Sandra J. Horning

Tumor-associated macrophages predict inferior outcomes in classic Hodgkin lymphoma: a correlative study from the E2496 Intergroup trial

Increased tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are reported to be associated with poor prognosis in classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL). We investigated the prognostic significance of TAMs in the E2496 Intergroup trial, a multicenter phase 3 randomized controlled trial comparing ABVD and Stanford V chemotherapy in locally extensive and advanced stage CHL. Tissue microarrays were constructed from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue and included 287 patients. Patients were randomly assigned into training (n = 143) and validation (n = 144) cohorts. Immunohistochemistry for CD68 and CD163, and in situ hybridization for EBV-encoded RNA were performed. CD68 and CD163 IHC were analyzed by computer image analysis; optimum thresholds for overall survival (OS) were determined in the training cohort and tested in the independent validation cohort. Increased CD68 and CD163 expression was significantly associated with inferior failure-free survival and OS in the validation cohort. Increased CD68 and CD163 expression was associated with increased age, EBV-encoded RNA positivity, and mixed cellularity subtype of CHL. Multivariate analysis in the validation cohort showed increased CD68 or CD163 expression to be significant independent predictors of inferior failure-free survival and OS. We demonstrate the prognostic significance of TAMs in locally extensive and advanced-stage CHL in a multicenter phase 3 randomized controlled clinical trial.

Autologous bone marrow transplantation for patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: value of augmented preparative regimens--a Southwest Oncology Group trial.

PURPOSEnTo determine the toxicity and prognosis of patients with relapsed and refractory diffuse aggressive non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) who underwent an autologous bone marrow transplant (ABMT) using augmented preparative regimens, treated in a major cooperative group setting, and to examine prognostic factors for outcome.nnnPATIENTS AND METHODSnNinety-four patients with either chemosensitive (50 patients) or chemoresistant (44 patients) relapse, including 22 who failed induction chemotherapy, were treated with high-dose cyclophosphamide and etoposide with total-body irradiation (TBI) (67 patients) or an augmented carmustine (BCNU), cyclophosphamide, and etoposide (BCV) preparative regimen (27 patients) and an ABMT at 16 Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) transplant centers. All relapsing patients were required to undergo a minimum of two courses of salvage therapy to determine chemosensitivity before transplant. Overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were determined and a Cox regression model was used to assess potential prognostic variables.nnnRESULTSnOf the 94 eligible patients, there were 10 (10.6%) deaths before day 50 posttransplant because of infection (six deaths), hemorrhagic alveolitis (three deaths), or bleeding (one death). The median 3-year PFS and OS for the entire group was 33% and 44%. For those with chemosensitive disease the PFS and OS were 42% and 55%, whereas for those with chemoresistant disease the PFS and OS were 22% and 29%. The PFS and OS for those failing induction chemotherapy were 27% and 32%. The relapse rates within the first 3 years for the chemosensitive relapse, chemoresistant, and induction failure groups were 61%, 40%, and 59%, respectively. For both PFS and OS, only disease status at transplant was a significant factor in the multivariate Cox model.nnnCONCLUSIONnThese results single institutional pilot trials exploring augmented preparative regimens. Patients undergoing transplantation for resistant disease, particularly those failing induction chemotherapy, appear to have an improved prognosis as compared with reports using standard preparative regimens. Therapies other than manipulation of standard preparative regimens appear to be required to decrease relapses following autotransplantation.

Gene Expression–Based Model Using Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Biopsies Predicts Overall Survival in Advanced-Stage Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma

PURPOSEnOur aim was to reliably identify patients with advanced-stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) at increased risk of death by developing a robust predictor of overall survival (OS) using gene expression measured in routinely available formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPET).nnnMETHODSnExpression levels of 259 genes, including those previously reported to be associated with outcome in cHL, were determined by digital expression profiling of pretreatment FFPET biopsies from 290 patients enrolled onto the E2496 Intergroup trial comparing doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) and Stanford V regimens in locally extensive and advanced-stage cHL. A model for OS separating patients into low- and high-risk groups was produced using penalized Cox regression. The model was tested in an independent cohort of 78 patients enriched for treatment failure but otherwise similar to patients in a population-based registry of patients treated with ABVD. Weighted analysis methods generated unbiased estimates of predictor performance in the population-based registry.nnnRESULTSnA 23-gene outcome predictor was generated. The model identified a population at increased risk of death in the validation cohort. There was a 29% absolute difference in 5-year OS between the high- and low-risk groups (63% v 92%, respectively; log-rank P < .001; hazard ratio, 6.7; 95% CI, 2.6 to 17.4). The predictor was superior to the International Prognostic Score and CD68 immunohistochemistry in multivariate analyses.nnnCONCLUSIONnA gene expression-based predictor, developed in and applicable to routinely available FFPET biopsies, identifies patients with advanced-stage cHL at increased risk of death when treated with standard-intensity up-front regimens.

Fractionated total-body irradiation, etoposide, and cyclophosphamide plus autografting in Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

PURPOSEnHigh-dose etoposide was incorporated into a regimen of fractionated total-body irradiation (FTBI) and high-dose cyclophosphamide before autologous transplant with the goal to enhance the antitumor effect of the myeloablative regimen in poor-risk lymphoid malignancies.nnnPATIENTS AND METHODSnNinety-six patients, 24 with recurrent or refractory Hodgkins disease and 72 with poor-risk non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL), were treated on this study. Cytoreduction with conventional therapy was attempted before administration of the preparatory regimen. The preparatory regimen consisted of 12 Gy total-body irradiation administered in 10 1.2-Gy fractions on day -8 through day -5, etoposide 60 mg/kg on day -4, and cyclophosphamide 100 mg/kg on day -2. Patients with NHL received bone marrow purged with a panel of monoclonal antibodies and complement on day 0, while patients with Hodgkins disease received peripheral-blood stem cells alone or with unmanipulated bone marrow.nnnRESULTSnThe major morbidities of transplant were mucositis and skin toxicity. Eight patients (8.6%) died of regimen-related toxicities within 100 days of transplant. Engraftment was related to the rescue product; the median time to a neutrophil count more than 500/microL was 10 days for patients with Hodgkins disease and 16 days for NHL patients. With a maximum follow-up duration of longer than 5 years, the 3-year actuarial survival rate is 57%. At 3 years, the actuarial freedom from progression (FFP) rate is 55% and the event-free survival rate is 47% for patients with Hodgkins disease, while the respective figures for NHL patients are 60% and 53%. Among 32 patients with intermediate- and high-grade lymphoma transplanted subsequent to first relapse, 70% are free of lymphoma and 60% are event-free at > or = 3 years.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe preparatory regimen consisting of FTBI, etoposide, and cyclophosphamide demonstrates relative efficacy in patients with Hodgkins disease and NHL selected for high-dose therapy. Longer follow-up duration is needed to determine the rate of cure and to assess late complications. Major remaining challenges for high-dose therapy are a more inclusive strategy for all poor-risk patients and the need to reduce posttransplant relapses.

Rituximab Extended Schedule or Re-Treatment Trial for Low–Tumor Burden Follicular Lymphoma: Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Protocol E4402

PURPOSEnIn low-tumor burden follicular lymphoma (FL), maintenance rituximab (MR) has been shown to improve progression-free survival when compared with observation. It is not known whether MR provides superior long-term disease control compared with re-treatment rituximab (RR) administered on an as-needed basis. E4402 (RESORT) was a randomized clinical trial designed to compare MR against RR.nnnPATIENTS AND METHODSnEligible patients with previously untreated low-tumor burden FL received four doses of rituximab, and responding patients were randomly assigned to either RR or MR. Patients receiving RR were eligible for re-treatment at each disease progression until treatment failure. Patients assigned to MR received a single dose of rituximab every 3 months until treatment failure. The primary end point was time to treatment failure. Secondary end points included time to first cytotoxic therapy, toxicity, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL).nnnRESULTSnA total of 289 patients were randomly assigned to RR or MR. With a median follow-up of 4.5 years, the estimated median time to treatment failure was 3.9 years for patients receiving RR and 4.3 years for those receiving MR (P = .54). Three-year freedom from cytotoxic therapy was 84% for those receiving RR and 95% for those receiving MR (P = .03). The median number of rituximab doses was four patients receiving RR and 18 for those receiving MR. There was no difference in HRQOL. Grade 3 to 4 toxicities were infrequent in both arms.nnnCONCLUSIONnIn low-tumor burden FL, a re-treatment strategy uses less rituximab while providing disease control comparable to that achieved with a maintenance strategy.

Follicular large-cell lymphoma: intermediate or low grade?

PURPOSEnTo evaluate the benefit of anthracycline-based chemotherapy, identify prognostic factors, and determine the value of the International Prognostic Factors Index for patients with follicular large-cell (FLC) lymphoma.nnnPATIENTS AND METHODSnThis retrospective study includes 96 patients with FLC lymphoma treated at Stanford University Medical Center between 1969 and 1991. Fifty-five patients received doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide-containing chemotherapy regimens, 21 patients received other chemotherapy regimens, 15 patients received radiotherapy only, and five patients received no initial therapy. Thirty-four patients had stage I or II disease and 62 patients had stage III or IV disease.nnnRESULTSnWith a median follow-up duration of 5.2 years (range, 1 to 18), the actuarial 5- and 10-year overall survival rates were 75% and 54%, with actuarial 5- and 10-year freedom from progression (FFP) rates of 53% and 42%, respectively. Patients treated with chemotherapy regimens that contained both doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide had a superior actuarial 10-year FFP rate (55% v 25%, P = .06) and overall survival rate (65% v 42%, P = .04) compared with patients treated with other chemotherapy regimens. Only one patient treated with doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide relapsed after 3 years. In the multivariate analysis, discordant lymphoma and treatment with chemotherapy regimens not containing both cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin predicted for worse FFP and overall survival rates. In addition, poor performance status and increasing areas of diffuse histology predicted for a worse survival, while anemia and male sex predicted for a worse FFP. The age-specific International Index was useful in predicting outcome; however, few patients with FLC lymphoma had high-risk features.nnnCONCLUSIONnThe plateau in FFP implies that patients with FLC lymphoma enjoy sustained remissions after standard anthracycline-based chemotherapy. FLC lymphoma should continue to be approached as an intermediate-grade lymphoma with curative intent.

Stanford-Kaiser Permanente G1 study for clinical stage I to IIA Hodgkin's disease: subtotal lymphoid irradiation versus vinblastine, methotrexate, and bleomycin chemotherapy and regional irradiation.

PURPOSEnWe have demonstrated that a relatively mild chemotherapy regimen, vinblastine, methotrexate, and bleomycin (VBM), and involved-field radiotherapy (IFRT) could substitute for extended-field radiotherapy in patients with favorable Hodgkins disease (HD) who have been laparotomy-staged. The purpose of this study is to determine if VBM and regional radiotherapy can substitute for extended-field radiotherapy in favorable clinical stage (CS) I and II HD.nnnPATIENTS AND METHODSnSeventy-eight patients with favorable CS I to II HD were randomly assigned to subtotal lymphoid irradiation (STLI) or VBM chemotherapy and regional radiotherapy. Randomization was stratified on the basis of age, sex, number of Ann Arbor sites, histology, and institution. Patients were evaluated for freedom from progressive HD, survival, and toxicity. Results were compared with the predecessor trial in pathologically staged patients.nnnRESULTSnWith a median follow-up period of 4 years, the rate of freedom from progressive HD was 92% (95% confidence interval [CI], 88% to 96%) for patients treated with STLI and 87% (95% CI, 81% to 93%) for patients treated with VBM and regional radiotherapy. Six of seven patients who relapsed are alive and in remission following successful second-line therapy.nnnCONCLUSIONnGiven the caveat of a small number of patients, the results of extended-field radiotherapy and VBM and regional radiotherapy are comparable with a median follow-up period of 4 years. VBM serves as a paradigm to reduce late effects in favorable early-stage HD. We do not advocate its routine use in clinical practice, but instead encourage participation in clinical trials with the objective of maintaining efficacy while reducing toxicity in CS I and II HD.

Plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA predicts outcome in advanced Hodgkin lymphoma: correlative analysis from a large North American cooperative group trial.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and can be detected by in situ hybridization (ISH) of viral nucleic acid (EBER) in tumor cells. We sought to determine whether plasma EBV-DNA could serve as a surrogate for EBER-ISH and to explore its prognostic utility in HL. Specimens from the Cancer Cooperative Intergroup Trial E2496 were used to compare pretreatment plasma EBV-DNA quantification with EBV tumor status by EBER-ISH. A cutoff of >60 viral copies/100 µL plasma yielded 96% concordance with EBER-ISH. Pretreatment and month 6 plasma specimens were designated EBV(-) or EBV(+) by this cutoff. Patients with pretreatment EBV(+) plasma (n = 54) had inferior failure-free survival (FFS) compared with those with pretreatment EBV(-) plasma (n = 274), log-rank P = .009. By contrast, no difference in FFS was observed when patients were stratified by EBER-ISH. Pretreatment plasma EBV positivity was an independent predictor of treatment failure on multivariate analyses. At month 6, plasma EBV(+) patients (n = 7) had inferior FFS compared with plasma EBV(-) patients (n = 125), log-rank P = .007. These results confirm that plasma EBV-DNA is highly concordant with EBER-ISH in HL and suggest that it may have prognostic utility both at baseline and after therapy. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00003389.

The efficacy and tolerability of adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine and Stanford V in older Hodgkin lymphoma patients: a comprehensive analysis from the North American intergroup trial E2496

There is a lack of contemporary prospective data examining the adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine (ABVD) and Stanford V (SV; doxorubicin, vinblastine, mechlorethamine, vincristine, bleomycin, etoposide, prednisone) regimens in older Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients. Forty‐four advanced‐stage, older HL patients (aged ≥60 years) were treated on the randomized study, E2496. Toxicities were mostly similar between chemotherapy regimens, although 24% of older patients developed bleomycin lung toxicity (BLT), which occurred mainly with ABVD (91%). Further, the BLT‐related mortality rate was 18%. The overall treatment‐related mortality for older HL patients was 9% vs. 0·3% for patients aged <60 years (P < 0·001). Among older patients, there were no survival differences between ABVD and SV. According to age, outcomes were significantly inferior for older versus younger patients (5‐year failure‐free survival: 48% vs. 74%, respectively, P = 0·002; 5‐year overall survival: 58% and 90%, respectively, P < 0·0001), although time‐to‐progression (TTP) was not significantly different (5‐year TTP: 68% vs. 78%, respectively, P = 0·37). Furthermore, considering progression and death without progression as competing risks, the risk of progression was not different between older and younger HL patients (5 years: 30% and 23%, respectively, P = 0·30); however, the incidence of death without progression was significantly increased for older HL patients (22% vs. 9%, respectively, P < 0·0001). Altogether, the marked HL age‐dependent survival differences appeared attributable primarily to non‐HL events.

Phase 2 study of VcR-CVAD with maintenance rituximab for untreated mantle cell lymphoma: an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group study (E1405)

Rituximab, bortezomib, modified hyper-cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, dexamethasone (VcR-CVAD) induction chemoimmunotherapy and maintenance rituximab (MR) were evaluated for efficacy and safety in Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group protocol E1405. Patients with previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma received VcR-CVAD chemotherapy every 21 days for 6 cycles, followed by MR for 2 years. Transplant-eligible patients had the option of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) consolidation instead of MR. The primary end point was the complete response (CR) rate to VcR-CVAD. The secondary end points were overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicities. Seventy-five eligible patients with a median age of 62 (range 40-76) were enrolled. The ORR was 95% and a CR was achieved in 68% of patients. After a median follow-up of 4.5 years, 3-year PFS and OS were 72% and 88%, respectively. No substantial difference in PFS or OS was observed between patients treated with MR (n = 44) vs ASCT (n = 22). There were no unexpected toxicities. VcR-CVAD produced high ORR and CR rates in mantle cell lymphoma. MR after VcR-CVAD induction performed similarly to ASCT and may improve response duration. Randomized clinical trials comparing MR against ASCT should be considered and randomized clinical trials evaluating bortezomibs contribution to conventional therapy are under way. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00433537.