Site-Specific Survival of Extra Nodal Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and Comparison With Gastrointestinal Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) constitutes 30% of all non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. It can present as a nodal disease or as an extra nodal disease. Based on the site of origin, extra nodal DLBCL (EN-DLBCL) may have a distinct clinical outcome. Apart from the site of origin, factors including demographics, stage, and presence of any other primary malignancy also affect the outcome. The purpose of our study was to characterize prognostically distinct groups based on the site of presentation of EN-DLBCL. Methods: We used 18 registries in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database to identify the patients with EN-DLBCL for 2000 - 2015 with last follow-up till December 31, 2018. A total of 30,290 EN-DLBCL patients were selected and categorized based on 13 broad sites grouping. Demographic variables were summarized. We did overall survival analysis with univariate and multivariate Cox-proportional hazard modeling. Short-term survival trend was calculated as well. Results: The percentage of EN-DLBCL of all DLBCLs is 34.48%. EN-DLBCL was comparatively seen more in males (54.94%) and non-Hispanic whites (71.52%). In terms of clinical characteristics, patients with EN-DLBCL were mostly diagnosed at age ≥ 60 years (66.11%), early stage (69.33%), and presentation as first primary cancer (81.89%). A higher risk of mortality was seen in non-Hispanic black (hazard ratio (HR) 1.36), with late age of onset (HR 2.69), late stage at presentation (HR 1.42), and with history of other malignancy (HR 1.29). Compared to the intestinal tract, the risk of overall mortality was higher in individuals with involvement of nervous system (HR 1.85), pancreas and hepatobiliary system (HR 1.22), and respiratory system (HR 1.18) and the best outcomes were seen in heart and mediastinal site (HR 0.58) of DLBCL. Conclusion: Based upon our population-based study, we conclude that primary site of presentation of EN-DLBCL is an important prognostic factor with significant difference in survival based on histological and epidemiological characteristics.

Eculizumab as a Treatment for Hyper-Haemolytic and Aplastic Crisis in Sickle Cell Disease.

BACKGROUND: Patients with sickle cell disease can experience various crises including sequestration crisis, haemolytic crisis and aplastic crisis. Due to alloantibody formation, transfusion alloantibodies can cause a haemolytic crisis. Treatment involves avoiding packed red blood cell transfusions, as well as intravenous immunoglobulin, steroids and eculizumab to decrease the chances of haemolysis. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report the case of a 42-year-old man who was found to have worsening anaemia after packed red blood cell transfusion with evidence suggestive of haemolytic crisis. Due to reticulocytopenia, aplastic crisis was also suspected and later confirmed via parvovirus IgG and IgM titres. The patient did not improve with steroid and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy and was treated with eculizumab as a salvage therapy. CONCLUSION: Concurrent hyper-haemolytic crisis and aplastic crisis should be suspected in patients with features of haemolysis and reticulocytopenia. Prompt recognition and treatment with eculizumab are paramount in those who fail steroid and intravenous immunoglobulin treatment. LEARNING POINTS: Treatment of hyper-haemolytic and aplastic crisis in sickle cell disease with eculizumab offers therapeutic benefit.A high index of suspicion for hyper-haemolytic crisis and aplastic crisis should be maintained in those with haemolytic features as well as reticulocytopenia in the setting of sickle cell disease.

Chronic Atrophic Gastritis Presenting as Hemolytic Anemia due to Severe Vitamin B12 Deficiency.

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient which plays an important role in neurological function, hematopoiesis, and DNA synthesis. Low levels usually stem from either poor intake or a malabsorptive process. Presently, the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency is food-bound cobalamin malabsorption, which occurs when there is impaired release of vitamin B12 from ingested food due to an outstanding factor preventing the release of the nutrient from its transport protein. Such causes include achlorhydria, gastritis, gastrectomy, or the use of PPIs or antacids. A rarer cause is autoimmune chronic atrophic gastritis, resulting in pernicious anemia. In this disease process, there is destruction of parietal cells and thus a reduction in intrinsic factor, which is essential to the absorption of vitamin B12. Deficiency will result in a variety of abnormalities including but not limited to pancytopenia, paresthesias, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. A rare manifestation of vitamin B12 deficiency is hemolytic anemia, which occurs due to intramedullary and extramedullary dysfunction. This case describes a 46-year-old male with no past medical history who presented with chest pain, fatigue, and progressive weakness, found to have hemolytic anemia, ultimately attributed to vitamin B12 deficiency. Antiparietal cell antibodies and intrinsic factor antibodies (IFA) were both negative. Still, the patient underwent an endoscopy with biopsies of the stomach; pathology was consistent with chronic metaplastic atrophic gastritis. The patient improved with intramuscular vitamin B12 supplementation. This case highlights both a rare cause and presentation of vitamin B12 deficiency. Patients with autoimmune chronic atrophic gastritis should have antiparietal cell or intrinsic factor antibodies. Still, seronegative patients have been reported, like this patient. Additionally, hemolytic anemia secondary to vitamin B12 deficiency is uncommon. The presentation will usually mirror that of a thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), including hemolytic anemia with schistocytes on peripheral blood smear and thrombocytopenia, as it did in this patient. This clinical entity is described as pseudothrombotic microangiopathy and is crucial to identify in order to prevent the initiation of invasive treatment strategies such as plasmapheresis.

Erythropoietin-Associated Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: This case demonstrates an underrecognized cause of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). CASE REPORT: We report a 51-year-old male with a history of essential hypertension without preexisting renal impairment who presented with 3 days of occipital headache and convulsive status epilepticus in the setting of refractory hypertension. He had been receiving outpatient human recombinant erythropoietin injections for virally mediated bone marrow suppression, which worsened his baseline hypertension. Magnetic resosnance imaging (MRI) of the brain on admission showed diffuse bilateral, symmetric signal hyperintensities and patchy enhancement involving the cortex and white matter in both cerebral hemispheres. His blood pressure and seizures were successfully treated during hospital admission, with complete resolution of his neurological deficits. MRI brain performed 6 weeks from initial scan showed normalization of his prior findings. CONCLUSION: Recombinant human erythropoietin (RhEPO) may be an underrecognized cause of PRES and should be considered in patients receiving this treatment regardless of the absence or presence of renal impairment. RhEPO-mediated precipitation/exacerbation of hypertension, alterations in cerebral blood flow, and changes in endothelial integrity may underlie this association. MRI signal changes are reversible and typical for that of PRES, and significant improvement of symptoms can be expected.

Profile of panobinostat and its potential for treatment in solid tumors: an update.

The histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have emerged as novel therapies for cancer. Panobinostat (LBH 589, Novartis Pharmaceuticals) is a pan-deacetylase inhibitor that is being evaluated in both intravenous and oral formulations across multiple tumor types. Comparable to the other HDACs, panobinostat leads to hyperacetylation of histones and other intracellular proteins, allowing for the expression of otherwise repressed genes, leading to inhibition of cellular proliferation and induction of apoptosis in malignant cells. Panobinostat, analogous to other HDAC inhibitors, also induces apoptosis by directly activating cellular death receptor pathways. Preclinical data suggests that panobinostat has inhibitory activity at nanomolar concentrations and appears to be the most potent clinically available HDAC inhibitor. Here we review the current status of panobinostat and discuss its role in the treatment of solid tumors.

Activin receptor antagonists for cancer-related anemia and bone disease.

INTRODUCTION: Antagonists of activin receptor signaling may be beneficial for cancer-related anemia and bone disease caused by malignancies such as multiple myeloma and solid tumors. AREAS COVERED: We review evidence of dysregulated signaling by activin receptor pathways in anemia, myeloma-associated osteolysis, and metastatic bone disease, as well as potential involvement in carcinogenesis. We then review properties of activin receptor antagonists in clinical development. EXPERT OPINION: Sotatercept is a novel receptor fusion protein that functions as a soluble trap to sequester ligands of activin receptor type IIA (ActRIIA). Preclinically, the murine version of sotatercept increased red blood cells (RBC) in a model of chemotherapy-induced anemia, inhibited tumor growth and metastasis, and exerted anabolic effects on bone in diverse models of multiple myeloma. Clinically, sotatercept increases RBC markedly in healthy volunteers and patients with multiple myeloma. With a rapid onset of action differing from erythropoietin, sotatercept is in clinical development as a potential first-in-class therapeutic for cancer-related anemia, including those characterized by ineffective erythropoiesis as in myelodysplastic syndromes. Anabolic bone activity in early clinical studies and potential antitumor effects make sotatercept a promising therapeutic candidate for multiple myeloma and malignant bone diseases. Antitumor activity has been observed preclinically with small-molecule inhibitors of transforming growth factor-ß receptor type I (ALK5) that also antagonize the closely related activin receptors ALK4 and ALK7. LY-2157299, the first such inhibitor to enter clinical studies, has shown an acceptable safety profile so far in patients with advanced cancer. Together, these data identify activin receptor antagonists as attractive therapeutic candidates for multiple diseases.

An Unusual Presentation of Isolated Leptomeningeal Disease in Carcinoma of Unknown Primary With Pancreatic Features.

Leptomeningeal disease (LMD) can occur in a small percentage of patients with active metastatic cancer. However, we report a case of LMD occurring during disease remission in a patient with carcinoma of unknown primary with panreaticobiliary features. A 45-year-old woman was found with mediastinal and abdominal lymphadenopathy with lymph node biopsy consistent with adenocarcinoma, expressing immunomarkers CK7, CK20, and Ca19-9 along with markedly elevated serum Ca19-9 level. The patient was started on a pancreatic cancer directed chemotherapy regimen of Folfirinox (5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, irinotecan) and achieved complete response. She was then noted to have slowly rising Ca19-9 level that did not correlate with her lack of evidence of systemic disease progression. Eventually, she presented with neurologic symptoms and was found on imaging to have isolated LMD.

Renal Medullary Carcinoma Masquerading as Bilateral Breast Carcinoma Category: Case Report.

Metastatic disease to the breast accounts for less than 1% of all breast carcinoma. Here we describe an unusual case of a 34-year-old black female with history of sickle cell trait who presented to her gynecologist with bilateral palpable breast masses. Based on initial workup including pathology results from biopsies of both breast masses, she was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. However further radiographic imaging revealed a large right kidney mass suspicious for primary renal neoplasm along with lung and bone lesions. This prompted re-review of the initial breast pathology. Sickled erythrocytes were identified and results of an additional immunohistochemical panel revealed positive expression of PAX 8, vimentin, Oct3/4, and loss of INI1, confirming the diagnosis of metastatic renal medullary carcinoma. We discuss the importance of considering renal medullary carcinoma in the differential diagnosis when evaluating young patients with sickle cell hemoglobinopathies who present with aggressive metastatic disease.