Circulating dendritic cells deficiencies as a new biomarker in classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

No robust biomarkers have been yet validated to identify the recurrence of disease in classical Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL) patients upon induction treatment. The relevance of the inflammatory microenvironment in cHL prompted us to investigate the key immunomodulator myeloid dendritic cells type-1 (mDC1), type-2 (mDC2) and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC). Blood DC levels were assessed in 52 newly diagnosed patients through multiparametric flow-cytometry. All but two patients received ABVD regimen (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine). The median counts of all DC subsets were lower in cHL patients than in healthy controls (P < 0·001). Median mDC counts were inferior for the advanced vs early stage patients for both mDC1s and mDC2s (P = 0·008; P = 0·0007 respectively). Also, median mDC2 counts were reduced in case of bulky (P = 0·0004) and extra-nodal (P = 0·046) disease. Patients with B symptoms had lower levels for mDC1s (P = 0·046), mDC2s (P = 0·009) and pDCs (P = 0·040). All the DC subtypes increased at the end of treatment in 26 patients (P < 0·001): 4·6-fold for mDC1, 2·4-fold for mDC2, 4·5-fold for pDC and aligned DCs subsets with the reference frequencies and the interquartile ranges of the controls. In conclusion, DCs may contribute to the disturbed immunological interplay typical of cHL, prompting a further evaluation of their value as a potential new biomarker.

A phase II study of dose-dense and dose-intense ABVD (ABVDDD-DI ) without consolidation radiotherapy in patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma.

We explored activity and safety of a dose-dense/dose-intense adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine regimen (ABVDDD-DI ) in 82 patients with advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma. Patients entered a two-stage Bryant-Day Phase II study to receive six cycles of ABVDDD-DI without consolidation radiotherapy. Cycles were supported with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and delivered every 21 d; drugs were administered on days 1 and 11 at the same doses of standard ABVD except for doxorubicin (35 mg/m2; first four cycles only). Co-primary endpoints were complete response (CR) rate and severe acute cardiopulmonary toxicity; secondary endpoints were event-free (EFS) and disease-free survival (DFS). All patients received the four doxorubicin-intensified courses and 96% concluded all six cycles (82.3% within the intended 18 weeks). This translated into a 66.9% increase of received dose-intensity for doxorubicin and 31.8% for the other agents over standard ABVD. The CR rate was 95.1% (78/82) and 87.8% (72/82) achieved a metabolic CR after two cycles. Cardiopulmonary toxicity never exceeded grade 2 and affected 14.6% of patients. Most frequent toxicities were grade 4 neutropenia (10%) and anaemia (9%), grade 3 infection (17%) and grade 2 mucocutaneous changes (30%). Five-year EFS and DFS was 88.3% and 93.7%, respectively. ABVDDD-DI regimen was well-tolerated and ensured substantial CR and EFS rates without radiotherapy.

Efficacy and safety of bendamustine for the treatment of patients with recurring Hodgkin lymphoma.

The management of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) recurring after stem cell transplantation (SCT) and multiply relapsed disease remains challenging. We report on 41 such patients who received bendamustine hydrochloride, a bifunctional mechlorethamine derivative mechanistically unrelated to traditional alkylators, after a median of four prior chemotherapy lines, including SCT in 85% of cases. Bendamustine was given at doses of 90-120 mg/m(2) every 21 or 28 d. At first assessment (2-4 cycles), the overall response rate (ORR) was 78% with 12 (29%) complete (CR) and 20 (49%) partial responses (PR). Upon treatment prolongation to 6-8 courses, 40% of PRs progressed, yielding a final ORR of 58% with 31% of CRs. Eight patients (two CRs, six PRs) were subsequently allotransplanted. Median progression-free and overall survival exceeded 11 and 21 months respectively; complete responders displayed a median disease-free survival above 9 months with a relapse rate of only 30%. Outcomes were independent of disease chemosensitivity, previous transplant and bendamustine dose-intensity. No life-threatening or unexpected adverse events occurred. Within the limits of a retrospective analysis and schedule heterogeneity, these results appear very encouraging and prompt prospective trials to confirm bendamustine as a valuable option in the palliative setting and in cytoreductive strategies before allotransplantation.

RD-CODOX-M/IVAC with rituximab and intrathecal liposomal cytarabine in adult Burkitt lymphoma and 'unclassifiable' highly aggressive B-cell lymphoma.

Specific trials on adult Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and 'unclassifiable' lymphomas with features intermediate between BL and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (BL/DLBCL) are advocated which include substantial numbers of older patients, to improve treatment feasibility, while countering risks of systemic and central nervous system (CNS) recurrences. We prospectively evaluated a modified CODOX-M/IVAC (CODOX-M: cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, high-dose methotrexate; IVAC: ifosfamide, etoposide and high-dose cytarabine) regimen by the addition of rituximab (R) and liposome-encapsulated cytarabine (D) to increase antitumour activity and halve the number of intrathecal treatments. Thirty adults (40% >60years) with BL (n=15) and BL/DLBCL (n=15) were accrued. Primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), CNS recurrence, and liposomal cytarabine-associated toxicity. Eighty percent of patients received the whole treatment programme, the remaining cases received at least three full courses. Application of the RD-CODOX-M/IVAC regimen resulted in remarkable 4-year PFS (78%) and complete remission (CR) rates (93%). However, PFS was significantly lower in patients older than 60years as compared to younger ones (49%vs 93%, P=0·03; median, 36months), despite high actual dose-intensity, CR rate and tolerability. Reduced-intensity intratechal prophylaxis through liposomal cytarabine was effective because the CNS failure rate was low (3·4%) and without severe neurological toxicities. The RD-CODOX-M/IVAC strategy is feasible and highly effective, but improving outcomes in elderly patients remains a priority.

Biweekly rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, non-pegylated liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin and prednisone (R-COMP-14) in elderly patients with poor-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and moderate to high 'life threat' impact cardiopathy.

This Phase II study assessed feasibility and efficacy of a biweekly R-COMP-14 regimen (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, non-pegylated liposome-encapsulated doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) in untreated elderly patients with poor-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and moderate to high 'life threat' impact NIA/NCI cardiac comorbidity. A total of 208 courses were delivered, with close cardiac monitoring, to 41 patients (median age: 73years, range: 62-82; 37% >75years) at a median interval of 15·6 (range, 13-29) days; 67% completed all six scheduled courses. Response rate was 73%, with 68% complete responses (CR); 4-year disease-free survival (DFS) and time to treatment failure (TTF) were 72% and 49%, respectively. Failures were due to early death (n=3), therapy discontinuations (no-response n=2; toxicity n=6), relapse (n=6) and death in CR (n=3). Incidence of cardiac grade 3-5 adverse events was 7/41 (17%; 95% confidence interval: 8-31%). Time to progression and overall survival at 4-years were 77% and 67%, respectively. The Age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (aaCCI) correlated with failures (P=0·007) with patients scoring ≤7 having a longer TTF (66% vs. 29%; P=0·009). R-COMP-14 is feasible and ensures a substantial DFS to poor-risk DLBCL patients who would have been denied anthracycline-based treatment due to cardiac morbidity. The aaCCI predicted both treatment discontinuation rate and TTF.

Clinical relevance of the dose of cytarabine in the upfront treatment of primary CNS lymphomas with methotrexate-cytarabine combination.

BACKGROUND: The combination of high doses of methotrexate (MTX) and cytarabine (araC) is the standard chemotherapy for patients with primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL). The addition of an alkylating agent could improve MTX-araC efficacy because it is active against quiescent G0 cells and increases antimetabolites cytotoxicity. A pilot experience with high doses of MTX, araC, and thiotepa (MAT regimen) was performed to investigate feasibility and efficacy of adding an alkylating agent. With respect to MTX-araC combination, araC dose was halved to minimize toxicity. Herein, we report tolerability, activity, and efficacy of MAT regimen and compare these results to those previously reported with MTX/ara-C combination. METHODS: Twenty HIV-negative patients with PCNSL treated with MAT regimen and whole-brain irradiation and selected according to eligibility criteria of the International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group (IELSG) #20 trial were analyzed. RESULTS: Patient characteristics of MAT and MTX-araC series were similar. G4 hematologic toxicity was common after MAT chemotherapy, with dose reductions in 60% of patients, infections in 20%, G4 non-hematologic toxicity in 15%, and one (5%) toxic death. Response after chemotherapy was complete in four patients (clinical response rate, 20%; 95% confidence interval, 3%-37%) and partial in three (overall response rate, 35%; 95% confidence interval, 15%-55%). Fifteen patients experienced failure and 16 died (median follow-up, 26 months), with a 2-year overall survival of 24% ± 9%. CONCLUSIONS: MAT and MTX-araC combinations showed similar tolerability, whereas araC dose reduction was associated with a remarkably lower efficacy, hiding any potential benefit of thiotepa. Four doses of araC 2 g/m(2) per course are recommended in patients with PCNSL.

Efficacy and safety of the third-generation chloroethylnitrosourea fotemustine for the treatment of chemorefractory T-cell lymphomas.

Patients with recurring T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (T-NHL) are incurable and candidate for investigational agents. Here, we report on five patients with T-NHL refractory to multiple chemotherapy lines, including in all cases alkylators and gemcitabine, who received the third-generation chloroethylnitrosourea fotemustine at a dose of 120 mg/m(2) every 21 d, up to eight courses. Median actual dose intensity was 79%; toxicity was manageable and mainly hematological. One complete remission, one partial remission, two protracted disease stabilization, and one transient, minor response were achieved. Time to progression ranged from 48 to 240+ d. This is the first evidence ever reporting the activity of fotemustine in end-stage T-NHL. Formal studies with this agent are warranted in T-cell malignancies.

Response and Toxicity to Cytarabine Therapy in Leukemia and Lymphoma: From Dose Puzzle to Pharmacogenomic Biomarkers.

Cytarabine is a pyrimidine nucleoside analog, commonly used in multiagent chemotherapy regimens for the treatment of leukemia and lymphoma, as well as for neoplastic meningitis. Ara-C-based chemotherapy regimens can induce a suboptimal clinical outcome in a fraction of patients. Several studies suggest that the individual variability in clinical response to Leukemia & Lymphoma treatments among patients, underlying either Ara-C mechanism resistance or toxicity, appears to be associated with the intracellular accumulation and retention of Ara-CTP due to genetic variants related to metabolic enzymes. Herein, we reported (a) the latest Pharmacogenomics biomarkers associated with the response to cytarabine and (b) the new drug formulations with optimized pharmacokinetics. The purpose of this review is to provide readers with detailed and comprehensive information on the effects of Ara-C-based therapies, from biological to clinical practice, maintaining high the interest of both researcher and clinical hematologist. This review could help clinicians in predicting the response to cytarabine-based treatments.

High-dose cytarabine plus high-dose methotrexate versus high-dose methotrexate alone in patients with primary CNS lymphoma: a randomised phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Chemotherapy with high-dose methotrexate is the conventional approach to treat primary CNS lymphomas, but superiority of polychemotherapy compared with high-dose methotrexate alone is unproven. We assessed the effect of adding high-dose cytarabine to methotrexate in patients with newly diagnosed primary CNS lymphoma. METHODS: This open, randomised, phase 2 trial was undertaken in 24 centres in six countries. 79 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma exclusively localised into the CNS, cranial nerves, or eyes, aged 18-75 years, and with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 3 or lower and measurable disease were centrally randomly assigned by computer to receive four courses of either methotrexate 3.5 g/m(2) on day 1 (n=40) or methotrexate 3.5 g/m(2) on day 1 plus cytarabine 2 g/m(2) twice a day on days 2-3 (n=39). Both regimens were administered every 3 weeks and were followed by whole-brain irradiation. The primary endpoint was complete remission rate after chemotherapy. Analysis was by intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00210314. FINDINGS: All randomly assigned participants were analysed. After chemotherapy, seven patients given methotrexate and 18 given methotrexate plus cytarabine achieved a complete remission, with a complete remission rate of 18% (95% CI 6-30) and 46% (31-61), respectively, (p=0.006). Nine patients receiving methotrexate and nine receiving methotrexate plus cytarabine achieved a partial response, with an overall response rate of 40% (25-55) and 69% (55-83), respectively, (p=0.009). Grade 3-4 haematological toxicity was more common in the methotrexate plus cytarabine group than in the methotrexate group (36 [92%] vs six [15%]). Four patients died of toxic effects (three vs one). INTERPRETATION: In patients aged 75 years and younger with primary CNS lymphoma, the addition of high-dose cytarabine to high-dose methotrexate provides improved outcome with acceptable toxicity compared with high-dose methotrexate alone. FUNDING: Swiss Cancer League.

Dendritic cells in hematological malignancies.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are bone-marrow-derived immune cells accounted for a crucial role in initiating and modulating the adaptive immune response and supporting the innate immune response independently from T cells. While functioning as the most effective antigen-presenting cells within the immune system, DCs can otherwise induce tolerance in central and peripheral lymphoid organs acting therefore as suppressors rather than stimulators of the immune response. Within mechanisms regulating antitumor immunity, DCs can capture antigens from viable or damaged tumor cells and present the processed peptides to T-cells to prompt the generation and maintenance of an effective tumor-specific T-cell response. Upon a complex cross-talk with other cellular components of the tumor microenvironment, DCs can, on the other hand, exert a potent antigen-dependent and -independent tolerogenic function by favoring the process of tumor immune evasion. Due to this dual-role in balancing antitumor immunity and tolerance, possibly linked to distinct developmental stages and functional subsets, several studies have addressed the regulatory significance of DCs in different types of malignancies. This review summarizes the most significant pieces of evidence highlighting the critical relevance of bone marrow-derived DCs within the immune pathways regulating pathogenesis and progression of hemopoietic tumors.

Pentostatin (2'-deoxycoformycin) for the treatment of hepatosplenic gammadelta T-cell lymphomas.

We report the results of treatment with single agent 2'-deoxycoformycin (Pentostatin) in two patients with Hepatosplenic gammadelta T-cell lymphoma (HSgammadeltaTCL), a rare lymphoma subtype with a highly unfavorable prognosis. Present and previous data reviewed here demonstrates the striking cytotoxic activity of Pentostatin against gammadelta+ tumor T cells. Further studies are warranted to define the optimal strategy to fully exploit therapeutic potential of this drug in patients with HSgammadeltaTCL.

Aging and the hemopoietic system.

While increasing numbers of elderly patients are expected to require chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy in the future, the application of standard-dose chemotherapy in unselected cohorts of older patients usually results in a higher rate of life-threatening myelosuppression and treatment-related deaths compared to young individuals treated with the same chemotherapy regimens. The biologic mechanisms underlying reduced tolerance to chemotherapy of the hemopoietic system in older individuals are still poorly understood. Unveiling such mechanisms therefore represents a fundamental issue to ameliorate chemotherapy strategies for older cancer patients. Current evidence suggests that aging-related bone marrow changes are rather subtle and most probably irrelevant for the hemopoietic function of normal older individuals. These changes, however, may become clinically evident under conditions of severe hemopoietic stress such as the administration of repeated courses of chemo-radiotherapy. The mechanisms underlying age-dependent decline in the hematopoietic reserve are not fully clarified and probably involve age-associated changes in the stem and progenitor cells compartments which may ultimately lead to a reduced ability of recovery from hematologic stress. Age-related changes in endogenous anti-tumor immune responses also need to be accounted for in the aim of managing residual disease in elderly cancer patients treated with effective chemo-radiotherapy. Since dendritic cells (DCs) generated from older individuals appear fully functional, dendritic cell-based immunotherapy may represent an important tool to treat residual disease in aged cancer patients. While it is clearly established that primary prophylaxis with hemopoietic growth factors currently enables a large fraction of older cancer patients to receive appropriate chemotherapy, innovative strategies in the use of such growth factors may allow time-intensification of standard-dose chemotherapy for treating chemosensitive tumors, i.e. non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs), occurring in older individuals.

MATILDE chemotherapy regimen for primary CNS lymphoma: results at a median follow-up of 12 years.

OBJECTIVE: We report updated results at a median follow-up of 12 years of a phase II trial assessing first-line MATILDE chemotherapy and response-tailored radiotherapy in patients with primary CNS lymphomas (PCNSL). METHODS: Forty-one HIV-negative patients (18-70 years; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≤3) with histologically confirmed PCNSL received 3 courses of MATILDE chemotherapy followed by whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT). Chemotherapy activity was the primary endpoint. RESULTS: Overall response rate was 76% (95% confidence interval [CI] 63%-89%) after chemotherapy and 83% (95% CI 71%-95%) after chemotherapy ± radiotherapy. At a median follow-up of 144 months (range 47-153), 31 patients experienced an event: relapse in 24, progressive disease in 3, and toxic death in 4, with a 5-year progression-free survival of 24% ± 8%. Two patients experienced a late relapse (100 and 101 months). Nine patients are alive and disease-free, 8 of whom are alive at >10 years, with a 5-year overall survival of 30% ± 7%. At 10 years from diagnosis, no patient showed chronic hematologic and nonhematologic toxicities, with a Mini-Mental State Examination score of ≥29 in all cases but one. CONCLUSIONS: At a median follow-up of 12 years, MATILDE regimen followed by WBRT confirmed the previously reported survival plateau, which further proves its long-lasting efficacy with acceptable neurologic deficits. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class IV evidence that in patients with PCNSL, MATILDE chemotherapy followed by response-tailored radiotherapy increases the probability of disease remission at 12 years.

BCL10 expression and localization in ocular adnexa MALT lymphomas: a comparative cytogenetic and immunohistochemical study.

T(1;14) (p22;q32) involving BCL10 and IGH genes is a rare but recurrent chromosomal aberration in MALT-type lymphoma. It is rarely described in ocular adnexa B cell lymphomas, although nuclear BCL10 shuttling seems to be critical for disease progression in this district. We have evaluated the translocations MALT lymphoma-related in a series of 45 ocular adnexa cases, focusing in particular on their relation with BCL10 expression and its cellular topographic distribution. A prognostic tissue microarray (TMA) with ocular adnexa MALT lymphomas was designed. A study of BCL10 expression and its topographic distribution was performed through immunohistochemistry. In addition the assessment of t(14;18) (q32;q21), t(1;14) (p22;q32) and t(11;18) (q21;q21) was determined by Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH). Our series revealed t(14;18) (q32;q21) in 6/43 cases (14,3%). t(1;14) (p22;q32), never described in ocular adnexa MALT lymphomas, was observed in 3/31 (9,7%), two of which exhibited the gain of 3' upstream BCL10 gene signal (4%), whereas no case showed t(11;18) (q21;q21). Moreover, BCL10 expression was observed in 18/45 cases. In particular its nuclear expression was revealed in 12/45 cases, cytoplasmic expression in 5/45 and both cytoplasmic and nuclear expression in 1/45. Statistical analysis demonstrated that while BCL10 cytoplasmic expression is significantly related to the presence of the investigated chromosomal aberrations, in particular with t(14;18) (q32;q21), BCL10 nuclear shuttling does not show any correlation with these translocations. Our data support that BCL10 nuclear distribution is neither related to BCL10 rearrangement nor to other known translocations.

Long-term results of gemcitabine plus oxaliplatin with and without rituximab as salvage treatment for transplant-ineligible patients with refractory/relapsing B-cell lymphoma.

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy and safety of the combination of gemcitabine plus oxaliplatin, with and without rituximab, in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma unsuitable for high dose therapy. METHODS: Patients were prospectively enrolled in two subsequent trials, GEMOX [gemcitabine (1200 mg/m(2), days 1 and 8) and oxaliplatin (120 mg/m(2), day 2), three-weekly] and R-GEMOX [rituximab (375 mg/m(2), day 1), gemcitabine (1200 mg/m(2), day 1) and oxaliplatin (120 mg/m(2), day 2), bi-weekly], up to six courses. RESULTS: Sixty-two patients were enrolled: GEMOX [n = 30; median age, 66 years (range, 46-85); previous chemotherapy > or =2, 70%; PS ECOG > or = 2, 57%]; R-GEMOX [n = 32; median age, 65 years (range 32-79); previous chemotherapy > or =2, 75%; PS ECOG > or = 2, 47%]. Overall and complete response rates were 57 and 30% (95% CI, 15-49) for GEMOX and 78 and 50% (95% CI, 32-68) in R-GEMOX, respectively. Grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred in 57 and 47% of cycles and grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia in 26 and 17% of courses for GEMOX and R-GEMOX, respectively. At 42 months, the failure-free survival (FFS) was 7% (95% CI, 0-16) for GEMOX and 28% (95% CI, 9-47) for R-GEMOX (P = 0.014), with overall survivals of 7 (95% CI, 0-16) and 37% (95% CI, 20-55), respectively (P = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Both regimes showed good tolerability and appealing response rates. FFS was more prolonged in R-GEMOX, but patients continuously relapsed without a clear plateau on survival curves.