Hans Algorithm Research Articles

A Clinico-Genotypic Prognostic Index for De Novo Composite Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Arising from Follicular Lymphoma in the Rituximab Era

AimComposite follicular lymphoma with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (FL/DLBCL) is an uncommon hematological neoplasm. The aim of this study was to examine clinico-pathological features of patients with FL/DLBCL and investigate relevant predictors of survival outcome.MethodologyPatients with histologically-proven FL/DLBCL at diagnosis (n=106) and who were subsequently treated with Rituximab-based chemotherapy from 2002-2017 at the National Cancer Centre Singapore were retrospectively analyzed. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox proportional models.ResultsThe cohort consisted of 72 men and 34 women with a median age of 59 years (range, 24-82). The cell of origin by Han's algorithm was GCB in 37.7%, ABC in 58.5% and unknown in 3.8%. Eight patients (7.5%) were double-hit for c-MYC, BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements. In a multivariate model inclusive of known clinico-pathological parameters at diagnosis, presence of B symptoms (p = 0.0122), stage 3 or 4 lymphoma (p = 0.0166) and double-hit genotype (p = 0.0045) were independently prognostic for worse overall survival (OS). These factors, excluding B symptoms, were similarly prognostic for progression-free survival (PFS). Including first-line treatment data in the multivariate model, lack of complete response (p < 0.0001) and use of chemotherapy regimens other than R-CHOP (p = 0.0360) alongside presence of B symptoms (p = 0.0022), were the only remaining independent prognostic variables for worse OS. Classification by cell of origin was not prognostic. A Clinico-Genotypic Index derived from point-wise addition of all five adverse parameters (score of 0, 1, 2, 3-4) revealed four prognostic risk groups accounting for 25%, 30%, 25% and 20% of the cohort, with a predicted 5-year OS of 100%, 95%, 57% and 19% respectively (p < 0.0001).ConclusionA Clinico-Genotypic Index derived from clinical and molecular factors can classify patients with composite FL/DLBCL into distinct prognostic groups. Han's algorithm has no prognostic value in this disease entity. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Cell-of-Origin Identification and Prognostic Correlation in HIV-Associated Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphomas: Results of an Italian Multicentric Study

Introduction: Diffuse Large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an heterogeneous disease in terms of biology, clinical presentation and prognosis. According to the putative Cell-Of-Origin (COO), DLBCL of the general HIV negative population can be classified into three molecular subtypes by gene expression profiling (GEP): the germinal center B-cell type (GCB), the activated B-cell type (ABC) and the unclassifiable type (UC). Immuno-histochemistry (IHC) models routinely surrogate GEP in the COO assignment, identifying GCB and non-GCB type. Hans algorithm is one of the most widely used IHC models and its concordance with GEP varies from 70 to 90% (Meyer PN et al, JCO 2011). NanoString (NS) 20-genes assay has emerged as a feasible technique for DLBCL molecular subgroups identification and shows a high concordance with GEP (Scott DW et al, Blood 2014). DLBCL classification according to COO categories has shown prognostic impact in the HIV negative population, since clinical outcome of non-GCB type is inferior if compared to GCB type in patients (pts) receiving CHOP or Rituximab-CHOP. DLBCL in HIV positive population have shown different biological features. COO subtypes distribution and its prognostic impact has not been extensively studied in HIV setting and still needs to be defined.Aim of the study: To evaluate the proportion of COO subtypes in HIV-associated DLBCL according to IHC and NS assay, the concordance of these two different diagnostic methods, and the prognostic impact of COO assignment; to analyze BCL-2 and MYC protein expression and their correlation with outcome; to determine the prognostic value of baseline clinical characteristics, such as stage, LDH value and CD4+ lymphocyte count.Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 66 cases of HIV positive pts with newly diagnosed DLBCL from 2000 to 2016, in 5 Italian Institutions. Histological samples were centrally reviewed by a panel of expert Pathologists for DLBCL diagnosis confirmation, BCL-2 and MYC protein expression and COO assignment according to Hans algorithm (Hans CP et al, Blood 2004). The cut off considered for BCL-2 and MYC overexpression was 70% and 40% respectively. NS Lymph2Cx assay for COO was performed in all pts. Clinical data were gathered from pts medical records.Results: Pts were mostly male (73%) and median age at DLBCL onset was 45 years (range: 28-83). 80% of pts had advanced stage lymphoma and 34% showed a high-intermediate or high IPI score. HIV first detection was concomitant to DLBCL diagnosis in 30% of pts. At DLBCL diagnosis median CD4+ cell count was 188/microL (range: 8-1172) and 34/66 pts (52%) had detectable HIV viral load. COO assigned by IHC was GCB in 31/66 pts (47%) and non-GCB in 35/66 (53%); COO allocation by NS assay was 57% GCB (n=34/60 pts) and 43% non-GCB (ABC n=11, 18%; UC n=15, 25%). IHC algorithm and NS assay concordantly assigned COO subtypes in 80% of pts with a Cohen's kappa=0,604 (p<0.0005). Twenty pts (30%) had MYC and 23 pts (33%) had BCL-2 overexpression, respectively. An anthracycline-containing first-line chemotherapy was delivered to 97% of pts, with the addition of Rituximab in 86% of cases. Two pts (3%) could receive only palliative treatment. Two-years progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of the entire series were 61% and 56%, respectively, after a median follow-up of 50 months (range 4-184). No difference was found in OS and PFS according to COO subtypes, either determined by IHC or NS. Notably, bcl-2 overexpression had a negative impact on OS (2-years OS 44% vs 70%, p=0.018, HR: 2,34) and PFS (2-years PFS 45% vs 62%, p= 0,12, HR: 1,71), while MYC expression had no significant correlation with survival. A baseline CD4+ count > 200/microL has a protective role both for progression and death (2-years PFS: 62% vs 42%, p=0.02, HR: 0.41; 2-years OS: 72% vs 42%, p=0.002, HR: 0.30). Stage IV disease and elevated baseline LDH were associated with inferior PFS (p=0.0158 and p=0.02) and OS (p=0.0076 and p=0.034).Conclusions: This analysis of 66 HIV-associated DLBCL confirmed that GCB is the more frequent subtype identified by NS, as previously reported (Baptista MJ et al, Hemat Oncol 2017). We found an high concordance between Hans algorithm and NS in the COO subtypes allocation. However, COO classification showed no impact on pts outcome. FISH assays for detection of MYC, BCL-2 and BCL-6 rearrangements are ongoing in the entire study population. DisclosuresRusconi:Celgene: Research Funding.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients with Richter Transformation

Introduction: Richter transformation (RT) refers to transformation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) to an aggressive lymphoma, most commonly diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Most studies on the management of RT were either small retrospective series or early phase non-randomized trials before the era of novel agents. The natural history, prognostication and optimal treatment of patients with RT remain undefined. Here we report the clinical characteristics and outcomes of a large series of RT from a single center. Methods: Biopsy-confirmed RT (limited to non-Hodgkin lymphoma) diagnosed from 4/1993 to 4/2018 were identified from the Mayo Clinic CLL database. Clinical characteristics, treatment information and follow-up data were abstracted by chart review. Overall survival (OS) was defined as time from RT diagnosis to death from any cause and analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Statistical analysis was done in SAS 9.4. Results: A total of 204 patients with CLL who developed RT were identified. The median age at CLL diagnosis was 62 years (range 22-85), and 148 (73%) were male. The median time to transformation was 4.7 years (range 0-34.5). Prior to RT, 68 (33.3%) patients received no treatment for CLL, 109 (53.4%) received chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) only, and 27 (13.2%) received at least one novel agent (idelalisib, ibrutinib, or venetoclax) for CLL. The median lines of CLL therapy prior to RT was 2 (range 0-13). The median age at RT diagnosis was 69 years (range 30-88). Pathology of RT was DLBCL and high grade B-cell lymphoma in 193 (94.6%) and 11 (5.4%) patients, respectively. The median LDH was 306 IU/L (range 99-9000). 62/125 (49.6%) patients had bulky disease (≥ 5 cm), and the median PET SUVmax was 13.9 (range 2.9-30.0). 45/131 (34.4%) patients had del(17p) or TP53 mutation, 12 (9.2%) had del(11q), 21 (16.0%) had trisomy 12, 27 (20.6%) had del(13q), and 25 (19.1%) had normal FISH. The CLL and RT were clonally related in 12/21 (57.1%) patients. For the transformed lymphoma, cell of origin by Han9s algorithm was germinal center B cell-like (GCB) and non-GCB in 31/100 (31.0%) and 69/100 (69.0%) patients, respectively. EBV was positive in 14/52 (26.9%) patients. The median Ki-67 was 80% (range 10-100). Myc and Bcl-2 were positive by IHC in 31/43 (72.1%) and 83/103 (80.6%) patients, respectively; 27/56 (48.2%) were double-expressors. MYC, BCL2, and BCL6 rearrangement was positive by FISH in 18/68 (26.5%), 10/34 (29.4%), and 4/31 (12.9%) patients, respectively; 8/66 (12.1%) were double/triple-hit. The most common first-line treatment (Table 1 notes) of RT was R-CHOP-like regimen (n=114, 65.5%). Other treatments included R-EPOCH-like (n=6, 3.4%), high-intensity chemotherapy (n=15, 8.6%), novel agents (eg, ibrutinib, venetoclax, pembrolizumab; n=19, 10.9%), other chemotherapy (n=12, 6.9%), and palliative therapy (n=8, 4.6%). Response to first-line treatment was CR in 57 (38.0%), PR in 33 (22.0%), SD in 18 (12.0%), and PD in 42 (28.0%) patients. The median OS of the entire cohort after RT diagnosis was 12.0 months. The median OS for patients who received no prior CLL treatment, CIT only or at least one novel agent for CLL were 65.5, 7.3, and 12.0 months, respectively (P Conclusions: Over two thirds of RT were the non-GCB subtype, and about half were Myc/Bcl-2 double expressors. Patients who developed RT without prior CLL therapies had a significantly better OS. In contrast, patients who had received prior CLL therapies had poor outcomes. Myc/Bcl-2 double expressor and MYC/BCL2/BCL6 double/triple hit status had no impact on OS. Disclosures Kenderian:Humanigen: Research Funding; Novartis: Patents & Royalties; Tolero Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding. Kay:Infinity Pharm: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Agios Pharm: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Morpho-sys: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Tolero Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Acerta: Research Funding; Cytomx Therapeutics: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees; Pharmacyclics: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Gilead: Membership on an entity9s Board of Directors or advisory committees. Parikh:Janssen: Research Funding; Abbvie: Honoraria, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Honoraria, Research Funding; MorphoSys: Research Funding; Gilead: Honoraria; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria, Research Funding. Ding:Merck: Research Funding.

A Prognostic Nomogram and Survival Analysis in Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Patients

BackgroundThe clinical course of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is variable. Although the prognostic markers and models have been developed and adapted in DLBCL, prognostic indices in relapse and refractory (r/r) DLBCL remain unclear. In order to better guide clinical practice, this study aimed to develop a prognostic nomogram in r/r DLBCL.Patients and methodsAmong 1858 DLBCL patients treated in National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital in China, between 2006 and 2016, 682 were r/r DLBCL, of which 573 patients were treated with enough cycles of first-line anthracycline-based chemotherapy. The clinical data were reviewed and evaluated. Progression free survival (PFS) was defined as the time from first treatment administration to disease progression/relapse. Relapse was defined as progression after initial complete or partial remission, and refractory disease was defined as achieving less than a partial response in the first-line setting. Cell of origin (COO) was assessed at diagnosis via Hans algorithm. The concordance index (C-index) and a calibration curve were used to determine and compare their predictive and discriminatory capacity.ResultsOverall, the median age at diagnosis was 54 (range 10-91) years old. Among all the patients, 325 (56.7%) were male and 248 (43.3%) were female. There were 255 (45.1%) patients categorized as stage I-II and 310 (54.9%) categorized as stage III-IV at diagnosis. Of all the patients, 145 (27.0%) were germinal center B-cell-like (GCB) and 393 (73.0%) were non-GCB. According to the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) score, the majority of patients had a good performance, with 457 (79.8%) of cases presenting with an ECOG PS score of 0-1; 89 (15.5%) presenting with ECOG PS of 2; 27(4.7%) scored ≥3. In the entire group, 563 (98.3%) patients received CHOP or CHOP-like regimen and 301 (52.5%) received rituximab treatment in the first-line setting. There were 200 patients (34.9%) had refractory disease; 203 (35.4%) had relapse in the first year from treatment commence; 91 (15.9%) had relapse in the second year; and 79 (13.8%) had relapse after the first 2 years. The median overall survival (OS) from diagnosis were 12, 17, 46 and 66 months, respectively in the above four groups, and OS in the entire group was shown in Figure 1. A total of 437 patients with complete clinical information were further divided into the primary (n=300) and validation (n=137) cohorts. Based on a multivariate analysis of the primary cohort, four independent prognostic factors including lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level at diagnosis; response to the first-line treatment (CR with not CR); progression free survival and recurrence location (original with new with both) were identified and entered the nomogram (Figure 2). The calibration curve showed the optimal agreement between nomogram prediction and actual observation. In addition, the C-index of the nomogram for OS prediction was 0.743. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was 0.75 in the internal validation and 0.84 in the external validation. Four risk groups depending the nomogram were further developed and OS were presented in Figure 3.ConclusionsIndependent predictors of survival in r/r DLBCL have been identified and 4 indicators were used to create a nomogram. This proposed nomogram help with assess individual risks and decide on second-line treatment in clinical practice. [Display omitted] DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Utilization of a Novel Method of Detection of CD30 Expression in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Utilization of a Novel Method of Detection of CD30 Expression in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Outcome of Patients with Aggressive B Cell Lymphomas Who Receive Second-Line Salvage Immunochemotherapy Following Treatment Failure of Intensive First-Line Immunochemotherapy

Outcome of Patients with Aggressive B Cell Lymphomas Who Receive Second-Line Salvage Immunochemotherapy Following Treatment Failure of Intensive First-Line Immunochemotherapy

Addition of Rituximab to High-Dose Methotrexate Regimens Improves Complete Response Rates and Median Overall Survival in Non-Germinal Center Primary CNS Lymphoma

Background:Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare type of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Most cases occur in the immunocompetent population. Despite advances in therapy, the prognosis of PCNSL remains poor, with 5-year overall survival (OS) rates at 30-50% (Ferreri 2011). The standard of care treatment regimen includes high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX), often in combination with other multiagent CNS penetrating chemotherapies. Although the addition of rituximab in systemic aggressive B-cell NHLs has shown improvement in OS, the benefit of this agent in PCNSL has not been confirmed in a prospective dataset (Bromberg 2017). The majority of PCNSLs are classified as diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL), and the outcomes based on treatment and cell of origin (germinal center B-cell (GCB) vs. non-GCB subtype) have yet to be fully elucidated. In this review, we report our findings from a series of PCNSL patients based on treatment regimen and cell of origin.Methods:This is a retrospective study of patients with PCNSL diagnosed and treated at the University of Colorado Hospital from 1995 to 2017. Chart abstraction included demographics, DLBCL subtype by Hans algorithm (Hans 2004), treatment details, and outcomes. OS was examined using Kaplan Meier methods, while bootstrap resampling and a z-test was used to compare median survival times across strata. Fisher's exact test was used to determine whether treatment responses were different between those that received treatment withHD-MTX and rituximab versus HD-MTX without rituximab. A significance level of 0.05 was used for all tests. When assessing differences by subtype, treatment type, relapse, and treatment response the data was subset to include only patients without a prior HIV diagnosis.Results:71 patients with PCNSL were identified. 13 patients were HIV positive (the HIV status of 1 patient was unknown). Of the remaining 57 immunocompetent patients, 39 patients were treated with HD-MTX, of which 29 patients received rituximab in combination therapy. The most commonly received regimen was rituximab with methotrexate, procarbazine, and vincristine (R-MPV) (43.6%, 17 of 39). Median age in the HD-MTX subgroup was 65 years, with 83% of patients with KPS>70 at diagnosis. EBV positivity was noted in only 4 of 39 samples (10.2%), while 25 of 39 (64.1%) tested negative; the remaining patients' data was not available.Median OS was 29.9 months for all 71 patients (Figure 1). There was no significant difference in median OS between those with and without HIV (p=0.127).22 of 29 (75.9%) patients in the HD-MTX with rituximab group achieved a complete response (CR) while no patients (0%; 0 of 10) in the HD-MTX without rituximab group achieved a CR. The number of patients with a CR was significantly higher for those that received HD-MTX with rituximab compared to those that received HD-MTX without rituximab (p<0.001).Median OS for HIV negative patients treated with HD-MTX without rituximab (N = 10) was 32.6 months whereas median OS for HIV negative patients treated with HD-MTX with rituximab (N = 29) has not been reached at a median follow up of 33.4 months (range 1.5 - 116.9 months) (Figure 2)Subtyping was available for 23 patients without HIV treated with HD-MTX with or without additional agents. 6 patients had GCB subtype and 16 had non-GCB subtype. Median OS for GCB subtype has not yet been reached, while median OS for non-GCB subtype was 33.4 months (Figure 3). When analyzing data for patients who received HD-MTX and rituximab, median OS for GCB has not been reached, while median OS for non-GCB was 43.8 months (Figure 4).Conclusions:Our review of patients with PCNSL suggests that the addition of rituximab to a high dose MTX-based regimen improves survival although numbers are too small to determine any overarching statistical conclusion. CR rates were significantly higher in patients receiving rituximab in addition to HD-MTX compared to HD-MTX without rituximab. Patients with non-GCB subtype treated with HD-MTX and rituximab had increased median OS compared to median OS of non-GCB patients treated with HD-MTX without rituximab. However, in line with previous data we demonstrated worse outcomes associated with non-GCB subtype compared to GCB subtype. Future research is needed to focus on the characteristics of this subtype of PCNSL to improve outcomes with novel therapeutics. [Display omitted] DisclosuresKamdar:Genentech: Consultancy; Seattle Genetics: Speakers Bureau. Haverkos:Viracta Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

New Genomic Model Integrating Clinical Factors and Gene Mutations to Predict Overall Survival in Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Treated with R-CHOP

Introduction:Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive and heterogeneous disease that is characterized by recurrent translocations and somatic mutations. The prognosis of DLBCL has been associated with clinical features, cell-of-origin (COO) and genetic aberrations. The aim of this study was to determine whether somatic mutations are associated with overall survival (OS) in patients with DLBCL who have been treated with R-CHOP, and whether these mutations can be incorporated into a model to better predict survival.Methods:We identified 340 patients between 2000-2016 from two institutions with a diagnosis of de novo DLBCL treated with R-CHOP. A custom targeted panel with 334 genes which included frequently mutated genes in B-cell lymphoma was used and the captured DNA was sequenced on an Illumina HiSeq 2500. Cases were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC: Hans algorithm; MYC and BCL2 expression), nCounter Nanostring (Lymph2Cx), and FISH analysis for BCL2, BCL6, and MYC rearrangement. OS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariant modeling of OS was performed incorporating clinical features, IHC, COO by Nanostring, FISH, and mutation status of the most frequently mutated genes (≥5%). LASSO regression was performed to select for significant variables and determine coefficients for these variables and risk scores were calculated based on various fitted models. Concordance C-index was used to assess the discriminatory ability of different models, and three risk groups were determined by stratifying the risk scores in the final model.Results:199 patients (median age 60 years, M:F ratio 1.4:1) had complete clinical and sequencing data. The germinal center B-cell phenotype (GCB) was more common (69%) than the activated B-cell phenotype (ABC; 26%), and 5% were unclassified by COO. The most frequently mutated genes were KMT2D (31%), CREBBP (21%), and TP53 (20%). Double/triple-hit (DH) lymphomas comprised of 11% of the cases, and 13% were double-protein expressors (MYC and BCL2) only. Significant variables selected by LASSO included factors in the IPI, FISH analysis, and 3 mutated genes (KMT2D, PIM1, and MEF2B). A formula was developed using the individual factors (elevated LDH, age ≥60 years, presence of extranodal sites, stage ≥ 3, male, DH status, and mutations in KMT2D, PIM1, and/or MEF2B. A three risk group model (m3D-IPI) was constructed based on these significant variables and its coefficients were superior in discriminating OS compared to the IPI alone (C-index: 0.830 vs. 0.775; Figures A and B). Within IPI group 3 (Figure C), Lasso 3 (high risk) identified patients that had a poor prognosis (p=0.022). In IPI group 4 (Figure D), Lasso 2 (intermediate risk) identified patients that had a better prognosis (p=0.0074). A simplified risk model using the same variables was also developed by assigning one point for each variable present, and these findings were validated in an independent cohort of DLBCL (Reddy et al, Genetic and Functional Drivers of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma. Cell 2017;171(2):481-94).Conclusion:In this study, we incorporated mutation analysis of select genes with clinical risk factors and developed an improved risk model for patients with DLBCL treated with first-line therapy. [Display omitted] DisclosuresHerrera:Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Gilead Sciences: Research Funding; Merck, Inc.: Consultancy, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding; KiTE Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; Immune Design: Research Funding.

Multicenter Phase II Trial Addressing Lenalidomide Maintenance in Patients with Relapsed Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (rDLBCL) Who Are Not Eligible for Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT): Efficacy and Safety Results after a Median Follow-up of Five Years

Background: Lenalidomide (LENA) maintenance is associated with significantly improved outcome in patients (pts) with chemosensitive relapse of DLBCL not eligible for ASCT or experiencing relapse after ASCT. Preliminary results of a multicentre phase II trial (NCT00799513), reported after a median follow-up of 25 months, showed a 1-yr PFS of 70 ± 7% and a 1-yr OS of 81 ± 6%, with good tolerability (Ferreri AJM, et al. Lancet Haematol 2017). However, LENA was ongoing in 41% of pts at time of analysis, and late side effects and events after maintenance completion remained to be defined. Herein, we report efficacy and safety results of the trial after a median follow-up of 56 (range 27-100) months.Methods: HIV-neg pts (age ≥18 ys) with de novo or transformed DLBCL and relapsed disease responsive to conventional rituximab-containing salvage therapy were registered and treated with LENA 25 mg/day for 21 days out of 28, until lymphoma progression or unacceptable toxicity. A protocol amendment in 2015 allowed physicians to interrupt maintenance after a minimum duration of two years. Primary endpoint was 1-year PFS. Simon's two-stage optimal design was used. To demonstrate a 1-yr PFS improvement from 30% (P0) to 50% (P1), 47 pts (one-sided; α 5%; β 80%) were needed. Maintenance would be considered effective if ≥19 pts were progression-free survivors at 1 yr. Cell of origin was assessed by NanoString Technology (n=23) and Hans algorithm (n=39).Results: Between 3/2009 and 12/2015, we recruited 48 pts; 46 of them were assessable (median age 72 ys; range 34-86); 36 pts had de novo DLBCL, 10 had transformed DLBCL. All pts were previously treated with anthracycline- and rituximab-based combination, plus ASCT in 6 pts. Thirty-three pts were enrolled at 1st relapse; salvage therapy contained high doses of cytarabine or ifosfamide in two-thirds of cases, and response was complete in 26 pts and partial in 20. Most pts had unfavourable features: IPI ≥2 in 38 (83%) pts, advanced stage in 35 (76%), extranodal disease in 29 (63%), high LDH level in 21 (46%); 28 (61%) pts were older than 70 ys.Sixteen pts received ≥2 years of LENA (5 received >2 ys), 30 pts interrupted treatment due to progressive disease (PD; n= 17), toxicity (9) or pt refusal (4) (Table). LENA was well tolerated after an average of 18 courses/pt (range 3-82). With the exception of neutropenia, grade-4 toxicities occurred in <1% of courses. Infections were rare, and well controlled with oral antibiotics (grade 1-2 in 9 courses; grade 3 in 3). LENA dose reduction was indicated in 25 pts (transient in 21), and was due to neutropenia (13), rash (7), diarrhoea (3), or neurotoxicity (2). Three (6%) pts died of toxicity during maintenance (intestinal infarction, meningitis and sudden death) and two pts died due to myelodysplastic syndrome (Table). Grade 4-5 toxicity and SAEs were equally distributed according to maintenance duration (Table).At one year from trial registration, 31 pts were still progression free, which was significantly higher than the pre-determined efficacy threshold (n≥19). During the whole observation period, there were 24 events: progressive disease in 21 pts and death of toxicity in 3, with a 1-yr (primary endpoint) and 5-yr PFS of 67 ± 7% and 50 ± 7%, respectively. The duration of response to LENA was longer than response duration after the prior treatment line in 28 (61%) pts, and was twice as long in 21 (46%) of them. Twenty-six pts were disease-free at the last LENA course (Table), 22 of them remain relapse free after a median observation period from maintenance completion of 26 (8-92) months; 3 of the 4 relapses occurred in pts who received <1 yr of LENA (refusal or SAEs).The benefit of LENA was observed both in pts with de novo or transformed DLBCL. According to the Hans' algorithm, the 4-yr PFS was 50 ± 11% for GCB-DLBCL and 42 ± 11% for nonGCB-DLBCL (p= 0.58). Results using the Nanostring technique were consistent with the Hans' algorithm. Overall, 28 (61%) pts are alive, with a 1- and 5-yr OS of 80 ± 6% and 60 ± 8%, respectively.Conclusions: Long-term results of this trial soundly promotes the use of LENA maintenance in pts with chemosensitive relapse of DLBCL not eligible for ASCT or experiencing relapse after ASCT. LENA was well tolerated in this elderly population, without higher toxicity rates in pts treated for ≥2 years, and with enhanced survival figures. These results warrant further investigation of immunomodulatory drugs as maintenance in these high-risk pts. [Display omitted] DisclosuresFerreri:Celgene: Research Funding. Zaja:Abbvie: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Sandoz: Honoraria. Di Rocco:Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Rusconi:Celgene: Research Funding.

Prognostication of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma By Lympho2Cx Assay and BCL2 and MYC Expression: Application in a Real Life Context of 154 Patients

BACKGROUND: About one third of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) eventually die from their disease. Thus, it is extremely important to identify powerful and reliable predictive and prognostic markers. In real life patient management, the clinical relevance of the assessment of the Cell of Origin (COO), of MYC and BCL2 protein overexpression, is still not fully clarified. The aim of the study is to evaluate the predictive and prognostic value of COO with Lympho2Cx assay by Nanostring technology and BCL2 and MYC overexpression by immunohistochemistry (IHC), in a real-life context.METHODS: This is a retrospective multicenter study which recruited 154 DLBCL patients treated with R-containing regimen between June 2010 and December 2016 in Modena, Rome (Italy) and Haifa (Israel). All clinical data were recorded at diagnosis and during follow up, including response assessment and survival outcome. COO was determined on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded diagnostic specimens either by IHC using a panel of antibodies which included CD10, BCL6, MUM1 (i.e. Hans algorithm), or at RNA level with Lymph2Cx assay by Nanostring technology. Expression of MYC and BCL2 was evaluated by IHC. Event free survival (EFS) is defined as the time from diagnosis to the time of last follow-up, or to one of the following events: any response other than complete remission (CR) at the end of therapy or death from any cause. It is assessed by Kaplan-Meier estimates and groups of risk are compared using the log rank test.RESULT: We have currently evaluated the data of 60% (95 out of the 154) of the patients enrolled in the study (Tab 1). After a median follow up of 49 months, EFS is 63% (95CI 51-72%).In univariate analysis, the variables with the greatest impact on the response and on EFS are absolute granulocyte count and BCL2 expression (MYC ongoing). Patients with low IPI showed better survival in comparison with patients with high IPI, but the difference is not statistically significant. By IHC non-GCB subtype was more common than GCB (56% vs. 44%); by Nanostring ABC, GCB and unclassified subtypes were 33%, 50% and 17%, respectively, and K statistics was 0,647, showing a substantial agreement between the results obtained by IHC and by Lympho2Cx assay. No statistically significant differences were observed in EFS among ABC, GCB and unclassified subtypes. However, BCL2 protein overexpression in ABC subtype is associated with shorter EFS.CONCLUSION: Early retrospective studies showed a survival advantage for GCB-type disease. Clinical trial data evaluating the impact of COO determined by GEP on prognosis have shown inconsistent results with 2 studies observing inferior survival of ABC subtype and 2 German studies showing no significant differences in PFS or OS among COO subtypes. Determination of COO by Lympho2Cx is attractive as it is relatively easy and rapid to perform and potentially applicable to clinical practice. However, these preliminary results do not support, at this point, its use as prognostic factor in clinical practice. The analysis of the remaining 59 patients will help to clarify the role Lympho2Cx assay in the context of real life.Table 1. Patients baseline characteristics. DisclosuresTadmor:ABBVIE: Consultancy; ROCHE: Research Funding; JNJ: Consultancy; NOVARTIS: Consultancy; PFIEZER: Consultancy.

Epstein-Barr Virus Status in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder

BackgroundDiffuse large B cell lymphoma post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (DLBCL-PTLD) represents a fatal complication after a solid organ transplant (SOT). Approximately 50% of DLBCL-PTLD can be related to Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) infection. However, the EBV status is not taken into account in the DLBCL-PTLD categorization, although increasing evidence suggests its critical role in biological, clinical and prognostic aspects of the disease. In this single center retrospective study, we compared clinical and histological features, as well as outcomes of DLBCL-PTLDs by EBV status.MethodsThis study focused on patients with SOT who were diagnosed with DLBCL-PTLD at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN). Patients were identified through the Mayo Clinic Lymphoma Data base and the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic SPORE Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER), between 1989 and 2017. The histology was re-reviewed (RLK) and classified according to the WHO Classification or Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues 2017. Cell of origin (COO) was performed by Hans algorithm. EBV RNA in situ hybridization (EBER) was performed. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association of clinical factors in overall survival (OS).Results148 DLBCL-PTLD were identified. The median age at SOT and at the time of PTLD diagnosis were 50 years (range: 15-71) and 56 years (range: 18-82), respectively. The median time to PTLD diagnosis from SOT was 38 months (range: 1-499). The types of SOT included renal (44%), liver (36%), cardiac (9%), renal/pancreas (5%), pancreas (8%), lung (7%) and multiorgan (4%). 62% were stage III-IV, 30% had elevated LDH and 67% had an IPI >1. 88% of patients presented with extranodal disease, and 16% had involvement of the grafted organ. Eighty-three (56%) cases were EBV positive. The COO information was available on 35 cases. The non-GCB subtype was identified in 24 cases and GCB subtype in 11 cases. The initial treatment was as follows: reduction in immunosuppression (12%), immunosuppression reduction with rituximab (26%), rituximab alone (5%), chemotherapy with or without rituximab (35%). Patients with EBV positive PTLD were more likely to have grafted organ involvement (20% vs. 8%, p=0.047) and late PTLD (occurring after 12 months from SOT - 60% vs. 8%, p<0.001) than patients with EBV negative PTLD. There was no association between EBV status and age, sex, stage, LDH, and extranodal site involvement. At a median follow-up of 80 months (range 9-269), 83 patients (56%) had died. The 5-year survival rate from PTLD diagnosis was 56% (95% CI: 48-65%). The median OS was 85 months (95% CI: 37-148). There was no difference in OS in patients with EBV positive PTLD (median OS=84.7 months, HR=1.21, 95% CI: 0.77-1.92) versus patients with EBV negative DLBCL-PTLD (median OS=85.4 months, p=0.41).ConclusionOur study assessed the impact of EBV status on the presentation and clinical outcome of DLBCL-PTLD in a 148-patient single-institution cohort. 56% of cases were EBV positive. EBV positivity was associated with grafted organ involvement and late PTLD diagnosis. Patients with EBV-negative and EBV-positive disease had similar survival from PTLD diagnosis. DisclosuresMaurer:Celgene: Research Funding; Morphosys: Research Funding; Nanostring: Research Funding. Cerhan:Nanostring: Research Funding; Jannsen: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Celgene: Research Funding.

Interim Results from an Ongoing Phase 2 Multicenter Study of Tazemetostat, an EZH2 Inhibitor, in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)

Background: R/R DLBCL remains an area of unmet medical need and treatments with novel mechanisms of action are urgently needed. Germinal center DLBCLs depend on the histone methyltransferase EZH2 to perpetuate a less-differentiated state and EZH2 activating mutations may be oncogenic drivers in a subset of patients (pts). Inhibition of EZH2 reprograms abnormal cell growth, leading to cell death or differentiation, and subsequent tumor regression. Tazemetostat, a potent, selective, oral EZH2 inhibitor has shown antitumor activity in a phase 1 study that included DLBCL pts with mutated (mt) or wild type (wt) EZH2 tumors, which provides rationale for further investigation of its single agent activity. This open-label, multicenter phase 2 study is evaluating tazemetostat in pts with either mt or wt EZH2 R/R DLBCL or follicular lymphoma (Grade 1-3b); results of an interim analysis of DLBCL pts treated with tazemetostat, as monotherapy or in combination with prednisolone are presented.Methods: Key inclusion criteria include: age ≥18 years, ≥2 prior treatment regimens, and measurable disease. Tazmetostat 800 mg is administered orally, twice daily (BID); prednisolone (40 mg/m2) on days 1 to 5 and days 15 to 19 in a 28-day cycle for 16 weeks. Response was assessed every 8 weeks using IWG-NHL assessment criteria (Cheson 2007). Tumor tissue was analyzed for EZH2 hot spot activating mutations (Y646X, A682G, A692V) using a cobas® EZH2 Mutation Test (Roche Molecular Systems; investigational use only). Hans algorithm was used to determine cell of origin. The primary endpoint is overall response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints include progression-free survival (PFS), duration of response (DOR) and safety/tolerability.Results: As of May 1, 2018, interim phase 2 safety and activity data were summarized from 226 DLBCL pts (intent to treat analysis). Demographic and clinical activity information are provided in the table, including ORRs of 17% in both mt and wt arms and 9% in the prednisolone arm. Notably, DOR was substantially greater in the mt arm. Safety analysis showed that treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE) leading to study drug discontinuation or withdrawal from study occurred in 12% of pts. Grade ≥3 treatment-related AEs were reported in 27% of pts. The most common (≥10%) TEAEs (all grades) were: thrombocytopenia (20%), nausea (17%), anemia (15%), neutropenia (15%), vomiting (15%), cough (14%), diarrhea (12%), fatigue (12%), pyrexia (12%), abdominal pain (11%) and asthenia (10%).Conclusion: Tazemetostat was generally well tolerated at a dose of 800 mg BID, as monotherapy or in combination with prednisolone. In this difficult to treat, heavily pretreated, refractory patient population, clinical activity was observed in approximately 20% of monotherapy pts, regardless of mutational status, many of whom had received multiple prior lines of therapy. Tazemetostat in combination with prednisolone did not result in improved activity compared with tazemetostat monotherapy. [Display omitted] DisclosuresRibrag:Servier, Pharmamar, Nanostring, Gilead, Infinity, BMS, MSD, Epizyme: Consultancy; Roche: Other: Travel, expenses, accommodation; ESAI: Honoraria, Research Funding. Morschhauser:Epizyme: Consultancy; Roche/Genentech: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Servier: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. McKay:Epizyme: Consultancy, Honoraria. Salles:Roche, Jannsen, Gilead, Celgene, Novartis, Amgen, BMS, Merck, Servier: Honoraria. Tilly:Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Honoraria; Astra-Zeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Karyopharm: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Cartron:Sanofi: Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead Sciences: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria. Gribben:Unum: Equity Ownership; Novartis: Honoraria; TG Therapeutics: Honoraria; Abbvie: Honoraria; Medical Research Council: Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Honoraria; NIH: Research Funding; Wellcome Trust: Research Funding; Cancer Research UK: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria; Kite: Honoraria; Acerta Pharma: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Dickinson:GSK: Consultancy. Opat:Roche, Celgene, Mundipharma, Janssen: Honoraria; Roche, Celgene, Mundipharma, Janssen: Consultancy. Adib:Epizyme: Employment, Equity Ownership. Blakemore:Epizyme: Employment, Equity Ownership. Larus:Epizyme: Employment, Equity Ownership. Johnson:Zenyaku Kogyo: Other: Travel, accommodations, expenses; Eisai: Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy; Genmab: Consultancy; Kite: Consultancy; Boeringher Ingelheim: Consultancy; Epizyme: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria, Travel, accommodations, expenses; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria.

Clinical Outcomes and Cost Analysis of Dose-Adjusted R-EPOCH Vs R-CHOP in Treatment of Diffuse Large B- Cell Lymphoma with High Risk Features

▪BackgroundDiffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with high-risk features carries a poor prognosis despite treatment with immunochemotherapy regimen incorporating rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (R-CHOP). Hence, dose adjusted rituximab, etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin (DA.R-EPOCH), a higher intensity regimen, is suggested as an upfront treatment of high-risk DLBCL. In our study, we analyzed the outcomes in a prospectively followed cohort of patients with de novo high-risk DLBCL who received DA.R-EPOCH, and compared them to the patients who received R-CHOP. Furthermore, we conducted a cost analysis to determine which of the two treatments produces a larger financial burden.MethodPatients diagnosed with DLBCL who received chemo-immunotherapy at our center between January 2011 to December 2016 were included in the analysis. High-risk DLBCL was defined by the presence of any of the following features at diagnosis: NCCN- IPI score ≥4, tumor measuring ≥5 cm, MYC ± BCL2 or BCL6 rearrangement by FISH or MYC overexpression (>40% by immunohistochemistry [IHC]), Ki-67 index ≥80% and non-GCB immunophenotype by Hans algorithm. Responses were evaluated at middle and end of chemotherapy. Overall (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) were calculated. For the cost analysis, standardized costs were obtained from Mayo Clinic Florida cost data warehouse based upon patient encounters and treatments. Report cost-to-charge ratios were multiplied by the charges for all hospital billed services, and all resulting costs were adjusted to 2016 dollars with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Implicit Price Deflator. Patients who did not receive their complete planned treatment at our facility were excluded from the cost analysis.ResultsOf 80 patients with high-risk DLBCL, 52 (65%) patients were treated with R-CHOP and 28 (35%) with DA.R-EPOCH. The median follow-up was 11.2 months (range: 0.7- 151.3 months). The planned treatment completion rate and complete remission rate at the end of treatment were similar in both groups. There was no significant difference in OS and PFS among the patients treated with DA.R-EPOCH compared to R-CHOP. The hazard ratio (HR) for PFS was 0.79 (95% CI- 0.28-2.29, P=0.67) and OS was 0.86 (95% CI- 0.26-2.78, P=0.80) (Figure 1). In Cox-regression analysis, low baseline albumin, ECOG performance status ≥2, above-normal LDH, high NCCN- IPI and low cumulative chemotherapy doses were associated with poor OS and PFS. Overall incidence of grade ≥ 3 neutropenia, neuropathy, and unplanned hospitalizations were similar between the two treatment groups. Patients treated with DA.R-EPOCH required more red cell transfusions during the treatment (P=0.004). The total mean cost associated with DA.R-EPOCH and R-CHOP regimens was $106,940 ± $39,351 and $58,509 ± 24,588, respectively (P<0.001). The cost associated with hospital services, laboratory testing and evaluation and management were higher in DA.R-EPCOH group compared to R-CHOP group (P<0.001) (Table 2).ConclusionOur study showed that there was no significant difference in PFS and OS of patients with DLBCL with high-risk features when treated with R-CHOP compared to DA.R-EPOCH. DA.R-EPOCH was associated with higher red cell transfusion requirement and treatment related expenses. A prospective randomized comparison is warranted between these two regimens specifically for patients with high-risk DLBCL. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Outcomes of Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Double Expressor B Cell Lymphoma As Defined By Multicenter Pathology Review Treated with Ibrutinib Monotherapy

Outcomes of Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Double Expressor B Cell Lymphoma As Defined By Multicenter Pathology Review Treated with Ibrutinib Monotherapy

Impact of MYD88L265P mutation Status on Histological Transformation of Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia

Impact of MYD88L265P mutation Status on Histological Transformation of Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia

R-CHOP with or without Lenalidomide/Bortezomib As a First Line Treatment for Patients with Non-Germinal Center Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Subtype: Son Espases University Hospital Experience

INTRODUCTIONThe standard first line treatment for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (R-CHOP) independently of cell origin subtype. Retrospective studies have shown that non-germinal center (NGC) subtype is associated with a worse progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to germinal center subtype. In phase II studies the combination of lenalidomide (lena) or bortezomib (bor) with R-CHOP in this lymphoma subtype has shown better results in comparison to R-CHOP alone. For this reason, the aim of our study is to analyze the efficacy and toxicity of R-CHOP plus lena/bor in comparison with R-CHOP alone in patients with NGC DLBCL.PATIENTS AND METHODSIn order to avoid selection bias, all patients with NGC DLBCL (confirmed by immunohistochemistry with Hans algorithm) who received R-CHOP or R-CHOP-lena/bor (25mg lenalidomide daily from day 1 to 10 / bortezomib 1.3mg/m2 days 1 and 4) were retrospectively selected from the Pharmacy Registry. Patients in our center received R-CHOP from March 2002 to June 2013, R-CHOP-bor from June 2013 to July 2015 and R-CHOP-lena from November 2014 until now. Cheson and Lugano criteria were used to confirm response rates. Toxicity was checked with CTCAE v4-5 criteria.RESULTSFifty-five patients with NGC DLBCL were identified from 2002 to 2018, 18 of whom were treated with R-CHOP-lena/bor and 33 with R-CHOP. Baseline characteristics are specified in Table 1. Overall response rate was similar in both treatment regimens, 94% versus 87%, respectively. 12.5% progression/stable disease cases were identified with R-CHOP alone compared to 5.3% with R-CHOP-lena/bor. With a median follow-up of 45 months (6-126) for R-CHOP and 22 months (6-59) for R-CHOP-lena/bor, the median PFS was 65 months for R-CHOP and was not reached for R-CHOP-lena/bor. 47% versus 9% of progressions were observed in R-CHOP and R-CHOP-lena/bor, respectively (p=0.006). Regarding OS, the death rate in the R-CHOP group was 45% in comparison with 23% in R-CHOP-lena/bor group (p=0.015). Higher hematological toxicity was observed in the R-CHOP-lena/bor group comparing with R-CHOP: neutropenia (95% versus 68%), grade 3-4 neutropenia (81% versus 37%) and anemia (81% vs 56%) (p<0.05) (Table 2) being manageable in all cases.CONCLUSIONSThe addition of lenalidomide or bortezomib to R-CHOP seems to be a good option in NGC DLBCL, with a lower progression rate, refractoriness and less mortality in comparison with R-CHOP alone. R-CHOP-lena/bor is associated to higher rates of hematological toxicity but manageable in all cases. These retrospective data should be confirmed in ongoing phase III clinical trials. [Display omitted] DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Immunophenotypic and Genetic Characteristics of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), and Prognostic Significance of Cell of Origin (COO) in a Southeast Asian Cohort

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE:DLBCL is a heterogeneous disease which on gene expression profiling studies (GEP) can be divided into 2 distinct subtypes, germinal center (GCB) as well as activated B cell subtype (non GCB) based on the cell-of-origin. Immunochemistry (IHC) based algorithms have been shown to have good concordance with GEP for COO classification. While Western data suggests that GCB-subtypes are associated with improved outcomes, there has been limited and conflicting data on the prognostic significance of COO amongst Asian patients. The prevalence and prognostic significance of other prognostic markers such as MYC overexpression or translocation amongst DLBCL Asian patients also remains unclear. Our study aimed to evaluate i) the prevalence of MYC translocation and overexpression, as well as COO subgroups of DLBCL in a cohort of Singaporean patients, and ii) the prognostic impact of these factors in comparison with International Prognostic Index (IPI) score and other standard prognostic markers. METHODSA single-center retrospective analysis of 384 consecutive DLBCL patients diagnosed 2013 - 2018 was performed. Hans criteria was used to assign COO. (Prior validation studies from the hospital's pathology laboratory had confirmed concordance between Hans algorithm and GEP of 75 %.) Majority of the patients received R-CHOP (N =228) or R-EPOCH (N =47) chemotherapy RESULTSThe median age of the cases was 61 years (range 18-88), 223 were female and the majority had stage 3-4 disease (62%). Of the 297 cases with IHC data for COO, 120 (40%) were GCB subtype and 177 cases (60%) were non-GCB. MYC was overexpressed in 75% of cases (165/220) tested, while MYC FISH was positive in 23% of cases (28/122) tested. 10 of the 28 patients with MYC FISH positive were treated with R-EPOCH chemotherapy.With a median follow up of 1.2 years (0.1-5.3 years), the projected 5-year OS and PFS for the entire cohort was 69.5% and 65.6% respectively. Amongst baseline clincopathologic characteristics, only age, IPI and disease stage was associated with improved OS on both univariate and multivariate analysis. Age, IPI and disease stage was associated with PFS in univariate analysis but only IPI remained significant (p<0.001) after multivariate analysis. Neither MYC overexpression, MYC translocation nor COO was found to be prognostic for OS or PFS on multivariate analysis. The 5-year PFS and OS for the GCB vs the non-GCB subgroups was 72% vs 66%, (p=0.10), and 71% vs 70%, (p=0.06) respectively. (See Figure 1A and 1B). CONCLUSIONIn this Southeast Asian DLBCL cohort, we confirmed the prognostic significance of the IPI score for both PFS and OS. GCB subtype of DLBCL comprised 40% of all DLBCL cases. COO based on Hans criteria had no prognostic significance on PFS or OS. This is in contrast to Western series where GCB subtypes identified by IHC-algorithms are associated with better prognosis. [Display omitted] DisclosuresJeyasekharan:PerkinElmer: Other: Collaboration; Merck Sharp & Dohme: Honoraria; Janssen: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Other: Collaboration.

Chidamide Plus R-CHOP21 in Elderly Patients with Newly Diagnosed Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Results of a Phase II Study

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) represents the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and is heterogeneous in clinical, immunophenotypic and genetic features. More than 50% of patients with DLBCL are older than 60 years at diagnosis. Among them, up to 40% of patients relapse or develop refractory disease upon R-CHOP treatment. Dose-dense R-CHOP14 failed to show superior efficacy or survival compared with standard R-CHOP21 in elderly patients and intensive chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation was difficult due to toxicity. Therefore, development of new first-line therapy remains great interests to improve disease outcome in elderly patients with DLBCL.Perturbation of the epigenome plays a crucial role in lymphoma progression. Several histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) have been investigated in relapsed or refractory DLBCL as mono- or combination treatment, showing promising activities to suppress lymphoma growth and overcome resistance to immune-chemotherapies. This prospective phase II study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of chidamide in combination with R-CHOP21 in elderly patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL (NCT02753647).Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL, aged 61 to 75 years, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 2, IPI>1 were enrolled. The dose and administration schedule were as follows: rituximab 375 mg/m2 on day 0, cyclophosphamide 750mg/m2 on day 1, doxorubicin 50mg/m2 on day 1, vincristine 1.4 mg/m2 on day 1, prednisone 60 mg/m2 from day 1 to day 5, chidamide 20mg/d on days 1, 4, 8 and 11, every 21 days for 6 cycles. The primary endpoint was complete response (CR) rate assessed by PET-CT, and secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), overall response rate (ORR) and main adverse events (AEs).Results: From March 2016 to April 2018, 49 patients were enrolled; 41 patients completed all treatment and 8 patients were still in the treatment cycles. Median age was 67 years (range, 61-75) and 28 patients (57.1%) were male. Thirty-eight patients (77.6%) presented advanced Ann Arbor stage, and 41 patients (83.7%) showed elevated serum LDH level. Thirty-one patients (63.3%) had multiple extra-nodal sites, mainly involving bone, gastrointestinal, liver, and bone marrow. Forty-one patients (83.7%) had IPI scores ≥3 at diagnosis. By immunohistochemistry, 12 (24.5%) patients were categorized as germinal center B-cell (GCB) subtype based on Hans algorithm, and 12 (25.5%) patients were defined as BCL-2 and MYC double expression. Among 41 patients available for evaluation, the CR rate was 85.4% (35/41), and the ORR was 90.3% (37/41). After a median follow-up of 18 months (range, 3-30), the 1-year PFS was 92.1% and 1-year OS was 94.7%. There were 2 deaths due to disease progression, of which 1 had triple-hit lymphoma. Regarding toxicity, grade 3-4 neutropenia was observed in 167 cycles (60.5%), grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia in 27 cycles (9.8%), and grade 3 anemia in 11 cycles (4.0%). However, febrile neutropenia was reported in significantly fewer cycles (6.1%) and was a maximum of grade 3. Grade 3 liver dysfunction was observed in 7 cycles (2.5%). No grade 4 non-hematological events were reported. Of note, 2 patients positive for EBER-ISH at diagnosis remained in EBV-DNA negative during treatment and follow-up.Conclusion: Chidamide with R-CHOP21 is effective and safe in elderly patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Cell-of-Origin Subtype Prediction of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Using Gene Expression and Proteomic Data

IntroductionDiffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) subtypes can be identified based on immunohistochemistry, somatic mutation and gene expression profiles. These cell-of-origin (COO) subtypes have distinct biological and pathogenic characteristics. In addition, studies have shown the association of COO with drug response such as with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) as well as targeted therapy. Therefore, proper assessment of COO subgroup is an important step in treatment selection and outcome. In this study, we sought to develop predictive COO models using RNA-Seq based gene expression profiling and plasma proteomic data, focusing on the two defined major DLBCL subtypes - germinal center B cell-like (GCB) and activated B cell-like (ABC).MethodsCOO subgroups of patient samples were assigned by the Hans algorithm. Data from archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues were obtained using the Illumina HiSeq platform (RNA-Seq). A subset of samples were used as a training set to select differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ABC vs. GCB lymphomas to build support vector machine (SVM) classification models. The model with best leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV) on the training set was applied to the remaining samples to assess its initial predictive power. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA, Broad Institute) and key pathway analysis (KPA, Clarivate Analytics) were also utilized to further explore the underlying biology of each COO subtype. Protein expression data using the Olink Proteomics platform was obtained from baseline patient plasma samples. Protein biomarkers to differentiate ABC and GCB subgroups were identified from a set of training samples and evaluated in independent cohorts. Due to notable batch effect, batch information was included and specified as a random factor in the model.ResultsGenes identified by Scott et al. (Blood 2014) for COO assignment were first tested in our RNA-Seq training data of 6 GCB and 8 ABC samples. Thirteen of 15 gene markers showed significant differences between the ABC and GCB subgroups. From these markers, we further selected 6 to build machine learning models based on fold change, false discovery rate and entropy. This 6-gene signature include 3 markers relatively up-regulated in ABC subtype and 3 up-regulated in GCB subtype. A SVM model with these genes achieved 100% LOOCV on the training data and correctly predicted COO of 20/22 samples in the validating cohort with 1 GCB and 1 ABC samples misclassified. These two samples were also misclassified if a larger panel of signature genes from Scott et al. (Blood 2014) was used. KPA on the DEGs from ABC vs. GCB predicted the activation of NFKB1and STAT4/5 transcription factors as key elements upstream of the DEGs, indicating promoted signaling of NFкB and STAT pathways in ABC subgroup. On the other hand, REST was predicted as an inhibited upstream regulator of some DEGs. RCOR1, a corepressor of REST, has significantly lower expression level in the ABC subgroup in our data. These may imply the inhibition of REST/RCOR1 pathway in ABC patients.Plasma protein data from two studies were used to form a training set with 21 GCB and 6 ABC. A set of differentially expressed analytes from ABC vs. GCB were identified which included several targets of the NFкB pathway. In an independent cohort containing 5 GCB and 4 ABC plasma samples, many of these same plasma proteins showed differential expression profiles between ABC and GCB, making them potential blood-based biomarkers for COO determination.ConclusionsIn this study, we built a SVM model with a subset of genes from Scott et al. (Blood 2014) to accurately predict COO of refractory DLBCL from archival FFPE tissue. Further analyses of the RNA-Seq data disclosed alterations in key transcriptional hubs between the different COO subgroups. Olink plasma data from independent cohorts demonstrated potential protein markers for a plasma-based differentiation of the ABC and GCB subtypes. These biomarkers and machine learning models are being further validated using additional datasets. DisclosuresLiu:Incyte Research Institute: Employment, Equity Ownership. Lu:Incyte Research Institute: Employment, Equity Ownership. Dong:Incyte Research Institute: Employment, Equity Ownership. Liu:Incyte Research Institute: Employment, Equity Ownership. Salinas:Incyte Research Institute: Employment, Equity Ownership. Owens:Incyte Research Institute: Employment, Equity Ownership. Pratta:Incyte Research Institute: Employment, Equity Ownership. Smith:Incyte Research Institute: Employment, Equity Ownership. Tada:Incyte Research Institute: Employment, Equity Ownership. Newton:Incyte Research Institute: Employment, Equity Ownership. Burn:Incyte Research Institute: Employment, Equity Ownership.

Genomics of Limited-Stage Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Developing Late Relapse: Analysis of Gene Alterations in Paired Primary and Late Relapsed Tumors By Target Sequencing

Genomics of Limited-Stage Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Developing Late Relapse: Analysis of Gene Alterations in Paired Primary and Late Relapsed Tumors By Target Sequencing