Ryan D. Cassaday

Impact of induction regimen and stem cell transplantation on outcomes in double-hit lymphoma: A multicenter retrospective analysis

Patients with double-hit lymphoma (DHL), which is characterized by rearrangements of MYC and either BCL2 or BCL6, face poor prognoses. We conducted a retrospective multicenter study of the impact of baseline clinical factors, induction therapy, and stem cell transplant (SCT) on the outcomes of 311 patients with previously untreated DHL. At median follow-up of 23 months, the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates among all patients were 10.9 and 21.9 months, respectively. Forty percent of patients remain disease-free and 49% remain alive at 2 years. Intensive induction was associated with improved PFS, but not OS, and SCT was not associated with improved OS among patients achieving first complete remission (P = .14). By multivariate analysis, advanced stage, central nervous system involvement, leukocytosis, and LDH >3 times the upper limit of normal were associated with higher risk of death. Correcting for these, intensive induction was associated with improved OS. We developed a novel risk score for DHL, which divides patients into high-, intermediate-, and low-risk groups. In conclusion, a subset of DHL patients may be cured, and some patients may benefit from intensive induction. Further investigations into the roles of SCT and novel agents are needed.

Hepatic adverse event profile of inotuzumab ozogamicin in adult patients with relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: results from the open-label, randomised, phase 3 INO-VATE study

BACKGROUND The INO-VATE study demonstrated efficacy and safety of inotuzumab ozogamicin versus standard care in adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Here, we report the frequency of, and potential risk factors for, hepatotoxicity in patients in this trial and after treatment and subsequent haemopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). METHODS In this open-label, phase 3, multicentre, international study, adults with relapsed or refractory, CD22-positive, Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive or Ph-negative B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia who were due to receive first or second salvage treatment were randomly assigned (1:1) via an interactive voice response system to receive inotuzumab ozogamicin (starting dose 1·8 mg/m2 per cycle [0·8 mg/m2 on day 1; 0·5 mg/m2 on days 8 and 15 of a 21-28 day cycle for ≤6 cycles]) or standard care (either fludarabine plus cytarabine plus granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, mitoxantrone plus cytarabine, or high-dose cytarabine). Stratification factors at randomisation were duration of first remission (<12 months vs ≥12 months), salvage treatment phase (first vs second), and age (<55 years vs ≥55 years). We present data up to March 8, 2016. At this cutoff date, all patients had been discontinued from treatment but 54 patients were continuing in long-term follow-up. Long-term follow-up has now been completed, with the final patients last visit on Jan 4, 2017. This prespecified safety analysis describes investigator-assessed treatment-emergent hepatotoxicity, including sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (also known as veno-occlusive disease) in patients during study treatment or thereafter (without follow-up HSCT) and after study treatment and subsequent HSCT, for all patients who received at least one dose of study treatment. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01564784. FINDINGS Between Aug 27, 2012, and and the data cutoff of March 8, 2016, 326 patients were randomly assigned to receive inotuzumab ozogamicin (n=164) or standard care (n=162). 164 patients in the inotuzumab ozogamicin group and 143 in the standard care group received at least one dose of study treatment and were included in the safety population. At data cutoff, median duration of treatment (induction) was 8·9 weeks (IQR 4·1-13·1) in the inotuzumab ozogamicin group and 0·9 weeks (0·9-1·1) in the standard care group. Treatment-emergent hepatotoxicities (of all grades) were more frequent in the inotuzumab ozogamicin group (83 [51%] of 164 patients) than in the standard care group (49 [34%] of 143 patients). The frequency of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome-comprising events occurring during treatment (or follow-up without HSCT) and after treatment and subsequent HSCT-was higher in the inotuzumab ozogamicin group (22 [13%]; 18 [82%] of which were grade 3 or worse) than in the standard care group (one [<1%]). During study therapy or follow-up without HSCT, five (3%) patients in the inotuzumab ozogamicin group developed sinusoidal obstruction syndrome compared with no patients in the standard care group. Of the 77 patients who received inotuzumab ozogamicin and proceeded to HSCT, 17 (22%) had sinusoidal obstruction syndrome; five events after follow-up HSCT were fatal. Of 32 patients who received standard care and proceeded to HSCT, one (3%) had (non-fatal) sinusoidal obstruction syndrome that was ongoing at the time of death due to septic shock. In multivariate analysis, conditioning with two alkylating agents (p=0·015 vs one alkylating agent) and last available pre-HSCT bilirubin concentration of greater than or equal to the upper limit of normal (ULN; p=0·009 vs <ULN) were associated with increased risk of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome in patients who received inotuzumab ozogamicin. The estimated hazard ratio for overall survival in patients with follow-up HSCT (inotuzumab ozogamicin vs standard care) was 1·227 (97·5% CI 0·656-2·292; one-sided stratified log-rank p=0·77); at 24 months, the estimated probability of survival was 38·9% (95% CI 27·6-50·0) in the inotuzumab ozogamicin group versus 28·7% (11·2-49·1) in the standard care group. INTERPRETATION Treatment with inotuzumab ozogamicin is associated with increased hepatotoxicity, especially after follow-up HSCT, compared with standard care. FUNDING Pfizer.

Outcomes of Patients With Double-Hit Lymphoma Who Achieve First Complete Remission

Purpose Patients with double-hit lymphoma (DHL) rarely achieve long-term survival following disease relapse. Some patients with DHL undergo consolidative autologous stem-cell transplantation (autoSCT) to reduce the risk of relapse, although the benefit of this treatment strategy is unclear. Methods Patients with DHL who achieved first complete remission following completion of front-line therapy with either rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) or intensive front-line therapy, and deemed fit for autoSCT, were included. A landmark analysis was performed, with time zero defined as 3 months after completion of front-line therapy. Patients who experienced relapse before or who were not followed until that time were excluded. Results Relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates at 3 years were 80% and 87%, respectively, for all patients (n = 159). Three-year RFS and OS rates did not differ significantly for autoSCT (n = 62) versus non-autoSCT patients (n = 97), but 3-year RFS was inferior in patients who received R-CHOP compared with intensive therapy (56% v 88%; P = .002). Three-year RFS and OS did not differ significantly for patients in the R-CHOP or intensive therapy cohorts when analyzed by receipt of autoSCT. The median OS following relapse was 8.6 months. Conclusion In the largest reported series, to our knowledge, of patients with DHL to achieve first complete remission, consolidative autoSCT was not associated with improved 3-year RFS or OS. In addition, patients treated with R-CHOP experienced inferior 3-year RFS compared with those who received intensive front-line therapy. When considered in conjunction with reports of patients with newly diagnosed DHL, which demonstrate lower rates of disease response to R-CHOP compared with intensive front-line therapy, our findings further support the use of intensive front-line therapy for this patient population.

Specific Features Identify Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma Benefitting from Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Outcomes with autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto HCT) for relapsed and/or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) are typically poor. We hypothesized that certain factors could predict which patients experience a favorable outcome with this approach. We thus developed a predictive score from a cohort of 67 such patients using 3 factors independently associated with progression-free survival (PFS): (1) simplified Mantle Cell Lymphoma International Prognostic Index score before auto HCT (hazard ratio [HR], 2.9; P = .002); (2) B symptoms at diagnosis (HR, 2.7; P = .005); and (3) remission quotient, calculated by dividing the time, in months, from diagnosis to auto HCT by the number of prior treatments (HR, 1.4; P = .02). The estimated 5-year PFS for favorable-risk patients (n = 23) and unfavorable-risk patients (n = 44) were 58% (95% confidence interval [CI], 34% to 75%) and 15% (95% CI, 6% to 28%), respectively. These factors also independently predicted overall survival. In summary, we have defined 3 simple factors that can identify patients with relapsed/refractory MCL who derive a durable benefit from salvage auto HCT.

Sole rearrangement but not amplification of MYC is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma and B cell lymphoma unclassifiable

Rearrangement of MYC is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and B cell lymphoma unclassifiable (BCLU), particularly in the setting of double hit lymphoma (DHL). However, little is known about outcomes of patients who demonstrate MYC rearrangement without evidence of BCL2 or BCL6 rearrangement (single hit) or amplification (>4 copies) of MYC. We identified 87 patients with single hit lymphoma (SHL), 22 patients with MYC‐amplified lymphoma (MYC amp) as well as 127 DLBCL patients without MYC rearrangement or amplification (MYC normal) and 45 patients with DHL, all treated with either R‐CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) or intensive induction therapy. For SHL and MYC amp patients, the 2‐year progression‐free survival rate (PFS) was 49% and 48% and 2‐year overall survival rate (OS) was 59% and 71%, respectively. SHL patients receiving intensive induction experienced higher 2‐year PFS (59% vs. 23%, P = 0·006) but similar 2‐year OS as compared with SHL patients receiving R‐CHOP. SHL DLBCL patients treated with R‐CHOP, but not intensive induction, experienced significantly lower 2‐year PFS and OS (P < 0·001 for both) when compared with MYC normal patients. SHL patients appear to have a poor prognosis, which may be improved with receipt of intensive induction.

Maintenance rituximab after autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with mantle cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND High-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) improves outcomes for patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), but relapse ultimately occurs in most patients. Recently presented interim results from a phase III prospective trial suggest maintenance rituximab (MR) after ASCT for MCL improves progression-free survival (PFS). The maturation of these data and any benefit of MR on overall survival (OS) remain to be defined. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this retrospective study, we examined a cohort of consecutive patients with MCL that underwent ASCT for MCL at our center and evaluated their outcomes according to whether they received MR after ASCT (n = 50) or did not (n = 107). MR was treated as a time-dependent covariate to account for variation in timing of its initiation. RESULTS MR was associated with an improved PFS [hazard ratio (HR) 0.44; confidence interval (CI) (0.24-0.80), P = 0.007] and overall survival (OS; HR 0.46; CI 0.23-0.93, P = 0.03) following a multivariate adjustment for confounding factors with a median follow-up of ∼5 years. Grade 4 neutropenia was increased (34% versus 18%, P = 0.04) in the MR group, but no effect on the rate of mortality unrelated to relapse was observed. CONCLUSIONS These data support that MR after ASCT for MCL confers a benefit in PFS and additionally suggest it may improve OS. General application of this strategy will require confirmation of benefit in prospective randomized trials.

Impact of induction regimen and stem cell transplantation on outcomes in patients with double hit lymphoma: a large multicenter retrospective analysis

Patients with double-hit lymphoma (DHL), which is characterized by rearrangements of MYC and either BCL2 or BCL6, face poor prognoses. We conducted a retrospective multicenter study of the impact of baseline clinical factors, induction therapy, and stem cell transplant (SCT) on the outcomes of 311 patients with previously untreated DHL. At median follow-up of 23 months, the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates among all patients were 10.9 and 21.9 months, respectively. Forty percent of patients remain disease-free and 49% remain alive at 2 years. Intensive induction was associated with improved PFS, but not OS, and SCT was not associated with improved OS among patients achieving first complete remission (P = .14). By multivariate analysis, advanced stage, central nervous system involvement, leukocytosis, and LDH >3 times the upper limit of normal were associated with higher risk of death. Correcting for these, intensive induction was associated with improved OS. We developed a novel risk score for DHL, which divides patients into high-, intermediate-, and low-risk groups. In conclusion, a subset of DHL patients may be cured, and some patients may benefit from intensive induction. Further investigations into the roles of SCT and novel agents are needed.

Long-term outcomes of patients with persistent indolent B cell malignancies undergoing nonmyeloablative allogeneic transplantation.

Relapse is least common in patients with indolent B cell (iB) malignancies (ie, iB non-Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL]) who undergo nonmyeloablative allogeneic transplantation (NMAT) in complete remission (CR). However, for the many patients unable to achieve this state, outcomes are poorly described and methods to improve results are unknown. We sought to describe the long-term follow-up and predictive factors for these poor-risk patients unable to achieve CR before NMAT. We identified and evaluated patients with iB-NHL including chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with fludarabine/total body irradiation-based NMAT that had evidence of persistent disease before NMAT. From December 1998 to April 2009, 89 patients were identified, most commonly with small/chronic lymphocytic lymphoma (n = 62) and follicular lymphoma (n = 24). Pretransplant anti-CD20 radioimmunotherapy (RIT) using standard yttrium-90-ibritumomab tiuxetan was administered to 18 patients (20%) who more frequently had chemoresistant disease (81% versus 39%, P = .003), disease bulk > 5 cm (61% versus 15%, P < .001), thrombocytopenia < 25k/μL (33% versus 7%, P = .002), and Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Comorbidity Index scores ≥ 3 (72% versus 37%, P = .006). After adjusting for these imbalances, RIT-treated patients had improved rates of progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio [HR] = .4; 95% confidence interval [CI], .2 to .9, P = .02) and overall survival (OS) (HR = .3; 95% CI, .1 to .8, P = .008) compared with the non-RIT group. The 3-year adjusted estimates of PFS and OS for the RIT and non-RIT groups were 71% and 87% versus 44% and 59%, respectively. The use of RIT was the only factor independently associated with improved PFS and OS. Rates of nonrelapse mortality and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were similar between the 2 groups, although over 70% of patients developed clinically significant acute or chronic GVHD. In conclusion, despite relatively high rates of GVHD, patients with persistent iB-NHL can derive durable benefit from NMAT.

Evaluation of allogeneic transplantation in first or later minimal residual disease – negative remission following adult-inspired therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Abstract Comparisons without hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) to myeloablative (MAC) or reduced-intensity HCT (RIC) for adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first minimal-residual-disease negative remission (MRDNeg CR1) are limited. Further, the importance of MRDNeg following salvage therapy (MRDNeg CR2+) is unknown. We evaluated 89 patients in MRDNeg CR1 after adult-inspired treatment: 33 received MAC (12 Philadelphia chromosome [Ph]+), 17 received RIC (13 Ph+), and 39 Deferred HCT (3 Ph+). Three-year overall survival (OS) estimates for MAC, RIC, and Deferred HCT were 71%, 69%, and 68%, while 3-year event-free survival (EFS) estimates were 65%, 54%, and 28%, respectively. Further, HCT in MRDNeg CR1 performed similarly to MRDNeg CR2+: 3-year OS estimates were 70% and 69%, and 3-year EFS estimates were 62% and 62%, respectively. In conclusion, adults with ALL in MRDNeg CR1 following adult-inspired therapy had similar OS with or without HCT, and HCT in MRDNeg CR2 + can yield long-term survival.

High-dose CD20-targeted radioimmunotherapy-based autologous transplantation improves outcomes for persistent mantle cell lymphoma

Autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) can improve outcomes for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients, yet relapses are frequent. We hypothesized that high‐dose anti‐CD20 radioimmunotherapy (RIT)‐based conditioning could improve results in this setting. We thus assessed 162 consecutive patients with MCL at our centre undergoing ASCT following high‐dose RIT‐based (n = 61) or standard (n = 101) conditioning. RIT patients were less likely to be in first remission (48% vs. 72%; P = 0·002), be in complete remission (CR) (26% vs. 61%; P < 0·001) and have chemosensitive disease (84% vs. 96%; P = 0·006). RIT‐based conditioning was associated with a reduced risk of treatment failure [hazard ratio (HR) 0·40; P = 0·001] and mortality (HR 0·49; P = 0·01) after adjusting for these imbalances. This difference increased as disease status worsened (from CR to partial remission to stable/progressive disease), with respective HRs of 1·14, 0·53 and 0·04 for mortality, and 0·66, 0·36 and 0·14 for treatment failure. RIT‐based conditioning appears to improve outcome following ASCT for MCL patients unable to achieve CR after controlling for imbalances in important risk factors. These data support the further study of RIT and radiation‐based strategies in a risk‐adapted approach to ASCT for persistent MCL.