Pretreatment Hemoglobin Adds Prognostic Information To The NCCN-IPI In Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Treated With Anthracycline-Containing Chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration at diagnosis is associated with outcome in cancer. In a recently reported simplified 3-factor prognostic score in Hodgkin lymphoma, Hgb, along with age and clinical stage, outperformed the classical International Prognostic Score with seven parameters. METHODS: In the present study, we investigated if pretherapeutic Hgb concentration added prognostic information to the NCCN-IPI in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. We included patients from the Danish Lymphoma Registry (LYFO; N = 3499) and from the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER; N = 1225), Mayo Clinic and University of Iowa. Four sex-specific Hgb groups were defined: below transfusion threshold, from transfusion threshold to below lower limit of normal, from lower limit of normal to the population mean, and above the mean. We used multivariable Cox regression to estimate the hazard rate ratios (HR) and 95% CIs for overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS), adjusting for sex, NCCN-IPI, comorbidity, and rituximab treatment. RESULTS: Approximately half of the patients had Hgb levels below the lower limit of normal. Compared to patients with Hgb levels above the mean, an inferior OS was directly correlated with lower pretreatment Hgb within the predefined groups (HR=1.23, HR=1.51, and HR=2.05, respectively). These findings were validated in the MER. CONCLUSION: Based on multivariable analysis, lower pretreatment Hgb, even within the normal range but below the mean, added prognostic information to established indices such as the NCCN-IPI and the Charlson comorbidity index.

[Eosinophilia].

When the number of eosinophil granulocytes in blood increases, the cause is not always easy to disentangle. This review highlights the symptoms of rare clonal and common reactive diagnoses, how to approach the patient clinically, and how to implement the armamentarium of available tests in order to identify the correct diagnosis and offer the proper treatment. Two referral centres for eosinophilia have been established in Denmark to support this activity by a collaboration between all departments of haematology and the relevant specialities, meeting the manifestations of eosinophilia.

The Danish National Acute Leukemia Registry.

AIM OF DATABASE: The main aim of the Danish National Acute Leukemia Registry (DNLR) was to obtain information about the epidemiology of the hematologic cancers acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). STUDY POPULATION: The registry was established in January 2000 by the Danish Acute Leukemia Group and has been expanded over the years. It includes adult AML patients diagnosed in Denmark since 2000, ALL patients diagnosed since 2005, and MDS patients diagnosed since 2010. The coverage of leukemia patients exceeds 99%, and the coverage of MDS patients is currently 90%. MAIN VARIABLES AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA: Approximately, 250 AML patients, 25 ALL patients, and 230 MDS patients are registered in the DNLR every year. In January 2015, the registry included detailed patient characteristics, disease characteristics, treatment characteristics, and outcome data on more than 3,500 AML, 300 ALL, and 1,100 MDS patients. Many of the included prognostic variables have been found to be of high quality including positive predictive values and completeness exceeding 90%. These variables have been used in prognostic observational studies in the last few years. To ensure this high coverage, completeness, and quality of data, linkage to the Danish Civil Registration System and the Danish National Registry of Patients, and several programmed data entry checks are used. CONCLUSION: The completeness and positive predictive values of the leukemia data have been found to be high. In recent years, the DNLR has shown to be an important high-quality resource for clinical prognostic research.

Danish National Lymphoma Registry.

AIM OF DATABASE: The Danish National Lymphoma Registry (LYFO) was established in order to monitor and improve the diagnostic evaluation and the quality of treatment of all lymphoma patients in Denmark. STUDY POPULATION: The LYFO database was established in 1982 as a seminational database including all lymphoma patients referred to the departments of hematology. The database became nationwide on January 1, 2000. MAIN VARIABLES: The main variables include both clinical and paraclinical variables as well as details of treatment and treatment evaluation. Up to four forms are completed for each patient: a primary registration form, a treatment form, a relapse form, and a follow-up form. Variables are used to calculate six result quality indicators (mortality 30 and 180 days after diagnosis, response to first-line treatment, and survival estimates 1, 3, and 5 years after the time of diagnosis), and three process quality indicators (time from diagnosis until the start of treatment, the presence of relevant diagnostic markers, and inclusion rate in clinical protocols). DESCRIPTIVE DATA: Approximately 23,000 patients were registered in the period 1982-2014 with a median age of 65 years (range: 16-100 years) and a male/female ratio of 1.23:1. Patients can be registered with any of 42 different subtypes according to the World Health Organization classifications. CONCLUSION: LYFO is a nationwide database for all lymphoma patients in Denmark and includes detailed information. This information is used for both epidemiological research and clinical follow-up as well as for administrative purposes.

The Danish National Chronic Myeloid Neoplasia Registry.

AIM: The Danish National Chronic Myeloid Neoplasia Registry (DCMR) is a population-based clinical quality database, introduced to evaluate diagnosis and treatment of patients with chronic myeloid malignancies. The aim is to monitor the clinical quality at the national, regional, and hospital departmental levels and serve as a platform for research. STUDY POPULATION: The DCMR has nationwide coverage and contains information on patients diagnosed at hematology departments from January 2010 onward, including patients with essential thrombocythemia, polycythemia vera, myelofibrosis, unclassifiable myeloproliferative neoplasms, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, and chronic myeloid leukemia. MAIN VARIABLES: Data are collected using standardized registration forms (so far up to four forms per patient), which are consecutively filled out online at time of diagnosis, after 2-year and 5-year follow-ups, and at end of follow-up. The forms include variables that describe clinical/paraclinical assessments, treatment, disease progression, and survival - disease-specific variables - as well as variables that are identical for all chronic myeloid malignancies. DESCRIPTIVE DATA: By the end of 2014, the DCMR contained data on 2,690 patients with an inclusion rate of ∼500 patients each year. Since the registry was established, annual reports have shown consistently high national coverage and data completeness, ≥90% and ≥88%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The DCMR is a national database used for monitoring the quality of patient care in patients with chronic myeloid malignancies, but until validation has been conducted, the data must be used with caution. However, the DCMR is a valuable data source accessible to clinicians and researchers.

A phase III randomized trial comparing glucocorticoid monotherapy versus glucocorticoid and rituximab in patients with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia.

The impact of first-line treatment with the anti-CD 20 chimeric monoclonal antibody rituximab in patients with warm-antibody reactive autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (WAIHA) is unknown. We report the first randomized study of 64 patients with newly diagnosed WAIHA who received prednisolone and rituximab combined (N = 32) or prednisolone monotherapy (N = 32). After 12 months, a satisfactory response was observed in 75% of the patients treated with rituximab and prednisolone but in a significantly smaller proportion (36%) of those given prednisolone alone (P = 0·003). Furthermore, relapse-free survival was significantly better after the combined therapy than after prednisolone monotherapy (P = 0·02). After 36 months, about 70% of the patients were still in remission in the rituximab-prednisolone group, whereas only about 45% were still in complete or partial remission in the prednisolone group. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding adverse reactions to the studied medications. Likewise, serious adverse events were equally distributed, and no allergic reactions to rituximab were recorded. In conclusion, our data show that using rituximab and prednisolone combined rather than prednisolone alone as first-line treatment in WAIHA increases both the rate and the duration of the response.

Long term molecular responses in a cohort of Danish patients with essential thrombocythemia, polycythemia vera and myelofibrosis treated with recombinant interferon alpha.

Within recent years data has accumulated demonstrating the efficacy of recombinant interferon alpha2 (rIFN-alpha2) in the treatment of chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). We report on clinical and molecular data in the largest cohort of JAK2 V617F mutant MPN Danish patients (n=102) being treated long-term with rIFN-alpha2 (rIFN-alpha2a and rIFN-alpha2b in a non-clinical trial setting. The median follow-up was 42 months. We substantiate the capacity of rIFN-alpha2 to induce complete hematologic remissions (ET 95%, PV 68%) and molecular response. In total 76 patients (74.5%) had a decline in JAK2 V617F allele burden with a median reduction from baseline of 59% (95% c.i. 50-73%, range 3-99%). A decline in JAK2 V617F allele burden was recorded in both ET (median 24-10% (95% c.i.: 8-16%), and PV (median 59-35% (95% c.i.: 17-33%). Patients with the lowest pre-treatment JAK2 V617F allele burdens tend to achieve the most favourable responses on long term treatment with rIFN-alpha2. Eleven patients (10%) had deep molecular remissions with ≤ 2% JAK2 V617F mutant DNA. Finally, long term treatment with rIFN-alpha2 was associated with a very low thrombosis rate. Our observations are supportive of the concept of early up-front treatment with rIFN-alpha2.

Rituximab and dexamethasone vs dexamethasone monotherapy in newly diagnosed patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia.

In this study, we report the results from the largest cohort to date of newly diagnosed adult immune thrombocytopenia patients randomized to treatment with dexamethasone alone or in combination with rituximab. Eligible were patients with platelet counts ≤25×10(9)/L or ≤50×10(9)/L with bleeding symptoms. A total of 133 patients were randomly assigned to either dexamethasone 40 mg/day for 4 days (n = 71) or in combination with rituximab 375 mg/m(2) weekly for 4 weeks (n = 62). Patients were allowed supplemental dexamethasone every 1 to 4 weeks for up to 6 cycles. Our primary end point, sustained response (ie, platelets ≥50×10(9)/L) at 6 months follow-up, was reached in 58% of patients in the rituximab + dexamethasone group vs 37% in the dexamethasone group (P = .02). The median follow-up time was 922 days. We found longer time to relapse (P = .03) and longer time to rescue treatment (P = .007) in the rituximab + dexamethasone group. There was an increased incidence of grade 3 to 4 adverse events in the rituximab + dexamethasone group (P = .04). In conclusion, rituximab + dexamethasone induced higher response rates and longer time to relapse than dexamethasone alone. This study is registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00909077.