditioning and allo-SCT. The primary end point was event-free survival (EFS) at 3 years. After a median follow-up of 42 months, the 3-year EFS after allo-SCT was 43%, as compared with 38% after auto-SCT. Overall survival at 3 years was 57% vs 70% after allo- or auto-SCT, without significant differences between treatment arms. None of the 21 responding patients proceeding to allo-SCT relapsed, as opposed to 13 of 36 patients (36%) proceeding to auto-SCT. Eight of 26 patients (31%) and none of 41 patients died of transplant-related toxicity after allo- and auto-SCT, respectively. The strong graft-versus-lymphoma effect after allo-SCT was counterbalanced by transplant-related mortality. This trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00984412.
Assuntos
Linfoma de Células T Periférico/terapia , Transplante de Células-Tronco de Sangue Periférico , Adulto , Aloenxertos , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/administração & dosagem , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapêutico , Cisplatino/administração & dosagem , Terapia Combinada , Quimioterapia de Consolidação , Ciclofosfamida/administração & dosagem , Citarabina/administração & dosagem , Dexametasona/administração & dosagem , Doxorrubicina/administração & dosagem , Etoposídeo/administração & dosagem , Feminino , Doença Enxerto-Hospedeiro/etiologia , Humanos , Estimativa de Kaplan-Meier , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Agonistas Mieloablativos/uso terapêutico , Segunda Neoplasia Primária/etiologia , Prednisolona/administração & dosagem , Estudos Prospectivos , Risco , Condicionamento Pré-Transplante , Transplante Autólogo , Vincristina/administração & dosagemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The advance directive represents patients' health care choices and fosters patients' autonomy. Nevertheless, understanding patients' wishes based on the information provided in advance directives remains a challenge for health care providers. Based on the ethical premises of positive obligation to autonomy, an advanced directive that is disease-centred and details potential problems and complications of the disease should help health care providers correctly understand patients' wishes. To test this hypothesis, a pilot-study was conducted to investigate whether physicians could make the correct end-of-life decision for their patients when patients used a disease-centred advance directive compared to a common advance directive. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A randomised, controlled, prospective pilot study was designed that included patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) stage VI from the Department of Haematology and Medical Oncology, University Medical Centre, Goettingen. Patients were randomised into intervention and control groups. The control group received a common advance directive, and the intervention group received a disease-centred advance directive. Both groups filled out their advance directives and returned them. Subsequently, patients were asked to complete nine medical scenarios with different treatment decisions. For each scenario the patients had to decide whether they wanted to receive treatment on a 5-point Likert scale. Four physicians were given the same scenarios and asked to decide on the treatment according to the patients' wishes as stated in their advance directives. The answers by patients and physicians were then compared to establish whether physicians had made the correct assumptions. RESULTS: Recruitment was stopped prior to reaching anticipated sample target. 15 patients with stage IV NSCLC completed the study, 9 patients were randomised into the control group and 6 patients in the intervention group. A total of 135 decisions were evaluated. The concordance between physicians' and patients' answers, was 0.83 (95%-CI 0.71-0.91) in the intervention group, compared to 0.60 (95%-CI 0.48-0.70) in the control group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: This pilot study shows that disease-centred advance directives help physicians understand their NSCLC patients' wishes more precisely and make treatment choices according to these wishes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study is registered at the German Clinical Trial Register (no. DRKS00017580, registration date 27/08/2019).
Assuntos
Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Médicos , Diretivas Antecipadas , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/terapia , Morte , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/terapia , Projetos Piloto , Estudos ProspectivosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Six cycles of R-CHOP (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) are the standard treatment for aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In the FLYER trial, we assessed whether four cycles of CHOP plus six applications of rituximab are non-inferior to six cycles of R-CHOP in a population of patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma with favourable prognosis. METHODS: This two-arm, open-label, international, multicentre, prospective, randomised phase 3 non-inferiority trial was done at 138 clinical sites in Denmark, Israel, Italy, Norway, and Germany. We enrolled patients aged 18-60 years, with stage I-II disease, normal serum lactate dehydrogenase concentration, ECOG performance status 0-1, and without bulky disease (maximal tumour diameter <7·5 cm). Randomisation was computer-based and done centrally in a 1:1 ratio using the Pocock minimisation algorithm after stratification for centres, stage (I vs II), and extralymphatic sites (no vs yes). Patients were assigned to receive either six cycles of R-CHOP or four cycles of R-CHOP plus two doses of rituximab. CHOP comprised cyclophosphamide (750 mg/m2), doxorubicin (50 mg/m2), and vincristine (1·4 mg/m2, with a maximum total dose of 2 mg), all administered intravenously on day 1, plus oral prednisone or prednisolone at the discretion of the investigator (100 mg) administered on days 1-5. Rituximab was given at a dose of 375 mg/m2 of body surface area. Cycles were repeated every 21 days. No radiotherapy was planned except for testicular lymphoma treatment. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival after 3 years. The primary analysis was done in the intention-to-treat population. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of assigned treatment. A non-inferiority margin of -5·5% was chosen. The trial, which is completed, was prospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00278421. FINDINGS: Between Dec 2, 2005, and Oct 7, 2016, 592 patients were enrolled, of whom 295 patients were randomly assigned to receive six cycles of R-CHOP and 297 were assigned to receive four cycles of R-CHOP plus two doses of rituximab. Four patients in the four-cycles group withdrew informed consent before the start of treatment, so 588 patients were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. After a median follow-up of 66 months (IQR 42-100), 3-year progression-free survival of patients who had four cycles of R-CHOP plus two doses of rituximab was 96% (95% CI 94-99), which was 3% better (lower limit of the one-sided 95% CI for the difference was 0%) than six cycles of R-CHOP, demonstrating the non-inferiority of the four-cycles regimen. 294 haematological and 1036 non-haematological adverse events were documented in the four-cycles group compared with 426 haematological and 1280 non-haematological adverse events in the six-cycles group. Two patients, both in the six-cycles group, died during study therapy. INTERPRETATION: In young patients with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and favourable prognosis, four cycles of R-CHOP is non-inferior to six cycles of R-CHOP, with relevant reduction of toxic effects. Thus, chemotherapy can be reduced without compromising outcomes in this population. FUNDING: Deutsche Krebshilfe.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos Imunológicos/administração & dosagem , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/administração & dosagem , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B/tratamento farmacológico , Rituximab/administração & dosagem , Administração Intravenosa , Administração Oral , Adulto , Antineoplásicos Imunológicos/uso terapêutico , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapêutico , Ciclofosfamida/administração & dosagem , Ciclofosfamida/uso terapêutico , Dinamarca , Doxorrubicina/administração & dosagem , Doxorrubicina/uso terapêutico , Esquema de Medicação , Feminino , Alemanha , Humanos , Cooperação Internacional , Israel , Itália , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B/patologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Noruega , Prednisona/administração & dosagem , Prednisona/uso terapêutico , Estudos Prospectivos , Rituximab/uso terapêutico , Análise de Sobrevida , Resultado do Tratamento , Vincristina/administração & dosagem , Vincristina/uso terapêutico , Adulto JovemAssuntos
Linfoma de Células B , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B , Humanos , Vincristina/uso terapêutico , Redução da Medicação , Rituximab/uso terapêutico , Linfoma de Células B/tratamento farmacológico , Ciclofosfamida/uso terapêutico , Prednisona/uso terapêutico , Doxorrubicina/uso terapêutico , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/efeitos adversos , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B/patologiaRESUMO
Male sex is associated with unfavourable pharmacokinetics and prognosis in elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We investigated higher rituximab doses for elderly male DLBCL patients. Elderly patients (61-80 years) received 6 cycles CHOP-14 (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone at 14-day intervals) and were randomized to 8 cycles rituximab (males 500 mg/m2 , females 375 mg/m2 ) every 2 weeks or according to an upfront dose-dense schedule. In 268 (120 females, 148 males) no difference between the standard and the upfront dose-dense rituximab schedule was found (3-year PFS 72% vs. 74%; OS 74% vs. 77%; P = 0.651). The 500 mg/m2 dose of rituximab for male patients was associated with serum levels and exposure times slightly better than in females and a male/female hazard ratio of 0.9 for progression-free survival (PFS) and 0.8 for overall survival. For elderly males, 500 mg/m2 was not more toxic than 375 mg/m2 rituximab, but improved PFS by 32.5% (P = 0.039), with a trend for a (30%) better overall survival (P = 0.076) in a planned subgroup analysis adjusting for International Prognostic Index risk factors. We conclude that the higher rituximab dose for elderly male patients abrogated the adverse prognosis of male sex without increasing toxicity. In the era of personalized medicine, sex-specific pharmacokinetics and toxicities should be investigated for all drugs where these parameters impact on outcome.
Assuntos
Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/administração & dosagem , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B/tratamento farmacológico , Rituximab/administração & dosagem , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/efeitos adversos , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/sangue , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapêutico , Ciclofosfamida/administração & dosagem , Ciclofosfamida/efeitos adversos , Ciclofosfamida/sangue , Ciclofosfamida/uso terapêutico , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Doxorrubicina/administração & dosagem , Doxorrubicina/efeitos adversos , Doxorrubicina/sangue , Doxorrubicina/uso terapêutico , Esquema de Medicação , Feminino , Humanos , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B/sangue , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B/patologia , Masculino , Adesão à Medicação , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Prednisona/administração & dosagem , Prednisona/efeitos adversos , Prednisona/sangue , Prednisona/uso terapêutico , Prognóstico , Rituximab/efeitos adversos , Rituximab/sangue , Fatores Sexuais , Análise de Sobrevida , Resultado do Tratamento , Vincristina/administração & dosagem , Vincristina/efeitos adversos , Vincristina/sangue , Vincristina/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Allogeneic stem-cell transplantation has had limited success for patients with refractory and relapsed aggressive B-cell or T-cell lymphoma. We investigated the effect of adding rituximab to standard prophylaxis for graft-versus-host disease after transplantation and estimated overall survival when using a lymphoma-directed myeloablative conditioning regimen. METHODS: We did this randomised, open-label, phase 2 study at seven German transplantation centres. We enrolled patients with aggressive B-cell or T-cell lymphoma and primary refractory disease, early relapse (<12 months after first-line treatment), or relapse after autologous transplantation. Conditioning with fludarabine (125 mg/m(2)), busulfan (12 mg/kg oral or 9·6 mg/kg intravenous), and cyclophosphamide (120 mg/kg) was followed by allogeneic stem-cell transplantation. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive rituximab (375 mg/m(2) on days 21, 28, 35, 42, 175, 182, 189, and 196) or not. Allocation was done with a centralised computer-generated procedure; patients were stratified by histological subtype (B-cell vs T-cell lymphoma) and donor match (HLA-identical vs non-identical). Neither investigators nor patients were masked to allocation. The primary endpoints were the incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease grade 2-4 in each treatment group and overall survival at 1 year in both groups combined. All analyses were done for the intention-to-treat population. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00785330. FINDINGS: Between June 16, 2004, and March 24, 2009, we screened 86 patients and enrolled 84; 42 were randomly assigned to each group. The cumulative incidence of grade 2-4 acute graft-versus-host disease was 46% (95% CI 32-62) in the rituximab group and 42% (95% CI 29-59) in the no rituximab group (hazard ratio [HR] 0·91, 95% CI 0·52-1·60; p=0·74). Overall survival at 1 year for the whole study population was 52% (95% CI 41-62). Grade 4 haematological toxic effects and grade 3 alopecia occurred in all patients. The most common non-haematological grade 5 toxic effects were pneumonia (nine in the no rituximab group vs ten in the rituximab group) and other infections (seven vs four). INTERPRETATION: The lymphoma-directed myeloablative conditioning regimen developed here is promising for patients with refractory and relapsed aggressive B-cell and T-cell lymphomas. However, the addition of rituximab did not affect the incidence of graft-versus-host disease or overall survival. FUNDING: Hoffmann-La Roche, Amgen, Astellas Pharma.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Monoclonais Murinos/uso terapêutico , Transplante de Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas , Linfoma não Hodgkin/terapia , Condicionamento Pré-Transplante , Adulto , Anticorpos Monoclonais Murinos/efeitos adversos , Terapia Combinada , Feminino , Doença Enxerto-Hospedeiro/etiologia , Transplante de Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/efeitos adversos , Humanos , Linfoma não Hodgkin/mortalidade , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Recidiva , Rituximab , Transplante HomólogoRESUMO
Although BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors reliably induce disease remission for patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), unlimited extension of therapy is necessary to prevent relapse from persistent leukaemic cells. Here, we analysed model cell lines and primary CML cells for the expression and functions of the ABC transporter A3 (ABCA3) as well as the embryonic stem cell-associated transcription factor SALL4. ABCA3 protected leukaemic cells from the cytotoxic effects of the tyrosine kinase inhibitors imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib. In the surviving cells, exposure to tyrosine kinase inhibitors significantly enhanced ABCA3 expression in vivo and in vitro, and was associated with increased expression of SALL4, which binds the ABCA3 promoter. Inhibition of ABCA3 or SALL4 by genetic silencing or indomethacin, but not interferon gamma, interrupted SALL4-dependent regulation of ABCA3 and restored susceptibility of leukaemic cells to tyrosine kinase inhibition. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor exposure facilitates a protective loop of SALL4 and ABCA3 cooperation in persistent leukaemic cells.
Assuntos
Transportadores de Cassetes de Ligação de ATP/biossíntese , Resistencia a Medicamentos Antineoplásicos/efeitos dos fármacos , Regulação Leucêmica da Expressão Gênica/efeitos dos fármacos , Leucemia Mielogênica Crônica BCR-ABL Positiva/metabolismo , Proteínas de Neoplasias/metabolismo , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/farmacologia , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Animais , Benzamidas/farmacologia , Dasatinibe , Feminino , Células HL-60 , Humanos , Mesilato de Imatinib , Células K562 , Leucemia Mielogênica Crônica BCR-ABL Positiva/tratamento farmacológico , Leucemia Mielogênica Crônica BCR-ABL Positiva/patologia , Masculino , Camundongos , Piperazinas/farmacologia , Pirimidinas/farmacologia , Tiazóis/farmacologiaRESUMO
Patients with advanced-stage bronchial cancer benefit from systemic cytostatic therapy, in particular from regimens integrating cisplatin and taxanes. However, eventual disease progression leads to a fatal outcome in most cases, originating from tumor cells resisting chemotherapy. We here show that the intracellular ATP-binding cassette transporter A3 (ABCA3), previously recognized as critical for the secretion of surfactant components from type 2 pneumocytes, is expressed in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. With some heterogeneity in a given specimen, expression levels detected immunohistochemically in primary cancer tissue were highest in adenocarcinomas and lowest in small cell lung cancers. Genetic silencing of ABCA3 in the NSCLC cell line models A549, NCI-H1650 and NCI-H1975 significantly increased tumor cell susceptibility to the cytostatic effects of both cisplatin (in all cell lines) and paclitaxel (in two of three cell lines). Taken together, ABCA3 emerges as a modulator of NSCLC cell susceptibility to cytostatic therapy.
Assuntos
Transportadores de Cassetes de Ligação de ATP/metabolismo , Antineoplásicos Fitogênicos/farmacologia , Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/metabolismo , Cisplatino/farmacologia , Neoplasias Pulmonares/metabolismo , Paclitaxel/farmacologia , Transportadores de Cassetes de Ligação de ATP/genética , Adulto , Idoso , Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Antineoplásicos Fitogênicos/uso terapêutico , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/tratamento farmacológico , Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/genética , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Sobrevivência Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Sobrevivência Celular/genética , Cisplatino/uso terapêutico , Feminino , Inativação Gênica , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Paclitaxel/uso terapêutico , Vimblastina/análogos & derivados , Vimblastina/farmacologia , Vimblastina/uso terapêutico , VinorelbinaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: High-dose therapy (HDT) followed by transplantation of autologous haemopoietic stem cells is frequently done as part of first-line therapy in young patients with high-risk aggressive B-cell lymphoma. We investigated whether HDT with cytotoxic agents identical to those used for conventional therapy followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) improved survival outcome compared with conventional chemotherapy when rituximab was added to both modalities. METHODS: We did an open-label, randomised trial comparing conventional chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, etoposide, prednisone) and rituximab (R-CHOEP-14) with dose-escalated sequential HDT and rituximab (R-MegaCHOEP) followed by repetitive ASCT in high-risk (age-adjusted International Prognostic Index [IPI] 2 or 3) patients aged 18-60 years with aggressive B-cell lymphoma. Eligible patients received radiotherapy for bulky, extranodal disease, or both. Randomisation (1:1) used the Pocock minimisation algorithm; patients were stratified by age-adjusted IPI factors, bulky disease, and centre. The primary endpoint was event-free survival. All analyses were done on the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00129090. FINDINGS: 136 patients were randomly assigned to R-CHOEP-14 and 139 to R-MegaCHOEP. 130 patients in the R-CHOEP-14 group and 132 in the R-MegaCHOEP group were included in the intention-to-treat population. After a median of 42 months (IQR 29-59), 3-year event-free survival was 69·5% (95% CI 61·3-77·7) in the R-CHOEP-14 group and 61·4% (52·8-70·0) in the R-MegaCHOEP group (p=0·14; hazard ratio 1·3, 95% CI 0·9-2·0). All 128 evaluable patients treated with R-MegaCHOEP had grade 4 leucopenia, as did 48 (58·5%) of 82 patients with documented blood counts in the R-CHOEP-14 group. All 128 evaluable patients in the R-MegaCHOEP group had grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia, as did 26 (33·8%) of 77 patients in the R-CHOEP-14 group with documented blood counts. The most important non-haematological grade 3 or 4 adverse event was infection, which occurred in 96 (75·0%) of 128 patients treated with R-MegaCHOEP and in 40 (31·3%) of 128 patients treated with R-CHOEP-14. INTERPRETATION: In young patients with high-risk aggressive B-cell lymphoma, R-MegaCHOEP was not superior to conventional R-CHOEP therapy and was associated with significantly more toxic effects. R-CHOEP-14 with or without radiotherapy remains a treatment option for these patients, with encouraging efficacy. FUNDING: Deutsche Krebshilfe.
Assuntos
Anticorpos Monoclonais Murinos/administração & dosagem , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapêutico , Linfoma de Células B/tratamento farmacológico , Adolescente , Adulto , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/administração & dosagem , Ciclofosfamida/administração & dosagem , Doxorrubicina/administração & dosagem , Etoposídeo/administração & dosagem , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Prednisolona/administração & dosagem , Rituximab , Vincristina/administração & dosagem , Adulto JovemRESUMO
UNFOLDER (NCT00278408, EUDRACT 2005-005218-19) is a phase-3 trial in patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma and intermediate prognosis, including primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL). In a 2 × 2 factorial design, patients were randomized to 6× R-CHOP-14 or R-CHOP-21 (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prediso(lo)ne) and to consolidation radiotherapy to extralymphatic/bulky disease or observation. Response was assessed according to the standardized criteria from 1999, which did not include F-18 fluordesoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET) scans. Primary end point was event-free survival (EFS). A subgroup of 131 patients with PMBCLs was included (median age, 34 y; 54% female, 79% elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), 20% LDH >2× upper limit of normal [ULN], and 24% extralymphatic involvement). Eighty-two (R-CHOP-21: 43 and R-CHOP-14: 39) patients were assigned to radiotherapy and 49 (R-CHOP-21: 27, R-CHOP-14: 22) to observation. The 3-year EFS was superior in radiotherapy arm (94% [95% confidence interval (CI), 89-99] versus 78% [95% CI, 66-89]; P = 0.0069), due to a lower rate of partial responses (PRs) (2% versus 10%). PR triggered additional treatment, mostly radiotherapy (n = 5; PR: 4; complete response/unconfirmed complete response: 1). No significant differences were observed in progression-free survival (PFS) (95% [95% CI, 90-100] versus 90% [95% CI, 81-98]; P = 0.25) nor in overall survival (OS) (98% [95% CI, 94-100] versus 96% [95% CI, 90-100]; P = 0.64). Comparing R-CHOP-14 and R-CHOP-21, EFS, PFS, and OS were not different. A prognostic marker for adverse outcome was elevated LDH >2× ULN (EFS: P = 0.016; PFS: P = 0.0049; OS: P = 0.0014). With the limitation of a pre-PET-era trial, the results suggest a benefit of radiotherapy only for patients responding to R-CHOP with PR. PMBCL treated with R-CHOP have a favorable prognosis with a 3-year OS of 97%.
RESUMO
UNFOLDER (Unfavorable Young Low-Risk Densification of R-Chemo Regimens) is an international phase-3 trial in patients 18-60 years with aggressive B-cell lymphoma and intermediate prognosis defined by age-adjusted International Prognostic Index (aaIPI) of 0 and bulky disease (≥7.5 cm) or aaIPI of 1. In a 2 × 2 factorial design patients were randomized to 6× R-CHOP-14 or 6× R-CHOP-21 (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prediso[lo]ne) and to consolidation radiotherapy to extralymphatic and bulky disease or observation. Response was assessed according to the standardized response criteria published in 1999, not including F-18 fluordesoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET). Primary endpoint was event-free survival (EFS). A total of 695 of 700 patients were eligible for the intention-to-treat analysis. Totally 467 patients qualified for radiotherapy of whom 305 patients were randomized to receive radiotherapy (R-CHOP-21: 155; R-CHOP-14: 150) and 162 to observation (R-CHOP-21: 81, R-CHOP-14: 81). Two hundred twenty-eight patients not qualifying for radiotherapy were randomized for R-CHOP-14 versus R-CHOP-21. After a median observation of 66 months 3-year EFS was superior in the radiotherapy-arm versus observation-arm (84% versus 68%; P = 0.0012), due to a lower rate of partial responses (PR) (2% versus 11%). PR often triggered additional treatment, mostly radiotherapy. No significant difference was observed in progression-free survival (PFS) (89% versus 81%; P = 0.22) and overall survival (OS) (93% versus 93%; P = 0.51). Comparing R-CHOP-14 and R-CHOP-21 EFS, PFS and OS were not different. Patients randomized to radiotherapy had a superior EFS, largely due to a lower PR rate requiring less additional treatment (NCT00278408, EUDRACT 2005-005218-19).
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The addition of rituximab to chemotherapy has substantially improved outcomes for patients with B-cell malignancies. The mechanisms of action of rituximab include activation of natural killer cells. Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) mediate natural killer cell function through interaction with HLA. We evaluated the clinical impact of KIR-HLA genotypes on rituximab-containing therapy. METHODS: For this post-hoc analysis, we used data from the RICOVER-60 trial (NCT00052936) as the discovery cohort and the CLL8 trial (NCT00281918) as the validation cohort. RICOVER-60 included patients aged 61-80 years with aggressive B-cell lymphoma treated with CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) with or without rituximab. CLL8 included patients aged 30-81 years with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia treated with chemotherapy (fludarabine and cyclophosphamide; FC) with or without rituximab. We evaluated the KIR and HLA-C status of 519 patients with available blood samples in the RICOVER-60 trial and the KIR2DS1 and HLA-C status of 549 patients with available blood samples in the CLL8 trial, and evaluated their associations with event-free survival (RICOVER-60), progression-free survival, and overall survival (RICOVER-60 and CLL8). FINDINGS: In the RICOVER-60 trial, 201 (39%) patients were positive for KIR2DS1, 79 (15%) were homozygous for HLA-C2, and 36 (7%) were positive for KIR2DS1 and homozygous for HLA-C2. In the CLL8 trial, 206 (38%) patients were positive for KIR2DS1, 75 (14%) were homozygous for HLA-C2, and 26 (5%) were positive for KIR2DS1 and homozygous for HLA-C2. In the RICOVER-60 trial, both KIR2DS1 and HLA-C status were identified as independent risk factors for survival. KIR2DS1 positivity, homozygosity for HLA-C2, and subsequent KIR2DS1-HLA-C status were associated with adverse clinical outcome in patients receiving rituximab-containing therapy (event-free survival for patients with KIR2DS1-HLA-C2/C2 vs all other patients, HR 2·6 [95% CI 1·4-4·7], p=0·0015; progression-free survival, 2·7 [1·5-5·1], p=0·0013; overall survival, 2·8 [1·5-5·4], p=0·0016) but not in patients receiving CHOP chemotherapy only (event-free survival, 0·9 [0·5-1·7], p=0·85; progression-free survival, 1·1 [0·6-2·0], p=0·81; overall survival, 1·2 [0·6-2·4], p=0·53). A significant interaction between KIR2DS1-HLA-C status and rituximab was observed (p=0·018 for event-free survival and p=0·034 for progression-free survival). In contrast to all other patients, those positive for KIR2DS1 and homozygous for HLA-C2 did not benefit from adding rituximab to CHOP chemotherapy (event-free survival, 1·9 [0·8-4·6], p=0·16; progression-free survival, 1·4 [0·6-3·4], p=0·48; overall survival, 1·6 [0·6-4·3], p=0·33). In the CLL8 trial, KIR2DS1-HLA-C status was confirmed as a predictive marker for benefit from rituximab therapy (p=0·024 for the interaction of KIR2DS1-HLA-C status and rituximab regarding progression-free survival). In contrast to all other patients, those positive for KIR2DS1 and homozygous for HLA-C2 did not benefit from adding rituximab to FC chemotherapy (progression-free survival, 2·1 [0·9-4·9], p=0·094; overall survival, 2·6 [0·5-12·7], p=0·21). INTERPRETATION: Assessment of KIR2DS1 and HLA-C genotype might identify patients who would not benefit from rituximab, thereby allowing alternative therapies to be given. Further validation of these findings in prospective clinical trials is needed. FUNDING: F Hoffman La Roche.
Assuntos
Antígenos HLA-C , Receptores KIR , Rituximab , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapêutico , Ciclofosfamida/uso terapêutico , Doxorrubicina/uso terapêutico , Antígenos HLA-C/genética , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Prednisona , Estudos Prospectivos , Receptores KIR/genética , Rituximab/uso terapêutico , VincristinaRESUMO
Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treated with the R-CHOP regime receive a high cumulative dose of prednisone. We used computer tomography-ascertained Hounsfield units (HU) as a surrogate parameter for bone mineral density (BMD) in three different locations of the L3 vertebral body at baseline and post-treatment. HU were measured in 50 patients with DLBCL of the previously published FLYER-trial which compared four cycles of R-CHOP + 2 × rituximab infusion to six cycles of R-CHOP in young, favorable DLBCL patients. In total, median loss was 26.8 HU in all patients over time. The median HU loss was significantly lower in the four cycles arm (21.3 HU vs. 41.3 HU, p = 0.023). In conclusion, young patients with DLBCL receiving R-CHOP have significant HU/BMD loss under treatment with R-CHOP. Patients receiving four cycles of R-CHOP had less HU/BMD loss than patients receiving six cycles.
Assuntos
Densidade Óssea , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/efeitos adversos , Ciclofosfamida/uso terapêutico , Doxorrubicina/uso terapêutico , Humanos , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B/diagnóstico , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B/tratamento farmacológico , Linfoma Difuso de Grandes Células B/etiologia , Prednisona/efeitos adversos , Rituximab , Vincristina/efeitos adversosRESUMO
Intracellular signal transduction by kinase-mediated phosphorylation is essential for the survival and growth of lymphoma cells. This study analysed the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib for its cytotoxic activity against lymphoma cells. We found that sorafenib reduced cell viability at low micromolar concentrations in a time-dependent manner in cell lines and primary cell suspensions representing major types of aggressive B- and T-cell lymphomas. In cells surviving short term exposure, proliferative arrest occurred leading to complete loss of in vitro clonogenicity. Previously described sorafenib targets within the RAF kinase family were found to be expressed and phosphorylated in all cell lines, and sorafenib perturbed the activation of classical RAF/MEK/ERK pathway targets. However, using a global phoshoprotein array, the most consistent downstream effect of sorafenib in NHL cells was the inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 (MAPK14) and panAKT phosphorylation. In conclusion, sorafenib has significant in vitro efficacy against aggressive B- and T-cell lymphoma cells, associated with inhibition of MAPK14 and panAKT.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Benzenossulfonatos/farmacologia , Linfoma não Hodgkin/tratamento farmacológico , Proteína Quinase 14 Ativada por Mitógeno/antagonistas & inibidores , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-akt/antagonistas & inibidores , Piridinas/farmacologia , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Ciclo Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Morte Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Avaliação Pré-Clínica de Medicamentos/métodos , Humanos , Linfoma não Hodgkin/metabolismo , Linfoma não Hodgkin/patologia , Proteína Quinase 14 Ativada por Mitógeno/metabolismo , Niacinamida/análogos & derivados , Compostos de Fenilureia , Fosforilação , Inibidores de Proteínas Quinases/farmacologia , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-akt/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais/efeitos dos fármacos , Sorafenibe , Células Tumorais Cultivadas , Ensaio Tumoral de Célula-Tronco/métodosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the rapid expansion of novel tools for digital medical education. At our university medical center, an Instagram account was developed as a tool for medical education and used for the first time as a supplement to the hematology and medical oncology teaching module of 2020/2021. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the acceptance and role of Instagram as a novel teaching format in the education of medical students in hematology and medical oncology in the German medical curriculum. METHODS: To investigate the role of Instagram in student education of hematology and medical oncology, an Instagram account was developed as a tie-in for the teaching module of 2020/21. The account was launched at the beginning of the teaching module, and 43 posts were added over the 47 days of the teaching module (at least 1 post per day). Five categories for the post content were established: (1) engagement, (2) self-awareness, (3) everyday clinical life combined with teaching aids, (4) teaching aids, and (5) scientific resources. Student interaction with the posts was measured based on overall subscription, "likes," comments, and polls. Approval to conduct this retrospective study was obtained from the local ethics commission of the University Medical Center Goettingen. RESULTS: Of 164 medical students, 119 (72.6%) subscribed to the Instagram account, showing high acceptance and interest in the use of Instagram for medical education. The 43 posts generated 325 interactions. The highest number of interactions was observed for the category of engagement (mean 15.17 interactions, SD 5.01), followed by self-awareness (mean 14 interactions, SD 7.79). With an average of 7.3 likes per post, overall interaction was relatively low. However, although the category of scientific resources garnered the fewest likes (mean 1.86, SD 1.81), 66% (27/41) of the student participants who answered the related Instagram poll question were interested in studies and reviews, suggesting that although likes aid the estimation of a general trend of interest, there are facets to interest that cannot be represented by likes. Interaction significantly differed between posting categories (P<.001, Welch analysis of variance). Comparing the first category (engagement) with categories 3 to 5 showed a significant difference (Student t test with the Welch correction; category 1 vs 3, P=.01; category 1 vs 4, P=.01; category 1 vs 5, P=.001). CONCLUSIONS: Instagram showed high acceptance among medical students participating in the hematology and oncology teaching curriculum. Students were most interested in posts on routine clinical life, self-care topics, and memory aids. More studies need to be conducted to comprehend the use of Instagram in medical education and to define the role Instagram will play in the future. Furthermore, evaluation guidelines and tools need to be developed.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: R-MegaCHOEP was the first phase 3 study comparing high-dose chemotherapy plus rituximab followed by autologous haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) with conventional chemotherapy plus rituximab in first-line therapy for patients aged 60 years or younger with high-risk aggressive B-cell lymphoma. Little is known about the long-term outcomes of these patients. We aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of conventional chemotherapy versus high-dose chemotherapy after 10 years of follow-up in the R-MegaCHOEP trial. METHODS: In this open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial done across 61 centres in Germany, patients aged 18-60 years with newly diagnosed, high-risk (age-adjusted International Prognostic Index [IPI] 2 or 3) aggressive B-cell lymphoma were randomly assigned (1:1, using Pocock minimisation) to eight cycles of conventional chemotherapy (cyclosphosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, etoposide, and prednisolone) plus rituximab (R-CHOEP-14) or four cycles of high-dose chemotherapy plus rituximab followed by autologous HSCT (R-MegaCHOEP). The trial was unmasked. Patients were stratified by age-adjusted IPI factors, presence of bulky disease (tumour mass ≥7·5 cm diameter), and treatment centre. The primary endpoint was event-free survival, analysed here 10 years after randomisation. 10-year overall survival, progression-free survival, conditional survival, relapse patterns, secondary malignancies, and molecular characteristics were also analysed. All analyses were done on the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00129090. FINDINGS: Between March 3, 2003, and April 7, 2009, 275 patients were randomly assigned to R-CHOEP-14 (n=136) or R-MegaCHOEP (n=139). 130 patients in the R-CHOEP-14 group and 132 patients in the R-MegaCHOEP group were included in the intention-to-treat population. After a median follow-up of 9·3 years (IQR 5·1-11·1), 10-year event-free survival was 51% (95% CI 42-61) in the R-MegaCHOEP group and 57% (47-67) in the R-CHOEP-14 group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1·3 [95% CI 0·9-1·8], p=0·23). 10-year progression-free survival was 59% (50-68) in the R-MegaCHOEP group and 60% (51-70) in the R-CHOEP-14 group (adjusted HR 1·1 [0·7-1·7], p=0·64). 10-year overall survival was 66% (57-76) in the R-MegaCHOEP group and 72% (63-81) in the R-CHOEP-14 group (adjusted HR 1·3 [0·8-2·1], p=0·26). Relapse occurred in 30 (16% [95% CI 11-22]) of 190 patients who had complete remission or unconfirmed complete remission; 17 (17%) of 100 patients in the R-CHOEP-14 group and 13 (14%) of 90 patients in the R-MegaCHOEP group. Seven (23%) of 30 patients had low-grade histology at relapse and had better outcomes compared with patients who relapsed with aggressive histologies. Lymphoma affected the CNS in 18 (28%) of 64 patients with treatment failure. 22 secondary malignancies were reported in the intention-to-treat population; in 12 (9%) of 127 patients in the R-CHOEP-14 group and ten (8%) of 126 patients in the R-MegaCHOEP group. INTERPRETATION: Event-free survival and overall survival were similar between groups after 10 years of follow-up; outcomes were not improved in the R-MegaCHOEP group by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous HSCT. Patients who relapsed with aggressive histology showed a high incidence of CNS involvement and poor prognosis. For these patients, novel therapies are greatly warranted. FUNDING: Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer Aid).
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos Imunológicos/uso terapêutico , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapêutico , Transplante de Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/métodos , Linfoma de Células B/tratamento farmacológico , Rituximab/uso terapêutico , Adulto , Doenças do Sistema Nervoso Central/epidemiologia , Doenças do Sistema Nervoso Central/patologia , Etoposídeo/uso terapêutico , Feminino , Seguimentos , Alemanha/epidemiologia , Humanos , Análise de Intenção de Tratamento/métodos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Prednisolona/uso terapêutico , Intervalo Livre de Progressão , Segurança , Inibidores da Topoisomerase II/uso terapêutico , Transplante Autólogo/métodos , Resultado do Tratamento , Vincristina/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Autologous haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) in first remission is the current standard treatment in fit patients with mantle cell lymphoma. In this long-term follow-up study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of autologous HSCT versus interferon alfa maintenance after chemotherapy without or with rituximab in patients with primary advanced-stage mantle cell lymphoma. METHODS: We did a post-hoc, long-term analysis of an open-label, multicentre, randomised, phase 3 trial done in 121 participating hospitals or practices across six European countries. Patients who were aged 18-65 years with previously untreated stage III-IV mantle cell lymphoma and an ECOG performance score of 0-2 were eligible for participation. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either myeloablative radiochemotherapy (fractionated total body irradiation with 12 Gy/day 6-4 days before autologous HSCT and cyclophosphamide 60 mg/kg per day intravenously 3-2 days before autologous HSCT) followed by autologous HSCT (the autologous HSCT group) or interferon alfa maintenance (the interferon alfa maintenance group; 6 × 106 IU three times a week subcutaneously until progression) after completion of CHOP-like induction therapy (cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1, doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1, vincristine 1·4 mg/m2 [maximum 2 mg] intravenously on day 1, and prednisone 100 mg/m2 orally on days 1-5; repeated every 21 days for up to 6 cycles) without or with rituximab (375 mg/m2 intravenously on day 0 or 1 of each cycle; R-CHOP). The primary outcome was progression-free survival from end of induction until progression or death among patients who had a remission and the secondary outcome was overall survival from the end of induction until death from any cause. We did comparisons of progression-free survival and overall survival according to the intention-to-treat principle between both groups among responding patients and explored efficacy in subgroups according to induction treatment without or with rituximab. Hazard ratios (HRs) were adjusted for the mantle cell lymphoma international prognostic index (MIPI) numerical score, and in the total group also for rituximab use (adjusted HR [aHR]). This trial was started before preregistration was implemented and is therefore not registered, recruitment is closed, and this is the final evaluation. FINDINGS: Between Sept 30, 1996, and July 1, 2004, 269 patients were randomly assigned to receive either autologous HSCT or interferon alfa maintenance therapy. The median follow-up was 14 years (IQR 10-16), with the intention-to-treat population consisting of 174 patients (93 [53%] in the autologous HSCT group and 81 [47%] in the interferon alfa maintenance group) who responded to induction therapy. The median age was 55 years (IQR 47-60), and R-CHOP was used in 68 (39%) of 174 patients. The median progression-free survival was 3·3 years (95% CI 2·5-4·3) in the autologous HSCT group versus 1·5 years (1·2-2·0) in the interferon alfa maintenance group (log-rank p<0·0001; aHR 0·50 [95% CI 0·36-0·69]). The median overall survival was 7·5 years (95% CI 5·7-12·0) in the autologous HSCT group versus 4·8 years (4·0-6·6) in the interferon alfa maintenance group (log-rank p=0·019; aHR 0·66 [95% CI 0·46-0·95]). For patients treated without rituximab, the progression-free survival adjusted HR for autologous HSCT versus interferon alfa was 0·40 (0·26-0·61), in comparison to 0·72 (0·42-1·24) for patients treated with rituximab. For overall survival, the adjusted hazard ratio for HSCT versus interferon alfa was 0·52 (0·33-0·82) without rituximab and 1·05 (0·55-1·99) for patients who received rituximab. INTERPRETATION: Our results confirm the long-term efficacy of autologous HSCT to treat mantle cell lymphoma established in the pre-rituximab era. The suggested reduced efficacy after immunochemotherapy supports the need for its re-evaluation now that antibody maintenance, high-dose cytarabine, and targeted treatments have changed the standard of care for patients with mantle cell lymphoma. FUNDING: Deutsche Krebshilfe, the European Community, and the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Kompetenznetz Maligne Lymphome.
Assuntos
Transplante de Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas , Linfoma de Célula do Manto/terapia , Adulto , Idoso , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapêutico , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Interferon-alfa/administração & dosagem , Linfoma de Célula do Manto/mortalidade , Linfoma de Célula do Manto/patologia , Linfoma de Célula do Manto/radioterapia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Intervalo Livre de Progressão , Modelos de Riscos Proporcionais , Rituximab/administração & dosagem , Taxa de Sobrevida , Transplante Autólogo , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
Natural killer (NK) cells contribute to the graft-versus-leukemia effect after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. However, the efficacy of NK cell-mediated tumor cell lysis is limited due to target cell resistance, and target cell-induced apoptosis (TiA) was proposed to contribute to differences in susceptibility to NK cells. Here we analyzed the effects of target cells on the apoptosis of cytokine-activated NK cells in vitro. We found no association of target cell susceptibility and TiA of NK cells in an array of human and murine target-effector cell combinations. Incubation of NK cells with caspase inhibitors blocked TiA incompletely, indicating that TiA is partly based on caspase-independent mechanisms. Modulating NK cell susceptibility against TiA by caspase inhibition did not influence cytotoxic efficacy. Furthermore, we found cytotoxic potential of NK cells to be markedly decreased following first target cell contact. Exhaustion of NK cell activity by first target cell contact was, however, not mediated by TiA. In addition, we found no relevant TiA by lymphoma cell lines against activated murine NK cells. We conclude that TiA represents only a minor factor of target cell resistance against NK cell-mediated cytolysis.
Assuntos
Apoptose , Citotoxicidade Imunológica , Células Matadoras Naturais/citologia , Células Matadoras Naturais/imunologia , Ativação Linfocitária , Animais , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Inibidores de Caspase , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Humanos , Células Matadoras Naturais/efeitos dos fármacos , Linfoma/imunologia , Linfoma/patologia , Camundongos , Inibidores de Proteases/farmacologiaRESUMO
Follicular lymphoma (FL) is characterized by a large number of chromosomal aberrations. However, their exact genomic extension and involved target genes remain to be determined. For this purpose, we used array-based intermediate-high resolution genomic profiling in combination with Affymetrix gene expression analysis. Tumor specimens from 128 FL patients were analyzed for the presence of genomic aberrations and the results were correlated to clinical data sets and mRNA expression levels. In 114 (89%) of the 128 analyzed cases, a total of 688 genomic aberrations (384 gains/amplifications and 304 losses) were detected. Frequent genomic aberrations were: -1p36 (18%), +2p15 (24%), -3q (14%), -6q (25%), +7p (19%), +7q (23%), +8q (14%), -9p (16%), -11q (15%), +12q (20%), -13q (11%), -17p (16%), +18p (18%), and +18q (28%). Critical segments of these imbalances were delineated to genomic fragments with a minimum size down to 0.2 Mb. By comparison of these with mRNA gene expression data, putative candidate genes were identified. Moreover, we found that deletions affecting the tumor suppressor gene CDKN2A/B on 9p21 were detected in nontransformed FL grade I-II. For this aberration as well as for -6q25 and -6q26, an association with inferior survival was observed.
Assuntos
Aberrações Cromossômicas , Linfoma Folicular/genética , Análise de Sequência com Séries de Oligonucleotídeos/métodos , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Análise de Variância , Criança , Hibridização Genômica Comparativa , Feminino , Humanos , Hibridização in Situ Fluorescente , Estimativa de Kaplan-Meier , Linfoma Folicular/metabolismo , Linfoma Folicular/mortalidade , Linfoma Folicular/patologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Serum albumin a well-known risk factor predicting outcome in many solid tumors. We explore the role of low serum albumin (≤3.5 g/dL) as an independent risk factor in elderly patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma. Outcome of 429 patients treated with R-CHOP-14 in the RICOVER-60 trial and available serum albumin were analyzed in this retrospective study. Of the 429 patients in the RICOVER-60 trial, 137 (32%) had low and 292 (68%) had normal serum albumin levels (>3.5 g/dL). In the low albumin group, patients had significantly higher International Prognostic Index (IPI), bulky disease, extralymphatic involvement, and B-symptoms. Event-free survival (EFS) (P < .001), progression-free survival (PFS) (P < .001), and overall survival (OS) (P < .001) were significantly inferior for patients with low compared to those with normal serum albumin. Multivariate analysis adjusted for IPI shows following Hazard ratios (HR) for low serum albumin: EFS (HR = 1.5; 95% confidance interval [CI] [1.1; 2.1], P = .009), PFS (HR = 1.7; 95% CI [1.2; 2.4], P = .001) and OS (HR = 1.6; 95% CI [1.1; 2.3], P = .006). Results were confirmed in 185 patients from the DENSE-R-CHOP-14 and SMARTE-R-CHOP-14 trials. In conclusion, low serum albumin is an independent risk factor in elderly patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP.