Subcutaneous rituximab in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma: Final results of the non-interventional study MabSCale.

BACKGROUND: Rituximab has become a standard treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of rituximab in combination with standard chemotherapies in the treatment of follicular lymphoma (FL) and diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients. This non-interventional study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of subcutaneous (SC) rituximab in routine clinical practice. METHODS: Adult patients with previously untreated CD20 positive DLBCL or FL who received rituximab SC and chemotherapy as first-line treatment were observed between 07/2014 and 07/2019 at 99 institutions in Germany. Primary endpoint was the (unconfirmed) complete remission (CR/CRu) rate. Primary outcome was analyzed inferentially; other variables were evaluated descriptively. RESULTS: Overall 583 patients (247 FL; 336 DLBCL) were evaluated. CR/CRu rates were 51.4% (95% CI: 45.2; 57.6) in the FL set and 48.5% (95% CI: 43.2; 53.8) in the DLBCL set. Regarding progression-free survival in the FL group, the probability of being event-free was 94.2% in the first year and 86.2% in the second year. An overall response was achieved in 85.8% (FL) and 85.4% patients (DLBCL). Patient satisfaction at the end of study with the time saving simplification of the SC vs. intravenous route was 98% for FL and 97% for DLBCL. 45.3% of FL and 47.0% of DLBCL patients experienced an adverse event of grade ≥3. Serious adverse events of grade ≥3 occurred in 27.9% FL and 32.4% DLBCL patients, with the highest incidences for leucopenia, anemia, nausea, and fatigue. No new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirmed the effectiveness and safety of rituximab SC in both the FL and the DLBCL group. Satisfaction of patients and nurses with SC administration was high.

Disease management of patients with immune thrombocytopenia-results of a representative retrospective survey in Germany.

Clinical research has resulted in an improvement of treatment options for patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) over the last years. However, only few data exist on the real-life management of patients with ITP. To expand the knowledge, a multicenter, national survey was undertaken in 26 hematology practices distributed all over Germany. All patients with a diagnosis of ITP were documented using questionnaires, irrespective of the diagnosis date over a period of 2 years. Overall, data of 1023 patients were evaluated with 56% of patients being older than 60 years. Seventy-nine percent of the patients had chronic (> 12 months), 16% persistent (> 3-12 months), and 5% newly diagnosed (0-3 months) ITP. In 61% of cases, the disease lasted 3 or more years before survey documentation started. Main strategies applied as first-line therapy consisted of steroids in 45% and a "watch and wait" approach in 41% of patients. During second- and third-line strategies, treatment with steroids decreased (36% and 28%, respectively), while treatment modalities such as TPO-RAs increased (19% and 26%, respectively). As expected, patients with a low platelet count and thus a higher risk for bleeding and mortality received treatment (esp. steroids) more frequently during first line than those with a higher platelet count. Up to a third of patients were treated with steroids for more than a year. Overall, our study provides a cross-section overview about the current therapeutic treatment landscape in German ITP patients. The results will help to improve therapeutic management of ITP patients.

CONIFER - Non-Interventional Study to Evaluate Therapy Monitoring During Deferasirox Treatment of Iron Toxicity in Myelodysplastic Syndrome Patients with Transfusional Iron Overload.

BACKGROUND: The non-interventional study CONIFER was designed to assess the safety and clinical practicability of deferasirox for the treatment of transfusional iron overload in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients. METHODS: Patients included in the study were diagnosed with MDS and received at least 1 treatment with deferasirox. The observation period covered the time from the initial visit until the last follow-up. RESULTS: The data of 99 patients with MDS scored mainly as International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) low and intermediate 1 were evaluated. The mean age of the participants was 75 years and 58% of the patients were male. Iron overload was assessed by serum ferritin level (mean baseline serum ferritin 2,080 ± 1,244 µg/l). Patients were treated for a mean duration of 16 months (mean daily dose at baseline 11.8 ± 7.0 mg/kg). Stratification of serum ferritin levels by deferasirox dose showed a reduction at the higher but no reduction at the lower dose (< 15 mg/kg vs. ≥ 15 mg/kg and < 20 mg/kg vs. ≥ 20 mg/kg). The majority of patients (81%) were affected by at least 1 adverse event, with decreased renal creatinine clearance being the most frequent. CONCLUSION: Higher doses (≥ 15 mg/kg) of deferasirox effectively and safely reduced serum ferritin levels in MDS patients with transfusional iron overload.

Dose-reduced conditioning regimen followed by allogeneic stem cell transplantation in patients with myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia.

Three patients with myelofibrosis received allogeneic stem cell transplantation after a dose-reduced conditioning regimen of busulphan (8 mg/kg), fludarabine (180 mg/m2) and antithymocyte globulin (4 x 10 mg/kg). The median age at transplantation was 51 years (range 44-58). All patients engrafted with a leucocyte count > 1.0 x 10(9)/l after a median of 18 d (range 16-20). Grade II acute skin graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) occurred in one patient. One limited and one extensive chronic GvHD was observed. All patients achieved complete haematological remission. In one patient the fibrosis resolved completely 180 d post transplant. All patients are alive 126, 466 and 764 d after transplantation.