Real-world Imatinib Mesylate Treatment in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: The Importance of Molecular Monitoring and the Early Molecular Response.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal myeloproliferative disorder characterized by the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome. After the introduction of imatinib mesylate (IM) in 2000, the natural history of the disease changed. Data on the treatment of CML with IM are from randomized clinical trials. Establishing whether these results can be reproduced or if caution is needed when extrapolating data to the general population with CML is essential. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the molecular response (MR) in patients with chronic-phase CML (CML-CP) not included in clinical studies and correlate them with the responses obtained in clinical trials. METHODS: Between January 2007 and January 2017, 227 patients newly diagnosed with CML-CP treated with IM as first-line treatment were included. This study is an observational, retrospective, and single-center study. RESULTS: At a median follow-up time of 7.3 years, 60.3% of the 227 patients who started IM were still on IM. Early molecular response (EMR) at 3 and 6 months was achieved by 74.2% and 65%, respectively. The median time to a MMR was nine months. The MR4.0 and MR4.5 were 67.2% and 51.1%, respectively. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and event-free survival (EFS) of the patients who exclusively used IM were 91%, 91%, and 85.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results presented are similar to those described in prospective and randomized trials, demonstrating that the outcomes are reproducible in the real world. EMR at 3 and 6 months reflects better long-term responses, including higher rates of deeper molecular responses. Considering treatment costs, the absence of literature evidence of an impact on overall survival demonstrated by first-line second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), and the global OS of 85.8%, imatinib mesylate (IM) is still an excellent therapeutic option.

Fusariose em paciente imunocomprometido: sucesso terapêutico com voriconazol / Fusariosis in an immunocompromised patient: therapeutic success with voriconazole

A infecção por Fusarium solani é afecção fúngica potencialmente grave em pacientes imunocomprometidos, sobretudo naqueles portadores de neoplasias hematológicas. A mortalidade é alta,sendo limitadas as opções terapêuticas devido às condições da imunidade do doente e à relativa resistência do fungo aos antifúngicos utilizados de rotina. O voriconazol tem-se mostrado boa alternativa terapêutica em pacientes neutropênicos que apresentam fusariose refratária ou pouco responsiva à anfotericina B. Neste artigo relata-se caso de fusariose em doente imunocomprometido tratado com sucesso com voriconazol.

Fusarium infection is known to be potentially severe in immunocompromised patients, especially those with hematologic malignancies. Mortality rates are high and there are few therapeutic options, due to the severe underlying condition of this group of patients and the relative resistance of Fusarium to conventional antifungal therapy. Voriconazole has been shown to be an effective antifungal agent for neutropenic patients with fusariosis that are refractory or unresponsive to amphotericin B. We report the successful treatment of disseminated Fusarium infection in an immunocompromised host.

Seminoma primário do mediastino / Primary mediastinal seminoma

O seminoma é um tumor maligno de células germinativas que possui como sitio primário preferencial os testículos, embora existam raros casos de localização extra-gonadal. Os autores relatam caso de seminoma primário de mediastino em paciente masculino, 26 anos de idade, que apresentava dispnéia progressiva, tosse seca, rouquidão, dor torácica eventual, obstrução óbvia da veia cava superior e massa volumosa e palpável no mediastino ântero-superior. O diagnóstico etiológico foi suspeitado pelos exames de imagem, anatomopatológico e marcadores séricos e firmado pelo estudo imuno-histoquimico. Não havia evidência de metástase à distância, mas o tumor estava localmente avançado. O tratamento proposto foi poliquimioterápico com esquema PEB (cispiatina, etoposide e bleomicina) e o paciente evoluiu sem maiores intercorrências.

The seminoma is a malignant germ cell tumor that is rarely placed in an extra-testicular position. A 26 years old male patient with primary mediastinal seminoma was studied. His symptoms were: progressive dyspnea, unproductive cough, hoarseness, occasional chest pain, obvious superior vena cava obstruction, and a huge and palpable mass located in the upper anterior mediastinum. Image exams, serum markers and histological study led to diagnosis, of seminoma which was confirmed by immunohistochemical study. There was no evidence of distant metastatic disease although it was locally advanced. After the beginning of the treatment with chemotherapy, the patient's symptoms were improved.