Rituximab in patients with primary CNS lymphoma (HOVON 105/ALLG NHL 24): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 intergroup study.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis for primary CNS lymphoma has improved with the use of high-dose methotrexate-based chemotherapy, but patient outcomes remain poor. Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody that targets the CD20 cell surface protein, has substantial activity in systemic CD20-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, but its efficacy in primary CNS lymphoma is unknown and low penetration of the large rituximab molecule through the blood-brain barrier could limit its effect. We aimed to investigate the addition of rituximab to a high-dose methotrexate-based chemotherapy regimen in patients with newly diagnosed primary CNS lymphoma. METHODS: This intergroup, multicentre, open-label, randomised phase 3 study was done at 23 hospitals in the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand. Non-immunocompromised patients aged 18-70 years with newly diagnosed primary CNS lymphoma were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive methotrexate-based chemotherapy with or without intravenous rituximab. We used a web-based randomisation system with stratification by centre, age, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-WHO performance status, and a minimisation procedure. All group assignment was open label and neither investigators nor patients were masked to allocation. All patients were treated with two 28-day cycles of induction chemotherapy, consisting of intravenous methotrexate 3 g per m2 on days 1 and 15, intravenous carmustine 100 mg per m2 on day 4, intravenous teniposide 100 mg per m2 on days 2 and 3, and oral prednisone 60 mg per m2 on days 1-5, with (R-MBVP) or without (MBVP) intravenous rituximab 375 mg per m2 on days 0, 7, 14, and 21 in cycle one and days 0 and 14 in cycle two. Patients with response at the end of induction subsequently received high-dose cytarabine and, in patients aged 60 years or younger, low-dose whole-brain radiotherapy. The primary endpoint was event-free survival, with events defined as not reaching complete response or complete response unconfirmed at the end of treatment, or progression or death after response; analysis was adjusted for age and performance score. Patients were analysed on a modified intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with the Nederlands Trial Register, number NTR2427, and the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, number ACTRN12610000908033. The trial was closed on May 27, 2016, after achieving complete accrual, and follow-up is ongoing. FINDINGS: Between Aug 3, 2010, and May 27, 2016, we recruited 200 patients (109 men and 91 women; median age was 61 years [IQR 55-67]). We randomly assigned 100 patients to MBVP and 99 patients to R-MBVP. One patient was randomly assigned to the R-MBVP group but found to be ineligible because of an incorrect diagnosis and was excluded from all analyses. After a median follow-up of 32·9 months (IQR 23·9-51·5), 98 patients had had an event (51 in the MBVP group and 47 in the R-MBVP group), of whom 79 had died (41 in the MBVP group and 38 in the R-MBVP group). Event-free survival at 1 year was 49% (95% CI 39-58) in the MBVP group (no rituximab) and 52% (42-61) in the R-MBVP group (with rituximab; hazard ratio 1·00, 95% CI 0·70-1·43, p=0·99). Grade 3 or 4 adverse events occurred in 58 (58%) patients in the MBVP group and 63 (64%) patients in the R-MBVP group, with infections (24 [24%] patients receiving MBVP vs 21 [21%] patients receiving R-MBVP), haematological toxicity (15 [15%] vs 12 [12%]), and nervous system disorders (ten [10%] vs 15 [15%]) being the most common. Life-threatening or fatal serious adverse events occurred in 12 (12%) patients in the MBVP group and ten (10%) patients in the R-MBVP group, and five (5%) patients in the MBVP group and three (3%) in the R-MBVP group died from treatment-related causes. INTERPRETATION: We found no clear benefit of addition of rituximab to methotrexate, carmustine, teniposide, and prednisone chemotherapy in primary CNS lymphoma. Therefore, the results of this study do not support the use of rituximab as a component of standard treatment in primary CNS lymphoma. FUNDING: Roche, the Dutch Cancer Society, and Stichting STOPhersentumoren.

Treatment of secondary central nervous system lymphoma with intrathecal rituximab, high-dose methotrexate, and R-DHAP followed by autologous stem cell transplantation: results of the HOVON 80 phase 2 study.

The prognosis of central nervous system (CNS) relapse of systemic non-Hodgkin lymphoma is poor with 1-year survival historically at 0% to 20%. Aiming to improve these results, we performed a multicenter phase 2 study in patients with a CNS relapse, with or without concurrent systemic relapse. Treatment consisted of 2 cycles of R-DHAP alternating with high-dose methotrexate (MTX) and was combined with intrathecal rituximab. Responding patients received a third R-DHAP-MTX cycle followed by busulfan and cyclophosphamide myeloablative therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. In patients with persistent cerebrospinal fluid lymphoma after cycle 1, the intrathecal rituximab was replaced by intrathecal triple therapy, with MTX, cytarabine, and dexamethasone. Thirty-six patients were included. Eighteen had evidence of cerebrospinal fluid lymphoma, 24 had brain parenchymal disease, and 20 (56%) had concurrent systemic disease. The overall response rate after 2 R-DHAP-MTX was 53% (19/36), with 22% (8/36) complete remission. Fifteen patients (42%) underwent a transplant. One-year progression-free survival was 19% (95% confidence interval, 9-34): 25% in patients without and 15% in patients with systemic disease. One-year overall survival was 25% (95% confidence interval, 12-40). This treatment regimen did not result in a major improvement of outcome of secondary CNS lymphoma, especially when concurrent systemic disease was present. Registered in the Dutch trial register www.trialregister.nl, NTR1757; EudraCT number 2006-002141-37.

Neurocognitive function of lymphoma patients after treatment with chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy has been shown to cause brain changes and to compromise cognitive function in cancer survivors. Knowledge about this matter is of vital importance for good clinical practice and insights into neurological aging. However, most studies have been conducted among breast cancer patients. Less is known about the effects of chemotherapy on the cognitive function of lymphoma patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We studied patients with non-Hodgkin or Hodgkin lymphoma who had been treated with standard dose chemotherapy or with supplementary high dose chemotherapy when standard dose chemotherapy had been unsuccessful. Age- and sex-matched relatives and friends were invited to participate as control participants. All participants underwent a cognitive examination with a battery of validated neuropsychological tests. RESULTS: Matching of patients with control participants was found to be successful. Regression analysis did not reveal worse cognitive functioning of patients (N = 106) compared to matched controls (N = 53) on the overall group level (All Bonferroni-Holm corrected p-values >0.05). However, a subgroup of 16% of patients had deviant performance according to a chance-corrected criterion based on Ingraham and Aiken's probability curves, i.e. 1.5 standard deviations below the norm on three of 14 tests. Exploratory analyses showed that this subgroup of patients was lower educated and had lower estimated premorbid intelligence. CONCLUSION: Chemotherapy may compromise the function of the brain in a subgroup of lymphoma patients. We hypothesize protection of the brain by 'cognitive or brain reserve' as a possible explanation.

High-dose alkylating chemotherapy in BRCA-altered triple-negative breast cancer: the randomized phase III NeoTN trial.

Exploratory analyses of high-dose alkylating chemotherapy trials have suggested that BRCA1 or BRCA2-pathway altered (BRCA-altered) breast cancer might be particularly sensitive to this type of treatment. In this study, patients with BRCA-altered tumors who had received three initial courses of dose-dense doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (ddAC), were randomized between a fourth ddAC course followed by high-dose carboplatin-thiotepa-cyclophosphamide or conventional chemotherapy (initially ddAC only or ddAC-capecitabine/decetaxel [CD] depending on MRI response, after amendment ddAC-carboplatin/paclitaxel [CP] for everyone). The primary endpoint was the neoadjuvant response index (NRI). Secondary endpoints included recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). In total, 122 patients were randomized. No difference in NRI-score distribution (p = 0.41) was found. A statistically non-significant RFS difference was found (HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.23-1.25; p = 0.15). Exploratory RFS analyses showed benefit in stage III (n = 35; HR 0.16; 95% CI 0.03-0.75), but not stage II (n = 86; HR 1.00; 95% CI 0.30-3.30) patients. For stage III, 4-year RFS was 46% (95% CI 24-87%), 71% (95% CI 48-100%) and 88% (95% CI 74-100%), for ddAC/ddAC-CD, ddAC-CP and high-dose chemotherapy, respectively. No significant differences were found between high-dose and conventional chemotherapy in stage II-III, triple-negative, BRCA-altered breast cancer patients. Further research is needed to establish if there are patients with stage III, triple negative BRCA-altered breast cancer for whom outcomes can be improved with high-dose alkylating chemotherapy or whether the current standard neoadjuvant therapy including carboplatin and an immune checkpoint inhibitor is sufficient. Trial Registration: NCT01057069.

Myeloablative allogeneic versus autologous stem cell transplantation in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in first remission: a prospective sibling donor versus no-donor comparison.

While commonly accepted in poor-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is still disputed in adult patients with standard-risk ALL. We evaluated outcome of patients with ALL in first complete remission (CR1), according to a sibling donor versus no-donor comparison. Eligible patients (433) were entered in 2 consecutive, prospective studies, of whom 288 (67%) were younger than 55 years, in CR1, and eligible to receive consolidation by either an autologous SCT or an allo-SCT. Allo-SCT was performed in 91 of 96 patients with a compatible sibling donor. Cumulative incidences of relapse at 5 years were, respectively, 24 and 55% for patients with a donor versus those without a donor (hazard ratio [HR], 0.37; 0.23-0.60; P < .001). Nonrelapse mortality estimated 16% (+/- 4) at 5 years after allo-SCT. As a result, disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 years was significantly better in the donor group: 60 versus 42% in the no-donor group (HR: 0.60; 0.41-0.89; P = .01). After risk-group analysis, improved outcome was more pronounced in standard-risk patients with a donor, who experienced an overall survival of 69% at 5 years (P = .05). In conclusion, standard-risk ALL patients with a sibling donor may show favorable survival following SCT, due to both a strong reduction of relapse and a modest nonrelapse mortality. This trial is registered with http://www.trialregister.nl under trial ID NTR228.

Chemotherapy plus involved-field radiation in early-stage Hodgkin's disease.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of early-stage Hodgkin's disease is usually tailored in line with prognostic factors that allow for reductions in the amount of chemotherapy and extent of radiotherapy required for a possible cure. METHODS: From 1993 to 1999, we identified 1538 patients (age, 15 to 70 years) who had untreated stage I or II supradiaphragmatic Hodgkin's disease with favorable prognostic features (the H8-F trial) or unfavorable features (the H8-U trial). In the H8-F trial, we compared three cycles of mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (MOPP) combined with doxorubicin, bleomycin, and vinblastine (ABV) plus involved-field radiotherapy with subtotal nodal radiotherapy alone (reference group). In the H8-U trial, we compared three regimens: six cycles of MOPP-ABV plus involved-field radiotherapy (reference group), four cycles of MOPP-ABV plus involved-field radiotherapy, and four cycles of MOPP-ABV plus subtotal nodal radiotherapy. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 92 months. In the H8-F trial, the estimated 5-year event-free survival rate was significantly higher after three cycles of MOPP-ABV plus involved-field radiotherapy than after subtotal nodal radiotherapy alone (98% vs. 74%, P<0.001). The 10-year overall survival estimates were 97% and 92%, respectively (P=0.001). In the H8-U trial, the estimated 5-year event-free survival rates were similar in the three treatment groups: 84% after six cycles of MOPP-ABV plus involved-field radiotherapy, 88% after four cycles of MOPP-ABV plus involved-field radiotherapy, and 87% after four cycles of MOPP-ABV plus subtotal nodal radiotherapy. The 10-year overall survival estimates were 88%, 85%, and 84%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Chemotherapy plus involved-field radiotherapy should be the standard treatment for Hodgkin's disease with favorable prognostic features. In patients with unfavorable features, four courses of chemotherapy plus involved-field radiotherapy should be the standard treatment. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00379041 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).

Poor outcomes of chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in non-Japanese adult patients.

Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection manifests as a combination of persistent infectious mononucleosis-like symptoms and high viral load in apparently immunocompetent patients. It is closely related to Epstein-Barr virus-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. These 2 abnormal Epstein-Barr virus-associated diseases are seldom reported in individuals other than Japanese children and adolescents. We report a series of 2 adult non-Japanese patients with fatal chronic active Epstein-Barr virus and 1 adult non-Japanese patient with Epstein-Barr virus hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and discuss its pathogenesis and treatment options.

Impact of hyperglycemia on the efficacy of chemotherapy-A systematic review of preclinical studies.

BACKGROUND: Antineoplastic agents can provoke hyperglycemia in cancer patients with and without diabetes mellitus. We systematically reviewed the impact of hyperglycemia on the efficacy of chemotherapy. METHODS: MEDLINE was searched for preclinical intervention studies which compared chemotherapy response in hyperglycemic and euglycemic conditions. RESULTS: Thirteen preclinical studies, including 23 cell lines and 2 animal experiments were identified. In 14 cell lines and 2 animal studies, chemotherapy response was lower in a hyperglycemic (>15mmol/L) compared to a euglycemic environment (5mmol/L). The response was similar in 4 cell lines. In the remaining 5 cell lines, the hyperglycemic environment potentiated chemotherapy efficacy. CONCLUSION: Hyperglycemia attenuated the antiproliferative effect of chemotherapy in preclinical experiments, but the results are inconsistent. Whether hyperglycemia influences efficacy of chemotherapy in patients needs to be explored.

Health-related physical fitness in patients with multiple myeloma or lymphoma recently treated with autologous stem cell transplantation.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine health-related physical fitness and its demographic and clinical correlates in patients recently treated with autologous stem cell transplantation. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: In 109 patients (multiple myeloma: n=58, lymphoma: n=51, median age: 55, range: 19-67 years) maximal exercise testing was conducted to assess cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak). Upper and lower extremity muscle strength were assessed with hand grip- and fixed dynamometry and body composition with whole body DXA scans. In addition, we assessed the patients' demographic and clinical characteristics and examined whether they were associated with health-related physical fitness. RESULTS: VO2peak was 21.7 (5.5) mL/min/kg, 26% below reference values. Muscle strength was also reduced when compared with reference values (upper extremity: 90%, lower extremity: 80%) and 73% of our population was classified as overweight or obese. Being female and being older were significantly associated with a lower cardiorespiratory fitness (gender: ß=-2.7, 95%CI=-4.6;-0.7mL/min/kg; age: ß=-0.2, 95%CI=-0.3;-0.1mL/min/kg), upper (gender: ß=-17.7, 95%CI=-20.1;-15.3kg; age: ß=-0.2, 95%CI=-0.3;-0.1kg) and lower (gender: ß=-58.3, 95%CI=-73.5;- 43.0Nm; age: ß=-1.7, 95%CI=-2.4;-1.1Nm) extremity muscle strength. Patients who were non-smoking (ß=-5.3, 95%CI=-8.7;-1.9), women (ß=7.2, 95%CI=4.8;9.6) and diagnosed with multiple myeloma (ß=4.6, 95%CI=2.2;6.9) had a higher percentage body fat. CONCLUSIONS: The physical fitness deficits in this population indicate the need for targeted interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands Trial Register - NTR2341.

Risk of second cancer after treatment of aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; an EORTC cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Second cancer has been associated with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) treatment, but few studies have addressed this issue considering specific treatments. DESIGN AND METHODS: We estimated risk by standardized incidence ratios (SIR) and absolute excess risk (AER) based on general population rates (European Network of Cancer Registries) in 748 patients (aged 15-82 years) treated for aggressive NHL in four successive EORTC (European Organization for Research on Treatment of Cancer) trials. RESULTS: All patients received fully-dosed CHOP-like chemotherapy, 65% received involved-field radiotherapy and 14% high-dose treatment. Half of the patients needed salvage treatment and 37% were followed for more than 10 years. The cause of death was NHL in 79% of the patients; 4% died of second cancer (median survival 8.9 (0.8- 20.5) years). Cumulative incidences (death from any cause being a competing event) were 5% and 11% for solid cancer and 1% and 3% for acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome at 10 and 15 years, respectively. Cancer risk appeared age-related: in young patients high risks were observed for leukemia (SIR 16.7,95% CI 1.4-93.1,AER 5.0), Hodgkin's lymphoma (SIR 60.1,95% CI 12.4-175.2, AER 15.7), colorectal cancer (SIR 12.5, 95% CI 2.6-36.5, AER 14.7) and lung cancer (SIR 15.4; 95% CI 4.2-39.4, AER 19.8), while risk in patients older than 45 years matched than that in the normal population. The risk of cancer was significantly raised by smoking and salvage treatment. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: Half of the patients die of aggressive NHL before living long enough to experience second cancer. Only young patients have a high risk of second cancer during follow-up beyond 10 years.

Late non-neoplastic events in patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in four randomized European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer trials.

BACKGROUND: A significant proportion of patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) become long-term survivors. A European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer database of patients with aggressive NHL, consistently treated with doxorubicin-based chemotherapy since 1980, afforded the possibility to explore late complications in this patient group. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Of 951 randomized patients, complete data on late complications could be collected in 757 patients who were alive > or = 2 years after the start of therapy and were seen at yearly follow-ups (median follow-up, 9.4 years; range, 2.1-20.4 years). We computed cumulative incidences of late events in a competing risk model by Gray (death being the competing event) to avoid bias caused by the high percentage of NHL-related deaths. Risk factors were estimated in a Cox proportional-hazards model and also evaluated with the Gray test. RESULTS: Late non-neoplastic events were found in 46% of the 757 patients. At 15 years, the cumulative incidences of cardiac disease and infertility were 20% and 29%, respectively. Renal insufficiency (11%), acquired hypertension (8%), and disabling neuropathy (13%) were also frequent. Salvage treatment was a risk factor in most cases. Smoking, age > 50 years during treatment, and preexistent hypertension were the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease. In-field radiation therapy (RT) was related to hypothyroidism, lung fibrosis, hypertension, gastrointestinal toxicity, and renal insufficiency but not to cardiovascular events. Autologous stem cell transplantation and cisplatin- and MOPP (mechlorethamine/vincristine/procarbazine/prednisone)-containing therapies were associated with infertility and renal insufficiency. CONCLUSION: Altogether, almost half the patients with aggressive NHL experienced events addressed as late non-neoplastic complications. Salvage therapy, smoking, age > 50 years, and in-field RT are important risk factors.

[Recurrent upper respiratory tract infections during and after rituximab therapy]. / Recidiverende luchtweginfecties tijdens en na rituximab.

Rituximab maintenance therapy is indicated for the treatment of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) who responded to induction therapy. More than 10% of patients will develop rituximab-induced upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). These infections are usually mild in patients receiving first-line or second-line treatment. Heavily pretreated patients sometimes undergo additional rituximab maintenance therapy. We describe three female patients aged 53, 43 and 42 years who were successfully treated with rituximab maintenance therapy after chemotherapy for three or more recurrences of NHL. These patients developed more serious recurrent URTIs due to rituximab-induced long-term hypogammaglobulinaemia. In one patient, serum IgG levels continued to decline for four years after rituximab therapy. Long-term immunoglobulin substitution was needed to treat these patients. Physicians should be aware that URTIs may develop in heavily pretreated patients even years after rituximab maintenance therapy and substitution with immunoglobulin may be warranted.

Chemotherapy as primary treatment for brain metastases from breast cancer: analysis of 115 one-year survivors.

PURPOSE: Given the potential toxicity of whole brain radiotherapy, we introduced systemic therapy as possible primary treatment for brain metastases (BM) from breast cancer. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of this therapeutic approach. METHODS: Review of 115 breast cancer patients treated for BM with at least 1 year of follow-up. RESULTS: Patients with single BM without extracranial disease were usually treated with surgery, patients with multiple BM and controlled extracranial disease usually with RT, and those with progressive extracranial disease usually with systemic therapy as primary treatment for BM. Primary treatment for BM was surgery in 30 patients, RT in 26 patients, RT combined with systemic therapy in 33 patients, and systemic therapy as single treatment in 27 patients (chemotherapy n = 20; hormonal therapy n = 7). Response rate to surgery was 100 %, to RT 85 %, to RT+systemic therapy 87 %, to chemotherapy 70 %, and to hormonal therapy 14 %. Duration of neurological response and of extracranial response to chemotherapy as single treatment was similar (8 and 7 months, respectively). Patients with single BM and patients without extracranial disease had a better survival but the difference was not significant. CONCLUSION: Chemotherapy as single treatment for BM from breast cancer is feasible and should not be restricted to salvage treatment.

Dose intensity of chemotherapy in patients with relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma.

PURPOSE: High-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation (PBSCT) has become the standard treatment for patients with relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). The intensity of treatment needed is unclear. This European intergroup study evaluated the impact of sequential high-dose chemotherapy (SHDCT) before myeloablative therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with histologically confirmed, relapsed HL were treated with two cycles of dexamethasone, cytarabine, and cisplatin, and those without disease progression were randomly assigned. In the standard arm (A), patients received myeloablative therapy with carmustine, BEAM (carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan) followed by PBSCT. Patients in the experimental arm (B) also received sequential cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and etoposide in high-doses before BEAM. Freedom from treatment failure (FFTF) was the primary end point. Remission rates, overall survival (OS), and toxicity of treatment were secondary end points. RESULTS: From a total of 284 patients included, 241 responding patients were randomly assigned after two cycles of dexamethasone, cytarabine, and cisplatinum. Patients treated in arm B had longer treatment duration and experienced more toxicity and protocol violations (P < .05). Mortality was similar in both arms (20% and 18%). With a median observation time of 42 months, there was no significant difference in terms of FFTF (P = .56) and OS (P = .82) between arms. FFTF at 3 years was 62% (95% CI, 56% to 68%) and OS was 80% (95% CI, 75% to 85%). Patients with stage IV, early relapse, multiple relapse, anemia, or B symptoms had a higher risk of recurrence (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional high-dose chemotherapy, additional SHDCT is associated with more adverse effects and does not improve the prognosis of patients with relapsed HL.

A simple and safe method for 131I radiolabeling of rituximab for myeloablative high-dose radioimmunotherapy.

The aim of this study was to develop a safe and simple radiolabeling and purification procedure for high-dose (131)I-rituximab for treatment of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. As the starting point, the conventional Iodogen-coated vial method was applied. After the iodogen-coated monoclonal antibody (mAb) method, a labeling method involving much lower amounts of iodogen was assessed. Subsequently, (131)I-rituximab was purified with a tangential flow filtration system. Quality control of the final product was performed by using size-exclusion chromatography with ultraviolet detection and by instant high-performance thin-layer chromatography. Immunoreactivity was determined by using a cell-binding assay. During the labeling procedure, radiation exposure was monitored. The coated vial method resulted in a low radiation exposure, but immunoreactivity was highly compromised (37%). Also, formation of aggregates was observed. The maximal observed effective dose was 18 microSv, finger thermoluminescence dosemeters revealed a hand-dose measurement of 0.8 mSv. The second method resulted in an immunoreactivity of 70%. Radiochemical purity was >97% after purification. The maximal measured effective dose was 31 microSv, and detected exposure to the hands was 1.9 mSv. We have developed a simple labeling technique for the preparation of high-dose (131)I-rituximab. The method offers a high purity and retained immunoreactivity with minimal radiation exposure for involved personnel.

Gene-expression and immunohistochemical study of specific T-cell subsets and accessory cell types in the transformation and prognosis of follicular lymphoma.

PURPOSE: Despite the generally favorable clinical course in follicular lymphoma (FL), a minority of patients have a poor prognosis-with death within 3 years of diagnosis-most often due to transformation to aggressive disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study, we analyzed the potential of predicting early transformation on the basis of gene expression and immunologic parameters in FL biopsy samples taken at diagnosis. RESULTS: At the gene-expression level, FL is a highly uniform disease at the time of diagnosis, precluding the detection of sufficiently validated prognostic gene-expression profiles suitable for a clinical setting. Combinations of differentially expressed genes indicate that immunologic mechanisms play a differential role in the risk of early transformation. Using immunohistochemistry for specific cell populations, the spatial distribution to neoplastic follicles and the activation of CD4-positive T-helper cells (P = .002) and specifically T-helper 1 (P = .004) were shown to be highly discriminatory to predict early transformation. A role for functional modulation of follicular dendritic cells could also be supported (P = .04). Other cell populations, including CD68-positive macrophages and regulatory T cells, were not differentially present. CONCLUSION: These results support the identification of FL as an immunologically functional disease in which an interaction of the tumor cells and the functional composition of the microenvironment determines the clinical behavior.

Long-term risk of cardiovascular disease after treatment for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Cardiovascular disease frequently occurs after lymphoma therapy, but it is common in the general population too. Therefore, risk estimation requires comparison to population-based rates. We calculated risk by standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and absolute excess risks (AERs) per 10,000 person-years based on general population rates (Continuous Morbidity Registry Nijmegen) in 476 (Dutch and Belgian) patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) treated with at least 6 cycles of doxorubicin-based chemotherapy in 4 European Organization for Research on Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) trials (1980-1999). Cumulative incidence of cardiovascular disease, estimated in a competing risk model, was 12% at 5 years and 22% at 10 years (median follow-up, 8.4 years). Risk of chronic heart failure appeared markedly increased (SIR, 5.4; 95% CI, 4.1-6.9) with an AER of 208 excess cases per 10 000 person-years, whereas risk of coronary artery disease matched the general population (SIR, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.8-1.8; AER, 8 per 10 000 person-years). Risk of stroke was raised (SIR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1-2.4; AER, 15 per 10 000 person-years), especially after additional radiotherapy (> 40 Gy). Preexisting hypertension, NHL at young age, and salvage treatment increased risk of all cardiovascular events; the effect of radiotherapy was dose dependent. In conclusion, patients are at long-term high risk of chronic heart failure after NHL treatment and need therefore life-long monitoring. In contrast, risk of coronary artery disease appeared more age dependent than treatment related.

Rituximab treatment results in impaired secondary humoral immune responsiveness.

In lymphoma patients, treatment with chimeric CD20 monoclonal antibodies (rituximab) results in a depletion of normal and malignant B cells, persisting for 6 to 9 months. This B-cell depletion leads neither to a decrease in immunoglobulin levels nor an increase in the number of infectious complications. However, the effect of rituximab treatment on the immune responsiveness is unknown. In 11 patients with relapsed, low-grade lymphoma, we investigated the effect of rituximab treatment on the humoral immune response to 2 primary antigens and 2 recall antigens. After rituximab treatment, the humoral immune response to the recall antigens was significantly decreased when compared with the response before treatment. Already before rituximab treatment, none of these patients was able to mount a response to the primary antigens. These findings are relevant regarding the feasibility of rituximab in maintenance treatment and may also offer a rationale for the treatment of antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases with rituximab.

Overall and event-free survival are not improved by the use of myeloablative therapy following intensified chemotherapy in previously untreated patients with multiple myeloma: a prospective randomized phase 3 study.

We compared the efficacy of intensified chemotherapy followed by myeloablative therapy and autologous stem cell rescue with intensified chemotherapy alone in patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma. There were 261 eligible patients younger than 66 years with stage II/III multiple myeloma who were randomized after remission induction therapy with vincristine, adriamycin, dexamethasone (VAD) to receive intensified chemotherapy, that is, melphalan 140 mg/m(2) administered intravenously in 2 doses of 70 mg/m(2) (intermediate-dose melphalan [IDM]) without stem cell rescue (n = 129) or the same regimen followed by myeloablative therapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, total body irradiation, and autologous stem cell reinfusion (n = 132). Interferon-alpha-2a was given as maintenance. Of the eligible patients, 79% received both cycles of IDM and 79% of allocated patients actually received myeloablative treatment. The response rate (complete remission [CR] plus partial remission [PR]) was 88% in the intensified chemotherapy group versus 95% in the myeloablative treatment group. CR was significantly higher after myeloablative therapy (13% versus 29%; P =.002). With a median follow-up of 33 months (range, 8-65 months), the event-free survival (EFS) was not different between the treatments (median 21 months versus 22 months; P =.28). Time to progression (TTP) was significantly longer after myeloablative treatment (25 months versus 31 months; P =.04). The overall survival (OS) was not different (50 months versus 47 months; P =.41). Intensified chemotherapy followed by myeloablative therapy as first-line treatment for multiple myeloma resulted in a higher CR and a longer TTP when compared with intensified chemotherapy alone. However, it did not result in a better EFS and OS.