Richard Delarue

CHOP and DHAP plus rituximab followed by autologous stem cell transplantation in mantle cell lymphoma: a phase 2 study from the Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes de l'Adulte.

Treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in younger patients remains a challenge. We report results of a phase 2 trial using cytarabine and rituximab as induction regimen before autologous stem cell transplantation. Patients younger than 66 years with stage 3 or 4 MCL were included. Treatment consisted of 3 courses of CHOP(21) with rituximab at the third one and 3 of R-DHAP. Responding patients were eligible for autologous stem cell transplantation with TAM6 or BEAM. Sixty patients were included. Median age was 57 years. Characteristics of patients were: BM involvement 85%, leukemic disease 48%, gastrointestinal involvement 52%, Performance Status > 16%, lactate dehydrogenase > 1N 38%, Mantle Cell Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (low 55%, intermediate 38%, high 13%). The overall response rate was 93% after (R)-CHOP and 95% after R-DHAP. Although uncommon after (R)-CHOP (12%), 57% of patients were in complete response after R-DHAP. With median follow-up of 67 months, median event-free survival is 83 months, and median overall survival is not reached. Five-year overall survival is 75%. Comparison with a previous study without rituximab shows improvement of outcome (median event-free survival, 51 vs 83 months). No toxic death or unexpected toxicities were observed. This study confirms that induction with rituximab and cytarabine-based regimens is safe and effective in MCL patients. This regimen is currently compared with R-CHOP(21) induction in a multicentric European protocol.

Combined Treatment With Arsenic Trioxide and All-Trans-Retinoic Acid in Patients With Relapsed Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

PURPOSE Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is capable of inducing a high hematologic response rate in patients with relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Preclinical observations have indicated that all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) may strongly enhance the response to ATO. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between 1998 and 2001, we conducted a randomized study of ATO alone versus ATO plus ATRA in 20 patients with relapsed APL, all previously treated with ATRA-containing chemotherapy. The primary objective was to demonstrate a significant reduction in the time necessary to obtain a complete remission (CR) in the ATO/ATRA group compared with the ATO group. Secondary objectives were safety and molecular response. RESULTS The CR rate after one ATO with or without ATRA induction cycle was 80%. Clinical and pharmacokinetic observations indicated that the main mechanism of action of ATO in vivo was the induction of APL cell differentiation. Hematologic and molecular response, time necessary to reach CR, and outcome were comparable in both treatment groups. Of 16 CR patients, three patients who reached a molecular remission after one induction cycle had all received chemotherapy for a treatment-induced hyperleukocytosis. Three additional patients who received further additional ATO with or without ATRA cycles converted later to molecular negativity. CONCLUSION ATRA did not seem to significantly improve the response to ATO in patients relapsing from APL. Other potential combinations, including ATO plus chemotherapy, have to be tested.

Monitoring Cytomegalovirus Infection in Adult and Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Recipients by a Real-Time PCR Assay Performed with Blood Plasma

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the advantages of cytomegalovirus (CMV) real-time PCR in blood plasma to monitor CMV infection in a population of adult and pediatric bone marrow recipients in comparison with the pp65 antigenemia method. Fifty allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients from our center, including 23 adults and 27 children, were enrolled. A CMV real-time PCR designed to amplify a well-conserved region of the UL123 gene was evaluated for its results with whole blood and blood plasma. The CMV real-time PCR assay and the CMV antigenemia method were performed in parallel with 558 blood samples. The results obtained by the two techniques were significantly correlated (r = 0.732; P < 0.0001). Twenty patients developed at least one episode of CMV replication, with a total of 24 episodes detected by CMV PCR; antigenemia assays were positive in 17 of these 24 episodes. The first positive PCR test preceded the first positive antigenemia by a median of 8 days. The median time interval necessary to obtain a negative CMV PCR test after implementation of preemptive treatment was 28 days. CMV PCR of plasma was positive in two children with CMV disease (one with early CMV pneumonia and one with CMV gastroenteritis), while CMV antigenemia remained negative. The use of CMV PCR with plasma to guide both implementation and discontinuation of CMV preemptive therapy might reduce the risk of occurrence of CMV disease since patients would be treated earlier, and it might also help to reduce the duration of treatment, which could attenuate the side effects of antiviral drugs.

Addition of high-dose cytarabine to immunochemotherapy before autologous stem-cell transplantation in patients aged 65 years or younger with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL Younger): a randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial of the European Mantle Cell Lymphoma Network.

BACKGROUND Mantle cell lymphoma is characterised by a poor long-term prognosis. The European Mantle Cell Lymphoma Network aimed to investigate whether the introduction of high-dose cytarabine to immunochemotherapy before autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) improves outcome. METHODS This randomised, open-label, parallel-group, phase 3 trial was done in 128 haemato-oncological hospital departments or private practices in Germany, France, Belgium, and Poland. Patients aged 65 years or younger with untreated stage II-IV mantle cell lymphoma were centrally randomised (1:1), with computer-assisted random block selection, to receive either six courses of R-CHOP (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) followed by myeloablative radiochemotherapy and ASCT (control group), or six courses of alternating R-CHOP or R-DHAP (rituximab plus dexamethasone, high-dose cytarabine, and cisplatin) followed by a high-dose cytarabine-containing conditioning regimen and ASCT (cytarabine group). Patients were stratified by study group and international prognostic index. The primary outcome was time to treatment failure from randomisation to stable disease after at least four induction cycles, progression, or death from any cause. Patients with stage II-IV mantle cell lymphoma were included in the primary analysis if treatment was started according to randomisation. For safety analyses, patients were assessed according to the treatment actually started. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00209222. FINDINGS Of 497 patients (median age 55 years [IQR 49-60]) randomised from July 20, 2004, to March 18, 2010, 234 of 249 in the control group and 232 of 248 in the cytarabine group were included in the primary analysis. After a median follow-up of 6.1 years (95% CI 5.4-6.4), time to treatment failure was significantly longer in the cytarabine group (median 9.1 years [95% CI 6.3-not reached], 5 year rate 65% [95% CI 57-71]) than in the control group (3.9 years [3.2-4.4], 40% [33-46]; hazard ratio 0.56; p=0.038). During induction immunochemotherapy, patients who received high-dose cytarabine had increased grade 3 or 4 haematological toxicity (haemoglobin 71 [29%] of 241m vs 19 [8%] of 227 controls; platelets 176 [73%] of 240 vs 21 [9%] of 225), grade 3 or 4 febrile neutropenia (39 [17%] of 230 vs 19 [8%] of 224), and grade 1 or 2 renal toxicity (creatinine 102 [43%] of 236 vs 22 [10%] of 224). The number of ASCT-related deaths was similar (eight [3.4%]) in both groups. INTERPRETATION Immunochemotherapy containing high-dose cytarabine followed by ASCT should be considered standard of care in patients aged 65 years or younger with mantle cell lymphoma. FUNDING European Commission, Lymphoma Research Foundation, and Roche.

Thalidomide in patients with multiple myeloma and renal failure

treatment. Our own experience with rFVIIa and reports in the literature on the use of rFVIIa in treating this group of patients involve small numbers of patients. Systematic data collection as recommended by the international registry on rFVIIa and congenital platelet disorders group (Poon & d’Orion, 2000) are therefore important in providing useful information on dosing regimes, efficiency and safety in these rare disorders.

Early Positron Emission Tomography Response-Adapted Treatment in Stage I and II Hodgkin Lymphoma: Final Results of the Randomized EORTC/LYSA/FIL H10 Trial.

Purpose Patients who receive combined modality treatment for stage I and II Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) have an excellent outcome. Early response evaluation with positron emission tomography (PET) scan may improve selection of patients who need reduced or more intensive treatments. Methods We performed a randomized trial to evaluate treatment adaptation on the basis of early PET (ePET) after two cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) in previously untreated-according to European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria favorable (F) and unfavorable (U)-stage I and II HL. The standard arm consisted of ABVD followed by involved-node radiotherapy (INRT), regardless of ePET result. In the experimental arm, ePET-negative patients received ABVD only (noninferiority design), whereas ePET-positive patients switched to two cycles of bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (BEACOPPesc) and INRT (superiority design). Primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS). Results Of 1,950 randomly assigned patients, 1,925 received an ePET-361 patients (18.8%) were positive. In ePET-positive patients, 5-year PFS improved from 77.4% for standard ABVD + INRT to 90.6% for intensification to BEACOPPesc + INRT (hazard ratio [HR], 0.42; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.74; P = .002). In ePET-negative patients, 5-year PFS rates in the F group were 99.0% versus 87.1% (HR, 15.8; 95% CI, 3.8 to 66.1) in favor of ABVD + INRT; the U group, 92.1% versus 89.6% (HR, 1.45; 95% CI, 0.8 to 2.5) in favor of ABVD + INRT. For both F and U groups, noninferiority of ABVD only compared with combined modality treatment could not be demonstrated. Conclusion In stage I and II HL, PET response after two cycles of ABVD allows for early treatment adaptation. When ePET is positive after two cycles of ABVD, switching to BEACOPPesc + INRT significantly improved 5-year PFS. In ePET-negative patients, noninferiority of ABVD only could not be demonstrated: risk of relapse is increased when INRT is omitted, especially in patients in the F group.

Thalidomide therapy induces response in relapsed mantle cell lymphoma

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive B-cell lymphoma that cannot be cured despite aggressive therapy, including autologous stem cell transplantation. Thalidomide is an immunomodulatory drug with numerous properties that has proven effective in relapsed multiple myeloma and, to a lesser extent, in other hematological diseases, such as myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative disorders. We report two cases of relapsed refractory MCL successfully treated with thalidomide.

A phase 2, multicentre, single-arm, open-label study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of single-agent lenalidomide (Revlimid) in subjects with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: the EXPECT trial.

BACKGROUND This multicentre, single-arm, open-label phase 2 trial investigated the efficacy and safety of lenalidomide monotherapy in patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). METHODS Patients received oral lenalidomide 25mg once daily on days 1-21 of each 28-day cycle for a maximum of 24 months, until disease progression or development of unacceptable adverse events (AEs). The primary end-point was efficacy; safety was evaluated as a secondary end-point. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00655668. FINDINGS A total of 54 patients with PTCL were treated. The overall response rate was 22% (12 of 54), including complete response (CR) or unconfirmed CR (CRu) in 11% of patients; 31% of patients with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) responded (CR/CRu in 15% of patients). The median progression-free survival and median response duration were 2.5 and 3.6 months, respectively, in the intent-to-treat population, and 4.6 and 3.5 months, respectively, in patients with AITL. Thrombocytopenia and neutropenia were the most common grade 3 or 4 haematological AEs, in 11 (20%) and 8 (15%) patients, respectively. Overall, 19 patients (35%) experienced at least 1AE leading to study dose interruption or reduction (commonly neutropenia or thrombocytopenia). Serious AEs were observed in 54% of patients and 12 patients died during the study; lymphoma progression (n=6); and acute respiratory distress syndrome, dyspnea, lung infiltration, neutropenic sepsis, pneumonia and cerebral ischaemia (n=1 each). INTERPRETATION Lenalidomide exhibited single-agent activity in heavily pretreated patients with PTCL, particularly in patients with AITL. Future development is warranted in specific histologies, such as AITL, and in combination with chemotherapy or other agents considered active in PTCL. FUNDING Celgene Corporation.

90 Y Ibritumomab Tiuxetan (Zevalin) Combined With BEAM (Z -BEAM) Conditioning Regimen Plus Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Relapsed or Refractory Low-grade CD20-positive B-cell Lymphoma. A GELA Phase II Prospective Study

BACKGROUND This study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a conventional dose of yttrium-90 ((90)Y) ibritumomab tiuxetan combined with the etoposide rabinoside acytarabine melphalan (BEAM) regimen before autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in chemosensitive relapsed or refractory low-grade B-cell lymphomas. PATIENTS AND METHODS From March 2005 to August 2006, 77 prospective patients were included, 69 (90%) with follicular lymphomas. RESULTS The last salvage chemotherapy regimen included rituximab for 74 patients and ASCT for 75 patients. Before ASCT, rates of complete response/unconfirmed response (CR/CRu) and partial response were 77% and 23%, respectively. After zevaline-BEAM (Z-BEAM), time to >1 × 10(9)/L neutrophils was 12 days (range, 9-35 days), and time to >20 × 10(9)/L platelets was 12 days (range, 3-42 days). No other significant extrahematologic toxicity was observed. Three months after ASCT, 68 patients (88%) were in CR/CRu. After a median follow-up of 28 months, 2-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival were 63% and 97%, respectively, but EFS for first-relapsed patients was 72%. When using patients as their own controls, 2-year EFS was superior after ASCT and compared favorably with the duration of response of last chemotherapy (62% vs. 37%, P = .007) (Point 1.10). CONCLUSION Z-BEAM appears safe and needs to be further evaluated in a randomized trial.

Next-Generation Sequencing in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Highlights Molecular Divergence and Therapeutic Opportunities: a LYSA Study.

Purpose: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has detailed the genomic characterization of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) by identifying recurrent somatic mutations. We set out to design a clinically feasible NGS panel focusing on genes whose mutations hold potential therapeutic impact. Furthermore, for the first time, we evaluated the prognostic value of these mutations in prospective clinical trials. Experimental Design: A Lymphopanel was designed to identify mutations in 34 genes, selected according to literature and a whole exome sequencing study of relapsed/refractory DLBCL patients. The tumor DNA of 215 patients with CD20+de novo DLBCL in the prospective, multicenter, and randomized LNH-03B LYSA clinical trials was sequenced to deep, uniform coverage with the Lymphopanel. Cell-of-origin molecular classification was obtained through gene expression profiling with HGU133+2.0 Affymetrix GeneChip arrays. Results: The Lymphopanel was informative for 96% of patients. A clear depiction of DLBCL subtype molecular heterogeneity was uncovered with the Lymphopanel, confirming that activated B-cell–like (ABC), germinal center B-cell like (GCB), and primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) are frequently affected by mutations in NF-κB, epigenetic, and JAK–STAT pathways, respectively. Novel truncating immunity pathway, ITPKB, MFHAS1, and XPO1 mutations were identified as highly enriched in PMBL. Notably, TNFAIP3 and GNA13 mutations in ABC patients treated with R-CHOP were associated with significantly less favorable prognoses. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the contribution of NGS with a consensus gene panel to personalized therapy in DLBCL, highlighting the molecular heterogeneity of subtypes and identifying somatic mutations with therapeutic and prognostic impact. Clin Cancer Res; 22(12); 2919–28. ©2016 AACR. See related commentary by Lim and Elenitoba-Johnson, p. 2829