Impact of Primary Disease Site of Involvement by Early-Stage Follicular Lymphoma on Patient Outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Follicular lymphoma is a common non-Hodgkin lymphoma that can start in a diverse array of tissues throughout the body. While the majority of patients may be able to live many years with this disease, cure remains very difficult to achieve. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate the impact of follicular lymphoma primary disease site in early-stage disease on patient outcomes using a large national database. METHODS: Baseline demographic and disease data for patients diagnosed with follicular lymphoma from 2000-2015 was identified and extracted from the NCI Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Primary disease sites were grouped into one of two cohorts: nodal disease (lymph nodes and spleen) and extranodal disease (everything else). Analysis was performed using summary statistics, Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox-proportional hazards models for univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: A total of 13,400 patients were included in the final analysis and the majority were non-Hispanic white (81%), with stage I (63%), and nodal FL (79%). Median overall survival for nodal disease was 15.1 years [95% CI (14.6-15.6)] while median overall survival for extranodal disease was 15.8 years [95% CI (14.9-16.3)]. Overall survival was slightly better for patients with extranodal disease [HR = 0.89, 95% CI (0.84-0.96); p-value = 0.00012]. This finding remained consistent after controlling for age and race [HR = 0.84, 95% CI (0.79-0.90); p-value <0.0001]. CONCLUSIONS: The primary site of involvement by early-stage follicular lymphoma may have an impact on patient outcomes and warrants further investigation.

Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in the Community Setting.

The treatment landscape for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is rapidly changing. Many new agents and lower-intensity regimens have been approved and can be safely used by hematologists and oncologists in both academic and community settings. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a virtual symposium on AML treatment in the community in November 2022. Several members of the FDA, along with practicing hematologists and oncologists in both academic and community settings, participated in the symposium. The goal of the symposium was to discuss challenges and opportunities in the treatment of patients with AML in community oncology settings. A summary of these discussions and key considerations are presented here.