Real-world treatments and clinical outcomes in unfit AML patients receiving first-line treatment or best supportive care in Italy (CURRENT study).

Real-world data on treatment patterns and outcomes of patients with acute myeloid leukemia unfit for intensive chemotherapy are lacking before the advent of precision medicine in this setting. Herein, we present the Italian sub-analysis of the CURRENT study in AML patients unfit for first line intensive chemotherapy, evaluating patients' outcomes between 2015 and 2018. Among 74 evaluable patients, 62 received systemic treatments (most used therapy was hypomethylating agents), while 12 best supportive care. Key results include both efficacy and safety data, as well as HCRU and treatment patterns. In first-line therapy cohort median OS was 13.4 months vs. 2.7 months for BSC.

The ISTH DIC-score predicts early mortality in patients with non-promyelocitic acute myeloid leukemia.

Coagulation disorders frequently complicate the clinical course of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. This study examined the frequency and prognostic significance, with regards of early mortality, of the presence of overt disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) at AML diagnosis and its correlation with clinical and biological characteristics. A retrospective analysis of 351 newly diagnosed non-promyelocytic AML patients was conducted, utilizing the 2018 ISTH DIC-Score criteria to evaluate the presence of overt DIC at AML onset. The study cohort had a median age of 65 years with a predominance of male gender (59 %). Overt DIC was present in 21 % of cases and was associated with advanced age, comorbidities, poor performance status, hyperleukocytosis, LDH levels, NPM1 mutations, expression of CD33 and CD4, and lack of expression of CD34. With a median follow-up of 72 months (3-147 months), the 6-year overall survival (OS) was 17.4 %, with patients having overt DIC showing significantly poorer outcomes (7.2 % compared to 20.3 % of those without DIC, p < 0.001). Patients with overt DIC showed markedly high early mortality rates at 30 (42.5 % vs 8 %), 60 (49.3 % vs 16.9 %), and 120 days (64.4 % vs 25.6 %) from disease onset. In multivariate analysis overt DIC retained its independent prognostic value for early mortality. In conclusion, the prevalence and clinical relevance of DIC in non-promyelocytic AML is not negligible, underlining its potential as an unfavorable prognostic marker. In newly diagnosed patients with AML, early recognition and measure to counteract coagulation disturbances might help mitigate the elevated mortality risk associated with DIC.

Acute Leukemia and Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Italy: Quantiferon-Tb Test Screening in a Low Tuberculosis Incidence Country.

Background: Identification of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is a critical step of tuberculosis surveillance, especially in low-incidence countries. However, it is limited to situations with a higher probability of developing active disease, e.g., patients with hematological malignancies. According to guidelines, in TB non-endemic countries, no clear screening program is established at diagnosis for patients with acute leukemia (AL). The primary endpoint of this study was to establish the prevalence of LTBI in patients with a diagnosis of AL using QuantiFERON (QFT)-TB. Secondarily, radiological and clinical features driving the increased risk of LTBI were evaluated. Methods: QFT-TB screening was performed before induction or consolidation in all patients with AL (myeloid and lymphoid) treated at our Institution between October 2019 and August 2023. Results: We accrued 62 patients, of whom 7 (11,3%) tested positive, without any symptoms or signs of active TB, and 2 (3,2%) resulted as indeterminate. All positive patients started prophylaxis with isoniazid 300 mg daily, while patients whose test was indeterminate did not receive any prophylaxis. Active TB was excluded by imaging, as well as microscopic, cultural, and molecular examination on bronchoalveolar lavage if signs of any infection were detected. During the 46 months of observation, no patients developed TB reactivation. Conclusions: Despite the low sample size, 1/10 of our patients had prior TB exposure, hinting that LTBI could be more common than expected in Italy. This finding suggests implementing TB screening in the pre-treatment setting, particularly at a time when more active treatments are becoming available also for patients ineligible for intensive chemotherapy.