Cost-effectiveness analysis alongside the inter-B-NHL ritux 2010 trial: rituximab in children and adolescents with B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

OBJECTIVES: The randomized controlled trial Inter-B-NHL ritux 2010 showed overall survival (OS) benefit and event-free survival (EFS) benefit with the addition of rituximab to standard Lymphomes Malins B (LMB) chemotherapy in children and adolescents with high-risk, mature B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Our aim was to assess the cost-effectiveness of rituximab-chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in the French setting. METHODS: We used a decision-analytic semi-Markov model with four health states and 1-month cycles. Resource use was prospectively collected in the Inter-B-NHL ritux 2010 trial (NCT01516580). Transition probabilities were assessed from patient-level data from the trial (n = 328). In the base case analysis, direct medical costs from the French National Insurance Scheme and life-years (LYs) were computed in both arms over a 3-year time horizon. Incremental net monetary benefit and cost-effectiveness acceptability curve were computed through a probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Deterministic sensitivity analysis and several sensitivity analyses on key assumptions were also conducted, including one exploratory analysis with quality-adjusted life years as the health outcome. RESULTS: OS and EFS benefits shown in the Inter-B-NHL ritux 2010 trial translated into the model by rituximab-chemotherapy being the most effective and also the least expensive strategy over the chemotherapy strategy. The mean difference in LYs between arms was 0.13 [95% CI 0.02; 0.25], and the mean cost difference € - 3 710 [95% CI € - 17,877; € 10,525] in favor of rituximab-chemotherapy group. For a € 50,000 per LY willingness-to-pay threshold, the probability of the rituximab-chemotherapy strategy being cost-effective was 91.1%. All sensitivity analyses confirmed these findings. CONCLUSION: Adding rituximab to LMB chemotherapy in children and adolescents with high-risk mature B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is highly cost-effective in France. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01516580.

The IPTA Nashville Consensus Conference on Post-Transplant lymphoproliferative disorders after solid organ transplantation in children: III - Consensus guidelines for Epstein-Barr virus load and other biomarker monitoring.

The International Pediatric Transplant Association convened an expert consensus conference to assess current evidence and develop recommendations for various aspects of care relating to post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders after solid organ transplantation in children. In this report from the Viral Load and Biomarker Monitoring Working Group, we reviewed the existing literature regarding the role of Epstein-Barr viral load and other biomarkers in peripheral blood for predicting the development of PTLD, for PTLD diagnosis, and for monitoring of response to treatment. Key recommendations from the group highlighted the strong recommendation for use of the term EBV DNAemia instead of "viremia" to describe EBV DNA levels in peripheral blood as well as concerns with comparison of EBV DNAemia measurement results performed at different institutions even when tests are calibrated using the WHO international standard. The working group concluded that either whole blood or plasma could be used as matrices for EBV DNA measurement; optimal specimen type may be clinical context dependent. Whole blood testing has some advantages for surveillance to inform pre-emptive interventions while plasma testing may be preferred in the setting of clinical symptoms and treatment monitoring. However, EBV DNAemia testing alone was not recommended for PTLD diagnosis. Quantitative EBV DNAemia surveillance to identify patients at risk for PTLD and to inform pre-emptive interventions in patients who are EBV seronegative pre-transplant was recommended. In contrast, with the exception of intestinal transplant recipients or those with recent primary EBV infection prior to SOT, surveillance was not recommended in pediatric SOT recipients EBV seropositive pre-transplant. Implications of viral load kinetic parameters including peak load and viral set point on pre-emptive PTLD prevention monitoring algorithms were discussed. Use of additional markers, including measurements of EBV specific cell mediated immunity was discussed but not recommended though the importance of obtaining additional data from prospective multicenter studies was highlighted as a key research priority.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease in children, adolescents, and young adults.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) remains a major complication of transplantation. PTLD is a rare entity and very heterogenous making consensus on diagnosis and treatment very challenging. The majority are Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) driven, CD20+ B-cell proliferations. PTLD does occur following hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), but due to the relative short risk period and efficacy of pre-emptive therapy, PTLD following HSCT will not be discussed in this review. This review will focus on the epidemiology, role of EBV, clinical presentation, diagnosis and evaluation and the current and emerging treatment strategies for pediatric PTLD following solid organ transplantation.

Effect of rituximab on immune status in children with mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a prespecified secondary analysis of the Inter-B-NHL Ritux 2010 trial.

BACKGROUND: Survival of children and adolescents with high-risk, mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma is improved by the addition of rituximab to chemotherapy. The effect of rituximab on immune reconstitution after therapy has not been well described. Herein, we evaluate the immune effects of the addition of rituximab to intensive chemotherapy, a prespecified secondary aim of the Inter-B-NHL Ritux 2010 trial. METHODS: The Inter-B-NHL Ritux 2010 trial was an international, open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial in children (age 6 months to 18 years) with high-risk, mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, comparing chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy with rituximab. Measures of immune status were completed at baseline, 1 month from the end of treatment, and 1 year from the start of therapy, and yearly thereafter until normalised. For this secondary analysis, we report on the proportions of patients with low lymphocyte counts and immunoglobulin concentrations at these timepoints with total lymphocyte count, B-cell count, and IgG concentration as the main endpoints. Other endpoints of interest included exposure to immunoglobulin replacement therapy and vaccine serologies. The population assessed for immune endpoints was the eligible per-protocol population with at least one immune parameter at one timepoint. Comparisons of immune status were made between the randomised treatment groups. Safety in the post-therapy period was assessed in the population eligible for the immunity study who were followed up at least 3 months after the end of treatment and without cancer-related events. The Inter-B-NHL Ritux 2010 study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01516580; status completed, with analyses of secondary aims ongoing. FINDINGS: From Dec 19, 2011, to June 13, 2017, 421 patients (344 [82%] boys and 77 [18%] girls; mean age was 8·8 years [SD 4·1]) were enrolled and had immune data at baseline during follow-up, or both. The study population included randomly assigned patients (n=289) and a non-randomised cohort enrolled after the planned interim analysis (n=132). At baseline, 99 (34%) of 290 patients with available data (excluding patients with bone marrow disease with peripheral blast cells) had lymphopenia, and 178 (48%) of 368 had hypogammaglobulinemia. 1 month from the end of therapy, patients who received chemotherapy with rituximab were more likely than those who received chemotherapy alone to have lymphopenia (86 [81%] of 106 vs 53 (60%) of 89, odds ratio [OR] 2·92 [95% CI 1·53-5·57], p=0·0011), B-cell lymphopenia (72 [96%] of 75 vs 36 [64%] of 56, OR 13·33 [3·71-47·84], p<0·0001), and hypogammaglobulinemia (67 [71%] of 95 vs 37 [47%] of 79, OR 2·72 [1·45-5·07], p=0·0017). Differences remained at 1 year for hypogammaglobulinemia only (52 [55%] of 94 vs 16 [25%] of 63, OR 3·64 [1·81-7·31], p=0·0003). Patients in the chemotherapy with rituximab group were more likely than those in the chemotherapy group to receive immunoglobulin replacement (26 [16%] 164 vs nine [7%] of 158, hazard ratio [HR] 2·63 [95% CI 1·23-5·62], p=0·010), mainly due to low immunoglobulin concentration. In the combined treatment groups, including non-randomly assigned patients, the proportion of patients who had loss of protective serologies to a vaccine preventable infection varied from four (9%) of 47 for polio to 21 (42%) of 50 for Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). One patient (chemotherapy with rituximab group) had a life-threatening infectious event of polymicrobial bacterial sepsis reported 2 months after the final chemotherapy administration. INTERPRETATION: Children with high-risk mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma receiving chemotherapy with rituximab were at risk of prolonged hypogammaglobulinemia, although severe infections were rare. Strategies for immunoglobulin replacement and revaccination are needed. FUNDING: Clinical Research Hospital Program of the French Ministry of Health, Cancer Research UK, National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network in England, Children's Cancer Foundation Hong Kong, US National Cancer Institute, F Hoffmann-La Roche.

Genetic subgroups inform on pathobiology in adult and pediatric Burkitt lymphoma.

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) accounts for most pediatric non-Hodgkin lymphomas, being less common but significantly more lethal when diagnosed in adults. Much of the knowledge of the genetics of BL thus far has originated from the study of pediatric BL (pBL), leaving its relationship to adult BL (aBL) and other adult lymphomas not fully explored. We sought to more thoroughly identify the somatic changes that underlie lymphomagenesis in aBL and any molecular features that associate with clinical disparities within and between pBL and aBL. Through comprehensive whole-genome sequencing of 230 BL and 295 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) tumors, we identified additional significantly mutated genes, including more genetic features that associate with tumor Epstein-Barr virus status, and unraveled new distinct subgroupings within BL and DLBCL with 3 predominantly comprising BLs: DGG-BL (DDX3X, GNA13, and GNAI2), IC-BL (ID3 and CCND3), and Q53-BL (quiet TP53). Each BL subgroup is characterized by combinations of common driver and noncoding mutations caused by aberrant somatic hypermutation. The largest subgroups of BL cases, IC-BL and DGG-BL, are further characterized by distinct biological and gene expression differences. IC-BL and DGG-BL and their prototypical genetic features (ID3 and TP53) had significant associations with patient outcomes that were different among aBL and pBL cohorts. These findings highlight shared pathogenesis between aBL and pBL, and establish genetic subtypes within BL that serve to delineate tumors with distinct molecular features, providing a new framework for epidemiologic, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies.

Crizotinib in Combination With Chemotherapy for Pediatric Patients With ALK+ Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma: The Results of Children's Oncology Group Trial ANHL12P1.

PURPOSE: Arm crizotinib (CZ) of the Children's Oncology Group trial ANHL12P1 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01979536) examined the efficacy and toxicity of adding CZ to standard chemotherapy for children with newly diagnosed, nonlocalized ALK+ CD30+ anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 2013 and 2019, 66 enrolled children received CZ with chemotherapy. Patients received a 5-day prophase followed by six chemotherapy cycles at 21-day intervals with CZ administered twice daily during each 21-day cycle. The study was temporarily closed for two periods (total 12 months) to evaluate toxicity, during which CZ was discontinued. Measurements of NPM-ALK fusion transcripts in peripheral blood were performed at diagnosis for minimal disseminated disease (MDD). RESULTS: The 2-year event-free survival (EFS) is 76.8% (95% CI, 68.5 to 88.1) and the 2-year overall survival is 95.2% (95% CI, 85.7 to 98.4). Fifteen patients relapsed and one patient died; median time to relapse was 7.4 months from diagnosis, with relapses occurring after chemotherapy was complete. The 66 patients completed 384 cycles of chemotherapy. Thirteen of the 66 patients experienced a grade 2+ thromboembolic adverse event (19.7%; 95% CI, 11.1 to 31.3). In the 25 patients who received mandated prophylactic anticoagulation, there were two thromboembolic events (8.0%; 95% CI, 0.01 to 26). Patients with negative MDD had a superior outcome, with an EFS of 85.6% (95% CI, 68.6 to 93.8); positive MDD was associated with a lower EFS of 58.1% (95% CI, 33.4 to 76.4). CONCLUSION: Arm CZ of ANHL12P1 demonstrated that the addition of CZ to standard treatment prevented relapses during therapy for children with ALCL, MDD predicted EFS, and the addition of CZ resulted in unexpected thromboembolic events. Overall survival and EFS rates are consistent with the highest reported outcomes for children with ALCL.

The IPTA Nashville consensus conference on Post-Transplant lymphoproliferative disorders after solid organ transplantation in children: II-consensus guidelines for prevention.

The International Pediatric Transplant Association (IPTA) convened an expert consensus conference to assess current evidence and develop recommendations for various aspects of care relating to post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder after solid organ transplantation in children. In this report from the Prevention Working Group, we reviewed the existing literature regarding immunoprophylaxis and chemoprophylaxis, and pre-emptive strategies. While the group made a strong recommendation for pre-emptive reduction of immunosuppression at the time of EBV DNAemia (low to moderate evidence), no recommendations for use could be made for any prophylactic strategy or alternate pre-emptive strategy, largely due to insufficient or conflicting evidence. Current gaps and future research priorities are highlighted.

The Transcriptomic Portrait of Locally Advanced Breast Cancer and Its Prognostic Value in a Multi-Country Cohort of Latin American Patients.

Purposes: Most molecular-based published studies on breast cancer do not adequately represent the unique and diverse genetic admixture of the Latin American population. Searching for similarities and differences in molecular pathways associated with these tumors and evaluating its impact on prognosis may help to select better therapeutic approaches. Patients and Methods: We collected clinical, pathological, and transcriptomic data of a multi-country Latin American cohort of 1,071 stage II-III breast cancer patients of the Molecular Profile of Breast Cancer Study (MPBCS) cohort. The 5-year prognostic ability of intrinsic (transcriptomic-based) PAM50 and immunohistochemical classifications, both at the cancer-specific (OSC) and disease-free survival (DFS) stages, was compared. Pathway analyses (GSEA, GSVA and MetaCore) were performed to explore differences among intrinsic subtypes. Results: PAM50 classification of the MPBCS cohort defined 42·6% of tumors as LumA, 21·3% as LumB, 13·3% as HER2E and 16·6% as Basal. Both OSC and DFS for LumA tumors were significantly better than for other subtypes, while Basal tumors had the worst prognosis. While the prognostic power of traditional subtypes calculated with hormone receptors (HR), HER2 and Ki67 determinations showed an acceptable performance, PAM50-derived risk of recurrence best discriminated low, intermediate and high-risk groups. Transcriptomic pathway analysis showed high proliferation (i.e. cell cycle control and DNA damage repair) associated with LumB, HER2E and Basal tumors, and a strong dependency on the estrogen pathway for LumA. Terms related to both innate and adaptive immune responses were seen predominantly upregulated in Basal tumors, and, to a lesser extent, in HER2E, with respect to LumA and B tumors. Conclusions: This is the first study that assesses molecular features at the transcriptomic level in a multicountry Latin American breast cancer patient cohort. Hormone-related and proliferation pathways that predominate in PAM50 and other breast cancer molecular classifications are also the main tumor-driving mechanisms in this cohort and have prognostic power. The immune-related features seen in the most aggressive subtypes may pave the way for therapeutic approaches not yet disseminated in Latin America. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT02326857).

Dose-Adjusted Etoposide, Doxorubicin, and Cyclophosphamide With Vincristine and Prednisone Plus Rituximab Therapy in Children and Adolescents With Primary Mediastinal B-Cell Lymphoma: A Multicenter Phase II Trial.

PURPOSE: A dose-adjusted etoposide, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide with vincristine and prednisone plus rituximab (DA-EPOCH-R) regimen has been shown to deliver excellent survival for adults with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBL) without the use of radiotherapy. No international prospective evaluation of this regimen has previously been reported in children and adolescents. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted an international single-arm phase II trial involving patients younger than age 18 years with PMLBL who were to receive six courses of DA-EPOCH-R. The primary end point was event-free survival (EFS). Overall survival and toxicity were also assessed. This trial was registered (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01516567). RESULTS: Analyses were based on 46 patients. The median age was 15.4 years (interquartile range: 14-16 years). The median follow-up was 59.0 months (interquartile range: 52.6-69.2 months). Fourteen events were observed (eight relapses or progressions (including three parenchymal CNS relapses), four residual lymphoma, and two second malignancies). The 4-year EFS was 69.6% (95% CI, 55.2 to 80.9), which did not differ from the rate observed historically (P = .59). Seven deaths occurred (six disease-related and one second malignancy). The overall survival was 84.8% (95% CI, 71.8 to 92.4). Twenty-two patients (48%) reached dose levels ≥ 4. Nonhematologic adverse events grade ≥ 3 or cardiac adverse events grade ≥ 2 occurred in 47 of 276 (17%) courses and 30 of 46 patients (65%). CONCLUSION: DA-EPOCH-R did not improve the EFS compared with a historical control in this first prospective multisite international study of children and adolescents with PMLBL. Further studies are required to determine the optimum therapy for children and adolescents with this lymphoma.

Genomic and clinical characterization of early T-cell precursor lymphoblastic lymphoma.

Early T-cell precursor phenotype acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ETP-ALL) is a subtype of T-ALL with a unique immunophenotype and genetic abnormalities distinct from conventional T-ALL. A subset of T lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LLy) also demonstrates the early T-cell precursor immunophenotype and may be a counterpart of ETP-ALL. Unlike ETP-ALL, the incidence, clinical features, and genomic features of ETP-LLy are unknown. We reviewed the immunophenotyping data of 218 T-LLy patients who enrolled in the Children's Oncology Group AALL0434 clinical trial and identified 9 cases (4%) exhibiting a definitive ETP immunophenotype. We performed single-nucleotide polymorphism array profiling on 9 ETP-LLy and 15 non-ETP T-LLy cases. Compared with non-ETP T-LLy, ETP-LLy showed less frequent deletion of 9p (CKDN2A/B), more frequent deletion of 12p (ETV6) and 1p (RPL22), and more frequent absence of biallelic T-cell receptor γ deletions. Recurrent abnormalities previously described in ETP-ALL such as deletions of 5q and 13q and gain of 6q were not observed in ETP-LLy cases. There were no failures of therapy among the ETP-LLy subtype with a 4-year event-free survival of 100%. Overall, ETP-LLy does not exhibit unifying genetic alterations but shows some distinct genomic features from non-ETP T-LLy suggesting that ETP-LLy may be a distinct entity from non-ETP T-LLy.

Brentuximab vedotin in combination with chemotherapy for pediatric patients with ALK+ ALCL: results of COG trial ANHL12P1.

Approximately 30% of pediatric patients with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) relapse. Although brentuximab vedotin has demonstrated excellent activity in ALCL, it has not been used for newly diagnosed patients. Children's Oncology Group (COG) trial ANHL12P1 determined the toxicity and efficacy of brentuximab vedotin with chemotherapy in children with newly diagnosed nonlocalized anaplastic large cell lymphoma kinase (ALK)+/CD30+ ALCL. From 2013 to 2017, 68 children with ALK+ ALCL were enrolled and received brentuximab vedotin. All patients received 5-day prophase, followed by 6 cycles of chemotherapy. Brentuximab vedotin was given on day 1 of each of the 6 cycles. Of the 67 patients eligible for toxicity evaluation, 66 completed all 6 cycles of chemotherapy, resulting in 399 evaluable cycles. There were no toxic deaths, no case of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy syndrome, and no case of grade 3 or 4 neuropathy. The 2-year event-free survival (EFS) was 79.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 67.2-87.1). The 2-year overall survival (OS) was 97.0% (95% CI, 88.1-99.2). Fourteen patients relapsed. Eleven of 14 (79%) relapses occurred within 10 months of diagnosis; only 1 patient (1.5%) relapsed during therapy. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for NPM-ALK at baseline (minimal disseminated disease) demonstrated prognostic value for EFS (P = .0004). Overall, the addition of brentuximab vedotin to standard chemotherapy does not add significant toxicity or alter the desired interval between cycles. The addition of brentuximab vedotin prevented relapses during therapy, and the OS and EFS estimates compare favorably with results obtained using conventional chemotherapy. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01979536.

Successful Outcomes of Newly Diagnosed T Lymphoblastic Lymphoma: Results From Children's Oncology Group AALL0434.

PURPOSE: The Children's Oncology Group (COG) protocol AALL0434 evaluated the safety and efficacy of multi-agent chemotherapy with Capizzi-based methotrexate/pegaspargase (C-MTX) in patients with newly diagnosed pediatric T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LL) and gained preliminary data using nelarabine in high-risk patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The trial enrolled 299 patients, age 1-31 years. High-risk (HR) patients had ≥ 1% minimal detectable disease (MDD) in the bone marrow at diagnosis or received prior steroid treatment. Induction failure was defined as failure to achieve a partial response (PR) by the end of the 4-week induction. All patients received the augmented Berlin-Frankfurt-Muenster (ABFM) C-MTX regimen. HR patients were randomly assigned to receive or not receive 6 5-day courses of nelarabine incorporated into ABFM. Patients with induction failure were nonrandomly assigned to ABFM C-MTX plus nelarabine. No patients received prophylactic cranial radiation; however, patients with CNS3 disease (CSF WBC ≥ 5/µL with blasts or cranial nerve palsies, brain/eye involvement, or hypothalamic syndrome) were ineligible. RESULTS: At end-induction, 98.8% of evaluable participants had at least a PR. The 4-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 84.7% ± 2.3% and 89.0% ± 2.0%. The 4-year disease-free survival (DFS) from end-induction was 85.9% ± 2.6%. There was no difference in DFS observed between the HR and standard-risk groups (P = .29) or by treatment regimen (P = .55). Disease stage, tumor response, and MDD at diagnosis did not demonstrate thresholds that resulted in differences in EFS. Nelarabine did not show an advantage for HR patients. CNS relapse occurred in only 4 patients. CONCLUSION: COG AALL0434 produced excellent outcomes in one of the largest trials ever conducted for patients with newly diagnosed T-LL. The COG ABFM regimen with C-MTX provided excellent EFS and OS without cranial radiation.

Rituximab for High-Risk, Mature B-Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in Children.

BACKGROUND: Rituximab added to chemotherapy prolongs survival among adults with B-cell cancer. Data on its efficacy and safety in children with high-grade, mature B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are limited. METHODS: We conducted an open-label, international, randomized, phase 3 trial involving patients younger than 18 years of age with high-risk, mature B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (stage III with an elevated lactate dehydrogenase level or stage IV) or acute leukemia to compare the addition of six doses of rituximab to standard lymphomes malins B (LMB) chemotherapy with standard LMB chemotherapy alone. The primary end point was event-free survival. Overall survival and toxic effects were also assessed. RESULTS: Analyses were based on 328 patients who underwent randomization (164 patients per group); 85.7% of the patients had Burkitt's lymphoma. The median follow-up was 39.9 months. Events were observed in 10 patients in the rituximab-chemotherapy group and in 28 in the chemotherapy group. Event-free survival at 3 years was 93.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 89.1 to 96.7) in the rituximab-chemotherapy group and 82.3% (95% CI, 75.7 to 87.5) in the chemotherapy group (hazard ratio for primary refractory disease or first occurrence of progression, relapse after response, death from any cause, or second cancer, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.15 to 0.66; one-sided P = 0.00096, which reached the significance level required for this analysis). Eight patients in the rituximab-chemotherapy group died (4 deaths were disease-related, 3 were treatment-related, and 1 was from a second cancer), as did 20 in the chemotherapy group (17 deaths were disease-related, and 3 were treatment-related) (hazard ratio, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.82). The incidence of acute adverse events of grade 4 or higher after prephase treatment was 33.3% in the rituximab-chemotherapy group and 24.2% in the chemotherapy group (P = 0.07); events were related mainly to febrile neutropenia and infection. Approximately twice as many patients in the rituximab-chemotherapy group as in the chemotherapy group had a low IgG level 1 year after trial inclusion. CONCLUSIONS: Rituximab added to standard LMB chemotherapy markedly prolonged event-free survival and overall survival among children and adolescents with high-grade, high-risk, mature B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and was associated with a higher incidence of hypogammaglobulinemia and, potentially, more episodes of infection. (Funded by the Clinical Research Hospital Program of the French Ministry of Health and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01516580.).

Late Health Outcomes After Contemporary Lymphome Malin de Burkitt Therapy for Mature B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Report From the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

PURPOSE: The widely used, risk-based Lymphome Malin de Burkitt (LMB) chemotherapy regimen has improved survival rates for children with mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL); however, associated late effects remain understudied. We assessed late health outcomes after LMB treatment in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Multivariable regression models compared chronic health conditions, health status, and socioeconomic and neurocognitive outcomes between survivors of NHL treated with the LMB regimen (n = 126), survivors of NHL treated with non-LMB regimens (n = 444), and siblings (n = 1,029). RESULTS: LMB survivors were a median age of 10.2 years (range, 2.5 to 20.5 years) at diagnosis and 24.0 years (range, 10.3 to 35.3 years) at evaluation. Compared with siblings, LMB survivors were at increased risk for adverse health outcomes. However, survivors of NHL treated with LMB and non-LMB regimens did not differ with regard to risk of having any chronic health conditions, impaired health status, neurocognitive deficits, or poorer socioeconomic outcomes. Increased risk for the following specific neurologic conditions was observed in LMB survivors compared with non-LMB survivors: epilepsy (relative risk [RR], 15.2; 95% CI, 3.1 to 73.4); balance problems (RR, 8.9; 95% CI, 2.3 to 34.8); tremors (RR, 7.5; 95% CI, 1.9 to 29.9); weakness in legs (RR, 8.1; 95% CI, 2.5 to 26.4); severe headaches (RR, 3.2; 95% CI, 1.6 to 6.3); and prolonged arm, leg, or back pain (RR, 4.0; 95% CI, 2.2 to 7.1). The survivors from the group C LMB risk group (n = 50) were at the highest risk for these conditions; however, except for worse functional status (odds ratio, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.2 to 5.8), they were not at increased risk for other adverse health status or socioeconomic outcomes compared with non-LMB survivors. CONCLUSION: Survivors treated with LMB and non-LMB regimens are largely comparable in late health outcomes except for excess neurotoxicity among LMB survivors. These data inform treatment efforts seeking to optimize disease control while minimizing toxicity.

IRF4 translocation status in pediatric follicular and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients enrolled in Children's Oncology Group trials.

Large B-cell lymphoma with IRF4 rearrangement is a provisional entity in the 2017 World Health Organization classification. In order to characterize these lymphomas in children from the United States, IRF4 FISH and immunohistochemical stains were performed on 32 follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) from Children's Oncology Group studies. Two DLBCLs (6%) had IRF4 rearrangements, one involving the ileocecal valve and another involving the tonsil and cerebrospinal fluid. Both cases had strong, diffuse IRF4/MUM1 immunohistochemical staining, which may be a pathologic clue to the diagnosis. Reclassification of these cases may have prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Genome-wide discovery of somatic coding and noncoding mutations in pediatric endemic and sporadic Burkitt lymphoma.

Although generally curable with intensive chemotherapy in resource-rich settings, Burkitt lymphoma (BL) remains a deadly disease in older patients and in sub-Saharan Africa. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) positivity is a feature in more than 90% of cases in malaria-endemic regions, and up to 30% elsewhere. However, the molecular features of BL have not been comprehensively evaluated when taking into account tumor EBV status or geographic origin. Through an integrative analysis of whole-genome and transcriptome data, we show a striking genome-wide increase in aberrant somatic hypermutation in EBV-positive tumors, supporting a link between EBV and activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AICDA) activity. In addition to identifying novel candidate BL genes such as SIN3A, USP7, and CHD8, we demonstrate that EBV-positive tumors had significantly fewer driver mutations, especially among genes with roles in apoptosis. We also found immunoglobulin variable region genes that were disproportionally used to encode clonal B-cell receptors (BCRs) in the tumors. These include IGHV4-34, known to produce autoreactive antibodies, and IGKV3-20, a feature described in other B-cell malignancies but not yet in BL. Our results suggest that tumor EBV status defines a specific BL phenotype irrespective of geographic origin, with particular molecular properties and distinct pathogenic mechanisms. The novel mutation patterns identified here imply rational use of DNA-damaging chemotherapy in some patients with BL and targeted agents such as the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib in others, whereas the importance of BCR signaling in BL strengthens the potential benefit of inhibitors for PI3K, Syk, and Src family kinases among these patients.