Twenty Years of Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Single Portuguese Center Experience.

INTRODUCTION: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma can be cured in 60% - 70% of patients. Autologous stem cell transplantation is the standard treatment for relapsed disease. This high-intensity treatment after first complete remission in patients with high International Prognostic Index remains controversial and was performed in our department during some years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study, review of clinical records. RESULTS: This study evaluates the outcome of 113 patients transplanted between 1992 and 2012. Considering status before transplantation patients were divided in groups: a) first complete remission after 1 line of chemotherapy (n = 64); b) first complete remission after ≥ two chemotherapy lines (n = 15); c) second complete remission (n = 15); d) more advanced diseased (n = 19). Chemotherapy used in first line therapy was mainly R-CHOP (n = 71) and CHOP (n = 28). The median follow-up of patients still alive was 34 months (1 - 221). At five years, overall survival was 73% (± 5) and disease free survival was 75% (± 5). CONCLUSION: Conventional chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant is a safe and efficient option for selected patients. In our series 70% high-risk patients were free from disease with this strategy.

Introdução: O linfoma não Hodgkin difuso de grandes células B pode ser curado em 60% - 70% dos doentes. O transplante autológo de progenitores hematopoiéticos é o tratamento de intenção curativa standard à recidiva. Este tratamento intensivo após primeira remissão num grupo selecionado de doentes de alto risco é controverso e fez parte da estratégia do nosso Serviço durante alguns anos. Material e Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo, consulta do processo clínico. Resultados: Este estudo analisa o outcome de 113 doentes transplantados entre 1992 e 2012. Formaram-se quatro grupos com base no status pré-transplante: a) primeira remissão completa após 1 ciclo de quimioterapia (n = 64); b) segunda remissão completa após ≥ duas linhas de quimioterapia (n = 15); c) segunda remissão completa (n = 15); d) doença mais avançada (n = 19). O protocolo de quimioterapia de primeira linha mais utilizado foi R-CHOP (n = 71) e CHOP (n = 28). O seguimento mediano foi de 34 meses (1 - 221). Aos cinco anos a sobrevivência global foi de 73% (± 5) e a sobrevivência livre de progressão 75% (± 5). Conclusão: A imunoquimioterapia convencional seguida de transplante autólogo é uma opção segura e eficaz no tratamento de casos selecionados de linfoma difuso de grandes células B. Na nossa casuística cerca de 70% dos doentes de alto risco atingiram remissões duráveis com esta estratégia terapêutica.

Effect of therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia on the outcome of patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) is a rare and almost always fatal late side effect of antineoplastic treatment involving chemotherapy, radiotherapy or the two combined. The present retrospective study intended to characterize t-AML patients that were diagnosed and treated in a single referral to an oncological institution in North Portugal. Over the past 10 years, 231 cases of AML were diagnosed and treated at the Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto, of which 38 t-AML cases were identified. Data regarding the patient demographics, primary diagnosis and treatment, age at onset of therapy-related myeloid neoplasm, latency time of the neoplasm, cytogenetic characteristics, AML therapy and outcome were collected from medical records. A previous diagnosis with solid tumors was present in 28 patients, and 10 patients possessed a history of hematological conditions, all a lymphoproliferative disorder. Breast cancer was the most frequent solid tumor identified (39.5% of all solid tumors diagnosed). The mean latency time was 3 years. In the present study, t-AML patients were older (P<0.001) and more frequently carried cytogenetic abnormalities (P=0.009) compared with de novo AML patients. The overall survival time was observed to be significantly poorer among individuals with t-AML (P<0.001). However, in younger patients (age, <50 years) there was no difference between the overall survival time of patients with t-AML and those with de novo AML (P=0.983). Additionally, patients with promyelocytic leukemia possess a good prognosis, even when AML occurs as a secondary event (P=0.98). To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to evaluate t-AML in Portugal and the results are consistent with the data published previously in other populations. The present study concludes that although t-AML demonstrates a poor prognosis, this is not observed among younger patients or promyelocytic leukemia patients.

Visceral leishmaniasis: a differential diagnosis to remember after bone marrow transplantation.

Leishmania infection in immunocompromised hosts is reported in the literature, mostly concerning human immunodeficiency virus infected patients. It is not well characterized in the context of stem cell transplantation. We report a rare case clinical case of visceral leishmaniasis after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. A 50-year-old Caucasian male was referred to allogeneic bone marrow transplantation with a high-risk acute lymphoblastic B leukemia in first complete remission. Allogeneic SCT was performed with peripheral blood stem cells from an unrelated Portuguese matched donor. In the following months, patient developed mild fluctuating cytopenias, mostly thrombocytopenia (between 60 and 80∗10(9)/L). The only significant complaint was intermittent tiredness. The common causes for thrombocytopenia in this setting were excluded-no evidence of graft versus host disease, no signs of viral or bacterial infection, and no signs of relapsed disease/dysplastic changes. The bone marrow smear performed 12 months after transplantation revealed an unsuspected diagnosis: a massive bone marrow infiltration with amastigotes.