Bendamustine-based conditioning prior to autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT): Results of a French multicenter study of 474 patients from LYmphoma Study Association (LYSA) centers.

Carmustine shortage has led to an increase use of alternative conditioning regimens prior to autologous stem cell transplantation for the treatment of lymphoma, including Bendamustine-based (BeEAM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of the BeEAM regimen in a large cohort of patients. A total of 474 patients with a median age of 56 years were analyzed. The majority of patients had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (43.5%). Bendamustine was administered at a median dose of 197 mg/m2 /day (50-250) on days-7 and -6. The observed grade 1-4 toxicities included mucositis (83.5%), gastroenteritis (53%), skin toxicity (34%), colitis (29%), liver toxicity (19%), pneumonitis (5%), and cardiac rhythm disorders (4%). Nonrelapse mortality (NRM) was reported in 3.3% of patients. Acute renal failure (ARF) was reported in 132 cases (27.9%) (G ≥2; 12.3%). Organ toxicities and death were more frequent in patients with post conditioning renal failure. In a multivariate analysis, pretransplant chronic renal failure, bendamustine dose >160 mg/m2 and age were independent prognostic factors for ARF. Pretransplant chronic renal failure, hyperhydration volume, duration of hyperhydration, and etoposide dose were predictive factors of NRM. A simple, four-point scoring system can stratify patients by levels of risk for ARF and may allow for a reduction in the bendamustine dose to avoid toxicity. Drugs shortage may have dangerous consequences. Prospective, comparative studies are needed to confirm the toxicity/efficacy extents from this conditioning regimen compared to other types of high dose therapy.

Blood transfusion in hematologic intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that excessive blood transfusion may be associated with impaired survival or cardiovascular events. One way to reduce the number of red blood cells (RBCs) is to transfuse 1 unit (1RBC) instead of 2 units of RBCs (2RBC). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Patients requiring blood transfusions in hematologic intensive care unit were included in a prospective study using a single RBC unit per transfusion and were compared with an historical cohort who received 2 RBC units per transfusion. RESULTS: A total of 1323 units were transfused to 126 patients between 2013 and 2014. The 186 patients in the comparative cohort received a total of 1824 RBC units in a 2-RBC-unit policy between 2010 and 2012. The mean number of units was 7.35 (SD, 5.9 units; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.5-8.2 units) in the 1RBC group and 8.14 units (SD, 6.2 units; 95% CI, 7.3-8.9 units) in the 2RBC group. The absolute mean difference was -0.79 (95% CI, -1.98 to 0.40; p = 0.09). In the 1RBC allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) subgroup, a significant reduction in the number of RBC units transfused was observed in comparison with the historical 2RBC allo-HSCT group (5 units vs. 7.7 units; p = 0.01). No anemia-related side effects were reported. Overall survival did not differ between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The 1RBC transfusion policy made is feasible in patients with transient hematologic toxicity after chemotherapy. The number of units transfused between the two groups was not different. However, in the allo-HSCT group, the use of a single RBC unit reduced significantly RBC consumption. A randomized trial comparing the two strategies is planned with a medicoeconomic evaluation.

Low total gamma globulin level discovery at diffuse large B-cell lymphoma diagnosis predicts high risk of infection-related death: data from a monocentric retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma can complicate the course of B-cell primary immunodeficiencies or induce lowering of total gamma globulin levels, whose clinical status as an effective secondary immunodeficiency remains unspecified. This study aimed to assess the frequency, and clinical and prognostic relevance of the low total gamma-globulin levels discovered at diagnosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. RESULTS: In a 2-year monocentric retrospective study, 96 patients diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who had a serum electrophoresis were included. Patients were divided into those with lower (L-TGL and higher (H-TGL) total gamma-globulin levels (total gamma-globulin levels ≤5.5 g/l and >5.5 g/l) and compared for outcomes, including fatal infectious events. Twelve (12.5%; 8 males; age median 68 years, range 55-82 years) exhibited L-TGL. There was no difference between the both groups regarding demographics, Ann Arbor lymphoma stage, inflammatory parameters or chemotherapy regimen. However, overall death rates (10/12, 83.3% versus 22/96, 26.2%; p = 0.03) and infection-related death rates (10/12, 83% versus 6/96, 6.2%; p <0.001) were significantly higher in the L-TGL group. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate for the first time the strong negative impact of L-TGL on overall and infection-related mortality in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Prospective studies should distinguish immunodeficiencies secondary to the lymphoma from pre-existing humoral primary immunodeficiencies, using biomolecular testing and post-treatment total gamma-globulin level monitoring, to determine the best management strategy for infectious risk during diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treatment in the context of L-TGL.

18F-Fludarabine PET for Lymphoma Imaging: First-in-Humans Study on DLBCL and CLL Patients.

This was the first-in-humans clinical study of 18F-fludarabine, which is a radiopharmaceutical for PET imaging in lymphoma, for which many issues remain controversial with the standard radiotracer 18F-FDG. Methods:18F-fludarabine PET or PET/CT was performed on 10 patients: 5 with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and 5 with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The tumor uptake, biodistribution, and radiation dosimetry of 18F-fludarabine were evaluated. Six successive partial-body PET scans were acquired for 250 min after an intravenous 4 MBq/kg bolus of 18F-fludarabine. SUVs were recorded for each involved lymph node territory and for several extranodal sites, with particular reference to the liver. To assess the time-related uptake profile of 18F-fludarabine, PET images were analyzed by delineating volumes of interest over the uptake sites on the optimal scan for visual observation and were projected onto all coregistered scans of the same subject. Physical examination, laboratory studies, and contrast-enhanced CT were performed on all patients. For the DLBCL group, 18F-FDG PET was also considered. Results: In DLBCL patients, increased 18F-fludarabine uptake was observed in sites considered abnormal by CT or 18F-FDG, with SUVs significantly higher in involved lesions than in physiologic nontarget sites. Nonetheless, the comparison of 18F-fludarabine and 18F-FDG PET showed discrepancies in 2 patients. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients, the uptake of 18F-fludarabine coincided with sites expected to be involved (including splenic invasion) according to conventional clinical and CT staging and was significant in hematopoietic bone marrow. No uptake was observed, whatever the disease group, in cardiac muscle or brain. The mean effective dose from a mean injected 18F-fludarabine activity of 305 ± 76 MBq was 3.07 ± 0.81 mSv. Conclusion:18F-fludarabine PET might well be a promising tool for lymphoproliferative diseases. The radiation dose of this radiopharmaceutical is below that of 18F-FDG. The specificity of this PET probe for lymphoid cells, its absence of accumulation in reactive tissues, and its feasibility for detection of bone marrow infiltration might play an innovative role in lymphoma imaging.

Increased frequencies of circulating and tumor-resident Vδ1+ T cells in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Gamma-delta (γδ) T cells contribute to the innate immune response against cancer. In samples of 20 patients upon DLBCL diagnosis, we found that Vδ1+ T cells were the major γδ T cell subset in tumors and PBMCs of patients, while Vδ2 T cells were preponderant in PBMCs of healthy subjects. Interestingly, the germinal center (GC) subtype was associated with an increase in Vδ1+ T cells in tumors, whereas the non-GC subtype was associated with a lower frequency of γδ T cells. While circulating Vδ1+ T cells of patients or HSs mostly exhibited a naïve phenotype, the majority of tumor Vδ1+ T cells showed a central memory phenotype. Resident or circulating γδ T cells from patients were not functionally impaired since they produced high levels of IFN-γ. Collectively, our findings are in favor of γδ T cell activation in tumors and open new perspectives for their modulation in DLBCL immunotherapy.

Infradiaphragmatic Hodgkin lymphoma: a large series of patients staged with PET-CT.

INTRODUCTION: Infradiaphragmatic Hodgkin Lymphoma (IDHL) accounts for 3-11% of adult cases of stage I-II Hodgkin Lymphoma and the treatment strategy in IDHL is still heterogeneous. All previous published studies were conducted before the PET-CT era. PET may provide a more accurate evaluation of IDHL stage. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical and biological characteristics of IDHL patients staged by CT scan or PET-CT in eight French hematology departments and their impact on outcomes in these patients. METHODS: Baseline clinical and biological data and outcomes in patients with a first diagnosis of stage I-II IDHL treated with ABVD +/- radiotherapy were retrospectively collected. RESULTS: Among the 99 patients included, 65 (66%) were staged with PET-CT. These patients were older (53 years vs 46 years, p=0.043), had lower ESR (27 vs 58mm, p=0.022), higher hemoglobin level (13.6 vs 12.8g/dL, p=0.015), less frequent Ann Arbor stage II (74% vs 91%) and less central adenopathy involvement (60% vs 82%, p=0.024). Treatment was chemotherapy alone in 55% of patients and the remaining patients received chemo-radiotherapy (CRT). Five-year PFS and OS rates in PET-CT-staged patients were 78% (95% CI 64-87) and 88% (95% CI 73-95), respectively, compared with 65% (p=0.225) and 82% (p=0.352) in CT-staged patients. The CRT strategy was associated with fewer relapses (p=0.027). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the characteristics of CT-staged IDHL patients were less favorable than those of PET-CT-staged patients and indicated that CRT provided better PFS than did chemotherapy alone.

Rituximab salvage therapy in adults with immune thrombocytopenia: retrospective study on efficacy and safety profiles.

Splenectomy remains the preferred treatment for chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) after corticosteroid failure, despite the risks of despite surgical complications and infection. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of and tolerance to rituximab through a retrospective analysis of 35 refractory/relapsing ITP patients treated from 2004 to 2013. The median age of subjects was 46 years (14-80). Rituximab was given at a weekly dose of 375 mg/m(2) for 4 weeks. Median time from diagnosis to first infusion was 17 months (1-362) and follow-up was 47 months (2-133). The overall response rates at 1 and 2 years after the first infusion were 47 and 38 %, with complete response rates of 24 and 25 %, respectively. Median duration of response was 38 months (1-123), with 37 % of patients maintaining a durable response (>1 year). Twenty-nine percent of patients had undergone splenectomy. A durable response after rituximab was more frequently observed in patients undergoing second-line therapy than those in third or later (83 versus 35 %, P = 0.01). Forty-four percent of patients experienced mild hypogammaglobulinaemia after rituximab, and no clinical infection occurred. To conclude, rituximab should be considered as an alternative treatment to splenectomy. Its efficacy and safety profile should lead us to choose this medical option therapy before surgery for ITP patients.

Bendamustine for the treatment of relapsed or refractory peripheral T cell lymphomas: A French retrospective multicenter study.

Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is a group of diseases with poor outcome and few therapeutic options. We aimed to assess the efficacy of bendamustine in real life cohort of patients.Between November 2009 and March 2015, 138 PTCL patients were treated with bendamustine in 27 centers. Population median age was 64 (28-89) years with male/female ratio of 1.4. There were mainly angio-immunoblastic (AITL = 71), PTCL-not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS = 40) and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL = 8). The majority of patients (96%) had disseminated disease and extranodal localizations (77%). Median number of chemotherapy lines prior to bendamustine was 2 (1-8). Median duration of response (DoR) after the last chemotherapy prior to bendamustine was 4.3 months (1-70) and 50% of patients had refractory disease.Median number of administered bendamustine cycles was 2 (1-8) and 72 patients (52%) received less than 3 mostly because of disease progression. Median dose was 90 (50-150) mg/m². Overall response rate (ORR) was 32.6% with complete response (CR) rate of 24.6% and median DoR was 3.3 months (1-39). AITL patients were more sensitive than PTCL-NOS patients (ORR: 45.1 versus 20%, p = 0.01). Median PFS and OS were 3.1 (0.2-46.3) and 4.4 (0.2-55.4) months. On multivariate analysis, refractory disease (p = 0.001) and extranodal localization (p = 0.028) adversely influenced ORR. Grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia, neutropenia and infections were reported in 22, 17 and 23% of cases respectively.Bendamustine as single agent could be considered as a therapeutic option for relapsed or refractory PTCL, particularly in chemosensitive or AITL patients. Combinations of bendamustine with other drugs warrant further evaluation.

Rare but authentic Philadelphia-positive acute myeloblastic leukemia: two case reports and a literature review of characteristics, treatment and outcome.

The Philadelphia chromosome (Ph+), corresponding to translocation t(9;22), is found in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Several cases of Ph+ acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have been reported in the literature. A retrospective study of Ph+ AML between 2001 and 2012 was conducted through a review of the literature. Among 400 AML patients, two cases of Ph+ AML (0.5%) were identified and treated with conventional chemotherapy with or without tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), followed by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). One patient had a complex karyotype including 7 monosomy (-7) and p190 BCR-ABL fusion transcript. Both patients remain in complete molecular remission. To date, 21 Ph+ AML cases treated with TKIs have been described in the literature with a median overall survival of 18months. One-third of the patients had additional karyotypic abnormalities, and 14% had -7. Molecular analysis showed 59% p210 and 41% p190 fusion protein. Relapse rate was observed in 38% of patients with p190 compared to 10% in patients with p210. Allo-HSCT was performed in eight patients; two relapsed (25%). Cytogenetic (-7) and molecular features help to distinguish Ph+ AML from CML. Survival improved with TKIs, particularly in association with conventional chemotherapy and allo-HSCT. Further studies of Ph+ AML patients are needed to better define this entity, its prognostic value, and therapeutic strategy.

Gemtuzumab ozogamicin in combination with intensive chemotherapy in relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia.

The prognosis of refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains poor. The complete response (CR) rate after relapse is around 25%, with 11% of patients still alive after 5 years. The efficacy and toxicity of fractionated gemtuzumab ozogamicin (fGO; 3 mg/m2, days 1, 4, 7) in combination with intensive chemotherapy were retrospectively evaluated in patients with refractory/relapsed AML. Thirty-six patients (median age 54 years) were included. European LeukemiaNet classification was as follows: favorable (n=6), intermediate-I (n=13), intermediate-II (n=8), adverse (n=9). Median CR duration was 7.16 months (1.63-96.8). The overall response rate was 38.8%, with CR in eight patients (22.2%) and CR with incomplete platelet recovery (CRp) in six patients (16.7%). Two-year overall survival was 26% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 12-42) and 2-year relapse free-survival was 18.5% (95% CI: 6.6-35.0). Salvage therapy with fractionated GO in patients with very high-risk disease produced a 38.8% response rate and may be considered as a bridge therapy to transplant.