Variant ALK-fusion positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL): A population-based paediatric study of the NHL-BFM study group.

Frequency, distribution and prognostic meaning of ALK-partner genes other than NPM1 in ALK-positive anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) are unknown. Forty-nine of 316 ALCL diagnosed in the NHL-BFM study group showed no nuclear ALK expression suggestive of a variant ALK-partner; 41 were analysed by genomic capture high-throughput sequencing or specific RT-PCRs. NPM1::ALK was detected in 13 cases. Among the 28 patients with a non-NPM1::ALK-fusion partner, ATIC (n = 8; 29%) and TPM3 (n = 9; 32%) were the most common. Five of eight patients with ATIC::ALK-positive ALCL relapsed, none of nine with TPM3::ALK. Variant ALK-partners are rare and potentially associated with different prognoses.

Molecular Screening in Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase-Positive Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma: Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Analysis, Next-Generation Sequencing Fusion Gene Detection, and T-Cell Receptor Immunoprofiling.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALK+ ALCL) originates from the T-lineage and is marked by rearrangements of the ALK gene. More than 10 fusion partners with the ALK gene are known, with the most common being the t(2;5)(p23;q35) translocation resulting in the NPM1::ALK fusion. In 10% to 20% of the ALK+ ALCL cases, the ALK gene fuses with various other partners. Modern molecular techniques, especially next-generation sequencing (NGS), have eased the identification of ALK gene fusion partners and have allowed in-depth characterization of the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire. We devised a real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction to measure the expression of the translocated portion of the ALK gene. Fusion partners for the ALK gene were analyzed using rapid amplification of 5'cDNA ends (RACE) method or NGS. TCR immunoprofiling was performed by amplicon NGS. We studied 96 ALK+ ALCL patients. NPM1::ALK fusion gene was observed in 71 patients, ATIC::ALK in 9, and TPM3::ALK in 3. CLTC::ALK, MYH9::ALK, and RNF213::ALK fusions were identified in 2 patients each. We also discovered the TPM4::ALK and SATB1::ALK fusion genes, plus the following 2 previously unidentified ALK+ ALCL fusions: SQSTM1::ALK and CAPRIN1::ALK. High expression of the translocated ALK gene segment was observed in all 93 analyzed samples. TCR testing was conducted on 23 patients with available DNA. In 18 (78%) patients, we discerned at least one (ranging from 1 to 4) clonal TCR rearrangement. In 59% of the patients, clonal TCR beta junctions corresponded with sequences previously observed in both healthy donors and under various pathological conditions. Reverse-transcriptase quantitative detection of ALK expression is a fast and reliable method for both diagnosing and monitoring treatment response in ALK+ ALCL patients, irrespective of the ALK gene translocation. NGS reveals new ALK translocation partners. Both malignant and reactive TCR repertoires in ALK+ ALCL patients are unique and do not consistently occur among different patients.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma presenting with spinal cord compression: A population-based analysis of the NHL-BFM study group.

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord compression is a rare presentation of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) in children. We aimed to describe the prevalence, histological subtypes, clinical presentation, therapy, and outcome of those children in a population-based cohort. The chemotherapy regimen remained comparable over time. METHODS: We retrospectively identified all children and adolescents with paresis as initial manifestations of the NHL between January 1990 and December 2020 from the NHL-BFM database. Characteristics, therapy, and outcome data were gathered from the database and patient files. RESULTS: Fifty-seven of 4779 children (1.2%) presented with initial paresis due to spinal cord compression. The median age was 10.3 years (range, 3.1-18.0 years), and 33% were female. Initial symptoms were paresis/weakness (n = 50, 88%), back pain (n = 33, 58%), paresthesia (n = 23, 40%), and bladder dysfunction and/or constipation (n = 22, 39%), persisting for a median of 14 days before diagnosis. Subtype distribution was mature B-NHL (n = 41, 72%), precursor B-lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) (n = 12, 21%), anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) (n = 3, 5%), and T-LBL (n = 1, 2%). Initial emergency therapy included surgery (70%) and/or chemotherapy/steroids (63%). Five-year event-free survival and overall survival (80% ± 5% and 82% ± 5%, respectively) were comparable with all other NHL patients. Neurological symptoms persisted in approximately one-third of surviving patients at the last follow-up. CONCLUSION: 1.2% of pediatric NHL patients presented with paresis from spinal cord compression mainly due to B-cell lymphomas. Neurological sequelae were observed in one-third of surviving patients.

Comprehensive analysis of constitutional mismatch repair deficiency-associated non-Hodgkin lymphomas in a global cohort.

BACKGROUND: Constitutional mismatch repair deficiency syndrome (CMMRD) is a rare childhood cancer predisposition syndrome associated with a broad spectrum of malignancies, including non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). Most patients die due to cancer before the age of 20 years. Limited data exist on CMMRD-associated lymphomas and their outcome. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study including all CMMRD-associated NHL patients registered before 2020 in the European and North American databases or reported by members of the European Intergroup for Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (EICNHL). Events considered to define event-free survival included relapse/progression, second malignancy (SML), or death, whichever occurred first. FINDINGS: The analysis included 74 patients, with 20 having multiple metachronous NHL. The median age at diagnosis was 9.4 years. Previous malignancies were reported in 36% of the patients, café au lait spots in 96%, and consanguinity in 54%. The initial lymphoma subtypes were 53 T-cell lymphoblastic lymphomas (T-LBL), four B-lymphoblastic lymphomas, and 17 mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). All patients were treated with curative intent, with current chemotherapy regimens adapted to their subtype. The median follow-up was 8.7 years. After the first lymphoma, the 5-year event-free and overall survival rates were, respectively, 23.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 14.9-35.1] and 61.5% [95% CI: 49.6-72.1]. The 5-year cumulative risk of progression/relapse, SML or death as a first event was 20.8%, 52.9%, and 2.7%. INTERPRETATION: Standard treatments for sporadic NHL are effective in most CMMRD-associated NHL cases, but multiple malignancies, including lymphomas, impair prognosis. Future strategies should evaluate the potential of less genotoxic therapies, including immunotherapy, in preventing SMLs while maintaining effective control of NHL.

Progressive or relapsed Burkitt lymphoma or leukemia in children and adolescents after BFM-type first-line therapy.

Children with refractory or relapsed Burkitt lymphoma (BL) or Burkitt leukemia (B-AL) have a poor chance to survive. We describe characteristics, outcome, reinduction, and transplantation approaches and evaluate risk factors among children with progression of a BL/B-AL included in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma-Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster studies between 1986 and 2016. Treatment recommendation was reinduction including rituximab from the early 2000s followed by blood stem cell transplantation. The 3-year survival of the 157 children was 18.5 ± 3%. Survival significantly improved from 11 ± 3% before to 27 ± 5% after 2000 (P < .001), allowing for risk factor analyses among the latter 75 patients. Survival of 14 patients with relapse after initial therapy for low-risk disease (R1/R2) was 50 ± 13% compared with 21 ± 5% for 61 patients progressing after R3/R4 therapy (P < .02). A total of 25 of 28 patients with progression during first-line therapy, 31 of 32 with progression during reinduction, 15 of 16 not reaching a complete remission (CR) before transplantation, 9 of 10 treated with rituximab front-line, and all 13 patients not receiving rituximab during reinduction died. Forty-six patients received stem cell transplantation (20 autologous, 26 allogeneic). Survival after a regimen combining rituximab with continuous-infusion chemotherapy followed by allogeneic transplantation was 67 ± 12% compared with 18 ± 5% for all other regimen and transplantations (P = .003). Patients with relapsed BL/B-AL have a poor chance to survive after current effective front-line therapies. Progression during initial or reinduction chemotherapy and initial high-risk disease are risk factors in relapse. Time-condensed continuous-infusion reinduction followed by stem cell transplantation forms the basis for testing new drugs.

Semen analysis and treatment risk factors in long-term survivors of childhood cancer.

The objective of this study was to compare semen quality (sperm density, progressive motility and spermia) between long-term childhood cancer survivors and a control group of males. The second objective was to correlate the semen analysis of the survivors with cancer treatment and endocrine status. The semen quality of 143 survivors (median age, 23.6 years) was compared to 200 men (median age, 27.9 years) who had not been diagnosed with cancer. The cancer-related risk factors and gonadotrophin levels were compared. Overall, 65% of the survivors had abnormal semen analysis compared to 26.5% of the controls (p < 0.0001). Survivors with nonaspermia had lower sperm density than the controls (p < 0.001). Other observed correlations were not significant. Survivors who were treated with alkylating agents were more likely to have abnormal semen analysis (p < 0.008). Follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone levels were significantly elevated (p < 0.0001) in survivors with abnormal semen analysis. The semen quality parameters, except for low sperm density, did not differ in survivors with nonaspermia compared to the controls. The risk factors included treatment with alkylating agents. Elevated gonadotrophin levels correlated with abnormal semen analysis. All cancer survivors should be made aware of the possibility of suffering from cancer treatment-related infertility.

Next generation sequencing - a science tool or routine pathology?

Molecular assays for translocation detection in different tumors have gradually been incorporated into routine diagnostics. However, conventional methods such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and reverse transcriptase-PCR come with several drawbacks. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) can provide in-depth detection of numerous gene alterations. The anchored multiplex PCR assay proved to be a fast and easy-to-analyze approach for routine diagnostics laboratories. Next-generation sequencing-based anchored multiplex PCR technique (Archer FusionPlex Panels) is beneficial in both diagnosis for patient care and in identification of a novel fusion breakpoint in tumors. NGS is useful in identifying targetable molecular changes (point mutations, fusion genes, etc.) in tumors that can serve as a rationale for inclusion of patients with advanced disease in ongoing clinical trials and allow for better risk stratification.

Non-leukemic pediatric mixed phenotype acute leukemia/lymphoma: Genomic characterization and clinical outcome in a prospective trial for pediatric lymphoblastic lymphoma.

Rare cases of hematological precursor neoplasms fulfill the diagnostic criteria of mixed phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL), characterized by expression patterns of at least two hematopoietic lineages, for which a highly aggressive behavior was reported. We present a series of 11 pediatric non-leukemic MPAL identified among 146 precursor lymphoblastic lymphomas included in the prospective trial Euro-LBL 02. Paraffin-embedded biopsies of 10 cases were suitable for molecular analyses using OncoScan assay (n = 7), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH; n = 7) or both (n = 5). Except for one case with biallelic KMT2A (MLL) breaks, all cases analyzed by FISH lacked the most common translocations defining molecular subsets of lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphomas. Two non-leukemic B-myeloid MPALs showed the typical genomic profile of hyperdiploid precursor B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia with gains of chromosomes 4, 6, 10, 14, 18, and 21. One B-T MPAL showed typical aberrations of T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, such as copy number neutral loss of heterozygosity (CNN-LOH) at 9p targeting a 9p21.3 deletion of CDKN2A and 11q12.2-qter affecting the ATM gene. ATM was also mutated in a T-myeloid MPAL case with additional loss at 7q21.2-q36.3 and mutation of NRAS, two alterations common in myeloid disorders. No recurrent regions of CNN-LOH were observed. The outcome under treatment was good with all patients being alive in first complete remission after treatment according to a protocol for precursor lymphoblastic lymphoma (follow-up 3-10 years, median: 4.9 years). In summary, the present series of non-leukemic MPALs widely lacked recurrently reported translocations in lymphoid/myeloid neoplasias and showed heterogeneous spectrum of chromosomal imbalances.

CNS progression during vinblastine or targeted therapies for high-risk relapsed ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma: A case series.

Vinblastine and targeted therapies induce remissions in patients with relapsed or progressive anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis often is not included during re-induction in CNS-negative relapse patients. We report on five patients with progressive or early relapsed ALK-positive ALCL who developed CNS progression during re-induction with vinblastine, crizotinib, or brentuximab vedotin given for bridging to allogeneic blood stem cell transplantation. These observations suggest that CNS prophylaxis should be considered in ALCL patients suffering progression during initial therapy who receive re-induction using agents with limited CNS penetration.

Children and adolescents with marginal zone lymphoma have an excellent prognosis with limited chemotherapy or a watch-and-wait strategy after complete resection.

Data on management of pediatric marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) are scarce. This retrospective study assessed characteristics and outcome in 66 patients who were <18 years old. Forty-four (67%) had an extranodal MZL (EMZL), 21 (32%) a nodal MZL (NMZL), and one patient a splenic MZL. Thirty-three patients (50%) received a variable combination of adjuvant chemotherapy/immunotherapy/radiotherapy, while the remainder, including 20 of 21 with NMZL, entered an active observation period. Overall survival was excellent (98 ± 2%), although 11 patients relapsed (17%; NMZL, n = 1; EMZL, n = 10), seven after any therapy and four after complete resection only. In conclusion, outcome of NZML, in particular, seems to be excellent after (in)complete resection and observation only.

Palonosetron compared with ondansetron in pediatric cancer patients: multicycle analysis of a randomized Phase III study.

AIM: To investigate across multiple cycles the efficacy and safety of palonosetron in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in pediatric cancer patients receiving highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC/MEC). PATIENTS & METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to 10, 20 µg/kg palonosetron or 3 × 150 µg/kg ondansetron for up to four cycles of HEC/MEC. RESULTS: In all on-study chemotherapy cycles, complete response rates were higher in patients in the 20 µg/kg palonosetron group than the ondansetron group. Treatment-emergent adverse events were comparable between the palonosetron 20 µg/kg and ondansetron groups. CONCLUSION: Over four cycles of HEC/MEC, 20 µg/kg palonosetron was an efficacious and safe treatment for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in pediatric cancer patients.

Palonosetron versus ondansetron for prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in paediatric patients with cancer receiving moderately or highly emetogenic chemotherapy: a randomised, phase 3, double-blind, double-dummy, non-inferiority study.

BACKGROUND: Palonosetron has shown efficacy in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in adults undergoing moderately or highly emetogenic chemotherapy. We assessed the efficacy and safety of palonosetron versus ondansetron in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in paediatric patients. METHODS: In this multicentre, multinational, double-blind, double-dummy, phase 3 study, paediatric patients aged between 0 and younger than 17 years, who were naive or non-naive to chemotherapy, and scheduled to undergo moderately or highly emetogenic chemotherapy for the treatment of malignant disease were randomised centrally (1:1:1) to receive up to four cycles of 10 µg/kg or 20 µg/kg palonosetron on day 1, or three 150 µg/kg doses of ondansetron on day 1, scheduled 4 h apart, according to a static central permuted block randomisation scheme by an interactive web response system. Randomisation was stratified according to age and emetogenicity. Treatment allocation was masked to project team members involved in data collection and analysis, and members of the investigator's team. The primary endpoint was complete response (no vomiting, retching, or use of rescue drugs) during the acute phase (0-24 h post-chemotherapy) of the first on-study chemotherapy cycle, as assessed in the population of randomly assigned patients who received moderately or highly emetogenic chemotherapy and an active study drug. The primary efficacy objective was to show the non-inferiority of palonosetron versus ondansetron during the acute phase (0-24 h post-chemotherapy) of the first on-study chemotherapy cycle through comparison of the difference in the proportions of patients who achieved a complete response with palonosetron (πT) minus ondansetron (πR) versus a preset non-inferiority margin (δ -15%). To be considered as non-inferior to ondansetron, for at least one of the doses of palonosetron, the lower limit of the 97·5% CI for the weighted sum of the differences in complete response rates had to be superior to -15%. Safety was assessed, according to treatment received. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01442376, and has been completed. FINDINGS: Between Sept 12, 2011, and Oct 26, 2012, we randomly assigned 502 patients; 169 were assigned to receive 10 µg/kg palonosetron, 169 to receive 20 µg/kg palonosetron, and 164 to receive 3 × 150 µg/kg ondansetron, of whom 166, 165, and 162, respectively, were included in the efficacy analysis. In the acute phase, complete responses were recorded in 90 (54%) patients in the 10 µg/kg palonosetron group, 98 (59%) in the 20 µg/kg palonosetron group, and 95 (59%) in the ondansetron group. Non-inferiority versus ondansetron was shown for 20 µg/kg palonosetron in the acute phase (weighted sum of the differences in complete response rates 0·36% [97·5% CI -11·7 to 12·4]; p=0·0022). Non-inferiority versus ondansetron was not shown for 10 µg/kg palonosetron in the acute phase (weighted sum of the differences in complete response rates -4·41% [97·5% CI -16·4 to 7·6]). In the first on-study treatment cycle, treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 134 (80%) of 167 patients who received 10 µg/kg palonosetron, 113 (69%) of 163 who received 20 µg/kg palonosetron, and 134 (82%) of 164 who received ondansetron. The most common drug-related treatment-emergent adverse events were nervous system disorders, mainly headache, which occurred in three (2%) patients who received 10 µg/kg palonosetron, one (<1%) patient who received 20 µg/kg palonosetron, and two (1%) patients who received ondansetron. The incidence of serious adverse events in the first on-study treatment cycle was lower in the 20 µg/kg palonosetron group (43 [26%]) than in the 10 µg/kg palonosetron group (52 [31%]) and the ondansetron group (55 [34%]). INTERPRETATION: Non-inferiority was shown for 20 µg/kg palonosetron during the acute phase of the first on-study chemotherapy cycle. 20 µg/kg palonosetron is now indicated by the European Medicines Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in paediatric patients aged 1 month to younger than 17 years. FUNDING: Helsinn Healthcare.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and pre-existing conditions: spectrum, clinical characteristics and outcome in 213 children and adolescents.

Children and adolescents with pre-existing conditions such as DNA repair defects or other primary immunodeficiencies have an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, large-scale data on patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and their entire spectrum of pre-existing conditions are scarce. A retrospective multinational study was conducted by means of questionnaires sent out to the national study groups or centers, by the two largest consortia in childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the European Intergroup for Childhood non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, and the international Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster Study Group. The study identified 213 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and a pre-existing condition. Four subcategories were established: a) cancer predisposition syndromes (n=124, 58%); b) primary immunodeficiencies not further specified (n=27, 13%); c) genetic diseases with no increased cancer risk (n=40, 19%); and d) non-classifiable conditions (n=22, 10%). Seventy-nine of 124 (64%) cancer predispositions were reported in groups with more than 20 patients: ataxia telangiectasia (n=32), Nijmegen breakage syndrome (n=26), constitutional mismatch repair deficiency (n=21). For the 151 patients with a known cancer risk, 5-year event-free survival and overall survival rates were 40%±4% and 51%±4%, respectively. Five-year cumulative incidences of progression/relapse and treatment-related death as a first event were 22%±4% and 24%±4%, respectively. Ten-year incidence of second malignancy was 24%±5% and 7-year overall survival of the 21 patients with a second malignancy was 41%±11%. Patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and pre-existing conditions have an inferior survival rate with a large proportion of therapy-related deaths compared to patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and no pre-existing conditions. They may require special vigilance when receiving standard or modified/reduced-intensity chemotherapy or when undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Impact of Fc gamma-receptor polymorphisms on the response to rituximab treatment in children and adolescents with mature B cell lymphoma/leukemia.

Recent studies in adult lymphoma patients have indicated a correlation between polymorphisms of Fc gamma-receptors (FcγRs, encoded by the respective FCGR genes) and the response to rituximab treatment. In vitro, cells expressing FcγRIIIa-158V mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) more efficiently than cells expressing FcγRIIIa-158F. The impact of the FCGR2A-131HR polymorphism is unclear. In this study, the FCGR polymorphisms FCGR3A-158VF and FCGR2A-131HR were analyzed in pediatric patients with mature aggressive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma/leukemia (B-NHL). Pediatric patients received a single dose of rituximab monotherapy. Response was evaluated on day 5 followed by standard chemotherapy for B-NHL. Among 105 evaluable patients, a response to rituximab was observed in 21 % of those homozygous for FcγRIIa-131RR (5/24) compared to 48 % of patients who were HH and HR FcγRIIa-131 allele carriers (18/34 and 21/47, respectively; p = 0.044). Among patients with the FCGR3A-158 polymorphism, those homozygous for the FF genotype had a significantly favorable rituximab response rate of 59 % (22/37) compared to 32 % in patients who were FcγRIIIa-158VV and FcγRIIIa-VF allele carriers (2/9 and 20/59, respectively; p = 0.022). A stringent phase II response evaluation of children and adolescents with B-NHL after one dose of rituximab monotherapy showed a significant association between the rituximab response rate and FCGR polymorphisms. These findings support the hypothesis that FCGR polymorphisms represent patient-specific parameters that influence the response to rituximab.

Expression of the active caspase-3 in children and adolescents with classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study was to determine whether the expression of active caspase-3 in neoplastic Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (H/RS) cells correlates with the treatment response and provides prognostic information on treatment outcome. In this retrospective study, we included 56 patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma treated at the Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology between January 2000 and June 2005. Active caspase-3 was detected by immunohistochemistry in primary biopsy specimens. Seventeen patients (29.3%) were evaluated as caspase-3 positive and remained alive in the first complete remission. This stood in contrast to patients with less than 5% caspase-3 positive cells, five of whom experienced relapse and three patients died. Adequate treatment response was achieved in 11 patients (19.6%). Comparison of event-free survival with regard to the percentage of caspase-3 positive tumour cells showed a tendency for a better clinical outcome in patients with 5% or more active caspase-3 positive cells. KEYWORDS: classical Hodgkin lymphoma - apoptosis - active caspase-3 - therapy response - clinical outcome.

Biological Sample Collection to Advance Research and Treatment: A Fight Osteosarcoma Through European Research and Euro Ewing Consortium Statement.

Osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma are bone tumors mostly diagnosed in children, adolescents, and young adults. Despite multimodal therapy, morbidity is high and survival rates remain low, especially in the metastatic disease setting. Trials investigating targeted therapies and immunotherapies have not been groundbreaking. Better understanding of biological subgroups, the role of the tumor immune microenvironment, factors that promote metastasis, and clinical biomarkers of prognosis and drug response are required to make progress. A prerequisite to achieve desired success is a thorough, systematic, and clinically linked biological analysis of patient samples, but disease rarity and tissue processing challenges such as logistics and infrastructure have contributed to a lack of relevant samples for clinical care and research. There is a need for a Europe-wide framework to be implemented for the adequate and minimal sampling, processing, storage, and analysis of patient samples. Two international panels of scientists, clinicians, and patient and parent advocates have formed the Fight Osteosarcoma Through European Research consortium and the Euro Ewing Consortium. The consortia shared their expertise and institutional practices to formulate new guidelines. We report new reference standards for adequate and minimally required sampling (time points, diagnostic samples, and liquid biopsy tubes), handling, and biobanking to enable advanced biological studies in bone sarcoma. We describe standards for analysis and annotation to drive collaboration and data harmonization with practical, legal, and ethical considerations. This position paper provides comprehensive guidelines that should become the new standards of care that will accelerate scientific progress, promote collaboration, and improve outcomes.

Children and adolescents with follicular lymphoma have an excellent prognosis with either limited chemotherapy or with a "Watch and wait" strategy after complete resection.

Data on clinical features and outcome in pediatric follicular lymphoma (pFL) are scarce. The aim of this retrospective study including 13 EICNHL and/or i-BFM study group members was to assess clinical characteristics and course in a series of 63 pFL patients. pFL was found to be associated with male gender (3:1), older age (72 % ≥10 years old), low serum LDH levels (<500 U/l in 75 %), grade 3 histology (in 88 %), and limited disease (87 % stage I/II disease), mostly involving the peripheral lymph nodes. Forty-four out of sixty-three patients received any polychemotherapy and 1/63 rituximab only, while 17/63 underwent a "watch and wait" strategy. Of 36 stage I patients, 30 had complete resections. Only one patient relapsed; 2-year event-free survival and overall survival were 94 ± 5 and 100 %, respectively, after a median follow-up of 2.2 years. Conclusively, treatment outcome in pFL seems to be excellent with risk-adapted chemotherapy or after complete resection and an observational strategy only.

Ibrutinib plus RICE or RVICI for relapsed/refractory mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in children and young adults: SPARKLE trial.

Part 1 results of the open-label, randomized, global phase 3 SPARKLE trial supported continued assessment of ibrutinib with either modified rituximab, ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide (RICE) or rituximab, vincristine, ifosfamide, carboplatin, idarubicin, and dexamethasone (RVICI) in pediatric patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). We report final results of Part 2 evaluating the efficacy of ibrutinib plus RICE or RVICI vs RICE/RVICI alone. Patients aged 1 to 30 years (initial diagnosis <18 years) were randomized 2:1 to receive ibrutinib with or without RICE/RVICI. Primary endpoint was event-free survival (EFS) based on independent committee-confirmed events. Fifty-one patients were enrolled. Median age was 15 years; Burkitt lymphoma, Burkitt leukemia, and Burkitt-like lymphoma (total: 45%) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma/primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (51%) were the most common subtypes. At the preplanned interim analysis, median EFS was 6.1 vs 7.0 months with ibrutinib plus RICE/RVICI vs RICE/RVICI, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.9; 90% confidence interval, 0.5-1.6; P = .387); further enrollment was ceased. With ibrutinib plus RICE/RVICI vs RICE/RVICI, median overall survival was 14.1 vs 11.1 months, overall response rate was 69% vs 81%, and 46% vs 44% proceeded to stem cell transplantation. In both treatment arms, 100% of patients experienced grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events. No EFS benefit was seen with ibrutinib. Salvage was generally poor in patients who received prior rituximab, regardless of treatment arm. No new safety signals were observed. Ibrutinib exposure in pediatric patients fell within the target range of exposure in adults. Trial is registered on www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02703272).