Association Between Clozapine Exposure and Risk of Hematologic Malignancies in Veterans With Schizophrenia.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between clozapine use and hematologic malignancies, using national administrative data from the United States Veterans Health Administration (VHA).Methods: This case-control study of veterans with schizophrenia matched cases with incident hematologic malignancy to 10 controls without hematologic malignancy by gender, age, and time since first schizophrenia diagnosis from October 1999, the beginning of VHA data archives, to June 2022. Schizophrenia diagnoses were identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, code 295.x and International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, codes F20.x and F25.x from inpatient hospitalization and outpatient encounter data. Additional inclusion criteria were age 18-85 years, no prior history of malignancy, and at least 1 year of antipsychotic exposure. Clozapine exposure was assessed using 3 metrics: any exposure, years of exposure, and cumulative defined daily doses (DDD). Conditional multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for nonmatched confounding variables.Results: A total of 2,306 veterans with schizophrenia were identified with an incident diagnosis of hematologic malignancy and matched to 23,043 controls. Any prior clozapine exposure was more commonly observed among cases (5.3%) than controls (4.1%) and was significantly different after adjustment (odds ratio [OR], 1.31; 95% CI, 1.08-1.60). Risk was dose-dependent, where cumulative clozapine exposures from 3,000 to 4,999 DDD (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.13-2.79) and ≥5,000 DDD (OR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.24-2.64) were significantly associated with malignancy risk. Similarly, clozapine exposure of 5 or more years was associated with malignancy risk (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.43-2.47).Conclusion: Consistent with prior report, this study observed an increased risk of hematologic malignancy associated with clozapine exposure. These findings suggest patients receiving clozapine use, particularly those with long-term use, should be closely monitored for hematologic malignancy.

Determination of drug-related problems in the hematology service: a prospective interventional study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with hematological malignancies often require multidrug therapy using a variety of antineoplastic agents and supportive care medications. This increases the risk of drug-related problems (DRPs). Determining DRPs in patients hospitalized in hematology services is important for patients to achieve their drug treatment goals and prevent adverse effects. This study aims to identify DRPs by the clinical pharmacist in the multidisciplinary team in patients hospitalized in the hematology service of a university hospital in Turkey. METHODS: This study was conducted prospectively between December 2022 and May 2023 in the hematology service of Suleyman Demirel University Research and Application Hospital in Isparta, Turkey. DRPs were determined using the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) 9.1 Turkish version. RESULTS: This study included 140 patients. Older age, longer hospital stay, presence of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, presence of comorbidities, higher number of medications used, and polypharmacy rate were statistically significantly higher in the DRP group than in the non-DRP group (p < 0.05). According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, the probability of DRP in patients with polypharmacy was statistically significant 7.921 times (95% CI: 3.033-20.689) higher than in patients without polypharmacy (p < 0.001).Every 5-day increase in the length of hospital stay increased the likelihood of DRP at a statistically significant level (OR = 1.476, 95% CI: 1.125-1.938 p = 0.005). In this study, at least one DRP was detected in 69 (49.3%) patients and the total number of DRPs was 152. Possible or actual adverse drug events (96.7%) were the most common DRPs. The most important cause of DRPs was drug choice (94.7%), and the highest frequency within its subcategories was the combination of inappropriate drugs (93.4%). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows the importance of including a clinical pharmacist in a multidisciplinary team in identifying and preventing DRPs in the hematology service.

Outcomes of Acute Respiratory Failure in Patients With Cancer in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the epidemiological effect-magnitude and outcomes of patients with cancer vs those without cancer who are hospitalized with acute respiratory failure (ARF). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We reviewed hospitalizations within the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2018. Patients were classified based on a diagnosis of solid-organ cancer, hematologic cancer, or no cancer. Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) failure was defined as patients who initially received NIPPV and had progression to invasive mechanical ventilation. Weighted samples were used to derive population estimates. RESULTS: During the study period, there were an estimated 8,837,209 admissions with ARF in the United States, 8.9% (783,625) of which had solid-organ cancer and 2.0% (176,095) had hematologic cancers. Annually, 319,907 patients with cancer are admitted with ARF, with 27.3% (87,302) requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and 10.0% (31,998) requiring NIPPV. In-hospital mortality was higher in patients with cancer vs those without cancer (24.0% [76,813] vs 12.3% [322,465]; P<.001), and this proprotion persisted when stratified by the highest method of oxygen delivery. Patients with cancer had longer hospital length of stay (7.0 days [3.0 to 12.0 days] vs 5.0 days [3.0 to 10.0 days]; P<.001) and were more likely to have NIPPV failure (14.9% [3,992] vs 12.8% [41,875]). Compared with those with solid-organ cancer, patients with hematologic cancers experienced worse outcomes. The association between underlying cancer diagnosis and outcomes remained consistent when adjusted for age, sex, and comorbidities. CONCLUSION: In the United States, patients with cancer account for over 10% of ARF hospital admissions (959,720 of 8,837,209). They experience an approximately 2-fold higher mortality versus those without cancer. Those with hematologic cancers appear to experience worse outcomes than patients with solid-organ cancers.

Palliative care for patients with hematologic malignancies in Germany: a nationwide survey on everyday practice and influencing factors from the perspective of treating physicians.

Integrating palliative care into the treatment of patients with advanced hematological malignancies (HM) remains challenging. To explore treating physicians' perspectives on current palliative care practice and to evaluate factors influencing integration, we conducted a nationwide online survey. Based on literature and expert review, the survey addressed the importance of palliative care, communication about life-threatening conditions, challenges in establishing goals of care, and factors influencing the integration of palliative care. 207 physicians treating patients with HM in Germany participated. We used standard descriptive statistics to analyze quantitative data and a content structuring approach. Most physicians considered palliative care in HM to be very important (60.6%) and discussed life-threatening conditions with more than half of their patients (52%), especially when goals of care were changed (87.0%) or when patients raised the topic (84.0%). Disease-related factors, different professional perspectives on prognosis, and patient hopes were the main barriers to changing goals of care, but collaboration with colleagues and multidisciplinary teams provided important support. Time constraints were identified as the main barrier to integrating palliative care. The majority worked well with palliative care teams. Referral processes and conditions were perceived as minor barriers. The study highlights the need to address barriers to integrating palliative care into the management of patients with advanced HM. Future research should aim at optimizing palliative care for patients with HM.

Hematological malignancies: Prevalence and hematological characteristics in a single center in southern Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of leukemia in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia and the importance of hematological, biochemical and coagulation profiles for leukemic patients in the context of disease management. METHODS: This retrospective study comprised 210 patients between 2012 and 2022 who had been diagnosed with leukemia at different ages. The multiple unpaired t-test was used to compare leukemic patients with control samples, which consisted of healthy individuals, and p<0.05 was taken as significant. The data was compiled from Aseer Central Hospital in the Aseer region and collected through peripheral blood smear and bone marrow biopsy (2012-2017) or by flow cytometry (2018-2022), according to the hospital information system and registry data. RESULTS: Of the total 210 leukemic patients (61.4% males and 38.6% females), 104 cases (2012-2017) were diagnosed based on peripheral blood smear and bone marrow biopsy, and 106 cases (2018-2022) based on flow cytometry. Fifteen subtypes of leukemia were identified, with chronic myeloid leukemia being the most common (34.2%), followed by acute myeloid leukemia (17.6%), chronic lymphoblastic leukemia (11.9%), and B-cell acute lymphoid leukemia (9.5%). Other rare cases were also found. CONCLUSION: Of the 210 leukemia cases diagnosed in the Aseer region between 2012-2022, the most common subtype was chronic myeloid leukemia, followed by acute myeloid leukemia. In all leukemia subtypes, distinctive significant changes were observed in hematological parameters, biochemical parameters, and coagulation profiles.

Depression in patients with hematologic malignancies: The current landscape and future directions.

Patients with hematologic malignancies experience high rates of depression. These patients are vulnerable to depression throughout the disease trajectory, from diagnosis to survivorship, and at the end of life. In addition to the distressing nature of depression, it has substantial downstream effects including poor quality of life, increased risk of treatment complications, and worse survival. Therefore, systematic screening for depression and integration of robust psychological interventions for affected patients is crucial. Although depression has been historically studied mostly in patients with solid malignancies, research focusing on patients with hematologic malignancies is growing. In this article, we describe what is known about depression in patients with hematologic malignancies, including its assessment, prevalence, risk factors, and implications. We also describe interventions to ameliorate depression in this population. Future research is needed to test effective and scalable interventions to reduce the burden of depression among patients with blood cancers.

COVID-19 in patients with anemia and haematological malignancies: risk factors, clinical guidelines, and emerging therapeutic approaches.

Extensive research in countries with high sociodemographic indices (SDIs) to date has shown that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be directly associated with more severe outcomes among patients living with haematological disorders and malignancies (HDMs). Because individuals with moderate to severe immunodeficiency are likely to undergo persistent infections, shed virus particles for prolonged periods, and lack an inflammatory or abortive phase, this represents an overall risk of morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. In cases suffering from HDMs, further investigation is needed to achieve a better understanding of triviruses and a group of related variants in patients with anemia and HDMs, as well as their treatment through vaccines, drugs, and other methods. Against this background, the present study aimed to delineate the relationship between HDMs and the novel COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Besides, effective treatment options for HDM cases were further explored to address this epidemic and its variants. Therefore, learning about how COVID-19 manifests in these patients, along with exploiting the most appropriate treatments, may lead to the development of treatment and care strategies by clinicians and researchers to help patients recover faster. Video Abstract.

An international multicenter study comparing COVID-19 omicron outcomes in patients with hematological malignancies treated with obinutuzumab versus rituximab.

OBJECTIVES: Hematological malignancy (HM) patients treated with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies are at higher risk for severe COVID-19. A previous single-center study showed worse outcomes in patients treated with obinutuzumab compared to rituximab. We examined this hypothesis in a large international multicenter cohort. METHODS: We included HM patients from 15 centers, from five countries treated with anti-CD20, comparing those treated with obinutuzumab (O-G) to rituximab (R-G) between December 2021 and June 2022, when Omicron lineage was dominant. RESULTS: We collected data on 1048 patients. Within the R-G (n = 762, 73%), 191 (25%) contracted COVID-19 compared to 103 (36%) in the O-G. COVID-19 patients in the O-G were younger (61 ± 11.7 vs. 64 ± 14.5, p = 0.039), had more indolent HM diagnosis (aggressive lymphoma: 3.9% vs. 67.0%, p < 0.001), and most were on maintenance therapy at COVID-19 diagnosis (63.0% vs. 16.8%, p < 0.001). Severe-critical COVID-19 occurred in 31.1% of patients in the O-G and 22.5% in the R-G. In multivariable analysis, O-G had a 2.08-fold increased risk for severe-critical COVID-19 compared to R-G (95% CI 1.13-3.84), adjusted for Charlson comorbidity index, sex, and tixagevimab/cilgavimab (T-C) prophylaxis. Further analysis comparing O-G to R-G demonstrated increased hospitalizations (51.5% vs. 35.6% p = 0.008), ICU admissions (12.6% vs. 5.8%, p = 0.042), but the nonsignificant difference in COVID-19-related mortality (n = 10, 9.7% vs. n = 12, 6.3%, p = 0.293). CONCLUSIONS: Despite younger age and a more indolent HM diagnosis, patients receiving obinutuzumab had more severe COVID-19 outcomes than those receiving rituximab. Our findings underscore the need to evaluate the risk-benefit balance when considering obinutuzumab therapy for HM patients during respiratory viral outbreaks.

Severe COVID-19 in Vaccinated Adults With Hematologic Cancers in the Veterans Health Administration.

Importance: With SARS-CoV-2 transforming into an endemic disease and with antiviral treatments available, it is important to establish which patients remain at risk of severe COVID-19 despite vaccination. Objective: To quantify the associations of clinical and demographic variables with odds of severe COVID-19 among patients with hematologic cancers. Design, Setting, and Participants: This case-control study included all patients with hematologic malignant neoplasms in the national Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who had documented SARS-CoV-2 infection after vaccination. Groups of patients with severe (cases) vs nonsevere (controls) COVID-19 were compared. Data were collected between January 1, 2020, and April 5, 2023, with data on infection collected between January 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022. All patients with diagnostic codes for hematologic malignant neoplasms who had documented vaccination followed by documented SARS-CoV-2 infection and for whom disease severity could be assessed were included. Data were analyzed from July 28 to December 30, 2023. Exposures: Clinical (comorbidities, predominant viral variant, treatment for malignant neoplasm, booster vaccination, and antiviral treatment) and demographic (age and sex) variables shown in prior studies to be associated with higher or lower rates of severe COVID-19. Comorbidities included Alzheimer disease or dementia, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, heart failure, and peripheral vascular disease. Main Outcome and Measures: The main outcome was severe COVID-19 compared with nonsevere SARS-CoV-2 infection. Severe COVID-19 was defined as death within 28 days, mechanical ventilation, or hospitalization with use of dexamethasone or evidence of hypoxemia or use of supplemental oxygen. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the associations of demographic and clinical variables with the odds of severe COVID-19, expressed as adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% CIs. Results: Among 6122 patients (5844 [95.5%] male, mean [SD] age, 70.89 [11.57] years), 1301 (21.3%) had severe COVID-19. Age (aOR per 1-year increase, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.04-1.06), treatment with antineoplastic or immune-suppressive drugs (eg, in combination with glucocorticoids: aOR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.93-2.80), and comorbidities (aOR per comorbidity, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.29-1.43) were associated with higher odds of severe disease, whereas booster vaccination was associated with lower odds (aOR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.62-0.86). After oral antiviral drugs became widely used in March 2022, 20 of 538 patients (3.7%) with SARS-CoV-2 infection during this period had progression to severe COVID-19. Conclusions and Relevance: In this case-control study of patients with hematologic cancers, odds of severe COVID-19 remained high through mid-2022 despite vaccination, especially in patients requiring treatment.

Determining the Associations Between Glucocorticoid Use During Hematologic Chemotherapy Treatment and New-onset Diabetes and Hyperglycemia and Mortality: A Population-based Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the associations between glucocorticoid administration during chemotherapy for hematologic malignancy and hyperglycemia, new-onset diabetes, and mortality in Ontario, Canada. Hospitalization and emergency room utilization during the chemotherapy treatment period were also described. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using health administrative data from ICES, Ontario, to assess risk of new-onset diabetes, new-onset hyperglycemia, and hyperglycemia for individuals with leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) receiving glucocorticoids during chemotherapy between 2006 and 2016. Using multivariable regression models, we determined the associations between glucocorticoid exposure and our outcomes of interest, controlling for age, sex, marginalization, and comorbidities. RESULTS: Our cohort included 19,530 individuals; 71.1% (n=13,893) received a glucocorticoid. The highest proportion of hyperglycemia occurred with leukemia (25.4%, n=1,301). Of the 15,580 individuals with no history of diabetes, those with leukemia had the highest rate of new-onset diabetes (7.1%, n=279) and new-onset hyperglycemia (18.1%, n=641), and glucocorticoid exposure increased the risk of new-onset diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01 to 1.64, p=0.04) and new-onset hyperglycemia (HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.5, p=0.003). Hyperglycemia during chemotherapy increased the risk of all-cause mortality for the combined (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.27, p<0.0001) and NHL (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.28, p=0.007) cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperglycemia is common during hematologic chemotherapy treatment and is associated with a modest increased risk of all-cause mortality. Routine screening, monitoring, and management of hyperglycemia should be an integral part of treatment plans for leukemia, NHL, or HL, with or without glucocorticoid administration.

Venous thromboembolism in critically ill adult patients with hematologic malignancy: a population-based cohort study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to describe the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and major bleeding among hospitalized patients with hematologic malignancy, assessing its association with critical illness and other baseline characteristics. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study of hospitalized adults with a new diagnosis of hematologic malignancy in Ontario, Canada, between 2006 and 2017. The primary outcome was VTE (pulmonary embolism or deep venous thrombosis). Secondary outcomes were major bleeding and in-hospital mortality. We compared the incidence of VTE between intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients and described the association of other baseline characteristics and VTE. RESULTS: Among 76,803 eligible patients (mean age 67 years [standard deviation, SD, 15]), 20,524 had at least one ICU admission. The incidence of VTE was 3.7% in ICU patients compared to 1.2% in non-ICU patients (odds ratio [OR] 3.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.77-3.42). The incidence of major bleeding was 7.6% and 2.4% (OR 3.33; 95% CI 3.09-3.58), respectively. The association of critical illness and VTE remained significant after adjusting for potential confounders (OR 2.92; 95% CI 2.62-3.25). We observed a higher incidence of VTE among specific subtypes of hematologic malignancy and patients with prior VTE (OR 6.64; 95% CI 5.42-8.14). Admission more than 1 year after diagnosis of hematologic malignancy (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.56-0.74) and platelet count ≤ 50 × 109/L at the time of hospitalization (OR 0.63; 95% CI 0.48-0.84) were associated with a lower incidence of VTE. CONCLUSION: Among patients with hematologic malignancy, critical illness and certain baseline characteristics were associated with a higher incidence of VTE.

Heartbreaker: Detection and prevention of cardiotoxicity in hematological malignancies.

Cancer survivors are at significant risk of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality; patients with hematologic malignancies have a higher rate of death due to heart failure compared to all other cancer subtypes. The majority of conventional hematologic cancer treatments is associated with increased risk of acute and long-term CV toxicity. The incidence of cancer therapy induced CV toxicity depends on the combination of patient characteristics and on the type, dose, and duration of the therapy. Early diagnosis of CV toxicity, appropriate referral, more specific cardiac monitoring follow-up and timely interventions in target patients can decrease the risk of CV adverse events, the interruption of oncological therapy, and improve the patient's prognosis. Herein, we summarize the CV effects of conventional treatments used in hematologic malignancies with a focus on definitions and incidence of the most common CV toxicities, guideline recommended early detection approaches, and preventive strategies before and during cancer treatments.

Financial Toxicity and Health-Related Quality of Life Profile of Patients With Hematologic Malignancies Treated in a Universal Health Care System.

PURPOSE: We investigated the association of financial toxicity (FT) with the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) profile of patients with hematologic malignancies treated in a universal health care system. METHODS: We did a secondary analysis of six multicenter studies enrolling patients with hematologic malignancies. FT was evaluated using the financial difficulties item of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30). Multivariable linear regression models were used to assess the mean differences in HRQoL scores between patients with or without FT, while adjusting for key potential confounding factors. We also examined the prevalence of clinically important problems and symptoms by the experience of FT, using established thresholds for the EORTC QLQ-C30. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the risk factors associated with FT. RESULTS: Overall, 1,847 patients were analyzed, of whom 441 (23.9%) reported FT. We observed statistically and clinically relevant worse scores for patients with FT compared with those without FT for all the EORTC QLQ-C30 scales. The three largest clinically relevant mean differences between patients with and without FT were observed in pain (∆ = 19.6 [95% CI, 15.7 to 23.5]; P < .001), social functioning (∆ = -18.9 [95% CI, -22.5 to -15.2]; P < .001), and role functioning (Δ = -17.7 [95% CI, -22.1 to -13.3]; P < .001). Patients with FT tended to report a higher prevalence of clinically important problems and symptoms across all EORTC QLQ-C30 scales. In the univariable and multivariable analyses, the presence of FT was associated with the presence of comorbidities, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≥1, and not receiving a salary. CONCLUSION: Patients with hematologic malignancies treated in the setting of a universal health care system who experience FT have a worse HRQoL profile compared with those without FT.

Epidemiology of pediatric hematological malignancies in Kazakhstan: Data from Unified National Electronic Healthcare System 2014-2021.

We aimed to describe incidence and all-cause mortality of hematological pediatric malignancies (leukemia and lymphomas) in Kazakhstan based on nationwide large-scale healthcare data from the Unified National Electronic Healthcare System (UNEHS) for the 2014-2021 year period. The cohort included data of patients less than 18 years old with the diagnosis of hematological malignancies registered in the UNEHS (inpatient and outpatient registries) for the year period 2014-2021. Descriptive statistics were conducted to indicate socio-demographic characteristics of the cohort. Incidence and all-cause mortality were calculated per 100,000 population. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between determinants with the all-cause mortality. The total cohort consisted of 3357 children with leukemia and 1474 children with lymphomas. The mean age at diagnosis of leukemia and lymphomas was 7.3 ± 4.7 and 9.9 ± 4.9 years, respectively. The incidence rate of hematological malignancies was 6.8 per 100,000 in 2021. Patients with ALL had a higher incidence rate than patients with AML (3.4 and 1.2 per 100,000 in 2021, respectively). The incidence rate of HL and NHL was relatively similar which varied from 0.6 to 2.6 per 100,000 in 2014-2021. All-cause mortality of pediatric hematological malignancies varied from 1.1 to 1.5 per 100,000 in 2014-2021, with the peak in 2016 (1.7 per 100,000). Younger age is significantly associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality in children with AML. CONCUSION: Patients with ALL had a higher incidence rate than patients with AML. The incidence rate of HL and NHL was relatively similar. All-cause mortality rates for leukemia and lymphomas were quite stable during the study period. Younger age is significantly associated with increased all-cause mortality among AML patients. However, there is no significant association of age with all-cause mortality among ALL, HL and NHL. In order to obtain more reliable data and analysis on pediatric (hematological) malignancies, specific registries for childhood tumors (including detailed information on relapses, treatments, short and long-term side effects, and specific death causes) should be implemented. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Leukemias and lymphomas together account for around 45% of all pediatric malignancies. • Lymphoma accounts for 12% of all childhood malignancies; non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) are more frequent than Hodgkin's lymphomas (HL). WHAT IS NEW: • The incidence rate of ALL was higher than the incidence rate of AML throughout the whole study period, whereas all-cause mortality of ALL and AML was quite stable. • According to Cox PH analysis, younger age (0-5 years old) was associated with a higher risk of death among AML children compared to older children, and no significant association of age was observed with all-cause mortality among ALL and lymphomas.

Disparity in hematological malignancies: From patients to health care professionals.

In the recent few decades, outcomes in patients diagnosed with hematological malignancies have been steadily improving. However, the improved prognosis does not distribute equally among patients from different backgrounds. Besides cancer biology, demographic and geographic disparities have been found to impact overall survival significantly. Specifically, patients from underrepresented minorities including Black and Hispanics, and those with uninsured status, having low socioeconomic status, or from rural areas have had worse outcomes historically, which is uniformly true across all major subtypes of hematological malignancies. Similar discrepancy is also seen in the health care professional field, where a gender gap and a disproportionally low representation of health care providers from underrepresented minorities have been long existing. Thus, a comprehensive strategy to mitigate disparity in the health care system is needed to achieve equity in health care.

Effectiveness of tixagevimab/cilgavimab in patients with hematological malignancies as a pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent severe COVID-19: a Czech retrospective multicenter study.

Despite lower virulence, the omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) still poses a relevant threat for immunocompromised patients. A retrospective multicentric study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis with tixagevimab/cilgavimab (Evusheld) with a 6-month follow-up for preventing severe COVID-19 in adult patients with hematology malignancy. Among the 606 patients in the cohort, 96 (16%) contracted COVID-19 with a median of 98.5 days after Evusheld administration. A total of 75% of patients had asymptomatic or mild severity of COVID-19, while just 25% of patients with SARS-CoV-2 positivity had to be hospitalized. Two patients (2%) died directly, and one patient (1%) in association with COVID-19. Eight patients (1.3%) of every cohort experienced adverse events related to Evusheld, mostly grade 1 and of reversible character. It was found that complete vaccination status or positive seroconversion was not associated with lower risk of COVID-19 infection. Previous treatment with an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody was associated with higher rates of COVID-19, while previous treatment with anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody was not, as was the case for recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or CAR-T cell therapy. Presence of other comorbidities was not associated with more severe COVID-19. The results support the growing evidence for Evusheld's efficacy against severe COVID-19 in patients with hematology malignancies.

Infectious complications among patients receiving ibrutinib for the treatment of hematological malignancies.

PURPOSE: Ibrutinib is a Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to treat multiple hematologic malignancies and graft-versus-host disease. Though less myelosuppressive than cytotoxic chemotherapy, increased infections, including invasive fungal infections (IFIs), have been reported with ibrutinib use. This study aimed to determine the characteristics and risk factors for infection associated with ibrutinib at our institution. METHODS: Patients who received ibrutinib between June 2014 and August 2019 were included. Primary endpoints were the incidence of any infection and the incidence of serious infection (defined as hospitalization, parenteral antimicrobial therapy, or pneumonia regardless of hospitalization). Infection risk factors were assessed using logistic regression. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-two patients were identified (78% male; median age, 71 years). The most common indications for ibrutinib were chronic lymphocytic leukemia (67%) and mantle cell lymphoma (12%). Infection and serious infection occurred in 94 (71%) and 47 (36%) patients, respectively; when pneumonia was excluded as a criterion for serious infection, the serious infection rate was 27%. The median time from ibrutinib initiation to first infection was 125 days. Prior allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) (odds ratio [OR], 4.60; 95% CI, 1.22-17.4) and corticosteroid use (OR, 5.55; 95% CI, 1.52-20.3) were significant risk factors for serious infection. IFIs were diagnosed in 7 patients (5%): 5 had Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia and 2 were infected with invasive molds. CONCLUSION: Serious infection and IFI rates are high but similar to those previously described. Risk factors for serious infection included allo-HSCT and corticosteroid use. Targeted antimicrobial prophylaxis should be evaluated in prospective studies in patients on ibrutinib to reduce serious infections and IFI.

Malignancy-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in Sweden: incidence, clinical characteristics, and survival.

ABSTRACT: We evaluated malignancy-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (mal-HLH) in Sweden regarding population-based incidence, clinical features, and survival. From 1997 to 2018, we identified 307 adults (≥18 years old) and 9 children (209 males, 107 females; P < .001) with both an HLH-related diagnosis and malignant disease, corresponding to 0.19 per 100 000 adults annually (0.15/100 000 for the entire population), increasing from 0.026 (1997-2007) to 0.34 (2008-2018) (P < .001). In the latest 7-year period (2012-2018), the annual incidence was 0.45 per 100 000 adults (n = 246). This incidence varied between the 6 health care regions in Sweden, from 0.18 to 0.71 (Region Stockholm) per 100 000 adults annually (P < .001), likely due to variable awareness. Mal-HLH was reported in 0.6% of all hematological malignancies, with the highest proportion (2.5%) in young males. Among the 316 patients, the 1-month probability of survival, likely representing the HLH episode, increased significantly from 52% (95% confidence interval [CI], 40-63) (1997-2007) to 71% (95% CI, 65-76) (2008-2018), whereas 2-year survival remained poor (25%; 95% CI, 20-30). Altogether, 52% were lymphomas, 29% leukemias, 8% other hematological malignancies, and 11% solid tumors. Males were more affected than females by mal-HLH, also taking the over-representation of males with hematological malignancies into account (P = .0012). Validation by medical-file reviews revealed 13% over-reporting of HLH. We conclude that the annual mal-HLH incidence has increased 10-fold and was at least 0.71 per 100 000 adults from 2012 to 2018, that is, 0.62 per 100 000 adults considering 13% estimated HLH over-reporting, and that early survival improved significantly, likely due to increased awareness and more HLH-directed therapy.