Treatment patterns and outcomes for Hodgkin Lymphoma patients aged 60 and older: a report from the Brazilian Prospective Hodgkin Lymphoma Registry.

The treatment of older patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) remains a challenge. We sought to identify the treatment patterns and outcomes in older HL patients included in the Brazilian HL registry (NCT02589548). A total of 136 patients with HIV-negative classic HL, aged ≥ 60 years, diagnosed between 2009 and 2018, were analyzed. The median age was 66 years old (60-90), 72% had advanced disease, 62% had a high IPS, and 49% had a nodular sclerosis subtype. Median follow-up was 64 months for alive patients. ABVD was the front-line treatment in 96% of patients. Twenty-one patients (15%) died during front-line treatment. The 5-year PFS and 5-year OS rates were 55% and 59%, respectively. The 5-year OS rates in localized and advanced disease were 81% and 51% (p=0.013). Lung toxicity developed in 11% of the patients treated with ABVD. Bleomycin was administered for > 2 cycles in 65% of patients. Compared with 2009-2014, there was a decrease in the use of bleomycin for > 2 cycles in 2015-2018 (88% × 45%, p<0.0001). The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on outcomes was studied in patients treated with ABVD. After adjusting for potential confounders, lower SES remained independently associated with poorer survival (HR 2.22 [1.14-4.31] for OS and HR 2.84 [1.48-5.45] for PFS). Treatment outcomes were inferior to those observed in developed countries. These inferior outcomes were due to an excess of deaths during front-line treatment and the excessive use of bleomycin. SES was an independent factor for shorter survival.

Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Symptom Assessment Form - Total Symptom Score (MPN-SAF TSS) questionnaire: translation, cultural adaptation and validation to Brazilian Portuguese

ABSTRACT Introduction: Constitutional symptoms and thrombohemorrhagic events are common in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Hence, the treatment's primary goal is to control symptoms and improve the quality of life (QoL). In order to assess response to therapy, symptom burden, and QoL among patients with MPN, the "Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Symptom Assessment Form - Total Symptom Score (MPN-SAF TSS)" questionnaire was developed in the USA in 2012. Herein, we translated and validated the MPN-SAF TSS questionnaire to Brazilian Portuguese. Methods: The ten-item questionnaire was translated from the English language and its psychometric properties (reliability, convergent and construct validities) were evaluated in 101 MPN patients. Results: There were 41 patients with essential thrombocythemia, 39 with myelofibrosis and 21 with polycythemia vera. The median age of all patients at diagnosis was 68 years and 59% were female. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the overall questionnaire was 0.78, ranging from 0.73 to 0.79, if each item was deleted. Validity analyses showed that the strongest item-item correlation were between early satiety and abdominal discomfort. Strong correlations were also found between physician and patient perceptions of itching (r = 0.81) and fatigue (r = 0.70). The Pearson coefficient correlation between the MPN-SAF TSS global score and the EORTC QLQ-C30 functional scales ranged from 0.51 to 0.64. The exploratory factor analysis showed that seven of the ten symptoms loaded into one single factor. Conclusion: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the MPN-SAF-TSS showed good psychometric properties and can be an available tool to assess symptom burden in this group of patients.

Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Symptom Assessment Form - Total Symptom Score (MPN-SAF TSS) questionnaire: translation, cultural adaptation and validation to Brazilian Portuguese.

INTRODUCTION: Constitutional symptoms and thrombohemorrhagic events are common in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Hence, the treatment's primary goal is to control symptoms and improve the quality of life (QoL). In order to assess response to therapy, symptom burden, and QoL among patients with MPN, the "Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Symptom Assessment Form - Total Symptom Score (MPN-SAF TSS)" questionnaire was developed in the USA in 2012. Herein, we translated and validated the MPN-SAF TSS questionnaire to Brazilian Portuguese. METHODS: The ten-item questionnaire was translated from the English language and its psychometric properties (reliability, convergent and construct validities) were evaluated in 101 MPN patients. RESULTS: There were 41 patients with essential thrombocythemia, 39 with myelofibrosis and 21 with polycythemia vera. The median age of all patients at diagnosis was 68 years and 59% were female. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the overall questionnaire was 0.78, ranging from 0.73 to 0.79, if each item was deleted. Validity analyses showed that the strongest item-item correlation were between early satiety and abdominal discomfort. Strong correlations were also found between physician and patient perceptions of itching (r=0.81) and fatigue (r=0.70). The Pearson coefficient correlation between the MPN-SAF TSS global score and the EORTC QLQ-C30 functional scales ranged from 0.51 to 0.64. The exploratory factor analysis showed that seven of the ten symptoms loaded into one single factor. CONCLUSION: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the MPN-SAF-TSS showed good psychometric properties and can be an available tool to assess symptom burden in this group of patients.

How to manage lymphoid malignancies during novel 2019 coronavirus (CoVid-19) outbreak: a Brazilian task force recommendation

ABSTRACT: The novel Coronavirus (CoVid-19) outbreak is now consider a world pandemic, affecting more than 1,300,000 people worldwide. Cancer patients are in risk for severe disease, including a higher risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, need for invasive ventilation or death. Management of patients with lymphoid malignancies can be challenging during the outbreak, due to need of multiple hospital visits and admissions, immunosuppression and need for chemotherapy, radiotherapy and stem cell transplantation. In this article, we will focus on the practical management of patients with lymphoid malignancies during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on minimizing the risk for patients.

How to manage lymphoid malignancies during novel 2019 coronavirus (CoVid-19) outbreak: a Brazilian task force recommendation.

The novel Coronavirus (CoVid-19) outbreak is now consider a world pandemic, affecting more than 1,300,000 people worldwide. Cancer patients are in risk for severe disease, including a higher risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, need for invasive ventilation or death. Management of patients with lymphoid malignancies can be challenging during the outbreak, due to need of multiple hospital visits and admissions, immunosuppression and need for chemotherapy, radiotherapy and stem cell transplantation. In this article, we will focus on the practical management of patients with lymphoid malignancies during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on minimizing the risk for patients.

Resources-Stratified Guidelines for Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Hodgkin lymphoma is a haematological malignancy predominantly affecting young adults. Hodgkin lymphoma is a highly curable disease by current treatment standards. Latest treatment guidelines for Hodgkin lymphoma however imply access to diagnostic and treatment modalities that may not be available in settings with restricted healthcare resources. Considerable discrepancies in Hodgkin lymphoma patient survival exist, with poorer outcomes reported in resources-constrained settings. Resources-stratified guidelines for diagnosis, staging and treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma were derived in an effort to optimize patient outcome provided a given setting of available resources. These guidelines were derived based on the framework of the Breast Health Global Initiative stratifying resource levels in basic, core, advanced and maximal categories.

Incidence and outcomes of rare T cell lymphomas from the T Cell Project: hepatosplenic, enteropathy associated and peripheral gamma delta T cell lymphomas.

The T Cell Project was the largest prospective trial to explore the incidence, treatment patterns, and outcomes for T cell lymphomas. The rare subtypes of T cell lymphomas, including hepatosplenic T cell lymphoma (HSTCL), enteropathy associated T cell lymphoma (EATL), and peripheral gamma delta T cell lymphomas (PGDTCLs) are poorly represented in most studies and there is little data regarding treatment patterns. We report results from 115 patients with hepatosplenic (n = 31), enteropathy associated (n = 65), and PGDTCLs (n = 19). While anthracycline regimens were most commonly used as first line therapy, response rates ranged from 20%-40% and were suboptimal for all groups. Autologous stem cell transplantation was performed as a consolidation in first remission in a small number of patients (33% of HSTCL, 7% of EATL, and 12% of PGDTCL), and four patients with HSTCL underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation in first remission. The progression free survival at 3 years ranged from 28%-40% for these rare subtypes, and the overall survival at 3 years was most favorable for PGDTCL (70%). These data highlight the need for novel treatment approaches for rare subtypes of T cell lymphomas and for their inclusion in clinical trials.

The outcome of peripheral T-cell lymphoma patients failing first-line therapy: a report from the prospective, International T-Cell Project.

This analysis explored factors influencing survival of patients with primary refractory and relapsed peripheral T-cell lymphomas enrolled in the prospective International T-cell Project. We analyzed data from 1020 patients with newly diagnosed disease, enrolled between September 2006 and December 2015. Out of 937 patients who received first-line treatment, 436 (47%) were identified as refractory and 197 (21%) as relapsed. Median time from the end of treatment to relapse was 8 months (range 2-73). Overall, 75 patients (8%) were consolidated with bone marrow transplantation, including 12 refractory and 22 relapsed patients. After a median follow up of 38 months (range 1-96 months) from documentation of refractory/relapsed disease, 440 patients had died. The median overall survival (OS) was 5.8 months; 3-year overall survival rates were 21% and 28% for refractory and relapsed patients, respectively (P<0.001). Patients receiving or not salvage bone marrow transplantation had a 3-year survival of 48% and 18%, respectively (P<0.001). In a univariate Cox regression analysis, refractory disease was associated with a higher risk of death (HR=1.43, P=0.001), whereas late relapse (>12 months, HR 0.57, P=0.001) and salvage therapy with transplantation (HR=0.36, P<0.001) were associated with a better OS. No difference was found in OS with respect to histology. This study accurately reflects outcomes for patients treated according to standards of care worldwide. Results confirm that peripheral T-cell lymphomas patients had dismal outcome after relapse or progression. Patients with chemotherapy sensitive disease who relapsed after more than 12 months might benefit from consolidation bone marrow transplantation.

Lower socioeconomic status is independently associated with shorter survival in Hodgkin Lymphoma patients-An analysis from the Brazilian Hodgkin Lymphoma Registry.

Socioeconomic status (SES) is a well-known determinant of outcomes in cancer. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of the SES on the outcomes of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients from the Brazilian Prospective HL Registry. SES stratification was done using an individual asset/education-based household index. A total of 624 classical HL patients with diagnosis from January/2009 to December/2014, and treated with ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine), were analyzed. The median follow-up was 35.6 months, and 33% were classified as lower SES. The 3-year progression- free survival (PFS) in higher and lower SES were 78 and 64% (p < 0.0001), respectively. The 3-year overall survival (OS) in higher and lower SES were 94 and 82% (p < 0.0001), respectively. Lower SES patients were more likely to be ≥ 60 years (16 vs. 8%, p = 0.003), and to present higher risk International Prognostic score (IPS) (44 vs. 31%, p = 0.004) and advanced disease (71 vs. 58%, p = 0.003). After adjustments for potential confounders, lower SES remained independently associated with poorer survival (HR = 3.12 [1.86-5.22] for OS and HR = 1.66 [1.19-2.32] for PFS). The fatality ratio during treatment was 7.5 and 1.3% for lower and higher SES (p = 0.0001). Infections and treatment toxicity accounted for 81% of these deaths. SES is an independent factor associated with shorter survival in HL in Brazil. Potential underlying mechanisms associated with the impact of SES are delayed diagnosis and poorer education. Educational and socio-economic support interventions must be tested in this vulnerable population.

Treatment outcomes for Hodgkin lymphoma: First report from the Brazilian Prospective Registry.

Data about Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in developing countries are scarce and suggest the existence of substantial disparities in healthcare and outcomes in large areas of the world. In 2009, a prospective registry of HL was implemented in Brazil. Web-based data were contributed by 20 institutions across the country participating in the Brazilian Prospective Hodgkin's Lymphoma Registry. The aim of this study was to present the clinical features and outcomes of newly diagnosed patients with HL aged 13 to 90 years. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to estimate progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) by clinical factors. A total of 674 patients with classical HL were analysed, with a median follow-up of 37 months. Median age was 30 years (13-90). The median time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 6 months (0-60). Only 6% of patients had early favourable disease, while 65% had advanced disease. Stage IVB was present in 26% and a high-risk International Prognostic Score in 38%. Doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine was used in 93%. The median dose of radiotherapy was 36 Gy for localized disease and 32 Gy for advanced disease. The 3 year PFS in early favourable, early unfavourable, and advanced disease were 95%, 88%, and 66%, respectively. High-risk International Prognostic Score, advanced disease, and age greater than or equal to 60 were independently associated with poorer PFS and OS; performance status greater than or equal to 2 was also associated with a poorer OS. Poor-risk patients predominated. Radiation doses for localized disease appear higher than current recommendations. Outcomes appear inferior in developing countries than in developed countries. Delayed diagnosis is probably a major factor underlying these findings. Scattered reports from developing nations suggest that many aspects of standard care in developed countries remain unmet needs for populations living in developing countries. The present report contributes to this body of data, with a proper description of what is currently achieved in urban areas in Brazil.

Dismal outcome of T-cell lymphoma patients failing first-line treatment: results of a population-based study from the Modena Cancer Registry.

We conducted a population-based study to establish the outcome of T-cell lymphoma (TCL) patients failing systemic first-line therapy. All TCL patients failing first-line systemic therapy in the province of Modena were identified from Modena Cancer Registry between 1997 and 2010. A total of 53 patients were analysed. Regarding the type of failure, 18 patients relapsed, and 35 progressed during first treatment. Among relapsed patients, the median time from date of response to relapse after first treatment was 6.2 months (range 1.87-102). A total of 18 patients (34%) died before receiving salvage treatment, 21 received platinum or gemcitabine-containing regimens (7 addressed to autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT)), 12 other CT regimens; 2 received radiotherapy (RT). The median survival after relapse (SAR) was 2.5 months. After a median follow-up for living patients after failure of 35 months (range 8-111 months), 44 patients died, and the cause of death was found to be lymphoma progression in all (98%) but one of them. The median SAR was 2.5 months. The 3-year SAR was 19%. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses for SAR were performed. In multivariate analysis, performance status and type of failure were associated with a higher risk of death after relapse. The outcome of TCL patients failing first-line therapy is poor. Only a few cases that could receive ASCT had promising chances of long remission. There is urgent need for novel agents for patients requiring second-line treatment.

Molecular responses at 3 and 6 months after switching to a second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor are complementary and predictive of long-term outcomes in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who fail imatinib.

Early molecular response (MR) defined by BCR-ABL(IS) levels has prognostic impact in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). MR was evaluated at 3 and 6 months after switching to nilotinib or dasatinib in 115 patients with resistance to imatinib. Three groups were delineated at 3 months (< 1%, 1-10% or > 10% BCR-ABL(IS) levels) with different outcomes at 3 years regarding major molecular response (MMR, 91%, 47%, 22%, p < 0.001), failure-free survival (FFS), progression-free survival (PFS, 96%, 89% and 78%, p = 0.05) and overall survival (OS). After 6 months, patients with MR < 1% had higher 3-year MMR (83% vs. 16%, p < 0.001), FFS, PFS (94% vs. 84%, p = 0.05) and OS. Four patients had 3-month and 6-month MR > 10% and < 1%, respectively (3-year FFS 50%). Thirteen had 3-month and 6-month MR < 10% and ≥ 1%, respectively (3-year FFS 38%). These findings confirm the strong predictive value of 3-month and 6-month BCR-ABL(IS) levels in imatinib-resistant patients.

Prognostic value of PET-CT after first-line therapy in patients with follicular lymphoma: a pooled analysis of central scan review in three multicentre studies.

BACKGROUND: The value of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET-CT (PET) imaging in response assessment after first-line rituximab chemotherapy for follicular lymphoma has been documented. We analysed the application of the five-point Deauville scale (5PS; used to score FDG uptake on PET images) in a large cohort derived from three studies, to assess the correlation between post-induction PET status and survival in patients with follicular lymphoma. METHODS: In this pooled analysis, we used data from three multicentre prospective studies of first-line rituximab chemotherapy for patients with high-tumour-burden follicular lymphoma (the PRIMA study, the PET-Folliculaire study, and the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi FOLL05 study). Patients included in this analysis received at least six cycles of rituximab and chemotherapy before response assessment with conventional contrast-enhanced CT and PET low-dose CT (PET). We included only patients who had a PET scan within 3 months of the last dose of induction rituximab. Patient data, including conventional CT-based response assessment, were recorded for all patients undergoing PET review. Scans undergoing central PET review were scored independently by three reviewers according to the 5PS. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival and overall survival according to the 5PS score of post-induction PET scan (ie, positive [≥4 points] or negative [<4 points]), analysed in the central review population. FINDINGS: Between Dec 24, 2004, and Sept 22, 2010, 439 of the patients enrolled in the three studies underwent local PET assessment, 246 of whom had centrally reviewed post-induction scans. 41 (17%) of 246 patients had a positive post-induction PET scan according to a cutoff of 4 or higher on the 5PS, with substantial reporter concordance. With a median follow-up of 54·8 months (IQR 39·7-68·5; range 7·7-90·1), the hazard ratio (HR) for progression-free survival for patients with a positive PET scan versus those with a negative PET scan was 3·9 (95% CI 2·5-5·9; p<0·0001), and for overall survival was 6·7 (2·4-18·5; p=0·0002). For patients with a positive PET scan, 23·2% (95% CI 11·1-37·9) of patients were progression free at 4 years compared with 63·4% (55·9-70·0) of those who had a negative PET scan (p<0·0001); 4-year overall survival was 87·2% (95% CI 71·9-94·5) versus 97·1% (93·2-98·8), respectively (p<0·0001). Conventional CT-based response (ie, complete response or unconfirmed complete response vs partial response) was weakly predictive of progression-free survival (HR 1·7 [95% CI 1·1-2·5]; p=0·017). INTERPRETATION: PET-CT rather than contrast-enhanced CT scanning should be considered as a new standard for response assessment of follicular lymphoma in clinical practice, and could help guide response-adapted therapy. FUNDING: Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes de l'Adulte (Paris, France), now LYSA (Lymphoma Study Association), Direction de la Recherche Clinique de l'Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Fondazione Italiana Linfomi, and the Italian Ministry of Health.

Risk factors for impaired gonadal function in female Hodgkin lymphoma survivors: final analysis of a retrospective multicenter joint study from Italian and Brazilian Institutions.

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is one of the most common types of cancer in the young and one of the most curable forms of cancer. Therefore, there has been an increasing interest in the study of long-term morbidities. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors for impaired gonadal function in a retrospective cohort of 238 HL female survivors from Italy and Brazil and to analyse the role of oral contraceptives (OC) and GnRH-analogues. Besides data collection from HL databases, a specific questionnaire was administered to collect data on gonadal function. The median age at diagnosis was 25 years and the median follow-up was 7 years. Overall, 25% of the patients developed impaired gonadal function. Older age at diagnosis, front-line therapies containing alkylating agents and more than one treatment were independent risk factors, whereas the use of OC or GnRH-a reduced independently the risk of impaired gonadal function. The fertility rate among fertile survivors was low when compared with the general population. We confirmed that older age, type of front-line chemotherapy and a higher number of therapies are associated with gonadal function impairment in terms of infertility and premature menopause in female HL survivors. Also, the use of GnRH-a or OC was independently identified as a protective factor. Further prospective studies are needed to better understand the barriers to parenthood in HL survivors.

Fertility in female survivors of Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Currently, Hodgkin's lymphoma is one of the most curable types of cancer. Patients are often young and so the long-term morbidities of treatment have become of increasing concern. Among these, infertility is one of the most challenging consequences for patients in reproductive age. Premature ovarian failure in premenopausal women is a serious long-term sequel of the toxicity of chemotherapy. The main consequence of this syndrome is infertility, but women also present other symptoms related to estrogen deprivation. Different rates of impaired gonadal function are reported, depending on the patient's age, stage of disease, dose and intensity of chemotherapy and the use of radiation therapy. The most established strategy in female infertility is cryopreservation of embryos after in vitro fertilization. Additionally, the use of oral contraceptives or gonadotropinreleasing hormone analogs (GnRH-a) during treatment is under study. This review will provide a general overview of the main studies conducted to evaluate the infertility rate among female Hodgkin's lymphoma survivors and risk factors associated to treatment, different end-point definitions for evaluating fertility and also a brief description of the available strategies for fertility preservation.

Follicular lymphoma - treatment and prognostic factors.

Follicular lymphoma is the second most frequent non-Hodgkin lymphoma accounting for about 10-20% of all lymphomas in western countries. The median age at diagnosis is 60 years old. The clinical presentation is usually characterized by asymptomatic peripheral adenopathy in cervical, axillary, inguinal and femoral regions. Treatment options for patients with naïve or recurrent follicular lymphoma are still controversial, ranging from a "watch and wait" policy to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. More recently, the availability of rituximab has substantially changed follicular lymphoma therapeutic approaches to such an extent that R-Chemo is now the standard induction first-line treatment. This review provides a general overview of the state of the art in the management of follicular lymphoma and also, a brief description regarding the current prognostic tools available for treatment decisions.