Long-term follow-up after R-High CHOP/CHASER/LEED with Auto-PBSCT in untreated mantle cell lymphoma-Final analysis of JCOG0406.

Progression-free survival after R-High CHOP/CHASER/LEED with auto-PBSCT in untreated mantle cell lymphoma in JCOG0406 study. A continuous pattern of relapse was observed.

Validation of the iATL-PI prognostic index in therapeutic decision-making for patients with smoldering and chronic ATL: a multicenter study.

Adult T cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) is clinically heterogeneous and is classified into four subtypes: acute, lymphoma, chronic, and smoldering. Recently, a new prognostic index based on the value of soluble interleukin-2 receptor, denoted the "iATL-PI," has been proposed for patients with smoldering and chronic ATL. To evaluate the effectiveness of the iATL-PI, we re-analyzed our previously published data on 176 patients with smoldering or chronic ATL (76 smoldering, 100 chronic) diagnosed between 2010 and 2011, as well data from the subsequent follow-up study on prognosis between 2016 and 2017. The proportions for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk iATL-PI groups at the time of ATL diagnosis were 44.7%, 48.7%, and 5% for smoldering ATL; 6.3%, 71.9%, and 21.9% for favorable chronic ATL; and 5.9%, 27.9%, and 66.2% for unfavorable chronic ATL, respectively. The survival of patients with smoldering or chronic ATL as a whole was significantly stratified according to the three iATL-PI groups. Most patients with unfavorable chronic ATL in the low iATL-PI risk group had indolent clinical courses. Our results showed that iATL may become a useful tool to predict the prognosis of smoldering and chronic ATL, which have diverse clinical courses.

Efficacy of Intravenous Itraconazole Versus Liposomal Amphotericin B as Empirical Antifungal Therapy in Hematological Malignancy with Persistent Fever and Neutropenia: Study Protocol for a Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized Non-inferiority Trial.

Febrile neutropenia, a serious complication that can occur during the treatment of hematological malignancies, can sometimes be fatal owing to fungal infection. Prospective randomized trials indicated the utility of liposomal amphotericin B or caspofungin as an empirical antifungal therapy. Itraconazole, a broad-spectrum tri azole antifungal agent, is poorly absorbed in the intestines after oral absorption and makes it difficult to achieve a stable serum drug concentration. Therefore, an intravenous formulation might offer a potentially safer and more effective alternative. To compare the efficacy and safety of empirical antifungal therapy, patients will be randomly assigned to either the liposomal amphotericin B 3.0 mg/kg once daily group or the intravenous itraconazole 200 mg dose group with five stratification factors (disease risk, previous antifungal prophylaxis, age, sex, and institute). The primary endpoint will be overall favorable response, comprising five secondary endpoints: successful treatment of baseline infection by the end of the treatment; absence of breakthrough infection; no discontinuation of the antifungal treatment due to drug-related toxicity; fever resolution during neutropenia; and 7-day survival after termination of the antifungal treatment. The target sample size of 850 subjects is sufficient to prove the non inferiority of itraconazole compared with liposomal amphotericin B, with a non-inferiority margin of 10%, one sided significance level of 5%, and power of 90%.

Phase I studies of darinaparsin in patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma: a pooled analysis of two phase I studies conducted in Japan and Korea.

OBJECTIVE: Two phase I studies of darinaparsin including Japanese and Korean patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma were performed to evaluate its safety (primary purpose), efficacy and pharmacokinetic profile (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01435863 and NCT01689220). METHODS: Patients received intravenous darinaparsin for 5 consecutive days at 200 mg/m2/day in 4-week cycles, 300 mg/m2/day in 4-week cycles or 300 mg/m2/day in 3-week cycles. RESULTS: Seventeen Japanese and 6 Korean patients were enrolled and treated. Drug-related adverse events developed in 18 patients (78%). Dose-limiting toxicity, grade 3 hepatic dysfunction, was reported on Day 15 of cycle 1 in 1 Japanese patient who received 300 mg/m2/day. The most common drug-related, grade ≥ 3 adverse events were lymphopenia (9%), neutropenia (9%) and thrombocytopenia (9%). No deaths occurred. In 14 evaluable patients, 1 and 3 patients had complete response and partial response, respectively. The plasma concentration-time profiles of arsenic, a surrogate marker for darinaparsin, were similar between Japanese and Korean patients. No significant difference was found in its pharmacokinetic profile. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate the good tolerability and potential efficacy of darinaparsin in patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Darinaparsin 300 mg/m2/day for 5 consecutive days in 3-week cycles is the recommended regimen for phase II study.

Prognosis of patients with adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma in Japan: A nationwide hospital-based study.

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is a mature T-cell neoplasm and is classified into four subtypes (acute, lymphoma, chronic, and smoldering) according to the Shimoyama classification, established in 1991 through several nationwide surveys based on the clinical diversity of patients diagnosed in 1983-1987 in Japan. Thereafter, no such studies have been conducted. Recently, we conducted a nationwide hospital survey using the method of the 1980s studies, collected baseline data on 996 ATL patients diagnosed in 2010-2011 from 126 hospitals, and reported their unique epidemiological characteristics. Here, we report the follow-up results of registered ATL patients with the goal of evaluating current prognoses and treatment modalities as of 2016-2017. Of 770 evaluable patients, 391 (50.8%) had acute-type, 192 (24.9%) had lymphoma-type, 106 (13.8%) had chronic-type, and 81 (10.5%) had smoldering-type ATL. The initial therapy regimens used for acute/lymphoma-type ATL were vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and prednisone, followed by doxorubicin, ranimustine, and prednisone and then by vindesine, etoposide, carboplatin, and prednisone (VCAP-AMP-VECP)-like in 38.5/41.7% and cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP)-like in 14.6/13.7% of patients. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was used to treat 15.9/10.4% of acute/lymphoma-type ATL patients. The 4-year survival rates (the median survival time, days) for acute-, lymphoma-, unfavorable chronic-, favorable chronic-, and smoldering-type ATL were 16.8% (252), 19.6% (305), 26.6% (572), 62.1% (1937), and 59.8% (1851), respectively. The 4-year survival rates for acute- and lymphoma-type ATL improved compared with those reported in 1991, but those for chronic- and smoldering-type ATL were not. Further efforts are warranted to develop more efficient therapeutic strategies to improve the prognosis of ATL in Japan.

Efficacy and Safety of the Modified EPOCH Regimen (Etoposide, Vincristine, Doxorubicin, Carboplatin, and Prednisolone) for Adult T-cell Leukemia/Lymphoma: A Multicenter Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: We retrospectively analyzed patients with untreated aggressive adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma who received the modified EPOCH (mEPOCH) regimen. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients received up to 6 mEPOCH cycles. Etoposide (50 mg/m2/day), doxorubicin (10 mg/m2/day), and vincristine (0.4 mg/m2/day) were each given as a continuous 96-hour infusion on days 1 to 4. Prednisolone (40 mg/m2/day) was given intravenously or orally on days 1 to 4 and then tapered and stopped on day 7, and carboplatin (dose calculated for each patient individually using Calvert's formula according to a target under the curve of 3 mg/mL/min) was given as a 2-hour intravenous infusion on day 6. RESULTS: In 103 patients, overall response rate and complete response rate were 58% and 25%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 8.9 months, the median survival time was 9.8 months (95% confidence interval, 7.2-13.9 months). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4.2 months (95% confidence interval, 3.4-5.7 months). Patients who completed ≥ 4 cycles experienced significantly better overall survival and PFS compared with those who completed < 4 cycles. Twenty-eight patients underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation after mEPOCH and demonstrated significantly prolonged overall survival and PFS compared with those who did not undergo transplantation. CONCLUSION: The mEPOCH regimen is effective with tolerable adverse effects and may be an alternative treatment option for adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

Carfilzomib monotherapy in Japanese patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma: A phase 1/2 study.

This multicenter, open-label phase 1/2 study evaluated single-agent carfilzomib in 50 heavily pretreated Japanese patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (median of five prior treatments). In phase 1, patients were dosed at three levels: 15, 20, or 20/27 mg/m2 . Maximum tolerated dosage was not reached at the tolerability evaluation. Patients in phase 2 were treated with 20/27 mg/m2 carfilzomib. Median duration of exposure to carfilzomib in the 20/27 mg/m2 group at this final analysis was 4.7 months (range: 0.3-39.4). Overall response rate in the 20/27 mg/m2 group, primary endpoint of the study, was 22.5% (n = 9) (95% confidence interval, 12.3-37.5) with 2.5% (n = 1) stringent complete response. Median progression-free survival and overall survival in the 20/27 mg/m2 group were 5.1 months (95% CI, 2.8-13.6) and 22.9 months (95% CI, 14.1-not estimable), respectively. Frequently occurring grade ≥3 adverse events in the 20/27 mg/m2 group included lymphopenia (72.5%), neutropenia (40.0%), and leukopenia (32.5%). Giving long-term carfilzomib monotherapy led to long-term overall survival for heavily pretreated multiple myeloma patients with a favorable safety profile. Carfilzomib monotherapy can be a good option for heavily pretreated multiple myeloma patients.

The outcome and characteristics of patients with relapsed adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Treatment options for patients with adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) who have relapsed disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) are limited. To clarify which patients with ATLL are likely to benefit from these treatment options and to define patient populations for novel treatments, we performed a nationwide retrospective analysis of 252 Japanese patients who had relapsed ATLL after allo-HSCT. Some long-term survivors remained after tapering and withdrawal of immunosuppressive agents. Thirty-six patients who received donor lymphocyte infusion had a better overall survival (OS) in comparison to those who did not [hazard ratio (HR), 0.63; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.43-0.93; P = .02], suggesting the efficacy of a graft-versus-ATLL (GvATLL) effect even after relapse. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that skin lesions at initial relapse of ATLL were independently associated with higher OS (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.22-0.74; P = .003), indicating that the skin is a susceptible target organ of GvATLL. This study suggested that enhancement of a GvATLL effect is a potential therapeutic option for relapsed disease after allo-HSCT. Further investigations of incorporation of immune-based approaches with new molecular target drugs into the therapeutic options of patients with ATLL before and after transplantation are warranted.

Outcomes after R-CHOP in patients with newly diagnosed advanced follicular lymphoma: a 10-year follow-up analysis of the JCOG0203 trial.

BACKGROUND: Standard treatment for untreated advanced-stage follicular lymphoma is rituximab plus chemotherapy. The incidence of histological transformation of follicular lymphoma has been reported only in heterogeneously treated populations and rarely with long-term follow-up. Additionally, the incidence of secondary malignancies after treatment, without high-dose therapy for follicular lymphoma, is largely unknown. The aim of our study was to assess progression-free survival, overall survival, incidence of secondary malignancies, and incidence of histological transformation in a 10-year follow-up analysis of the JCOG0203 trial. METHODS: In the phase 2-3 randomised JCOG0203 trial, previously untreated patients with stage III or IV indolent B-cell lymphoma, including grades 1-3 follicular lymphoma, from 44 hospital centres in Japan, were randomly assigned (1:1) by use of a minimisation method to receive six cycles of R-CHOP (rituximab [375 mg/m2], given on day 1, plus cyclophosphamide [750 mg/m2], doxorubicin [50 mg/m2], vincristine [1·4 mg/m2, capped at 2·0 mg] given intravenously on day 3, and oral prednisone [100 mg once daily on days 3-7]) every 3 weeks (R-CHOP-21) or every 2 weeks (enabled by mandatory granulocyte-colony stimulating factor administration once daily for 6 days, starting on day 8; R-CHOP-14) without rituximab maintenance. Age, bulky disease (nodal or extranodal mass ≥10 cm in diameter on CT), and institution were used as adjustment factors. Investigators enrolled participants, and assignment to trial groups was done with a computer-assisted randomisation allocation sequence that took place centrally at the Japan Clinical Oncology Group Data Center, without the intervention of investigators. Interventions were not masked for patients or investigators. Data were collected 10 years after enrolment of the last patient. The primary endpoint of the phase 3 part of the study was progression-free survival, and the primary endpoint of the phase 2 part of the study was the proportion of patients who achieved a complete response. Accrual was 4·5 years, and follow-up was 3 years after registration was closed. Data were updated on the cutoff date of Feb 28, 2017. Intention-to-treat analyses (ie, progression-free survival, overall survival, and incidence of secondary malignancies) were predefined, to be done at 10 years after the last patient was enrolled. An additional analysis of the incidence of histological transformation was defined 15 years after the protocol, on May 8, 2017, in a supplementary analysis plan, and assessed at 10 years after the last patient was enrolled. Follow-up is ongoing. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00147121. FINDINGS: Between Sept 1, 2002, and Feb 28, 2007, 300 patients were enrolled, and 149 (50%) were assigned to the R-CHOP-21 group and 151 (50%) were assigned to the R-CHOP-14 group. After eligibility was assessed, one patient was excluded from the R-CHOP-21 group. 10-year progression-free survival was not different between groups (R-CHOP-21 33%, 95% CI 25-41; R-CHOP-14 39%, 31-47; hazard ratio 0·89, 95% CI 0·67-1·17). In 248 patients with grade 1-3a follicular lymphoma, progression-free survival was 39% (33-45) at 8 years and 36% (30-42) at 10 years. The cumulative incidence of histological transformation was 3·2% (95% CI 1·5-6·0) at 5 years, 8·5% (5·4-12·4) at 8 years, and 9·3% (6·1-13·4) at 10 years after enrolment. At 10 years, the cumulative incidence of secondary malignancies was 8·1% (5·1-12·0) and the cumulative incidence of haematological secondary malignancies was 2·9% (1·3-5·5). INTERPRETATION: R-CHOP is a viable option for first-line treatment in patients with newly diagnosed advanced follicular lymphoma. Clinicians choosing a first-line treatment for patients with follicular lymphoma should be cautious of secondary malignancies caused by immunochemotherapy and severe complications of infectious diseases in the long-term follow-up-both of which could lead to death. FUNDING: National Cancer Center and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan.

R-High-CHOP/CHASER/LEED with autologous stem cell transplantation in newly diagnosed mantle cell lymphoma: JCOG0406 STUDY.

Although induction immunochemotherapy including high-dose cytarabine and rituximab followed by high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is recommended for younger patients (≤65 years old) with untreated mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), no standard induction and HDC regimen has been established. We conducted a phase II study of induction immunochemotherapy of R-High-CHOP/CHASER followed by HDC of LEED with ASCT in younger patients with untreated advanced MCL. Eligibility criteria included untreated MCL, stage II bulky to IV, and age 20-65 years. Patients received 1 cycle of R-High-CHOP followed by 3 cycles of CHASER every 3 weeks. Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) were harvested during CHASER. LEED with ASCT was delivered to patients who responded to R-High-CHOP/CHASER. Primary endpoint was 2-year progression-free survival (PFS). From June 2008 to June 2012, 45 patients (median age 59 years; range 38-65 years) were enrolled. PBSC were successfully harvested from 36 of 43 patients. Thirty-five patients completed ASCT. Two-year PFS was 77% (80% CI 68-84), which met the primary endpoint. Five-year PFS and overall survival were 52% (95% CI 34-68%) and 71% (95% CI 51-84%), respectively. Overall response and complete response rates after induction immunochemotherapy were 96% and 82%, respectively. The most common grade 4 toxicities were hematological. In younger patients with untreated MCL, R-High-CHOP/CHASER/LEED with ASCT showed high efficacy and acceptable toxicity, and it can now be considered a standard treatment option.

Final 3-year Results of the Dasatinib Discontinuation Trial in Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Who Received Dasatinib as a Second-line Treatment.

INTRODUCTION: We previously reported an interim analysis of the DADI (dasatinib discontinuation) trial. The results showed that 48% of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in the chronic phase who maintained a deep molecular response (DMR) for ≥ 1 year could discontinue second- or subsequent-line dasatinib treatment safely at a median follow-up of 20 months. However, the results from longer follow-up periods would be much more useful from a clinical perspective. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The DADI trial was a prospective, multicenter trial conducted in Japan. After confirming a stable DMR for ≥ 1 year, dasatinib treatment subsequent to imatinib or nilotinib was discontinued. After discontinuation, the loss of DMR (even of 1 point) was defined as stringent molecular relapse, thereby triggering therapy resumption. The predictive factors of treatment-free remission (TFR) were analyzed. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 44.0 months (interquartile range, 40.5-48.0 months). The estimated overall TFR rate at 36 months was 44.4% (95% confidence interval, 32.0%-56.2%). Only 2 patients developed a molecular relapse after the 1-year cutoff point. The presence of imatinib resistance was a significant risk factor for molecular relapse. Moreover, high natural killer cell and low γδ+ T-cell and CD4+ regulatory T-cell (CD25+CD127low) counts before discontinuation correlated significantly with successful therapy discontinuation. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that discontinuation of second- or subsequent-line dasatinib after a sustained DMR of ≥ 1 year is feasible, especially for patients with no history of imatinib resistance. In addition, the natural killer cell count was associated with the TFR.

Epidemiological and clinical features of adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma in Japan, 2010-2011: A nationwide survey.

Adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL) is a mature T-cell malignancy associated with human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection. Japan is the most endemic country for HTLV-1 and ATL in the world. Recent nationwide studies of Japanese blood donors reported that HTLV-1 carriers spread from endemic areas to non-endemic areas. Therefore, the latest information on nationwide epidemiological and clinical data for ATL is necessary to guide clinical practice. We undertook a multicenter, hospital-based survey of newly diagnosed ATL patients from 2010 to 2011. A total of 996 patients with ATL were registered from 126 hospitals across Japan. Of those, 922 (487 men and 435 women) were included in the analysis. The median age at diagnosis was 68 years (interquartile range, 60-75 years). Overall, 67.2% of ATL was diagnosed in the Kyushu-Okinawa area. The most common subtype was acute (49.5%), followed by lymphoma (25.7%), chronic (14.2%), and smoldering (10.6%). Lymphoma type was more prevalent in men (60%), whereas chronic was more prevalent in women (60%). Half of patients with lymphoma type were aged over 70 years, whereas one-third of patients with the chronic type were aged under 60 years. All of these characteristics were different from those of the previous nationwide surveys in the 1980s and 1990s. This survey clarified that half of current patients with ATL are aged over 68 years who were unable to receive intensive cytotoxic therapies. New less toxic agents for aged patients and further strategies to prevent the development of ATL from HTLV-1 carrier status are needed.

A specific mode of microsatellite instability is a crucial biomarker in adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma patients.

PURPOSE: Microsatellite instability (MSI) has been a long-standing biomarker candidate for drug resistance in tumour cells. Despite numerous clinical studies, the data in the literature are not conclusive. The complexity of the MSI phenomenon in some malignancies may, at least partly, account for the discrepancy. In addition, methodological problems are also pointed out in the assay techniques. We previously established a unique fluorescent technique in which the major methodological problems in conventional assays are overcome. Application of this technique has revealed two distinct modes of microsatellite alterations, i.e. Type A and Type B. More importantly, we demonstrated that Type A MSI is the direct consequence of defective DNA mismatch repair (MMR) that causes cellular resistance against antineoplastic agents. METHOD: We first applied this technique to adult T-cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATLL). RESULTS: The MSI phenomenon was indeed observed in ATLLs (4/20, 20%). Intriguingly, the observed microsatellite alterations were invariably Type A, which implies that the tumours were MMR-defective. Indeed, clinical outcomes of patients with these MSI+ tumours were significantly worse. Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed that Type A MSI is an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSION: These observations strongly suggest the possibility of Type A MSI as a prognostic and potentially predictive biomarker in ATLL.

Bendamustine plus rituximab for previously untreated patients with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma or mantle cell lymphoma: a multicenter Phase II clinical trial in Japan.

A Phase II, multicenter clinical trial of bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) regimen was conducted in previously untreated patients with high-tumor-burden indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) and previously untreated elderly patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in Japan. Bendamustine 90 mg/m2/day on days 1 and 2, as well as rituximab 375 mg/m2 on day 1 were administered intravenously up to six cycles. The primary endpoint was the complete response (CR) rate as assessed by the International Workshop Response Criteria (1999). Sixty-nine patients (59 with indolent B-NHL and 10 with MCL) were treated. The median number of delivered cycles was six (range 1-6). The CR rates were 67.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 54.4-79.4%] and 70.0% (95% CI 34.8-93.3%) for indolent B-NHL and MCL, respectively. Estimated progression-free survival at 30 months was 72.1% (95% CI 58.5-82.0%) in indolent B-NHL and was 67.5% (95% CI 29.1-88.2%) in MCL. Major grade 3/4 toxicities were hematologic and included lymphopenia (97%), CD4 lymphopenia (91%), neutropenia (86%), and leukopenia (83%). No treatment-related death was found. The BR regimen showed high efficacy as evidenced by the expected CR rate and durable response, as well as an acceptable safety profile for the study populations.

Japanese phase II study of rituximab maintenance for untreated indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma with high tumor burden.

Recent large-scale randomized clinical trials in Europe and the US demonstrated that maintenance therapy with rituximab significantly improved the progression-free survival (PFS) in indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) patients, especially those with follicular lymphoma (FL). However, rituximab maintenance has not been approved in Japan, because there are no clinical data supporting the benefit of rituximab maintenance in Japanese patients. Therefore, we conducted a single-arm, multicenter bridging study in previously untreated indolent B-NHL patients with high tumor burden. The primary endpoint was 4-year PFS and was expected to be 70 % based on previous studies. Sixty-two patients, including 55 FL patients, were enrolled and received induction therapy with CHOP combined with rituximab (R-CHOP). Fifty-eight patients responding to R-CHOP induction received rituximab at 375 mg/m2 every 8 weeks for 2 years as for the rituximab maintenance arm in the PRIMA study. A 4-year PFS of 69.8 % was obtained (95 % confidence interval 55.9-80.0 %). Rituximab maintenance was well tolerated and common adverse events were infections, neutropenia, and/or leukopenia that were manageable with conventional supportive care. No patients died. These data were compatible with the PRIMA data. R-CHOP induction followed by rituximab is useful in Japanese patients with untreated indolent B-NHL having high tumor burden. Clinical trial number UMIN000001191.

Efficacy of upfront high-dose chemotherapy plus rituximab followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for untreated high-intermediate-, and high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a multicenter prospective phase II study (JSCT-NHL04).

To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of upfront high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) and rituximab (R) followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT) in patients with newly diagnosed high-intermediate(HI)-, and high(H)-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), we conducted a multicenter prospective phase II trial. In 15-60-year-old patients with H- or HI-risk DLBCL, after three courses of (R-)CHOP14, high-dose etoposide was given prior to peripheral blood stem cell harvesting. After an additional three courses of (R-)CHOP14, auto-PBSCT was performed following HDCT. The primary endpoint of the study is progression-free survival (PFS) at 2 years after registration in eligible patients. The expected PFS and the threshold PFS were estimated to be 70 and 50 %, respectively. Among 40 eligible patients registered, 30 patients completed treatment. With a median observation period in surviving eligible patients of 63 months, the 2- and 4-year PFS after registration were 79.9 and 72.0 %, respectively. The 2- and 4-year overall survival (OS) were 92.5 and 84.6 %, respectively. In 30 patients who completed treatment, the 4-year PFS and OS after auto-PBSCT were 79.2 and 85.9 %, respectively. In conclusion, the results of our study suggest that upfront HDCT and auto-PBSCT combined with rituximab is highly effective as an initial treatment for HI-, and H-risk DLBCL.

Lenalidomide in relapsed adult T-cell leukaemia-lymphoma or peripheral T-cell lymphoma (ATLL-001): a phase 1, multicentre, dose-escalation study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with adult T-cell leukaemia-lymphoma have few treatment options after relapse and poor survival outcomes with current therapies. We aimed to determine the maximum tolerated dose of lenalidomide, an oral immunomodulator, in Japanese patients with relapsed adult T-cell leukaemia-lymphoma and other peripheral T-cell lymphomas. METHODS: In this phase 1 study, we enrolled patients aged 20 years or older with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-2, documented diagnosis of aggressive adult T-cell leukaemia-lymphoma or other peripheral T-cell lymphoma subtypes, and at least one previous antilymphoma therapy. Patients were sequentially assigned to lenalidomide 25 mg/day, days 1-21 of a 28-day cycle (cohort 1), 25 mg/day continuously (cohort 2), and 35 mg/day continuously (cohort 3) in a 3 + 3 design. The primary study endpoint was to identify the maximum tolerated dose of lenalidomide. Analyses were performed per protocol for efficacy and in the intent-to-treat patient population for safety. This completed trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01169298. FINDINGS: We enrolled 14 patients from six centres in Japan. Of 13 assessable patients (nine with adult T-cell leukaemia-lymphoma, four with other peripheral T-cell lymphomas) receiving lenalidomide, dose-limiting toxic effects were reported in three patients during cycle 1 (one grade 4 thrombocytopenia [cohort 2], one grade 3 QT prolongation on electrocardiogram [cohort 3], and one grade 3 fatigue and grade 4 thrombocytopenia [cohort 3]). The maximum tolerated dose was identified as lenalidomide 25 mg/day given continuously. The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events were neutropenia (eight [62%] patients), lymphopenia (seven [54%] patients), and thrombocytopenia (four [31%] patients); myelosuppression was similar in each cohort. Serious adverse events occurred in eight (62%) patients; thrombocytopenia, which occurred in three (23%) patients, was the only serious adverse event reported in more than one patient. INTERPRETATION: We were able to determine the dose and schedule for lenalidomide treatment in previously treated patients with aggressive, adult T-cell leukaemia-lymphoma. This dose will be used in a subsequent phase 2 study. FUNDING: Celgene Corporation.