Incidence Of Central Nervous System Research Articles

Neuroprotective Mechanisms of Puerarin in Central Nervous System Diseases: Update.

Due to global population aging and modern lifestyle changes, the incidence of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, such as neurodegenerative diseases, neuropsychiatric disorders, and cerebrovascular diseases, is increasing and has become a major public health challenge. Current medications commonly used in the clinic are far from satisfactory and may cause serious side effects. Therefore, the identification of novel drugs for the effective management of CNS diseases is very urgent. Puerarin, a highly bioactive ingredient isolated from Pueraria lobata, is known to possess a broad spectrum of pharmacological properties including anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-antioxidant, neuroprotective, and cardioprotective features. However, its clinical application is limited due to its poor water solubility. Since puerarin has demonstrated a wide range of neuroprotective functions in various CNS diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral ischemia, depression, and spinal cord injury, it has been attracting increasingly intense attention worldwide. In this review, we intend to extensively summarize the research progress on neuroprotective mechanisms of puerarin in recent years and discuss the future directions of its application in CNS disease treatment.

Drug delivery to the central nervous system.

Despite the rising global incidence of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, CNS drug development remains challenging, with high costs, long pathways to clinical use and high failure rates. The CNS is highly protected by physiological barriers, in particular, the blood-brain barrier and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, which limit access of most drugs. Biomaterials can be designed to bypass or traverse these barriers, enabling the controlled delivery of drugs into the CNS. In this Review, we first examine the effects of normal and diseased CNS physiology on drug delivery to the brain and spinal cord. We then discuss CNS drug delivery designs and materials that are administered systemically, directly to the CNS, intranasally or peripherally through intramuscular injections. Finally, we highlight important challenges and opportunities for materials design for drug delivery to the CNS and the anticipated clinical impact of CNS drug delivery.

European and US Real-World Treatment Patterns in Patients with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutation-Positive Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Medical Record Review.

BackgroundEpidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are the preferred first-line (1L) therapy for EGFR mutation-positive (EGFRm) advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).ObjectiveOur objective was to describe real-world treatment patterns and T790M testing practices in patients with 1L disease progression (Europe/USA) following treatment with first- or second-generation EGFR-TKIs.MethodsThis was a retrospective, non-interventional medical record review of patients with EGFRm locally advanced/metastatic NSCLC from routine clinical practice (EGFR-TKI initiation: 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2017; follow-up: last available medical record). Endpoints were demographic/clinical characteristics, incidence of central nervous system (CNS) metastases/leptomeningeal disease, second-line (2L) treatment, T790M mutation testing, and osimertinib treatment prevalence.ResultsAmong 469 patients, 73% (n = 341/469) progressed on 1L EGFR-TKI treatment. Of those who progressed, 74% (n = 252/341) were tested for T790M, with 50% (n = 126/252) testing positive; 75% (n = 94/126) of T790M-positive patients received osimertinib (mostly 2L). Of the patients with progression, 24% (n = 83/341) did not receive 2L treatment, and 88% (n = 73/83) of these patients died. At diagnosis of advanced disease, 9% of patients (n = 41) had CNS metastases; at EGFR-TKI initiation, 14% of patients (n = 68) had CNS metastases. Over the study period, 11% of patients (n = 42) developed CNS metastases not detected at NSCLC diagnosis.ConclusionsRates of resistance mutation testing and subsequent utilization of recommended 2L therapies could be improved. As more targeted therapies are developed, it will be crucial to improve the molecular testing rates to ensure patients receive appropriate, effective, and timely treatment.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40801-021-00261-8.

Long-term outcome of hyper-CVAD-R for Burkitt leukemia/lymphoma and high-grade B-cell lymphoma: focus on CNS relapse

AbstractBurkitt leukemia/lymphoma (BL) and high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL) have a high incidence of central nervous system (CNS) involvement, which is associated with poor prognosis. The hyper-cyclophosphamide, vincristine, Adriamycin, and dexamethasone plus rituximab (CVAD-R) regimen includes systemic and intrathecal CNS-directed therapy to treat and prevent CNS disease. We report here the long‐term safety and efficacy of the hyper-CVAD-R regimen in adults with BL and HGBL, focusing on its efficacy to prevent CNS relapse. Among 79 adults (54 BL, 25 HGBL), the median age was 44 years (25% ≥60 years old), 73% had bone marrow (BM) involvement, and 28% had CNS involvement. The complete response rate was 91% (BL 96%; HGBCL 79%; P = .16). The 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 58% and 52%, respectively. The cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) was 21% (BL 14%; HGBCL 37%, P = .06) and was associated with baseline BM (27% vs 0%; P = .02) and CNS (42% vs 12%; P < .01) involvement. In multivariate analyses, age and CNS involvement were independent predictors for OS and RFS. The 5-year CNS CIR was 6% (BL 4%; HGBL 11%; P = .31); 16% with baseline CNS involvement (P = .03). Our data support the use of hyper-CVAD-R in preventing CNS relapse, especially among high-risk patients with BM or CNS involvement.

Association between PD‐L1 expression and initial brain metastasis in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer and its clinical implications

BackgroundBrain metastases frequently occur in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) resulting in a poor prognosis. Here, we investigated the association between PD‐L1 expression and brain metastasis in patients with NSCLC and its clinical significance.MethodsA total of 270 patients diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC who underwent PD‐L1 testing on their tumor tissue between January 2017 and March 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. The VENTANA PD‐L1 (SP263) assay was used, and positive PD‐L1 expression was defined as staining in ≥1% of tumor cells.ResultsPositive PD‐L1 expression was observed in 181 (67.0%) patients, and 74 (27.4%) patients had brain metastasis at diagnosis. Synchronous brain metastases were more frequently observed in PD‐L1‐positive compared with PD‐L1‐negative patients (31.5% vs. 19.1%, p = 0.045). Multiple logistic regression analysis identified positive PD‐L1 expression (odds ratio [OR]: 2.24, p = 0.012) as an independent factor associated with synchronous brain metastasis, along with the histological subtype of nonsquamous cell carcinoma (OR: 2.84, p = 0.003). However, the incidence of central nervous system (CNS) progression was not associated with PD‐L1 positivity, with a two‐year cumulative CNS progression rate of 26.3% and 28.4% in PD‐L1‐positive and PD‐L1‐negative patients, respectively (log rank p = 0.944). Furthermore, positive PD‐L1 expression did not affect CNS progression or overall survival in patients with synchronous brain metastasis (long rank p = 0.513 and 0.592, respectively).ConclusionsInitial brain metastases are common in NSCLC patients with positive PD‐L1 expression. Further studies are necessary to understand the relationship between early brain metastasis and cancer immunity.

Short-term systemic methotrexate administration in rats induces astrogliosis and microgliosis

Methotrexate (MTX), an antifolate drug, is widely used in chemotherapeutic protocols for metastatic and primary brain tumors and some autoimmune diseases. Its efficacy for brain tumors is limited by the high incidence of central nervous system (CNS) complications. This investigation aimed to observe the morphological effects, including astroglial and microglial responses, following systemic short-term MTX administration in adult rats.Male Wistar rats received 5 or 10 mg/kg/day of MTX by intraperitoneal route for 4 consecutive days (respectively, MTX5 and MTX10 groups) or the same volume of 0.9% saline solution (control group). On the 5th day, brain samples were collected for hematoxylin-eosin and luxol fast blue staining techniques, as well as for immunohistochemical staining for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in astrocytes and Iba1 (ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1) for microglia in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus and molecular/granular layers of the cerebellum. Morphometric analyses were performed using Image Pro-Plus software. Brain levels of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β were determined by ELISA.No signs of neuronal loss or demyelination were observed in all groups. Increased GFAP and Iba1 expression was found in all areas from the MTX groups, although it was slightly higher in the MTX10 group compared to the MTX5. Both TNF-α and IL-1β levels were decreased in the MTX5 group compared to controls. In the MTX10 group, TNF-α decreased, although IL-1β was increased relative to controls.MTX administration induced microglial reaction and astrogliosis in several CNS areas. In the MTX5 group, it apparently occurred in the presence of decreased proinflammatory cytokines.

Real-world clinical adverse events (AEs) among nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) patients treated with novel anti-androgen (AA) therapies: A retrospective database study.

e18675 Background: Novel AA agents, such aspalutamide (Apa), enzalutamide (Enza) and darolutamide (Daro) are approved for the treatment of nmCRPC. In clinical trials, they were associated with AEs such as fatigue, fractures and falls. This study aimed to describe the real-world incidence of AEs among nmCRPC patients who initiated treatment with AA agents. Methods: Claims from Optum Clinformatics Data Mart, a large single-payer claims database were used to retrospectively identify adult males with prostate cancer (PC), evidence of castration, absence of metastases codes and &gt;1 claim for AA therapies Apa and Enza (index date) from Jan 2017 through Dec 2019. Daro, a more recently approved AA, was not included due to lack of data. Incidence of central nervous system (CNS) (including but not limited to fatigue, falls and cognitive impairment) and any AE (fracture, rash, hypertension among others) were estimated and Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to quantify the median time from therapy initiation to clinical event occurrence. Multivariable Cox-proportional hazards model was used to identify clinical event predictors. A washout of previous AE events in the 1-year baseline was applied to identify true incident events. Results: A total of 605 patients (156 Apa and 449 Enza) were included in the study. The majority were ≥65 yrs (94.0%), white (56.0%), resided in the south (47.1%), and had Medicare insurance (86.4%). Almost all were medically castrated (99.0%) and mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) Score was 2.28. Incidence rates of all clinical events and CNS-related events were high (71.2% and 46.1%, respectively) with no major differences between Apa and Enza (Table). The median time from Apa or Enza treatment initiation to any clinical event was 71 and 64 days, respectively, and 282 and 209 days for CNS-related events, respectively. Significant predictors of having any events included age &gt;75 yrs and high CCI score. Similar predictors were found for any CNS events. Conclusions: More than 70% of Apa and Enza treated nmCRPC patients had at least 1 clinical AE. Given the lack of a control cohort, further study is needed to assess whether these events are related to AAs or represent inherent risks of these events in the underlying population of largely older men with advanced PC. Future studies are warranted with all approved agents including Daro. [Table: see text]

A New Era of Neuro-Oncology Research Pioneered by Multi-Omics Analysis and Machine Learning

Although the incidence of central nervous system (CNS) cancers is not high, it significantly reduces a patient’s quality of life and results in high mortality rates. A low incidence also means a low number of cases, which in turn means a low amount of information. To compensate, researchers have tried to increase the amount of information available from a single test using high-throughput technologies. This approach, referred to as single-omics analysis, has only been partially successful as one type of data may not be able to appropriately describe all the characteristics of a tumor. It is presently unclear what type of data can describe a particular clinical situation. One way to solve this problem is to use multi-omics data. When using many types of data, a selected data type or a combination of them may effectively resolve a clinical question. Hence, we conducted a comprehensive survey of papers in the field of neuro-oncology that used multi-omics data for analysis and found that most of the papers utilized machine learning techniques. This fact shows that it is useful to utilize machine learning techniques in multi-omics analysis. In this review, we discuss the current status of multi-omics analysis in the field of neuro-oncology and the importance of using machine learning techniques.

Application progress of RVG peptides to facilitate the delivery of therapeutic agents into the central nervous system.

The incidence of central nervous system (CNS) diseases is increasing with the aging population. However, it remains challenging to deliver drugs into the CNS because of the existence of a blood–brain barrier (BBB). Notably, rabies virus glycoprotein (RVG) peptides have been developed as delivery ligands for CNS diseases. So far, massive RVG peptide modified carriers have been reported, such as liposomes, micelles, polymers, exosomes, dendrimers, and proteins. Moreover, these drug delivery systems can encapsulate almost all small molecules and macromolecule drugs, including siRNA, microRNAs, DNA, proteins, and other nanoparticles, to treat various CNS diseases with efficient and safe drugs. In this review, targeted delivery systems with RVG peptide modified carriers possessing favorable biocompatibility and delivery efficiency are summarized.

Might changes in diagnostic practice explain increasing incidence of brain and central nervous system tumors? A population-based study in Wales (United Kingdom) and the United States.

Increasing incidence of central nervous system (CNS) tumors has been noted in some populations. However, the influence of changing surgical and imaging practices has not been consistently accounted for. We evaluated average annual percentage change (AAPC) in age- and gender-stratified incidence of CNS tumors by tumor subtypes and histological confirmation in Wales, United Kingdom (1997-2015) and the United States (2004-2015) using joinpoint regression. In Wales, the incidence of histologically confirmed CNS tumors increased more than all CNS tumors (AAPC 3.62% vs 1.63%), indicating an increasing proportion undergoing surgery. Grade II and III glioma incidence declined significantly (AAPC -3.09% and -1.85%, respectively) but remained stable for those with histological confirmation. Grade IV glioma incidence increased overall (AAPC 3.99%), more markedly for those with histological confirmation (AAPC 5.36%), suggesting reduced glioma subtype misclassification due to increased surgery. In the United States, the incidence of CNS tumors increased overall but was stable for histologically confirmed tumors (AAPC 1.86% vs 0.09%) indicating an increase in patients diagnosed without surgery. An increase in grade IV gliomas (AAPC 0.28%) and a decline in grade II gliomas (AAPC -3.41%) were accompanied by similar changes in those with histological confirmation, indicating the overall trends in glioma subtypes were unlikely to be caused by changing diagnostic and clinical management. Changes in clinical practice have influenced the incidence of CNS tumors in the United Kingdom and the United States. These should be considered when evaluating trends and in epidemiological studies of putative risk factors for CNS tumors.

Bioinformatics Analysis of Differently Expressed Mirnas in CD5 Positive Relapsed and Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and Their Potential Theoretical and Clinical Investigations

Introduction: CD5-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (CD5+ DLBCL) is characterized by a poor prognosis, poorly respond to the regulatory treatment strategy, and a relatively high incidence of central nervous system (CNS) infiltration. In this study, we aim to identify key differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) and their target genes in the peripheral blood of CD5+ refractory and relapsed (CD5+ R/R DLBCL) patients. The relationship of the DE-miRNAs and the pathogenesis of CD5+ R/R DLBCL will also be analyzed by bioinformatics tools. Methods: Three female patients with confirmed CD5+ R/R DLBCL were enrolled in this study, their age were 38, 62 and 65 years old, respectively. Three healthy female adults aged 42, 55 and 61, respectively were selected as the control group. The peripheral venous blood of them was collected for RNA extraction and standard small RNA sequencing. Differentially expressed miRNAs analysis was performed with R package edgeR. The target genes of DE-miRNAs were predicted by miRNet. A protein protein interaction (PPI) network was established for these target genes through string database. Functional annotation and pathway enrichment analyses for the target genes were performed through DAVID database to identify their potential functions, target genes, and pathways they might be involved in. Results: 1. Scatter plots, Volcano plots and Heat-maps were used to visualize miRNAs of Differentially expressed genes. As shown in Fig.1, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. 2. Fifty-five sequences were significantly upregulated and 23 were significantly downregulated in patients with CD5+ R/R DLBCL.Among the candidate miRNAs, 11 up-regulated genes and 4 down-regulated genes were selected according to the log2FC value. The target genes of 11 potential up-regulated and 4 down-regulated DE-miRNAs were successively predicted by As shown in Table 1, a total of 439 and 632 predicted targets of the up-regulated and down-regulated DE-miRNAs were identified, respectively. 3. PPI networks of predicted target genes of 11 upregulated DE-miRNAs (Fig.4a) and 4 downregulated DE-miRNAs (Fig. 4b) were separately constructed using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. According to a degree, the top 10 hub genes in the networks were screened out and were listed inTable 2. Six important hub genes were identified, including two target genes predicted by up-regulating DE-miRNAs, namely NRAS and PIK3R1, and four target genes predicted by down-regulating DE-miRNAs, namely EGFR, VEGFA, IGF1 and Grb2. 4. DAVID now provides a comprehensive set of functional annotation tools for investigators to understand biological meaning. GO analysis was divided into three functional groups, including molecular function (MF), biological processes (BP), and cell composition (CC). The top 10 GO terms of targets of up-regulated DE-miRNAs were presented in Fig.5a-c. The top 10 GO terms of targets of down-regulated DE-miRNAs were shown in Fig. 5d-f. 5. Based on the KEGG database, we analyzed the pathways in which the differentially expressed target genes were involved in. As shown in Fig. 6a-b. The targets of up-regulated DE-miRNAs were enriched in pathways in cancer, oxytocin signaling pathway, ErbB signaling pathway, Rap1 signaling pathway, and proteoglycans in cancer. Whereas the targets of down-regulated DE-miRNAs were enriched in pathways in cancer, Ras signaling pathway, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Conclusions: In this study, we analyzed the differentially expressed miRNAs in CD5+ R/R DLBCL patients, identified their potential functions, target genes, and pathways they might be involved in. This study found that ErbB signaling pathway, Rap1 signaling pathway, Ras signaling pathway and PI3K Akt signaling pathway were the most frequently involved pathways of miRNAs related genes. Target genes including NRAS, PIK3R1, EGFR, VEGFA, IGF1, and Grb2 might have a close relationship in the pathogenesis of CD5+ R/R DLBCL. New targeted drugs related to these pathways and genes may be beneficial to the treatment of CD5+ DLBCL. Our preliminary informatic results might be helpful to deeply understand the pathogenesis and chemotherapy resistance mechanism of CD5+ R/R DLBCL. In the future, we will verify our preliminary informatic results in pathological tissues from patients with CD5+ DLBCL in larger samples. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Management and Outcomes of Testicular Lymphoma in the Rituximab Era at an Australian Tertiary Centre

INTRODUCTION Testicular lymphoma accounts for &amp;lt;5% of all testicular neoplasms and 1-2% of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Historically, outcomes for testicular lymphoma have generally been inferior to systemic diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with a higher incidence of central nervous system (CNS) relapse. Although intrathecal methotrexate is currently considered standard of care for testicular lymphoma, there has been significant debate about its efficacy in preventing CNS relapse. Due to the rarity of testicular lymphoma, prospective data in this field is lacking. Our study aims to examine treatment practices and outcomes for all newly diagnosed patients with testicular lymphoma in a large tertiary centre in Australia since the introduction of rituximab. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of all patients diagnosed with primary testicular lymphoma (PTL) between 2003 and 2019 at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (Human Research Ethics Approval: LNR/2019/QMS/56644). RESULTS During this period, 18 patients were diagnosed with PTL; all patients had DLBCL histology. The median follow-up period for living patients was 6.5 years (range 1.3-13.4 years). The median age was 61.3 years (interquartile range: 58.3 - 71.1 years). All patients were HIV negative. The majority of patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score of zero (n = 13; 72.2%) with no B symptoms (n = 14; 77.7%) and a normal LDH (n = 11; 61.1%). 50% of patients had Stage IV disease (Table 1). 17 patients (94.4%) underwent an orchidectomy (unilateral: 16, bilateral: 1) at diagnosis. Following on, as first-line systemic therapy, 14 patients (77.7%) received R-CHOP chemotherapy. Other regimens used were CHOP (n=1), modified HyperCVAD (n=1), R-HyperCVAD (n=1) and R-CVP (n=1). 17 patients (94.4%) received CNS prophylaxis with intrathecal chemotherapy; one patient declined intrathecal therapy and was given high dose intravenous methotrexate instead. 15 (83.3%) patients received loco-regional radiation therapy. Outcomes to first-line treatment were: 13 patients (72.2%) achieved complete remission (CR); one patient (5.5%) achieved partial remission (PR) (Deauville score 4 on interim PET assessment, prompting escalation to salvage therapy); three patients (16.6%) had progressive disease (and were subsequently managed with salvage chemotherapy) and one patient elected for palliation after a single cycle of R-CVP. Among the four patients who received salvage therapy, two patients (50%) achieved CR and two patients had progressive disease and were palliated. Among the 15 patients who achieved CR (n=13 R-CHOP; n=2 salvage chemotherapy), two patients relapsed, and both had CNS involvement (n=1 CNS only relapse; n=1 CNS and systemic relapse). Despite intrathecal prophylaxis, the CNS relapse rate was 12% (n=2/17). Of note, the patient who did not receive intrathecal chemotherapy remained in CR at the date of last follow-up. In total, there were seven deaths. The causes of death were: lymphoma (n=4), treatment-related mortality (n=2) and other (n=1; due to aspiration pneumonia after stroke). The 2-year and 5-year progression free survival (PFS) rates were 77.8% and 52.4%, respectively (Figure 1A). The 2-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 83.3% and 56.8%, respectively (Figure 1B). CONCLUSION With the practice of R-CHOP, intrathecal prophylaxis for CNS disease and loco-regional radiation therapy, our outcomes are comparable to the literature (5y OS ~50%). Despite intrathecal prophylaxis, our CNS relapse rate was 12%. Better strategies are required to improve the control of systemic disease and reduce the incidence of CNS relapse in patients with testicular lymphoma. Disclosures Mollee: Janssen:Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding;BMS/Celgene:Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Amgen:Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Takeda:Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Pfizer:Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Caelum:Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery With Concurrent Immunotherapy in Melanoma Brain Metastases Is Feasible and Effective.

Objective: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an established treatment for brain metastases in the management of metastasized melanoma. The increasing use of checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma therapy leads to combined treatment schemes consisting of immunotherapy and SRS that need to be evaluated regarding safety and feasibility.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 36 patients suffering from cerebral metastasized melanoma. Between November 2011 and May 2016, altogether 66 brain metastases were treated with single-fraction SRS (18–20 Gy prescribed to the 80% isodose) in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor (ipilimumab: 82%, pembrolizumab: 14% or nivolumab: 4%), administered within 3 months before or after SRS. Toxicity was evaluated with focus on the incidence of central nervous system (CNS) radiation necrosis (CRN). Overall survival (OS), freedom from local progression (FFLP), freedom from central nervous system radiation necrosis (FFCRN), and freedom from distant intracranial progression (FFDIP) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results: The median follow-up was 25 months (range: 2–115 months). Two patients (6%) presented with cerebral edema CTCAE °III and another two patients (6%) presented with one-sided muscle weakness CTCAE °III after SRS. One of these four symptomatic cases correlated with an observed CRN, the other three symptomatic cases were related to local tumor progression (n = 2) or related to the performance of additional whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT). No further CTCAE °III or °IV toxicity was seen. During follow-up, seven of the growing contrast-enhanced lesions were resected, revealing two cases of CRN and five cases of local tumor progression. Altogether, the observed CRN rate of the irradiated metastases was 6–17% at the time of analysis, ranging due to the radiologically challenging differentiation between CRN and local tumor progression. The observed ranges of the 1- and 2-years FFLP rates were 82–85% and 73–80%, respectively. The median FFDIP was 6.1 months, the median OS was 22.2 months.Conclusion: In the presented cohort, the combination of SRS and checkpoint inhibitors in the management of cerebral metastasized melanoma was safe and effective. Compared to historic data on SRS only, the observed CRN rate was acceptable. To gain resilient data on the incidence of CRN after combined treatment schemes, prospective trials are needed.

ALL-326: Low Incidence of Central Nervous System (CNS) Relapse with Hyper-CVAD-R Regimen in Adults with Burkitt Lymphoma/Leukemia (BL) and High-Grade B-Cell Lymphoma (HGBCL)

Context BL and HGBCL have a propensity for CNS involvement, which confers poor prognosis. Standard of care includes dose-intense chemoimmunotherapy (Hyper-CVAD or CODOX/MVAC with rituximab [R]). Despite favorable efficacy and tolerability of DA-EPOCH-R, outcomes are poor in patients with bone marrow (BM)/CNS disease with high rates of CNS relapse due to the lack of systemic directed CNS therapy (13%; Zayac ASH 2019). Objective To report the long-term outcomes with Hyper-CVAD-R in adults with BL and HGBCL. Main outcomes measured We evaluated complete remission (CR) rates, relapse- free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR). Results Seventy-nine patients treated between 2000 and 2018 met WHO 2017 criteria (BL 54, HGBCL 25). Median age was 44 years (18–77 years); 25% were older than 60 years old. Most patients had high-risk disease; 73% BM involvement, 28% CNS involvement, and 63% had LDH > 3 times the normal level. Among the 25 patients with HGBCL, 7 (28%) had double-hit lymphomas (BCL-2 rearrangement), and the median international prognostic index was 3.5 (range 2–5). The CR rate was 91% (BL 96%; HGBCL 79%; P=0.16), and the 30-day mortality was 3%. The 5-year OS and RFS rates were 52% (BL 55%; HGBCL 44%; P=0.86) and 58% (BL 59%; HGBCL 57%; P=0.62), respectively. The CIR was 21% (BL 14%; HGBCL 37%, P=0.06); associated with BM involvement (27% vs 0%; P=0.02) and CNS involvement (42% vs 12%; P Conclusion Our data support the efficacy of Hyper-CVAD-R in preventing CNS relapse, especially among high-risk patients with BM or CNS involvement.

Association of Cerebrospinal Fluid Tumor DNA Genotyping With Survival Among Patients With Lung Adenocarcinoma and Central Nervous System Metastases

Owing to the improvement of systemic therapies for lung cancer, patients live longer, but the incidence of central nervous system (CNS) metastases also increases. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has been proven better than plasma to reveal unique genetic profiling of intracranial metastases. How genetic alterations in CSF are associated with the prognosis of this heterogeneous patient group remains elusive. To examine the association of molecular alterations in CSF with the survival of patients with a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma and CNS metastases. This retrospective cohort analysis of 94 patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma and CNS metastases was conducted from July 1, 2016, to July 31, 2018. Patients' CSF samples were collected, and next-generation sequencing of CSF circulating tumor DNA was performed. The main outcome was survival after diagnosis with CNS metastases. Genotyping of CSF circulating tumor DNA was studied to examine its association with the clinical outcomes of patients with CNS metastases. Of the 94 patients (49 male; mean [SD] age, 53 [1] years) with lung adenocarcinoma and CNS metastases evaluated, 79 harbored an EGFR variant. The most common genes seen in CSF were EGFR (79 [84.0%]), TP53 (57 [60.6%]), MET (23 [24.5%]), CDKN2A (22 [23.4%]), MYC (20 [21.3%]), NTRK1 (19 [20.2%]), and CDK6 (15 [16.0%]). Cluster analysis identified 5 molecular subtypes of CNS metastases. Patients in cluster I had the shortest median survival after diagnosis of CNS metastases compared with each of the other clusters (cluster I, 7.5 months; cluster II, 55.7 months; cluster III, 17.9 months; cluster IV, 27.9 months; cluster V, 21.0 months) and significantly increased risk of death compared with patients in the other clusters (cluster II: hazard ratio [HR], 4.95; 95% CI, 1.50-16.41; P = .009; cluster III: HR, 4.75; 95% CI, 1.49-15.12; P = .008; cluster IV: HR, 6.38; 95% CI, 1.76-23.09; P = .005; cluster V: HR, 5.42; 95% CI, 1.63-17.98; P = .006). The genetic profiles of cluster I were characterized by a high detection rate of CDK4 (9 of 9 [100%]), TP53 (8 of 9 [88.9%]), MET (7 of 9 [77.8%]), and CDKN2A (7 of 9 [77.8%]). For those with EGFR variants, coalterations with CDK4 (HR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.03-3.96; P = .04), CDK6 (HR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.32-4.83; P = .005), and MYC (HR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.21-4.15; P = .01) were associated with poor outcomes. Patients with a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma and CNS metastases experienced heterogeneous survival outcomes based on genetic profiling in CSF. These data suggest that CSF might facilitate risk stratifying CNS metastases into appropriate outcomes and provide reference for further clinical study.

Epidemiologic Study of Central Nervous System Tumors in Rwanda

Introduction: Tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) are primary or secondary neoplasms located within the craniovertebral cavity. The incidence of CNS tumors is not uniform with variation between different countries, age groups and races. Objective: Our study aim was to generate new knowledge of the epidemiology of central nervous system tumors in Rwanda. Method: This was an observational retrospective study of all patients diagnosed with CNS tumors in Rwanda over a period of 10 years, from 1st January 2006 to 31st December 2015. Results: 466 patients enrolled, (52.2% females, 47.8% males). The median age at diagnosis of was 37 years. Brain tumors were 82.7%; spine tumor patients were 16.4%. The average annual age-standardized incidence of CNS tumors was 0.43/100, 0000 person-years and varied with age groups. Tumors of meningothelial cells represented the majority of brain tumors (31.8%). Metastatic tumors were the far most common spine tumors category. 55.8 % of CNS tumors reported in our study were histologically confirmed and of nonmalignant meningiomas were the commonest (33.9%). Conclusion: This is the very first study done on epidemiology of CNS tumors in Rwanda, and generated data about incidence of CNS tumors in Rwanda and their location and histological distribution.

MLL-Rearranged Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Rearrangements of the histone lysine [K]-MethylTransferase 2A gene (KMT2A) gene on chromosome 11q23, formerly known as the mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) gene, are found in 10% and 5% of adult and children ALL cases, respectively. The most common translocated genes are AFF1 (formerly AF4), MLLT3 (formerly AF9), and MLLT1 (formerly ENL). The bimodal incidence of MLL-r-ALL usually peaks in infants in their first 2years of life and then declines thereafter during the pediatric/young adult phase until it increases again with age. MLL-rearranged ALL (MLL-r-ALL) is characterized by hyperleukocytosis, aggressive behavior with early relapse, relatively high incidence of central nervous system (CNS) involvement, and poor prognosis. MLL-r-ALL cells are characterized by relative resistance to corticosteroids (due to Src kinase-induced phosphorylation of annexin A2) and L-asparaginase therapy, but they are sensitive to cytarabine chemotherapy (due to increased levels of hENT1 expression). Potential therapeutic targets include FLT3 inhibitors, MEK inhibitors, HDAC inhibitors, BCL-2 inhibitors, MCL-1 inhibitors, proteasome inhibitors, hypomethylating agents, Dot1L inhibitors, and CDK inhibitors. In this review, we discuss MLL-r-ALL focusing on clinical presentation, risk stratification, drug resistance, and treatment strategies, including potential novel therapeutic targets.

Biological Features and Prognostic Impact of Bone Marrow Infiltration in Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

The biology and clinical impact of bone marrow (BM) infiltration in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains unclear in the rituximab era. We retrospectively analyzed 232 patients diagnosed with DLBCL at our center between 1999 and 2014. Concordant-presence of large cells similar to those of the lymph node biopsy- and discordant-infiltration by small cells forming lymphoid aggregates, lacking cytological atypia-BM infiltration was defined by histological criteria and further characterized by flow cytometry (FCM). Cell of origin (COO) was determined using Hans’ algorithm. For the clonal relationship between tumor and discordant BM, the VDJH rearrangement was analyzed. Survival analyses were restricted to 189 patients treated with rituximab and chemotherapy. Thirty-six (16%) had concordant, and 37 (16%) discordant BM infiltration. FCM described different indolent lymphomas among discordant cases, clonally related with DLBCL in 10/13 available samples. Median follow-up was 58 months. 5-year-progression-free survival (PFS) for non-infiltrated, discordant and concordant groups was 68%, 65% and 30%, respectively (p < 0.001). Combining COO and BM infiltration, patients with discordant BM and non-germinal center B-cell COO also had decreased 5-year-PFS (41.9%). In multivariate analysis, concordant BM had an independent effect on PFS (HR 2.5, p = 0.01). Five-year cumulative incidence of central nervous system (CNS) relapse was 21%, 4% and 1% in concordant, discordant and non-infiltrated groups, respectively (p < 0.001). In conclusion, concordant BM infiltration represents a subset with poor prognosis, whereas the prognostic impact of discordant BM infiltration could be limited to non-CGB cases.

Favorable Outcomes of Newly Diagnosed Intravascular Large B-Cell Lymphoma Patients Treated with R-CHOP Combined with High-Dose Methotrexate Plus Intrathecal Chemotherapy: Results from a Multicenter Phase 2 Trial (PRIMEUR-IVL)

Favorable Outcomes of Newly Diagnosed Intravascular Large B-Cell Lymphoma Patients Treated with R-CHOP Combined with High-Dose Methotrexate Plus Intrathecal Chemotherapy: Results from a Multicenter Phase 2 Trial (PRIMEUR-IVL)

The Magnitude of Lactate Dehydrogenase Elevation As a Predictive Factor for Central Nervous System Relapse in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Introduction: The incidence of central nervous system (CNS) relapse in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is approximately 5%. Although the introduction of rituximab for the treatment of DLBCL has reduced the risk of CNS relapse, the median overall survival of these patients remains only few months, emphasizing the need to accurately identify at-risk patients, screen for CNS disease, and develop effective therapeutic/prophylactic strategies. Aim: To identify risk factors for CNS relapse in patients with DLBCL. Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients with DLBCL diagnosed from January 2012 to December 2017 at a Cancer Institute. Patients with exclusive extranodal (EN) disease were excluded. Factors associated with CNS relapse were evaluated using Chi-square, Fisher's Exact Test, Mann-Withney U or T-Test, according to variable types and distributions. Survival was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier method and groups were compared by Log-rank test. Independent predictive factors were identified using Logistic Regression. A p value &lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Four hundred and seventy-nine patients were identified, 122 were excluded due to exclusive EN disease, and 357 patients were included in the study. With a median follow-up of 33 months, there were 10 (3%) CNS relapses. According to International Prognostic Index (IPI) factors in addition to involvement of kidneys and/or adrenal glands (CNS-IPI), 5 (50%) of these patients were classified as high risk, 4 (40%) intermediate risk and 1 (10%) low risk. Patients who development CNS involvement were significantly younger (57 vs. 65 years, p=0.036), presented higher levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (median 738 vs. 282 U/L, p&lt;0.001) and lower levels of hemoglobin (median 10,3 vs. 12,1 g/dL, p=0.010) at diagnosis. No differences were found regarding to performance status, stage or number of EN areas. Two patients (18%) in the CNS relapse group had done CNS prophylaxis versus twenty two (6,3%) patients in the group without CNS relapse. In multivariate analysis, LDH &gt;600 was the only independent predictive factor (HR 15.3, CI 95% 3.5 - 65.8, p&lt;0.001). Overall survival in CNS relapse group was 22 months, versus not reached (p&lt;0.001). Conclusion: Although CNS-IPI is a robust model to estimate the risk of CNS relapse, it does not capture the full spectrum of those at high risk. Other clinical risk factors and biomarkers beyond this model might play an important role in this setting, such as the magnitude of LDH elevation Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.