Peter T. Curtin

First and Second-Line Systemic Treatment of Acute Graft-versus-host Disease: Recommendations of the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation

Despite prophylaxis with immunosuppressive agents or a variety of other approaches, many patients suffer from acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Although consensus has emerged supporting the use of high-dose methylprednisolone or prednisone for initial treatment of aGVHD, practices differ among centers with respect to the initial glucocorticoid dose, the use of additional immunosuppressive agents, and the approach to withdrawal of treatment after initial improvement. Despite many studies, practices vary considerably with respect to the selection of agents for treatment of glucocorticoid-resistant or refractory GVHD. Investigators and clinicians have recognized the lack of progress and lamented the absence of an accepted standard of care for secondary treatment of aGVHD. The American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation has developed recommendations for treatment of aGVHD to be considered by care providers, based on a comprehensive and critical review of published reports. Because the literature provides little basis for a definitive guideline, this review also provides a framework for the interpretation of previous results and the design of future studies.

Reduced-Intensity Conditioning followed by Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Adult Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Myeloproliferative Disorders

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is the only curative strategy for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and myeloproliferative disorders (MPD). We report the results of 148 patients (median age = 59 years old) with de novo MDS (n = 40), acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) after antecedent MDS/MPD (n = 49), treatment-related MDS (t-MDS) (n = 25), MPD (n = 27), and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) (n = 7) who underwent allogeneic HCT using a conditioning regimen of low-dose total body irradiation (TBI) alone (200 cGy) on day 0 (n = 5) or with the addition of fludarabine (Flu) 30 mg/m(2)/day on days -4 to -2 (n = 143). Postgrafting immunosuppression consisted of cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). Seventy-five patients (51%) received an allograft from a matched related donor (MRD), and 73 patients (49%) were recipients of unrelated donor (URD) grafts. There was no significant difference in the incidence of acute (gr II-IV) and chronic extensive graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD, cGVHD) between the recipients of related and unrelated donor grafts. By day +28, 75% of patients demonstrated mixed T cell chimerism. Graft rejection was seen in 15% of patients. With a median follow-up of 47 (range: 6-89) months, the 3-year relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) are both 27% for all patients, with a relapse incidence of 41%. The 3-year RFS for the patients with de novo MDS, AML after antecedent MDS/MPD, t-MDS, MPD, and CMML were 22%, 20%, 29%, 37%, and 43%, respectively, and the 3-year OS was 20%, 23%, 27%, 43%, and 43%, respectively. The 3-year nonrelapse mortality (NRM) was 32%. Factors associated with a lower risk of relapse were the development of extensive cGVHD and having a low risk or intermediate-1 risk International Prognostic Score for the de novo MDS patients. Nonmyeloablative HCT confers remissions in patients who otherwise were not eligible for conventional HCT but for whom relapse is the leading cause of treatment failure.

Central Nervous System Failure in Patients with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Lymphoid Blast Crisis and Philadelphia Chromosome Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treated with Imatinib (STI-571)

Isolated central nervous system (CNS) relapse occurred in 5 out of 24 patients (20.8%) with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) lymphoid blast crisis (2), Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (2) or CML with biphenotypic markers (1) treated on imatinib mesylate (IM) protocols at our institution. CNS relapse occurred despite peripheral blood (5) and bone marrow (3) complete responses. Median time to CNS relapse was day 32 (range 23 to 100). This observation raised the possibility that IM may not penetrate into the CNS. Simultaneous plasma and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) IM levels were determined in four subsequent patients by liquid chromatography and mass spectrophotometric assay. Levels of IM were found to be approximately two logs lower in CSF than in plasma (0.044 microg/ml (0.088 +/- 0.029 micrro) vs 3.27 microg/ml (6.54 +/- 0.93 microM)). CSF levels were substantially below the concentration required for inhibition of BCR-ABL and killing of cell lines in vitro. These results suggest that IM may not penetrate the intact blood/brain barrier and its implications are discussed.

Phase 1-2a multicenter dose-escalation study of ezatiostat hydrochloride liposomes for injection (Telintra®, TLK199), a novel glutathione analog prodrug in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome

BackgroundEzatiostat hydrochloride liposomes for injection, a glutathione S-transferase P1-1 inhibitor, was evaluated in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The objectives were to determine the safety, pharmacokinetics, and hematologic improvement (HI) rate. Phase 1-2a testing of ezatiostat for the treatment of MDS was conducted in a multidose-escalation, multicenter study. Phase 1 patients received ezatiostat at 5 dose levels (50, 100, 200, 400 and 600 mg/m2) intravenously (IV) on days 1 to 5 of a 14-day cycle until MDS progression or unacceptable toxicity. In phase 2, ezatiostat was administered on 2 dose schedules: 600 mg/m2 IV on days 1 to 5 or days 1 to 3 of a 21-day treatment cycle.Results54 patients with histologically confirmed MDS were enrolled. The most common adverse events were grade 1 or 2, respectively, chills (11%, 9%), back pain (15%, 2%), flushing (19%, 0%), nausea (15%, 0%), bone pain (6%, 6%), fatigue (0%, 13%), extremity pain (7%, 4%), dyspnea (9%, 4%), and diarrhea (7%, 4%) related to acute infusional hypersensitivity reactions. The concentration of the primary active metabolites increased proportionate to ezatiostat dosage. Trilineage responses were observed in 4 of 16 patients (25%) with trilineage cytopenia. Hematologic Improvement-Erythroid (HI-E) was observed in 9 of 38 patients (24%), HI-Neutrophil in 11 of 26 patients (42%) and HI-Platelet in 12 of 24 patients (50%). These responses were accompanied by improvement in clinical symptoms and reductions in transfusion requirements. Improvement in bone marrow maturation and cellularity was also observed.ConclusionPhase 2 studies of ezatiostat hydrochloride liposomes for injection in MDS are supported by the tolerability and HI responses observed. An oral formulation of ezatiostat hydrochloride tablets is also in phase 2 clinical development.Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov: NCT00035867

Myeloid growth factors, version 2.2017

Myeloid growth factors (MGFs) are given as supportive care to patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy to reduce the incidence of neutropenia. This selection from the NCCN Guidelines for MGFs focuses on the evaluation of regimen- and patient-specific risk factors for the development of febrile neutropenia (FN), the prophylactic use of MGFs for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced FN, and assessing the risks and benefits of MGF use in clinical practice.

Nonmyeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant for the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies using busulfan, fludarabine, and total body irradiation conditioning is effective in an elderly and infirm population

The BuFluTBI conditioning regimen was designed with the primary goal of reducing non-relapse mortality (NRM) while maximizing primary disease control in patients ineligible for myeloablative conditioning. Patients with hematologic malignancies for whom limited long-term survival was expected with standard therapy were administered an outpatient conditioning regimen of busulfan 3.2 mg/kg IV on day -5, fludarabine 30 mg/m(2) IV on days -4, -3, -2, and 200 cGy of total body irradiation (TBI) followed by stem cell infusion from related or unrelated donors. GVHD prophylaxis included cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil. 147 patients were enrolled from 2005-2011; 59% with myeloid disease and 41% with lymphoid disease. The median age was 64, and the median comorbidity index (HCT-CI) score was 3. Overall survival (OS), with 3.2 years median follow-up, was 60% at 1 year and 48% at 2 years, with projected OS 37% at 5 years. Relapse rates were 29% at 1 year and 33% at 2 years, with relapse mortality of 13% at 1 year, and 20% at 2 years. Nonrelapse mortality (NRM) at 1 year was 27% and 33% at 2 years. 54% of patients developed grade II-IV aGVHD and 67% of patients developed cGVHD within 2 years. On multivariate analysis, HCT-CI score 4 or greater, pre-transplant KPS less than 90, delayed platelet engraftment of more than 15 days, and grade II-IV aGVHD were found to be independent predictors of poor survival. There was no difference in OS or PFS between lymphoid and myeloid malignancies. BuFluTBI is an efficacious NMA regimen, active in both myeloid and lymphoid disease, and is ideally suited for use in patients age 65 and older or with an HCT-CI of 4 or greater.

Toxic megacolon: A life-threatening complication of high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation among patients with AL amyloidosis

AL amyloidosis is a plasma cell disorder in which tissue deposition of immunoglobulin light chains leads to organ dysfunction. Recent reports of high-dose therapy with autologous stem cell transplantation for amyloidosis suggest higher response rates and extended survival compared to those seen with conventional chemotherapy. However, substantial treatment-related toxicity has been observed. This case series describes our institutional experience with autologous transplantation in four patients with amyloidosis with an emphasis on unique gastrointestinal toxicities, including toxic megacolon.

t(4;22)(q12;q11.2) involving presumptive platelet-derived growth factor receptor A and break cluster region in a patient with mixed phenotype acute leukemia

The patient is a 45-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer who had been treated 1 year ago with radiation and chemotherapy. Flow cytometric analysis of bone marrow aspirate revealed 81% blasts positive for CD4, CD11c (partial), CD13, CD19 (partial), cytoplasmic CD22, CD34, CD36, CD45, cytoplasmic CD79a, CD117 (partial), HLA-DR, and terminal deoxynucleotide transferase, consistent with a mixed phenotype acute leukemia (B/myeloid lineage). Conventional karyotypic analysis revealed a t(4;22)(q12;q11.2) in 12 of 13 cells analyzed. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis using a dual-color, dual-fusion break cluster region/ABL probe set showed no break cluster region/ABL translocation but an extra break cluster region signal in 85% (170/200) of cells, consistent with a translocation involving the break cluster region gene at 22q11.2. A FIP1L1/CHIC2/platelet-derived growth factor receptor α deletion/fusion probe showed signal separation in 96.5% (193/200) of interphase nuclei. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction using sense break cluster region primers and an antisense platelet-derived growth factor receptor α primer resulted in a product of approximately 590 base pairs, consistent with the presence of a break cluster region/platelet-derived growth factor receptor α fusion gene. Because of the presumptive platelet-derived growth factor receptor α translocation and its sensitivity to tyrosine-kinase inhibitor, the patient was treated with imatinib mesylate, cytarabine, and idarubicin as induction and maintenance therapy; and she has remained free of disease for 5 months since the initial diagnosis.

Successful treatment of both double minute of C-MYC and BCL-2 rearrangement containing large B-cell lymphoma with subsequent unfortunate development of therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia with t(3;3)(q26.2;q21)

Double minute chromosomes (DMs), although relatively frequently encountered in solid tumors, are rare in hematologic neoplasms such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and even rarer in lymphoid neoplasms. t(3;3)(q26.2;q21) is a very rare genetic alteration observed in myeloid neoplasm. Herein we report an interesting and unique case of concomitant C-MYC DMs and t(14;18)-containing large B-cell lymphoma, which was successfully treated with R-hyper-CVAD; unfortunately, the patient has developed a therapy-related AML (t-AML) 2 years since the start of his lymphoma treatment. His t-AML contains both t(3;3)(q26.2;q21) and monosomy 7, and the patient died of AML 10 months after the initial diagnosis of t-AML despite clinical remission. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of C-MYC DM-containing de novo large B-cell lymphoma, which was successfully treated with complete remission, but unfortunately died of t-AML harboring t(3;3)(q21;q26).

Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Version 1.2019, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is defined by the presence of Philadelphia chromosome (Ph), resulting from a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22 [t(9;22] that gives rise to a BCR-ABL1 fusion gene. CML occurs in 3 different phases (chronic, accelerated, and blast phase) and is usually diagnosed in the chronic phase. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy is a highly effective first-line treatment option for all patients with newly diagnosed chronic phase CML (CP-CML). The selection TKI therapy should be based on the risk score, toxicity profile of TKI, patients age, ability to tolerate therapy, and the presence of comorbid conditions. This manuscript discusses the recommendations outlined in the NCCN Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of patients with CP-CML.