High-grade B-cell Lymphoma Research Articles

Health-Related Quality of Life Profile and Symptom Burden of Patients with Aggressive B-Cell Lymphomas Just before CAR-T-Cell Therapy: A Real-World Study By the Gimema

Background Although efficacy and safety data on chimeric antigenic receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for patients aggressive B-cell lymphomas are being accumulated, there is limited research on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and symptom burden of these patients. Additionally, the few HRQoL data available mainly stems from selected patients enrolled in clinical trial settings. Objective The primary objective of this study was to compare HRQoL of patients with relapsed/refractory aggressive B-cell lymphomas just before receiving CAR T-cell infusion in real-life, with that of their peers in the general population. Secondary objectives were to describe the prevalence of disease-specific symptoms and worries, and to investigate the relationships between symptom burden and HRQoL and functional outcomes. Methods: Baseline data from an ongoing prospective observational study by the Italian GIMEMA Group were analyzed. Inclusion criteria were: adult patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, high grade B-cell lymphoma, and DLBCL transformed by indolent lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma, scheduled to receive CAR T-cell therapy. HRQoL was assessed with the EORTC QLQ-C30 and its recently validated module for patients with high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma (EORTC QLQ-NHL-HG29). Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to estimate the overall mean difference in the QLQ-C30 scores between patients and the general population, adjusting for age, sex and comorbidity. Evidence-based guidelines for interpretation of the QLQ-C30 were used to determine clinically meaningful differences between groups. The prevalence of patients who reported symptoms and worries on the QLQ-NHL-HG29 was based on the number of patients who answered, “a little,” “quite a bit,” or “very much” on a given item. This was assessed overall and by age groups. For descriptive purposes, we divided the sample by the median age, deriving two subgroups: younger (with a median age of 50 years; IQR: 41 - 56) and older patients (with a median age of 65 years; IQR: 63 - 71). Mean scores of functional and global QoL scales of the EORTC QLQ-C30 were analyzed by severity of symptom burden. Patients were categorized as having high or low symptom burden based on the median score of the validated symptom burden scale of the QLQ-NHL-HG29 questionnaire. Results Overall, 65 patients enrolled across 9 centers were analyzed. Median age at study entry was 61 years (IQR, 50-65) and 21 (32%) were women. Median time since diagnosis was 2 years (IQR, 1-4). Eighteen patients (28%) had already received autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) before study inclusion. Median number of previous lines of therapy was 2 (IQR: 2-3), and eleven patients (18%) reported at least 1 comorbidity. Patients reported statistically and clinically meaningful worse scores across several domains, compared with their peers in the general population. The top three largest statistically and clinically meaningful differences with regard to functional scales were observed for role functioning (Δ=26.8, p<.001), social functioning (Δ=17.6, p<.001) and the global QoL scale (Δ=14.3, p<.001). With regard to symptoms, the two largest statistically and clinically meaningful worse symptoms, compared to the general population, were observed for fatigue (Δ=14.2, P<.001), dyspnea (Δ=10.9, p=.003) and financial difficulty (Δ=10.6, p=.001). Prevalence of symptoms and worries was high with more than 50% of patients reporting 14 different symptoms and worries. Younger patients tended to report a higher prevalence in regard to specific worries. The top ten most prevalent symptoms and worries by the QLQ-NHL-HG29, overall and by age groups, are reported in Table 1. Patients with a greater symptom burden had a clinically meaningful worse global QoL, and worse physical, role, social, and cognitive functioning compared to those with a lower symptom burden (Figure 1). Conclusion: Using a validated disease-specific measure for high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma, we observed that just before CAR T-cell therapy in real-life, patients report substantial HRQoL impairments and a high prevalence of symptoms and worries. Our findings also suggest to pay special attention to patients with a greater symptom burden, being a vulnerable group with important HRQoL and functional impairments.

Clinical Outcomes with Prophylactic Corticosteroid Use for Axicabtagene Ciloleucel (axi-cel) in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphoma (R/R LBCL): A Multicenter Analysis

Introduction: In Cohorts 1+2 of the ZUMA-1 Phase 1/2 study of axi-cel in R/R LBCL, 11% and 31% of patients (pts) experienced Grade ≥3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or neurologic evenets), respectively. To minimize the toxicities seen with axi-cel, a safety management cohort, Cohort 6 (N=40), was added to evaluate whether prophylactic (ppx) corticosteroids (CS) could decrease grade ≥ 3 CRS or ICANS. The 2-year update of ZUMA-1 Cohort 6 showed no grade ≥3 CRS and 15% grade ≥3 ICANS without any difference in objective response rate (ORR) or complete response rate (CR) when compared to cohorts 1+2 (Oluwole Blood 2022). The FDA had previously approved an update to the prescribing information for axi-cel to include use of ppx CS across all approved indications in January 2022. However, ppx CS is not a mandatory standard treatment and we sought to establish the clinical outcomes in the real-world practice. Methods: To assess the clinical outcomes of pts receiving ppx CS, we conducted a multicenter retrospective analysis of pts with R/R LBCL who were treated with axi-cel since the FDA approval of ppx CS in January 2022. Baseline characteristics, toxicities, and efficacy were compared between the no ppx and ppx CS groups. CRS and ICANS were graded based on ASTCT 2019 guidelines. Event-free survival (EFS) was defined as time from axi-cel infusion to progression, re-treatment, or death. Overall survival (OS) was defined as time from axi-cel infusion to death due to any cause. Results: A total of 66 pts at 5 centers received axi-cel between Jan 31, 2022, and June 20, 2023. Thirty-five (52%) pts received ppx CS, with a median age of 63 years (26-85 years). By histology, 75% (n=50) of the pts had DLBCL, 13.6% (n=9) had high grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL), 9.1% (n=6) had transformed follicular lymphoma (TFL) and 1.5% (n=1) primary mediastinal LBCL (PMBCL). 59% of the pts (n=37) had IPI >2 and 66% (n=43) had stage III/IV disease. The baseline characteristics at the time of apheresis are shown in Table 1 and were comparable between the 2 groups, except for more HGBL, fewer prior lines of therapy and longer median time from apheresis to axi-cel infusion in the ppx CS group. Among the entire cohort, only 37% (n=25) met ZUMA-1 eligibility criteria at the time of lymphodepletion, and 67% (n=44) needed bridging therapy. Any grade CRS occurred in 88% (n=58) of the pts, with grade ≥2 CRS in 38% (n=25). Any grade ICANS occurred in 55% (n=37) of the pts, with grade ≥2 ICANS in 41% (n=27). Any grade ICANS was significantly lower in the ppx CS group than the no ppx group (45.7% vs 65.5%). The rates of any grade CRS, grade ≥2 CRS, grade ≥2 ICANS, the median time to CRS onset, ICANS onset, CRS duration, and ICANS duration were comparable between the 2 groups. Tocilizumab and steroids use was similar between two groups with a trend towards less ICU admission in patients in the ppx CS group. Overall, 14 (21%) pts developed infectious complications within 30 days of axi-cel infusion. The day 30 ORR was 84% and was comparable between the 2 groups (77% in the ppx group vs 93% in the no ppx group). The CR was 45.7% in ppx CS group compared to 65.5% in no ppx group. At a median follow up of 219 days (27-1178), 37 (56.1%) pts had progressed and 25 (37.9%) pts had died. The number of days to progress was significantly lower in the ppx CS arm. The median EFS and OS were not significant between the 2 groups. Conclusions: This multicenter retrospective study showed that the efficacy of treatment with axi-cel in R/R LBCL did not decrease with the use of ppx CS. No significant differences in efficacy or CAR-T-associated toxicities were noted in the 2 groups, potentially due to selective use with patients at presumed higher risk of severe CRS and ICANS. A larger dataset and longer follow-up is needed for risk-stratified analysis and the study is ongoing.

Phase 1 Dose Escalation Study of Pembrolizumab in Combination with Rituximab and Lenalidomide for Relapsed/Refractory Large B-Cell or Follicular Lymphoma Following Progression after Anti-CD19 Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell Therapy

Introduction: While autologous CD19-targeting chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CAR T) can induce high complete response (CR) rates in relapsed and refractory (r/r) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL), over 50% of patients experience progressive disease. Survival following CAR T failure is dismal, with only 1 in 5 patients living >2 years. Multiple studies indicated that resistance to CAR T therapy may be driven by CAR T cell intrinsic and/or tumor intrinsic mechanisms. Here, we evaluated the combination of PD-1 blockade with rituximab (R) and lenalidomide (len) with the rationale that it would restore the function of exhausted T cells, enhance CAR T function with len and target the tumor and its immunosuppressive microenvironment. Methods: In this single center, phase I dose-escalation study, eligible patients included adults with r/r LBCL or FL who progressed following CD19 CAR T. Treatment consisted of R (375 mg/m2/day) on days 1, 8, and 15 of cycle 1 and day 1 of cycle 2. Pembrolizumab (200 mg/day) was administered on day 1 of each 21-day cycle with the cycles repeated for up to 2 years (those who attain an investigator-determined CR could stop pembrolizumab after 24 weeks). A standard 3+3 dose escalation of len was pursued to determine the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D), starting at 2.5 mg and escalated up to 10 mg on days 1-14 of each cycle for up to 12 cycles. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included safety, CR rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Exploratory objectives sought to determine the effect of combination therapy on peripheral blood T cells and evaluate baseline tumor characteristics that associated with clinical outcomes. Results: Fourteen patients initiated study treatment, 13 had LBCL (high grade B-cell lymphoma n=4; non-GCB DLBCL n=4; GCB DLBCL n=3; transformed FL n=2), 1 had FL. 12 progressed following axicabtagene ciloleucel, 1 progressed after lisocabtagene maraleucel, and 1 following an investigational allogeneic CAR T. The median time from CAR (day 0) to enrollment was 171 days (range 60-1134). The median time to progression following prior CAR T was 104 days (range 22-280). Median age was 57.5 years (range 41-73), 64% were male, all had advanced stage disease (stage III n=1, stage IV n=13), 79% had high-risk IPI, and 79% had an ECOG performance status of 1. Patients had a median of 3 prior lines of therapy (range 2-5), 86% were refractory to their last therapy. Four were treated at dose level 1 (2.5 mg len), 7 at dose level 2 (5 mg len), and 3 at dose level 3 (10 mg len). Five DLTs were observed, 3 at dose level 2 (3 gr 4 neutropenia > 7 days) and 2 at dose level 3 (1 gr 4 neutropenia > 7 days and 1 gr 3 febrile neutropenia). The RP2D was determined to be 2.5 mg of len. The most common all grade treatment-emergent non-hematologic adverse events (TEAEs) included rash (n=6, 43%), hyperglycemia (n=6, 43%), arthralgia/myalgia (n=5, 36%), diarrhea (n=4, 29%), and AST/ALT elevation (n=3, 21%). Grade 3 or higher TEAEs included 79% neutropenia (gr3 n=2; gr4 n=9), 29% lung infection (gr3 n=3; gr5 n=1), 21% febrile neutropenia (gr3 n=3), 21% lymphopenia (gr3 n=3), 21% anemia (gr3 n=3), and 14% thrombocytopenia (gr3 n=1; gr 4 n=1). With a median follow up of 37.5 months, the most common reason for discontinuation was progressive disease (n=7). Four patients (all LBCL) responded with all achieving a CR (ORR and CR rates were 29%) and all 4 patients remain in CR beyond 2 years, Figure 1. Median time to CR was 39.5 days. Median PFS was 2.3 months (95% CI: 1.6 mos-NR). Six patients died due to progressive lymphoma. Two patients died as a result of treatment-related AEs, 1 due to COVID19 infection, and 1 due to pneumonia/respiratory failure. Median OS was 21.3 months (95% CI:4.7 mos-NR). Conclusion: In these heavily pre-treated patients who progressed following CAR T-cell therapy, neutropenia was the dose limiting toxicity that prevented escalation of lenalidomide beyond 2.5 mg when combined with pembrolizumab and R. Four durable CRs were observed, none were observed at the RP2D. Risk mitigating strategies to reduce the incidence of febrile or grade 4 neutropenia and biomarker exploration to identify those likely to achieve a durable response are needed to explore this combination further.

Hnrnpu mutations Are Haploinsufficient and Alter the Transcriptome of MYC-Driven Lymphomas

Introduction: Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive B-cell cancer, characterized by translocations that juxtapose a potent immunoglobulin enhancer with the MYC oncogene. MYC translocations are also found in 10% of tumors with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma morphology. When a BCL2 translocation is also present, these high-grade B-cell lymphomas (HGBCL-DH- BCL2) have poor prognosis. While sustained MYC expression can promote cell activation and proliferation, it also has potent and acute effects on programmed cell death, which cancer cells must overcome in order to survive. Identification and functional characterization of common mutations that cooperate with MYC are thus important for understanding its role in pathobiology. Methods: Patient samples were obtained from an ongoing meta-analysis of mature B-cell neoplasms including unpublished data from the Lymphoma/Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project. Simple somatic mutations were identified from whole genome or exome sequencing data using an ensemble of variant callers. MYC rearrangements breakpoints were identified using GRIDSS and Manta. All functional studies were performed in an EBV+ BL cell line (Raji). HNRNPU mutations were introduced into cells using IDTs ALT-R CRISPR-Cas9 system, clonally isolated, and verified by sequencing. Subsequent RNA-sequencing was performed. Knockdown and overexpression experiments were performed using an HNRNPU expression vector or siRNA targeting endogenous HNRNPU. HNRNPU eCLIP in HepG2 and K562 cells were obtained from the ENCODE project consortium. Differential gene expression was analysed with DESeq2. Peak-calling and individual crosslink sites were detected using PureCLIP. Results: Within the sequencing data, we noted that several RNA binding proteins were commonly mutated in BL and HGBCL-DH- BCL2. Mutations affecting HNRNPU were identified in tumors from 11.6% of HGBL-DH- BCL2 and 5.6% of BL patients. These mutations were predicted to be inactivating but, unlike conventional tumor suppressor genes, an inactivating mutation on the other allele was never observed. HNRNPU mutations were significantly enriched in EBV+ BLs. The gene product (hnRNP U) is an RNA- and DNA-binding protein that plays a central role in gene expression regulation. To understand their biological effect in aggressive lymphomas, we introduced heterozygous inactivating mutations in the most affected region of HNRNPU. Clones with confirmed knockout exhibited reduced expression at the mRNA and protein level. Through gene expression analysis, comparing the parental to two mutant lines, we identified 615 differentially expressed genes (358 downregulated, 219 upregulated). Pathway enrichment analysis revealed reduced expression of genes in several relevant pathways such as MYC, TP53 and DNA damage response. This was consistent with our observation of reduced MYC protein in the mutant lines. A role of hnRNPU-in MYC modulation was further in experiments when HNRNPU knockdown reduced and overexpression increased MYC expression. Overexpression of hnRNP U also resulted in cellular stress and a decrease in cell proliferation. Using actinomycin D chase experiments, we found that hnRNPU loss leads to reduced MYC transcript stability. Crosslinking immunoprecipitation suggests that hnRNP U binds directly to the MYC transcript in poly G tracts in intron 1. This region is predicted to fold into G-quadruplexes, a secondary structure that can be bound by hnRNP U. HNRNPU mutations are only observed in tumors with an intact MYC locus rather than those with a rearrangement in intron 1. Taken together, these findings suggest that the region of MYC upstream of intron 1 may be relevant for HNRNPU-mediated modulation of MYC. Conclusion: HNRNPU mutations are novel recurrent driver mutations specifically within MYC translocated B-cell lymphomas. HNRNPU acts as a modulator of MYC expression, and the most common mutations are predicted to negatively impact this role. We propose a model where HNRNPU mutations moderate MYC expression, thus buffering MYC-induced apoptosis and proteotoxic stress. Further experiments to explore the role of HNRNPU binding on MYC expression and the potential role in buffering the proteotoxic stress associated with MYC translocations are ongoing. Insights into the mechanisms contributing to disease will support ongoing work to establish in vitro and in vivo models for future therapeutic investigations.

Inferred Gene Expression By Cell-Free DNA Profiling Allows Noninvasive Lymphoma Classification

Background : Current diagnostic criteria for mature B-cell tumors require a combination of histopathological, immunophenotypic, cytogenetic, and genetic evaluations on tissue biopsy specimens (Campo, Blood 2022; Alaggio, Leuk 2022). Despite this battery of techniques, substantial heterogeneity remains in specific subgroups that can be further resolved using additional molecular diagnostic methods, including gene expression profiling (GEP). For example, among aggressive B-cell tumors, a subset recognized as high-grade B-cell lymphomas can be identified as harboring MYC+BCL2 lesions by FISH (HGBCL-DH-BCL2). However, a significant remaining high-risk subset also have a characteristic tumor gene expression “double-hit signature” or “dark zone signature” (DZsig) (Ennishi, JCO 2018; Alduaij, Blood 2023). Yet, inadequate tissue specimens can limit the application of these techniques for some patients. Separately, the invasive nature of tissue biopsies and their attendant risks can preclude adequate diagnostic evaluations in some patients, and logistical barriers for obtaining surgical tissue specimens can result in diagnostic delays. To address these unmet needs, we tested the performance of a novel noninvasive strategy to detect and classify mature B-cell tumors using plasma cfDNA, with special attention to HGBCL-DH-BCL2 and DZsig. Methods : We used EPIC-Seq to infer expression levels for genes of interest, using cfDNA fragmentomic signals at their transcription start sites (Esfahani, Nat Biotech 2022). We first curated and catalogued genes from prior GEP studies (n=56) of >10k diverse lymphoid tumors profiled by various RNA techniques. We systematically prioritized genes recurrently identified in multiple studies of tumor-specific expression profiles as compared with other tumor types and normal tissues. We included canonical markers used for immunodiagnosis by IHC and FACS, as well as key lineage and differentiation markers of normal B and T cells, and other leukocyte subsets. Finally, we also included recurrently mutated genomic regions and fusion hotspots for quantifying ctDNA levels using variant allelic fractions (VAF). To validate performance of DZsig in FFPE for HGBCL-DH-BCL2, we analyzed 95 FFPE biopsies by FISH (20% HGBCL-DH-BCL2), IHC, and RNA-seq. We then analyzed 36 corresponding pretreatment cfDNA samples (28% HGBCL-DH-BCL2) and used EPIC-Seq to infer gene expression. Results: Starting from our curated catalogue, we designed a targeted lymphoid EPIC-Seq panel (1676 genes; 2.6 MB) to resolve 11 major mature lymphoid malignancies and their clinically relevant molecular subtypes (cHL, DLBCL, HGBCL, FL, MCL, BL, MZL, PMBCL, SLL/CLL, PTCL, and MM). We next applied this EPIC-Seq panel to profile cfDNA samples from 207 lymphoma patients, including cHL (n=113), DLBCL (n=66), FL (n=15), and MCL (n=13) as well as healthy adults to assess specificity. We tested histology specific signatures derived from several existing RNA GEP datasets for cHL from sorted HRS cells (~85k by scRNA-Seq) and for DLBCL (n=959), FL (n=635), and MCL (n=100) from bulk RNA-Seq. Using this approach, we found high correlations between EPIC-Seq signature scores from cfDNA and corresponding circulating tumor VAFs in each histology [cHL (R p=0.83), DLBCL (R p=0.83), FL (R p=0.87), MCL (R p=0.81); Fig A]. In addition, when measuring these tumor derived signatures in cfDNA, each histology was significantly distinguishable from healthy controls (AUCs: cHL 0.94, DLBCL 0.91, FL 0.77, MCL 0.96). We next evaluated the DZsig when measured in LBCL patients and comparing paired tumor and cfDNA samples. We first confirmed the performance of the DZsig for detection of HGBCL-DH-BCL2 in 95 FFPE tumors by RNA-Seq (p<0.0001, AUC 0.85). We then noninvasively measured the DZsig in plasma cfDNA by EPIC-Seq (cfDZsig) and found significant discrimination of HGBCL-DH-BCL2 and DLBCL (p=0.0088, AUC 0.78, Fig B). Conclusions: These results confirm that inferred gene expression by cfDNA profiling allows noninvasive diagnosis of multiple lymphoma subtypes, including classification of challenging diagnostic entities such as HGBCL and DZsig+ tumors. Our ability to design and validate a pan-lymphoid gene panel for detection and classification of several lymphoma subtypes suggests the promise of this approach for other diverse tumors as well as the refinement of cfDZsig using a larger cohort.

Efficacy and Safety of Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation Combined with Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy in the Treatment of Refractory/Relapsed B-Cell Lymphoma

Background Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CART) are salvage therapies that are utilised for the treatment of relapsed or refractory (R/R) B-cell lymphoma. However, whether the combination therapy of ASCT and CART (ASCT-CART) can improve the survival of R/R B-cell lymphoma remains unknown. A im The objective is to explore the effectiveness and safety of ASCT-CART in the treatment of refractory/relapsed B-cell lymphoma and compare the effects of disease status before ASCT-CART on patient survival. Methods From October 2019 to October 2022, 49 patients with R/R B-cell lymphoma tract were enrolled. The male/female ratio was 1.2：1, with a median age of 40 years (range, 16-69 years).The diagnosis included diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (n=31）, High-grade B-cell lymphoma(n=8), Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) (n=7), Burkitt lymphoma (BL) (n=2) and Richer (n=1). Among them , stage III-IV accounted for 43/49 (87.8%) and GCB subtype 22/49 (44.9%)，and received a median of 7 cycles（3-14）of prior treatment, previous radiotherapy was 8/49 (16.3%), and previous other target CART patients were 20/49 (40.8%).The disease status of patients before ASCT-CART was 23 patients in complete remission, 17 patients in partial remission, 3 patients with stable disease, and 6 patients with progressive disease.Patients were treated with BEAM and fludarabine before ASCT. Autologous stem cells were transfused with D0, and the median number of CD34+ cells was 4.14*106/kg（range, 0.7-12.99*106/kg）. CART cells were transfused on D1, and the median infusion of CART cells was 2.06*106/kg（range, 0.07-9.5*106/kg）. Results In efficacy assessment at 3 months after treatment, the objective response rate (ORR) was 40/49(81.6%), and the complete response rate (CRR) was 38/49 (77.6%).After a median follow-up of 23.1 months, the median overall survival (OS) was not reached, with 1-year OS being 81.6%, 2-year OS being 76%, and 3-year OS being 72.3%（Figure 1A）. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was not reached, with 1-year PFS at 73.5%, 2-year FFS at 70.5%, and 3-year FFS at 66.6%（Figure 1B） . Neutrophil and platelet engraftment in all cases on median days 16 (range 10-62 days) and 16 (range 7-52), respectively.Grade 3 or higher cytokine release syndrome (≥grade 3 CRS) and immune efector cell-associated neurologic toxicity syndrome (≥grade 3 ICANS) events occurred in 22.4%（11/49） and 4.1%（2/49）of the patients, respectively.In the 3-month efficacy evaluation of CR group before ASCT-CART treatment, ORR was 21/23(91.3%) and CRR was 20/23(87.0%). ORR and CRR were 19/26(73.1%) and 18/26 (69.2%) in patients who did not reach CR before ASCT-CART treatment.The 3-year OS and 3-year PFS were 91.3% and 82.6% in CR group before ASCT-CART treatment（Figure 1C,D）. The 3-year OS and 3-year PFS in the non-CR group were 58.6% and 54.6% respectively（Figure 1C,D）. Patients in CR group before ASCT-CART treatment had significantly prolonged OS and PFS (P=0.0243) and OS (P= 0.0720). Summary/Conclusion The ASCT-CART therapy could enhance its the remission rate and long-term efficacy in the treatment of advanced relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma with controllable safety. Patients who were in remission before ASCT-CART therapy achieved a longer term remission after ASCT-CART cell therapy.

Efficacy of Lisocabtagene Maraleucel for Relapsed or Refractory Aggressive B Cell Lymphoma in Our Hospital

[Background] Although the standard treatment for relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) is high-dose chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), the prognosis of relapsed or refractory LBCL is poor. The chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy showed efficacy against relapsed or refractory LBCL. However, little real-world data on lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel) were reported. Therefore, we report our data on liso-cel for relapsed or refractory LBCL in our institution. [Methods] We retrospectively analyzed clinical characteristics of patients who underwent leukapheresis to manufacture liso-cel between August 2021 and March 2023 at Toranomon Hospital. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and duration of response (DOR) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. OS was defined as the time from infusion of liso-cel to the date of death or last follow-up. PFS was defined as the time from infusion of liso-cel to progression of disease or death. DOR was defined as the time from first complete response or partial response to disease progression or death. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the significance of multiple variables. [Results] Leukapheresis for the manufacture of liso-cel was performed in 25 cases. Of these 25 cases, liso-cel could not be manufactured in only one patient, and the other 24 patients received liso-cel infusion. Of the 24 patients who received liso-cel, 14 were men and the median age was 64.5 years (range, 29-78). Twenty-one patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) of 0 or 1; the other 3 had a PS of 2. The other clinical characteristics were as follows: Stage III/IV in 21 (87.5%); Bulky mass in 6 (25%); extranodal involvement > 1 in 9 (38%); international prognostic index (IPI) > 2 in 13 (54%); and elevated LDH in 11 (46％). Histological diagnoses were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n=13), transformed follicular lymphoma (n=6), primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (n=3), and high-grade B-cell lymphoma (n=2), respectively. Secondary central nervous system (CNS) involvement was detected in 4 cases. The number of patients with primary refractory disease or relapse within 12 months after first-line chemotherapy is 10 (42%) and 10 (42%), respectively. Since 10 patients with primary refractory disease required immediate chemotherapy until leukapheresis was performed, liso-cel was used as a third-line or later in all cases. Patients had received a median of 4 (range, 2-9) previous lines of chemotherapy. Six patients (25%) had received a previous autologous HSCT, and two (8%) had received a previous allogeneic HSCT, respectively. The median time from leukapheresis to liso-cel arrival at our institution was 42 (range, 37-45) days. Bridging chemotherapy after leukapheresis was performed in all cases, with polatuzumab vedotin plus bendamustine and rituximab (Pola-BR) being the most common with 13 cases (54%). Eight cases (33%) had achieved complete response (CR), and 8 cases (33%) had achieved partial response (PR) before lymphodepleting chemotherapy. The median follow-up of survivors was 7.7 months (range, 2.5-14.5). The median OS, PFS, and DOR were 11.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.9 to not applicable, NA), 8.5 months (95% CI: 2.1 to NA), and 8.9 months (95% CI: 3.3 to NA), respectively. The overall response rate was 71%, with 54% achieving CR. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurological events (NEs) occurred in 21 (88%) and 2 patients (8%); grade 3 or worse CRS and NEs occurred in 1 (4%) and 2 patients (8%). Grade 3 or worse neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia were occurred in 23 (96%), 14 (50%), and 17 cases (71%), respectively. Prolonged Grade 3 or worse neutropenia was seen in 12 cases (50%) at 28 days after liso-cel infusion. No treatment-related death was not observed. Six patients died, and the causes of death were LBCL (n=3), pneumonia (n=2), and COVID-19 (n=1). In the multivariate analysis, independent risk factors for PFS were PS of 2 (hazard ratio [HR], 56.39; 95% CI, 8.31 to 382.7; p<0.001) and disease status (stable disease/progressive disease) before lymphodepleting chemotherapy (HR, 6.14; 95% CI, 1.07 to 35.06; p=0.04). [Conclusion] In our cohort, liso-cel has shown high response in relapsed or refractory LBCL. Disease status before lymphodepleting chemotherapy is significant for better prognosis.

Diagnosis to Treatment Interval Is the Most Significant Prognostic Factor Compared to Symptoms to Treatment As Well As to Contact to Treatment Intervals in DLBCL Patients

Background Short interval from diagnosis (i.e., biopsy) to treatment initiation (DTI) is associated with aggressive behavior of lymphomas including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and it should be considered as an inclusion criterium in clinical trials to avoid bias given by treatment delay. However, date of biopsy (diagnosis date) could be influenced by other factors. Initial symptoms to treatment interval (STI) as well as interval between the first contact with health care system and treatmet (CTI) could have impact on survival as well as and there is no data analyzing the impact of those intervals. The aim of this analysis was to understand the correlations among these intervals and the impact on survival of patients (pts) in the real-life setting. Methods Altogether 1576 pts with de novo DLBCL or high-grade B-cell lymphoma from Charles University, General Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic, were identified as part of the lymphoma project (NiHiL; NCT03199066). Of them 929 pts were diagnosed between 2010-2021, and 602 (65%) pts who were treated by R-CHOP in this period entered this retrospective analysis. STI ( n = 586), CTI ( n = 535), DTI ( n = 602) were analyzed together with baseline characteristics and survival of the pts (OS, EFS). Results The 602 pts (median age 64 years) were diagnosed with advanced clinical stage (aCS) in 64%, extranodal (EN) involvement ≥ 2 sites in 40%, PS ECOG ≥ 2 in 26%, elevated LDH in 61%, bulky disease ≥ 7.5 cm in 41%, B-symptoms in 42%, and IPI 3-5 in 52%. Median follow-up was 7.5 years (range 0.1-13.2 years). Median STI was 15 weeks (w) (interquartile range, IQR 10-24 w), CTI 9 w (IQR 6-14 w), DTI 32 days - 5 w (IQR 3-7 w, Figure). Significant correlations among the intervals ( P <0.001 for all correlations; coefficient 0.796 for STI x CTI, 0.307 for STI x DTI, and 0.372 for CTI x DTI) were observed. Shorter intervals to therapy, most significantly DTI, correlated with aggressive features of DLBCL, i.e., PS ECOG ≥ 2 (CTI P= 0.002, DTI P <0.001), elevated LDH (CTI P= 0.022, DTI P <0.001), B-symptoms (CTI P= 0.034, DTI P <0.001), aCS (DTI P <0.001), extranodal involvement (DTI P <0.001), IPI 3-5 (DTI P <0.001), and bulky disease (STI P= 0.005, CTI P= 0.011, DTI P <0.001). Out of 307 pts with short DTI (≤ 32 days) we identified 183 (60%) pts with STI > 15 w; these pts didn't have different outcome in comparison to those with shorter both STI and DTI. A pre-phase treatment ( n = 144) was associated with shorter intervals to therapy (STI P= 0.025, CTI P <0.001, DTI P <0.001) and inferior survival (EFS24 58% vs. 81%, HR 2.03, P <0.001; OS24 71% vs. 87%, HR 2.04, P <0.001). Shorter DTI was observed in pts who didn't respond to therapy in comparison to those who responded (med. DTI 27 vs. 33 days; P= 0.038). Shorter intervals to therapy were associated with significantly inferior survival, i.e., for STI 0-7 w vs. > 7 w (EFS24 66% vs. 77%, HR 1.53, P= 0.018; OS24 75% vs. 85%, HR 1.50, P= 0.087; with no significant survival difference between groups with STI 0-15 w vs > 15 w), for CTI 0-9 w vs. > 9 w (EFS24 69% vs. 82%, HR 1.53, P= 0.003; OS24 78% vs. 90%, HR 1.64, P= 0.002), and for DTI 0-4 w vs. > 4 w (EFS24 69% vs. 82%, HR 1.53, P< 0.001; OS24 78% vs. 90%, HR 1.67, P= 0.007). Multivariate analysis revealed all 3 intervals to be independent risk factors of survival when analyzed separately with IPI and gender (i.e., for EFS STI P= 0.039, CTI P= 0.029, DTI P= 0.028). DTI was however the only independent factor ( P= 0.001) among the 3 intervals when they were analyzed together. Conclusion Short intervals to therapy are independently associated with aggressive features of DLBCL and inferior survival. Despite multiple external factors that might influence the date of biopsy, DTI seems to be the most accurate predictor of survival and response to therapy. In pts with short DTI and long STI, no survival difference was observed when compared to other short-DTI pts indicating that these pts should be considered as high-risk similar to other short-DTI pts. This work was supported by the Charles University Hematology-Oncology Cooperatio Program and grant NU21-03-00411.

A Phase I Study of Copanlisib and Venetoclax in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Introduction: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a genomically heterogenous disease, which can be classified into distinct subgroups or clusters (Chapuy et al., Nat. Medicine, 2018, Wright et al., Cancer Cell, 2020). Leveraging knowledge of genetic alterations to design novel personalized treatment strategies may improve outcomes. Preclinical data suggest that the pan-phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, copanlisib, plus the BCL-2 inhibitor, venetoclax, are synergistic in genetically defined, high-risk, subtypes of DLBCL (Bojarczuk et al., Blood, 2019). We therefore hypothesized that copanlisib plus venetoclax would be an active treatment for patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL, particularly in those with perturbed B-cell receptor (BCR)/PI3K signaling, which were predicted to be enriched in the relapsed setting. Here, we report the results of a phase I study of copanlisib plus venetoclax for patients (pts) with R/R DLBCL. Methods: This is an investigator-initiated, phase I, multicenter trial (NCT04572763) with the primary objective of determining the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of copanlisib and venetoclax in pts with R/R DLBCL. A standard 3+3 dose escalation design was employed, in which pts were treated with 60 mg IV copanlisib on days 1, 8, and 15 in addition to escalating doses of daily venetoclax for each 28-day cycle. During cycle 1, a venetoclax dose ramp-up was performed in the outpatient setting to a target dose of 200 mg (dose level (DL) +1), 400 mg (DL +2) and 800 mg (DL +3). The DLT observation period was the first cycle. Patients with progressive disease prior to the end of the DLT window were replaced. Key eligibility criteria included a confirmed diagnosis of DLBCL or high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBCL), relapse after or not a candidate for autologous stem cell transplant or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, and adequate hematologic and organ function. Key exclusion criteria were poorly controlled hypertension or diabetes. CTCAE v5 and Lugano criteria were used to evaluate toxicity and efficacy, respectively. Results: As of July 21, 2023, 12 pts were evaluable. Patients were treated in DL +1 (n=5), DL +2 (n=3), and DL +3 (n=4). The median age was 62 years (range 24-87). Eighty three percent were male. Median number of prior treatments was 6 (range 1-11) and 10 pts had received prior CAR T-cell therapy. No DLTs were observed, though 2 pts in DL +3 were not able to escalate to 800 mg due to recurrent neutropenia and noncompliance, respectively. The most common toxicities were neutropenia (50%, all gr3/4), thrombocytopenia (42%, 8% ≥ gr3), nausea (33%, 8% ≥ gr3), fatigue (25%, 8% ≥ gr3), and headache (25%, 8% ≥ gr3) (Figure). Hyperglycemia occurred in 2 pts (both gr1). Serious adverse events occurred in 50% of pts and included fracture (n=1), hypoxia (n=2), and death (n=3), which were not related to study treatment. The deaths were related to progressive disease. Fifty percent of pts required drug holds (n=5 for venetoclax, n=5 for copanlisib). Sixty percent required growth factor support. There were no cases of laboratory or clinical tumor lysis syndrome. Sponsor support was withdrawn prior to completion of enrollment to DL+3, but DL+2 (copanlisib plus 400 mg venetoclax) was safe and well tolerated. The overall response rate (ORR) and complete metabolic response (CMR) rate was 8% (90% CI: 0 - 34%), as 1 pt in DL +1, who had received >5 lines of prior therapy, achieved a CMR, with response lasting 3 months. The median follow-up was 9.1 months. The median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 3.5 and 1.8 months, respectively. Conclusions: Copanlisib plus venetoclax is feasible and safe in pts with R/R DLBCL, with no DLTs observed. While it is possible that copanlisib plus venetoclax is active in select genomic subgroups of DLBCL, there was limited activity in this unselected, heavily pre-treated patient population.

Glofitamab in Aggressive B Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-NHL): A Real World Experience

Background Glofitamab is a bispecific monoclonal antibody that targets CD20 and CD3, with a unique 2:1 (bivalency for CD20; monovalency for CD3) configuration. In the pivotal trial leading to regulatory approval 1, glofitamab demonstrated remarkable efficacy in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Objective responses were observed in 80% of patients, with 39% achieving complete response. Additionally, complete response was maintained in 78% of patients at 12 months, suggesting that the response might be durable. Most grade 3 or 4 adverse events were hematologic in nature and generally manageable. Despite its efficacy in clinical trials, the real-world safety and efficacy of glofitamab have not been extensively studied, particularly in patient groups such as those with prior exposure to hepatitis B virus (i.e. occult HBV infection, as evidenced by positive anti-HBV core antigen antibody). Here, we report a single-institution experience of glofitamab in Chinese patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL, with one-third of them having occult HBV infection. Methods This is a retrospective study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of glofitamab in Chinese patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL. Patients were enrolled through a compassionate program and were required to have failed at least three prior lines of therapy. Patients with active central nervous system lymphoma or active HBV infection (defined as detectable serum hepatitis B surface antigen) were ineligible for treatment. Glofitamab was administered according to the published protocol, with obinutuzumab given on the first day to mitigate the severity of cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Patients with occult HBV infection were given antiviral prophylaxis with entecavir. Positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (PET-CT) was performed after at least two cycles of treatment for response evaluation. Response assessment was made according to published criteria 2. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method. Statistical calculations were performed with SPSS Statistics version 28. Results Nine men and six women at a median age of 60 (range: 41-83 years) were treated. Underlying diseases were DLBCL (N=12;80%); transformed follicular lymphoma (N=1, 7%); transformed marginal zone lymphoma (N=1, 7%); and high-grade B-cell lymphoma (N=1, 7%). Other relevant features included staging (I, N=1, 7%; II, N=1, 7%; IV, N=13, 87%); cell of origin (germinal centre B-cell: N=7, 47%; non-germinal centre B-cell: N=7, 47%; not available: N=1, 7%); double-expressor status (positive: N=9, 60%; negative: N=1, 7%; unknown: N=5, 33%); double-hit status(positive: N=3, 20%; negative: N=3, 20%;, unknown: N=9, 60%), prior lines of therapy (median: 6, range: 3-8); prior chimeric receptor T-cell therapy (N=7, 47%); prior autologous transplant (N=4, 27%); elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (N=9, 60%), and occult HBV infection (N=5, 33%). Eleven patients had a response assessment, showing complete response N=6, 55%), partial response (N=1, 9%) and no response/progressive disease (N=4, 36%). At a median follow-up of 7 months (range 1-22 months) (Figure 1), the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 12 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 15 months(Figure 2). Adverse events included >= grade 3 haematological (anaemia: N=7, 47%; neutropenia: N=8, 53%; thrombocytopenia: N=5, 33%); CRS (grade 1: N=4, 27%; grade 2: N=3, 20%); and cytomegalovirus retinitis (N=1; 6%). Conclusion Glofitamab showed similar efficacy in real-world patients compared with published results. It was safe in patients with occult HBV infection given antiviral prophylaxis. Reference: 1. Dickinson MJ, Carlo-Stella C, Morshhauser F, et al. N Engl J Med 2022; 387:2220-2231 2. Cheson BD, Fisher LI, Barrington SF, et al. J Clin Oncol 2014; 32: 3059-3067

Do the Control Cohorts of Phase III Randomized Trials Reflect the Real-World Results of DLBCL Patients?

Do the Control Cohorts of Phase III Randomized Trials Reflect the Real-World Results of DLBCL Patients?

Overall Survival Following First and Second Relapse of DLBCL Treated with Therapies Including Autologous Transplant and CAR-T Cells: Results from the Lion Prospective Observational Registry

Background: Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common subtype of aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and is curable with first-line conventional chemotherapy, but a significant fraction of patients relapse or do not respond to initial therapy. There are a variety of treatments available for relapsed/refractory (RR) disease, including platinum-based salvage chemotherapy often used historically both with or without autologous stem cell transplant, and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy emerging more recently as a second-line option. We report survival data following 2 nd and 3 rd line therapy for RR DLBCL in a large contemporary prospective cohort. Methods: We selected patients (pts) from the Lymphoma Innovations ORIEN Network (LION) with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified and high-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements (“double-hit” lymphoma) who had previously received R-CHOP chemotherapy. All patients had signed written consent. Clinical data were abstracted from medical records using standardized protocol. Overall survival was estimated using Kaplan-Meier and defined as time from start of 2 nd (OS2) or 3 rd (OS3) line treatment until death, censoring patients alive at last follow-up. Comparisons of OS were performed using the log-rank test. Results: A total of 328 patients with RR DLBCL who received 2 nd line treatment were included, 177 of whom went on to receive 3 rd line therapy. Baseline characteristics included male sex in 205 pts (65%), stage III/IV disease in 244 pts (81%), and extranodal involvement in 183 pts (63%). Second line treatments included platinum-based salvage chemotherapy both with (99 pts) and without (88 pts) autologous stem cell transplant, rituximab plus gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (30 pts, grouped distinctly from platinum-based salvage chemotherapy), CAR-T therapy (43 pts), polatuzumab vedotin (17 pts), and other classes of treatment (51 pts). Median OS2 for 2 nd line platinum-based salvage chemotherapy with autologous transplant was 110.4 months compared with 50.4 months for platinum-based salvage chemotherapy without transplant. OS2 for platinum-based salvage chemotherapy with autologous transplant was 96.5% (95% CI 90-99) at 12 months, 90.7% (95% CI 81-96) at 24 months, and 79.3% (95% CI 67-88) at 60 months compared with 77.1% (95% CI 66-85) at 12 months, 65.5% (95% CI 52-76) at 24 months, and 38.1% (95% CI 21-55) for platinum-based salvage without transplant. OS2 for rituximab plus gemcitabine and oxaliplatin was 81.7% (95% CI 58-93) at 12 months, still 81.7% (95% CI 58-93) at 24 months, and 70.1% (95% CI 37-88) at 60 months. OS2 for CAR-T cell therapy was 75% (95% CI 50-89) at 12 months and 62.5% (95% CI 36-80) at 24 months, it could not be calculated at 60 months. OS2 for polatuzumab vedotin was 73.5% (95% CI 36-91) at 12 months and could not be calculated at 24 or 60 months. OS3 for platinum-based salvage chemotherapy with autologous transplant was 100% at 12 months and 83.3% (95% CI 27-98) at 24 months compared with 70.7% (95% CI 34-90) at both 12 and 24 months for platinum-based salvage without transplant. OS3 for rituximab plus gemcitabine and oxaliplatin was 75% (95% CI 13-96) at 12 months and 50% (95% CI 6-85). OS3 for CAR-T therapy was 86.3% (95% CI 75-93) at 12 months, 65.8% (95% CI 50-78) and 46.3% (95% CI 22-68) at 60 months. OS3 for polatuzumab vedotin was 53.4% (95% CI 24-76) at 12 months and 40.1% (95% CI 12-67) at 24 months. Conclusions: We observed a statistically significant difference by log-rank in OS2 in patients receiving platinum-based salvage chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant compared to other therapies in a contemporary cohort of pts with RR DLBCL. This difference is likely driven in part by transplant being a surrogate marker for efficacy of salvage chemotherapy. OS3 was also highest at 12, 24, and 60 months in patients receiving platinum-based salvage chemotherapy followed by transplant. Other therapies including CAR-T cells, polatuzumab vedotin, and rituximab plus gemcitabine and oxaliplatin did not demonstrate significantly different rates of overall survival in the 2 nd or 3 rd line setting.

Development of Cytokine Release Syndrome Is Associated with Superior Progression-Free Survival in DLBCL Patients Receiving Axi-Cel or Liso-Cel

Introduction: Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) targeting CD19 is a new standard of care for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients with primary refractory disease, early relapse after chemoimmunotherapy, or multiply relapsed disease. Three CD19-directed CAR-T products, axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel), tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel), and lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel), are FDA approved for relapsed/refractory (R/R) DLBCL and may cure approximately 30-40% of patients. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS), a systemic inflammatory response associated with CAR-T expansion, is a common early toxicity occurring in 42-93% of DLBCL patients in the pivotal phase 2 trials. We hypothesized that development of CRS may be associated with post-CAR-T efficacy outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated post-CAR-T outcomes for 57 consecutive patients with R/R DLBCL who received axi-cel or liso-cel infusion at the University of California San Francisco between June 2018 and December 2022. Early post-CAR-T toxicities including CRS and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) were recorded using ASTCT consensus grading. Post-CAR-T efficacy endpoints including overall response rate (ORR), complete remission (CR) rate (best response), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated for the entire cohort and compared between patients who developed any grade CRS or no CRS after CAR-T infusion. Of note, patients with high-grade B-cell lymphoma or who received tisa-cel were excluded from this study to eliminate potential confounding given poorer outcomes in these subgroups and imbalance in their relative proportions between the CRS and no CRS cohorts. Results: For the entire cohort, the median age was 63 (range 26-81) and 59% of patients were male. Diagnoses included de novo DLBCL (65%), transformed follicular lymphoma (30%), and primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (5%). Patients had a median of 2.5 systemic therapies (range 1-8) prior to CAR-T infusion. CAR-T products included axi-cel (70%) or liso-cel (30%). 82% of patients received fludarabine and cyclophosphamide lymphodepletion, and the remaining 18% received bendamustine (during the national fludarabine shortage). Forty-one patients (72%) experienced CRS (grade 1: 35%, grade 2: 37%), and 16 patients (28%) never developed CRS. Seventeen patients (30%) developed ICANS (grade 2: 12%, grade 3: 16%, grade 4: 2%), which occurred exclusively among patients in the CRS cohort. 93% of patients in the CRS cohort received at least one dose of tocilizumab. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between the CRS and no CRS groups with no significant differences in age, sex, performance status, DLBCL subtype, number of prior therapies, CAR-T product administered, lymphodepletion administered, or lactate dehydrogenase at the time of infusion. For the entire cohort, the ORR and CR rate were 86% and 70%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 1.1 years (range 0.2-4.5 years), the 1-year PFS and OS estimates were 61% and 91%, respectively. Median PFS was 1.7 years and median OS was not reached. Outcomes were similar for patients receiving axi-cel and liso-cel (1-year PFS 62% vs 60%, p=0.94). For patients in the CRS cohort vs no CRS cohort, the ORR was 90% vs 75% (p=0.14) and CR rate was 73% vs 63%, respectively (p=0.44). Patients in the CRS cohort had superior PFS compared to patients with no CRS (1-year PFS 70% vs 38%, HR 0.36, 95% CI 0.14-0.98, logrank p=0.011), but there was no significant difference in OS ( Figure 1). There was no significant difference in PFS between patients with grade 1 vs grade 2 CRS (1-year PFS 64% vs 75%, p=0.46). Conclusions: Although limited in sample size, our study suggests that development of CRS may be associated with more favorable post-CAR-T efficacy including superior PFS compared to patients with no CRS after axi-cel or liso-cel infusion. The more favorable outcomes in patients experiencing CRS may reflect better CAR-T proliferation and cytotoxicity compared to patients with no CRS. These findings suggest a relationship between early post-CAR-T toxicity and efficacy outcomes but require validation in larger datasets.

Clinical and Molecular Features of Patients with Double/Triple Hit Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Background: High-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements (HGBL-DH/TH) is a recently defined category in the latest revision of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, which comprises approximately 5-15% of newly diagnosed DLBCL. This subtype of lymphoma poses numerous challenges from diagnosis to treatment of patients. On the one hand, diagnosis of HGBL-DH/TH requires the accomplishment of fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) to identify the translocations of MYC(8q24) and BCL2(18q21) or/and BCL6(3q27), with no consensus being reached regarding the most applicable population for FISH tests due to high cost and low prevalence. On the other hand, HGBL-DH/TH displays aggressive features, including a high incidence of advanced disease at diagnosis, and inferior efficacy to standard-induced chemical immunotherapy with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP). Despite several treatment strategies including intensified protocols and hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) have been explored, there is no standard regimen to improve outcomes for HGBL patients, and participation in clinical trials is encouraged. Aims: This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognostic outcomes of HGBL-DH/TH patients, and performed genomic and transcriptomic analyses to link the oncogenic mutations and tumor microenvironment alterations to different DLBCL subgroups. Method:In this study, 107 patients with newly diagnosed HGBL-DH/TH were analyzed. Histological diagnoses were established according to the WHO classification. These HGBL-DH/THs were termed DHL-BCL2 (MYC and BCL2 translocation), DHL-BCL6 (MYC and BCL6 translocation), and THL in our study. DNA sequencing was carried out on 95 patients, for detection of genetic aberrations. Results: Patients with DHL-BCL2 (n=44) and THL (n=15) have similar clinical features, including elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), increased proportion of double expression (DE) as well as increased prevalence of non-GCB subtype compared to those with DHL-BCL6 (n=48). With the median follow-up time of 19.3 months (2.5-114.2 months), patients in the DHL-BCL2 and THL group had dismal survival (2-year PFS: 49.3% and 34.2%; 2-year OS: 64.0% and 55.6%) when compared with those in the DHL-BCL6 group (2-year PFS: 63.5%; 2-year OS: 89.3%) (Figure A). Moreover, intensive chemoimmunotherapy or combination with novel targeted agents seemed to improve outcomes in patients with DHL/THL compared with those who received a standard R-CHOP regime. The use of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) did not yield a significant improvement in survival for patients who achieved remission after receiving first-line R-DA-EDOCH therapy. However, it is worth noting that there was a trend towards prolonging progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients who achieve complete remission (CR) through RCHOP-based treatment and undergo ASCT (Figure B). Compared to DHL-BCL6, the primary genetic lesions in DHL-BCL2 and THL were alterations associating epigenetic regulators like EZH2 and CREBBP, while the primary genetic lesions in DHL-BCL6 were alterations associating cellular differentiation and transcription factors like BTG2, PTPN6, CD70, and BCL6. Correlatively, the EZB genotype was more frequently observed in patients with DHL-BCL2 and THL, while the BN2 genotype was more frequently observed in patients with DHL-BCL6. Conclusion: DHL-BCL2/THL exhibits similar clinical characteristics, prognostic outcomes, and molecular features that set it apart from DHL-BCL6. This implies the need for testing novel agents or therapeutic strategies to expedite treatment development for patients with DHL-BCL2/THL.

Efficacy and Safety of Axicabtagene Ciloleucel (Axi-cel) for the Treatment of Relapse/Refractory Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Real-World Data in Chinese Population

Background: Autologous CD-19 directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has become the standard of care of patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) who have received two or more prior lines of therapy. In June 2021, Axi-cel was approved by the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for the treatment of these patients as the first commercial CAR-T product in China. To better understand the efficacy and safety of commercial Axi-cel in Chinese R/R NHL patients in a real-world setting, we conducted this multi-center, non-interventional study (ChiCTR2100047990). The accrual goal is 200 patients, and the primary endpoint is mOS. Here we made the pre-specific interim analysis and the reported the clinical outcomes. Methods: We included R/R NHL patients treated with commercial Axi-cel at 17 authorized treatment centers from November 2021 to February 2023. All the patients signed written informed consent. We reported best objective response rate (bORR), best complete response (bCR) rate and adverse events of special interest (AESI), including cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurological events (NE). Results: To the cut-off date of June 8, 2023, a total of 101 R/R NHL patients had undergone efficacy evaluation at month 3. The median age of patients was 56.5 (22, 80) years, with 23 patients (22.8%) aged 65 years or older. Fifty-nine patients were male. The baseline characteristics of these patients included 81 (80.2%) with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, 4 (4.0%) with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, and 7 (6.9%) with high-grade B-cell lymphoma. More than 50% of patients had an International Prognostic Index (IPI) score ≥3. The median number of prior treatment was 2. Thirty-eight patients (37.6%) had received 3 or more previous therapies and 10 patients (9.9%) had undergone autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The primary refractory subgroup reached 46 (45.5%), and 41(40.6%) patients were refractory to second-line or subsequent therapy. Notably, compared to the baseline characteristics of Axi-cel real-world studies for R/R LBCL in other countries, a greater proportion of Chinese patients had an ECOG PS score ≥2 (32.7%), HBsAg (+) with normal HBV-DNA (23.1%), HBsAg (-) accompany with HBcAb (+) (37.1%). Bridging therapy was given in 73 patients (72.3%), while combination anti-lymphoma therapy was used after Axi-cel infusion and before disease progression in 52 patients (51.5%). The median follow-up was 12.7 months. The bORR and bCR rate was 83.2% (95%CI, 74.4 - 89.9) and 63.4% (95%CI, 53.2 - 72.7), respectively (Fig 1). The bORR was consistent across covariates including disease type, cell of origin and refractory subgroup, ECOG PS score ≥2, HBsAg (+) and normal HBV-DNA, and HBsAg (-) accompany with HBcAb (+), etc.. The median duration of response (DOR) was 13.7 months (95% CI, 11.1 - NA). mDOR was not reached in bCR patients (95% CI, 11.2 - NA), while patients with best response as PR have a median DOR as 4.7 months (95% CI, 1.8- 6.7). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 14.6 months (95% CI, 7.6 - NA). Patients with ECOG PS score ≥2 had a shorter median PFS [7.6 months (95%CI 3.0 - NA)] compared to patients with PS 0-1 [14.6 months (95%CI 12.1 - NA)]. Median PFS also differed among patients based on their response at month 3. Patients with CR/PR/non-response at month3 had a median PFS of NR (95% CI, 12.1 - NA), NR (95%CI, 6.1 - NA) and 3.0 months (95%CI, 2.4 - 3.3), respectively (Fig 2). The median OS was not reached, and the estimated OS at 12 months was 80.4% (95%CI, 70.5 - 87.2). No new safety signals were observed in the Chinese population. The most common adverse events of grade ≥3 were decreased white blood cell count (82.2% of patients), neutropenia (81.3%) and lymphocytopenia (68.2%). CRS of any grade occurred in 90 patients (84.1%), with 15 patients (14.0%) experiencing grade ≥3. NE of any grade occurred in 27 patients (25.2%), with only 1 patient (0.9%) experiencing grade 4. No grade 5 CRS or NE appeared. Conclusions: This pre-specific interim analysis demonstrated the consistent efficacy of Axi-cel in Chinese R/R NHL patients, while NE of any grade and ≥grade 3 were lower. Similar to the result of the ZUMA-1 study, response at month 3 may predict PFS in Chinese R/R NHL patients treated with Axi-cel in real-world practice.

Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation Remains a Curative Option As Second Line Treatment for Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Large B Cell Lymphoma: Spanish Multicenter Geth-TC/Geltamo Study

Introduction: High dose therapy and Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT) has remained the treatment of choice for transplant-eligible patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B cell lymphoma (LBCL) and chemosensitive disease. Recently, CART therapy has been approved in second line for patients with primary refractory disease or early relapse (<1 year of first-line therapy) and the current role of ASCT has been questioned. However, several studies have shown that despite early failure of first line, patients with chemosensitive disease after salvage therapy can be cured with ASCT consolidation. Our objective was to analyze the efficacy of ASCT in patients with R/R LBCL after a long-term follow up and try to define the optimal role of ASCT. Patients and methods: We performed a retrospective multicenter study based on GETH-TC database of ASCT. We included patients from centers of GETH-TC/GELTAMO with R/R LBCL who underwent ASCT from January 2010 to December 2021. All the patients received rituximab and anthracycline-based frontline therapy. Diffuse LBCL NOS, high-grade B-cell lymphoma double/triple hit and NOS, primary mediastinal, transformed follicular lymphoma (tFL) and other less frequent LBCL subtypes were included. Plasmablastic and primary central nervous system lymphoma were excluded. Patients who underwent ASCT in first CR were also excluded except patients with tFL who had received previous anthracycline-based frontline therapy for the indolent lymphoma. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in the overall series and according to different prognostic factors, including disease status at ASCT. Disease status was defined as complete remission (CR), partial response (PR) and refractory disease (stable disease or progression) assessed by PET/CT. Results: Seven-hundred and ninety-one patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Patients characteristics are summarized in Table 1. After a median follow-up of 74 months (95%CI 68-81), 65% of the patients were alive and 84% of them free of disease. Six-year-PFS and OS were 51% (95%CI 47-54) and 63% (95%CI 60-67), respectively. Non-relapse mortality at 1 year was 9% (95%CI 7-11). The main causes of death were progression in 161 (58%), ASCT-related toxicity in 18 (6%) and other causes in 98 (35%). PFS was significantly influenced by age at ASCT, treatment lines prior to ASCT and disease status at ASCT (p<0.01). OS was influenced by age at diagnosis, R-IPI at diagnosis, age at ASCT, treatment lines prior to ASCT and disease status at ASCT (p<0.01). In the multivariate analysis, age >60 years at ASCT [HR 1.31 (95%IC: 1.06-1.62), p=0.011], ASCT as ≥3 th line [HR 1.81 (95%IC: 1.42-2.31), p<0.001] and PR versus CR at ASCT [HR 1.46 (95%IC: 1.18-1.81), p<0.001] were the only independent variables influencing PFS, Figure 1. Age >60 years at ASCT [HR 1.62 (95%IC: 1.24-2.12), p<0.001], ASCT as ≥3 th line [HR 1.77 (95%IC: 1.32-2.37), p<0.001] and PR versus CR at ASCT [HR 1.58 (95%IC: 1.22-2.05), p<0.001] were the only independent variables for OS. From 307 (39%) patients who relapsed after ASCT, 59 received CART therapy (median PFS 8.9 months) and 69 allo-SCT (median PFS 10.8 months). Refractory disease or early relapse did not significantly influenced survival. Analyzing this population separately (n=477), disease status at ASCT (PR versus CR) and ASCT as ≥3 th line were the only independent variables for both PFS [HR 1.46 (95%IC: 1.11-1.92), p=0.007; HR 1.79 (95%IC: 1.32-2.43), p<0.001, respectively] and OS [HR 1.92 (95%IC: 1.38-2.67), p<0.001; HR 1.91 (95%IC: 1.35-2.69), p<0.001, respectively]. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the largest series analyzing the efficacy of ASCT in patients with R/R LBCL after rituximab-containing frontline therapy. Our results indicate that ASCT is a curative option for patients with chemosensitive disease (especially in CR after salvage), regardless of the timing of relapse after frontline treatment. These data support that ASCT could be considered in patients with primary refractory or early relapse, provided the disease is sensitive to salvage therapy.

Risk of Central Nervous System Vs. Systemic Relapse in Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Treated with R-CHOP: What Should We Focus on?

Background: Clinical outcome of patients (pts) with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has improved during the last two decades. However, a significant proportion of DLBCL pts is still at risk of lymphoma relapse (REL)/progression or death due to progression. DLBCL pts with adverse clinical features, i.e., those with high IPI or CNS IPI scores are at the highest risk of lymphoma REL, systemic (S) or central nervous system (CNS) REL. CNS prophylaxis is questionable based on retrospective analyses. Moreover, the risk of S-REL should be discussed in those pts as well. However, the comparison of the risks of CNS vs S-REL within the different CNS IPI risk groups has not been shown. Methods: Using the prospective observational NiHiL project (NCT03199066), we identified pts ≥ 18 years of age with histologically confirmed DLBCL or high-grade B-cell lymphoma (diagnosed 2011-2021), who received R-CHOP as frontline treatment in 2 centres in Czech Republic. Pts with CNS involvement at diagnosis were excluded. Cumulative incidence of CNS (± S) REL was calculated using Kaplan-Meier statistics treating S-REL and death as competing events. Results: A total of 1242 pts were included; according to CNS IPI score (available in 1225 out of 1242 pts), 344 (28.1%), 539 (44.0%) and 342 (27.9%) pts were categorized as being at low (0-1, LR), intermediate (2-3, IR), and high risk (4-6, HiR) resp. Overall, 308 (24.8%) pts received CNS prophylaxis with either high-dose(HD) Methotrexate (MTX), HD-AraC, intrathecal chemotherapy or combination. By CNS IPI, 150 (43.9%) out of 342 pts with HiR CNS IPI received CNS prophylaxis. CNS prophylaxis was given less frequently in the IR (n 111[20.6%] out of 539 pts) or LR (n 45 [13.1%] out of 344 pts) CNS IPI groups. At a median follow up of 5.3 years (range; 0.1 - 13.3), 307 (24.7%) out of 1242 pts developed lymphoma REL, out of which 45 occurred in CNS (35 isolated CNS REL, 10 simultaneous CNS+S-REL) and 262 lymphoma RELs occurred systemically. CNS prophylaxis had no impact on the incidence of CNS REL in pts with HiR CNS IPI. Median time to CNS (± S) and S-REL was 11.5 months (range; 2.7-116.8) and 11.8 months (range; 0.8 - 144.3), resp. Occurrence of RELs within the first 6, 12 and 24 months after lymphoma diagnosis was as follows: 20%, 53.3% and 80% for CNS (± S) RELs and 21%, 50.4% and 67.2% for S-RELs. In the entire cohort, the 7-year cumulative incidence of CNS (± S) and S-REL were 4.4% and 23.7%, resp. Across all CNS IPI risk groups, there was significantly higher risk of S-REL as compared to CNS (± S) REL. The 7-year cumulative incidence of S-REL vs CNS (± S) REL and the respective HRs were 10.5% vs 1.9%, HR 6.2 (95% CI 3.4-11.2) in the LR-, 25.2% vs 2%, HR 11.7 (95% CI 8.3-16.6) in the IR-, and 35.8% vs. 12.4 %, HR 3.6 (95% CI 2.5-4.9) in the HiR CNS IPI ( Fig1), resp. At the time of analysis, 417 (33.6%) out of 1242 pts were dead. CNS (± S) REL was associated with shorter post-REL overall survival (OS) as compared to S-REL (HR 1.8, p=0.001, median OS 0.38 vs 1.04 years, resp). In the entire cohort, the 7-year cumulative incidence of death due to lymphoma was 19.3% (16.7% and 3.1% due to S-REL and CNS (± S) REL, resp). The 7-year cumulative incidence of death due to R-CHOP-related toxicity, unrelated to lymphoma and unknown causes were 2.5%, 4.2% and 9.8%, resp. In HiR CNS IPI, the 7-year cumulative incidence of death due to lymphoma was 34.9% (28.3% and 9.2% due to S-REL and CNS (± S) REL, resp), while the 7-year cumulative incidence of death due to R-CHOP-related toxicity, unrelated to lymphoma and unknown causes were 5.1%, 5.1% and 14.9%, resp ( Fig2). Conclusion: DLBCL pts are at significantly higher risk of S-REL as compared to CNS (± S) REL overall and across all CNS IPI risk groups. In addition, death due to S-REL is the leading cause of death overall and across all CNS IPI risk groups. However, CNS (± S) REL represents remarkable portion of all lymphoma RELs occurring in the HiR CNS IPI group and non-negligible cause of death in DLBCL. Our results support the conclusion that R-CHOP + HD MTX is not sufficient to reduce the risk of S-REL as well as CNS REL especially in pts with HiR CNS IPI. New 1 st line treatment options able to reduce simultaneously the risk of S-REL as well as CNS REL are needed to improve the outcome of DLBCL pts especially in the subgroup with HiR CNS IPI. Grant support: AZV NU23-03-00127, NU21-03-00411, Charles University Hematology-Oncology Cooperatio Program

Cost-Effectiveness of Epcoritamab in Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma after at Least Two Lines of Therapy in the United States

Introduction: Epcoritamab (SC) is a CD3xCD20 bispecific antibody developed using the DuoBody ® platform for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL), not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from indolent lymphoma, and high-grade B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy in the US. In the single-arm, phase I/II, EPCORE-NHL-1trial (NCT03625037), epcoritamab (SC) demonstrated deep and durable responses and manageable safety in patients withr/r DLBCL. This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of epcoritamab versus gemcitabine-oxaliplatin plus rituximab (R-GemOx) and the chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) for adult patients with r/r DLBCL and no prior CAR T therapy from a US health system perspective. Methods: A partitioned survival model with three health states (progression-free [PF], progressive disease [PD], and death) based on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was developed. OS, PFS, time to treatment discontinuation (TTD), health utilities, and adverse events of epcoritamab were informed by the corresponding patient level data from EPCORE-NHL-1 (data cut-off: June 2022). In the model base case, parametric survival models were chosen to extrapolating OS and PFS as well as TTD for epcoritamab based on statistical fit and plausibility on long-term clinical estimates. Two separate unanchored matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) analyses were conducted to assess the relative effectiveness of epcoritamab versus R-GemOx or axi-cel. In the first analysis, epcoritamab patients were matched with SCHOLAR-1 patients for comparison with R-GemOx (OS hazard ratio [HR] 0.288, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.162-0.511). SCHOLAR-1 was chosen because it was the largest patient-level pooled retrospective analysis for r/r DLBCL, pooling outcomes from 2 large RCTs and 2 academic databases. In the second analysis, epcoritamab patients were matched with ZUMA-1 for comparison with axi-cel (OS HR 0.695, 95% CI 0.351-1.376). ZUMA-1 was chosen because it had long-term efficacy data reported. Patients in PF health states were assumed cured beyond two years when the risk of mortality became comparable to the general population (standard mortality ratio of 1.41 to be more conservative and consistent with prior NICE technology assessment submissions) and no further drug costs of epcoritamab were incurred. Health utilities for PF (0.825) and PD (0.779) health states were estimated using linear mixed-effects models based on EQ-5D-3L data collected from EPCORE-NHL-1 and a published US value set. Drug acquisition and administration costs and other resource use and cost data were based on package inserts, US standard sources, and literature. The model reported costs, life years (LYs), quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and incremental net monetary benefit (INMB) at a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $100,000 to $150,000 per QALY. All outcomes and costs were discounted by 3% annually. Probabilistic and one-way sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the robustness of the results. Results: Over a lifetime horizon, epcoritamab was estimated to result in a mean gain of 4.26 LYs and 2.70 QALYs with additional costs of $285,093 versus R-GemOx, leading to an ICER of $105,502 per QALY; epcoritamab was estimated to dominate axi-cel by gaining 2.12 LYs and 1.29 QALYs while saving $180,518 costs. When drug acquisition costs (e.g. axi-cel one-time treatment cost) are not included in the sensitivity analyses, model results were most sensitive to OS HR, age, and HR to adjust background mortality for the cured population for comparison with R-GemOx; and to OS HR, PFS HR, and age for comparison with axi-cel. Epcoritamab was highly cost-effective compared to R-GemOx and aix-cel when WTP threshold was $150,000 per QALY or higher. This study had several limitations including unanchored MAIC approach used and the relatively short follow-up time and small (effective) sample size of the survival data of epcoritamab. Conclusion: Epcoritamab provides substantial LYs and QALYs gains versus R-GemOx and axi-cel and can be considered cost-effective compared to R-GemOx and axi-cel for the treatment of r/r DLBCL in the US.

Double/Triple Hit Lymphoma Descriptors and Clinicopathologic Determinants of Survival: Analysis of a Pooled Database

Background B-cell lymphoma with MYC, BCL2, and/or BCL6 rearrangements is classified as double/triple-hit lymphoma (DTHL). They usually, but not always, tend to be high-grade aggressive B-cell lymphoma with a worse prognosis. Despite this classification, DTHL remains a heterogeneous group with varied molecular profiles, biological behaviors, and prognoses. Therefore, we conducted this pooled database analysis to identify the prognostic factors, clinicopathological characteristics, and therapeutic strategies influencing survival in this rare disease. Methods To study the demographic characteristics, molecular and immunohistochemical signatures, therapeutic interventions, survival, and prognostic factors, we compiled a pooled database of 161 cases that fit the diagnostic criteria for DTHL. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed. Cox proportional hazards model and Log-rank tests were used to assess the influence of demographic and clinicopathologic factors on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Results We compiled a dataset of 161 patients with confirmed DTHL. The median age was 62, with an F:M of 1.08. The median duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 2 months. DTHL involved the lymph nodes (41%), bone marrow (31%), bone (14%), CNS (5%), skin (4%), liver (3%), and spleen (2%). Constitutional symptoms were reported in 20% of cases. The cohort consisted of primary (50%), secondary/transformed (16%), and follicular DTHL (34%). The median OS and DFS of the cohort were 69 and 27 months, respectively. Bone marrow and extra-lymphatic organ involvement were associated with worse DFS and non-significant numerically worse OS. LDH>500 (p=0.006), PAX5-negative (p=0.01), CD79a-negative (p=0.02), and Ki67>80% (p<0.0001) were associated with worse OS. Similarly, CD5+, CD10+, and MUM1+ had worse OS but did not reach statistical significance. Follicular DTHL was associated with the best median OS and DFS, followed by primary, then secondary/transformed in decreasing order. Advanced stage and high IPI were also associated with worse non-significant numerical OS. Age and sex did not impact OS. Compared to no treatment, chemotherapy and stem cell transplant had incrementally superior median OS (3 vs. 55 vs. NR months, p=0.008). Frontline intensive chemotherapy yielded similar DFS and OS to CHOP-like regimens. Patients who attained CR as their best response also had a superior median OS (p<0.0001). Conclusion This study presents clinicopathologic data from a cohort of patients with primary, secondary, and follicular DTHL. It identifies the type of DTHL, IHC profile, LDH levels, type of therapy, and quality of response to treatment as critical determinants of OS. Depending on the type (de novo, secondary, or follicular), DTHL seems to behave like 3 different disease entities.

Outcomes, Prognostic Factors, Predictors for Transformation to High-Grade B-Cell Lymphoma, and Therapeutic Management in Follicular Lymphoma: Real-World Evidence from a Large and Long-Term Latin-American Cohort

Introduction: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common low-grade B-cell NHL, encompassing 20-25% of all NHLs. Although classically indolent, it has heterogeneous biological behavior and variable clinical outcomes. Histologic transformation (HT) to high-grade B-cell NHL compose its natural history, being associated with dismal survival. The therapeutic management of FL and its prognosis are highly dependent on its staging and tumor burden. Based on this premise, the present study aims to describe clinical-laboratory characteristics, assess outcomes, determine predictors of survival and HT, and compare responses between different therapeutic strategies applied in a large cohort of FL patients. Methods: This retrospective and single-center study involved 223 patients with FL grades 1-3A, diagnosed at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, from 2006 to 2022. FL patients were categorized into early-stage disease (I/II) (ES), advanced-stage (AS) (III/IV) with low tumor burden (LTV), and AS with high tumor burden (HTV) according to the GELF criteria. Endpoints included OS, PFS, early-relapse (< 24 months from diagnosis) and HT rates. Survival curves were constructed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Log-Rank test was used to assess the relationship between variables and outcomes. Univariate analysis was performed using the Cox test and multivariate analysis by Cox regression method or proportional ratios model. The results were presented in HR and 95% CI, and a p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The median age at diagnosis was 60 years (30-98) and 54.8% (121/223) were female. Approximately 15% of cases (33/223) had ES, 18.4% (41/224) had AS-LTV, and 66.8% (149/223) had AS-HTV. BM involvement, leukemic presentation, splenomegaly, and serous effusions occurred in 48.9% (109/223), 11.7% (26/223), 12.6% (28/223), and 21.1% (47/223), respectively. Bulky ≥ 7 cm, B-symptoms, ECOG ≥ 2, and involvement of ≥ 4 nodal areas were observed in 44.4% (99/223), 51.6% (115/223), 15.2% (34/223), and 56% (125/223), respectively - Table 1. Forty-nine percent of patients (110/223) were categorized as high-risk according to the FLIPI score. Table 2 summarizes the main outcomes and up-front therapeutic modalities applied in the whole cohort. With a median follow-up of 79.5 months (95% CI: 67.0-92.0) the OS medians were 18 years (95% CI: 14.9-21.1), 11 years (95% CI: 9.2-12.9), and 10.5 years (95% CI: 9.3-11.8) for ES, AS-LTV, and AS-HTV, respectively, p=0.138 Figure 1A. Similarly, the PFS medians were 6.7 years (95% CI: 3.6-9.8), 8.4 years (95% CI: 2.0-14.8), and 3.5 years (95 CI: 1.8-5.3) for ES, AS-LTV, and AS-HTV, respectively, p=0.171 Figure 1B. Early-relapses occurred in 36.3% (81/223) of cases, being 18.2% (6/33), 31.7% (13/41), and 41.0% (62/149) for ES, AS-LTV, and AS-HTV, respectively, p=0.032 Table 2. The overall mortality rate was 29.1% (65/223) for the whole cohort. HT was documented in 16.7% (37/223) of cases, being 3.0% (1/33), 14.6% (6/41) and 20.1% (30/149) for ES, AS-LTV, and AS-HTV, respectively, p=0.053 Table 2. Among patients with AS-HTV, the R-CHOP regimen did not promote increased OS compared to the R-CVP regimen (p=0.415), however it was associated with a substantial increase in PFS (p=0.005) Figure 2. Age ≥ 60 years (HR: 1.06, p<0.001), ≥ 2 comorbidities (HR: 3.85, p=0.014), B-symptoms (HR: 2.35, p=0.015), HT (HR: 2.77, p=0.002) and thrombocytopenia (HR: 2.96, p=0.028) were predictors of poor OS. Similarly, age ≥ 60 years (HR> 1.08, p<0.001), involvelment of ≥ 4 nodal areas (HR: 1.27, p<0.001), and high LDH levels (HR: 1.65, p=0.002) predicted decreased PFS. Additionally, serous effusions (HR: 2.09, p=0.05), albumin < 3.5 g/dL (HR: 2.82, p=0.05), B-symptoms (HR: 2.00, p=0.006), involvement of ≥ 4 nodal areas (HR: 1.21, p=0.014), and BM infiltration (HR: 2.11, p=0 .05) were the main predictors for HT. Conclusion: Although it is characteristically an indolent disease, our study demonstrated that a significant portion of FL patients have shortened survival. Here, we confirmed this prognostic heterogeneity, particularly considering the clinical staging and tumor burden. Therefore, FL patients with AS-HTV had higher HT rates and early-relapses, both classic adverse prognostic markers, as well as a tendency to higher mortality. We also identified clinical and laboratory predictors for HT, which may in a near future direct adapted-risk therapeutic strategies.