High-risk Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index Research Articles

Analyzing the risk factors for disease progression within 2years and histological transformation in patients treated with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone as first-line treatment: A 15-year follow-up of patients with advanced follicular lymphoma in JCOG0203.

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is an indolent lymphoma that becomes aggressive due to histological transformation (HT), leading to reduced survival. Patients with FL have different clinical courses and various treatment options. Some patients exhibit shorter survival and experience disease progression within 24months of diagnosis/treatment (POD24); the optimal treatment remains an unmet needs. Thus, identifying factors that predict shorter survival is essential to stratify treatment and prolong the survival of patients with FL. To analyze risk factors for POD24 and HT in patients treated with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) as first-line treatment, we performed this post-hoc analysis of patients with advanced indolent B-cell lymphoma in a randomized clinical trial wherein six cycles of R-CHOP were administered every 2-3weeks. The primary analysis showed no differences in outcomes, which enabled the analysis of 248 patients with FL, assigned to two arms. All histopathological specimens from the 300 enrolled patients were reviewed by three expert hematopathologists. Multivariable analysis implicated Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) intermediate (odds ratio [OR] 2.531, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.676-9.466) and high- (OR 2.236, 95% CI 0.160-31.226) risks, B symptoms (OR 2.091, 95% CI 0.747-5.851), and grade 3A (G3A) (OR 1.833, 95% CI 0.634-5.299) as risk factors for POD24. Furthermore, multivariable analysis through a median follow-up of 15.9years implicated G3A (OR 2.628, 95% CI 0.806-8.575) and high-risk FLIPI (OR 4.401, 95% CI 0.186-104.377) as risk factors for HT. However, an analysis limited to the first 10years revealed that the prognostic factors elucidated from the longer-term analysis had a greater impact on HT. G3A and high-risk FLIPI may independently predict POD24 and HT, thereby informing treatment stratification of patients with untreated advanced-stage FL in future trials, particularly to address the unmet needs of patients with POD24.

Integrative Genomic and Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Genetic Alterations Associated with the Early Progression of Follicular Lymphoma

Background Follicular lymphoma (FL), the most common indolent lymphoma, is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease. However, the prognostic value of driver gene mutations and copy number alterations has not been systematically assessed. Patients and Methods Here, we analyzed clinical-biological features of 415 FL patients to identify variables associated with disease within 24 months of first-line therapy (POD24). In addition, we applied whole exome sequencing (WES) to identify genomic alterations that predict POD24 based on 102 FL patients. Furthermore, we characterized the cellular and molecular heterogeneity within and across patients through bulk RNA sequencing and single-cell RNA sequencing. ResultsPOD24 occurred in 21% of evaluable FL patients. To further examine the effect of POD24 on OS, we used a 24-month landmark approach for Kaplan-Meier curve analysis. As expected, POD24 was related to poor OS, and the 3- and 5-year survival probabilities of patients in whom the disease progressed within the first 24 months were 89.2% (95% CI, 84.5-93.9) and 78.6% (95% CI, 70.4-86.8), respectively, compared with 98.5% (95% CI, 97.8-99.2) and 96.2% (95% CI, 95.0-97.4) in patients who were progression free at 24 months, respectively. Moreover, patients without progression at 24 months were more likely to exhibit a CR to front-line treatment (54% vs. 35%, P = 0.001) compared to the POD24 cohort. Patients with B symptoms, elevated lactate dehydrogenase and β2-microglobulin levels, unfavorable baseline haemoglobin levels, advanced stage, and high-risk FL International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) scores had an increased risk of POD24, with FLIPI being the most important factor in logistic regression. HIST1H1D, known as a driver mutation, was correlated with POD24. Gains of 6q22.2 ( HIST1H1D) and 18q21.33 ( BCL2) and loss of 1p36.13 ( NBPF1) predicted POD24 independent of FLIPI. Integration of the four variants led to the identification of 76% of POD24 patients. Gene expression profiling of FL samples showed that the POD24 cohort was significantly enriched in the inflammatory response (mediated by interferon and tumor necrosis factor), cell cycle regulation (transcription, replication and proliferation) sets and PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling. This result was further validated with transcriptome-wide information provided by RNA-seq at single-cell resolution. ConclusionOur study, performed on a large cohort of FL patients, highlights the importance of distinctive genetic alterations and gene expression relevant to disease diagnosis and early progression.

Real-World Response Rates across Lines of Therapy Among Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma

Background: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common indolent subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Despite the generally indolent nature of the condition, there are subgroups of FL patients who may not have an indolent experience, with their disease not responding to multiple lines of therapy. Thus, optimization of novel therapy could improve patient outcomes. This analysis examined treatment patterns, overall response rates (ORR), and complete response (CR) rates by line of therapy (LOT) in relapsed/refractory (R/R) FL in third-line or later (3L+) therapy. Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted using the COTA database, comprising electronic health records (EHR) from academic (50%) and community (50%) practices in the US. Adults with a confirmed diagnosis of FL, with 3L+ therapy initiation in 2010 or later, at least 3 months of follow-up, and any response assessment after 3L initiation were included. LOTs eligible for inclusion met the following conditions: treatment with an anti-CD20, alkylating agent, or lenalidomide, and no investigational drug in the selected LOT. In addition, patients with only 3L had that line selected; patients with more than 1 eligible LOT had only 1 LOT randomly selected for the analysis. Outcomes were assessed by FL International Prognostic Index (FLIPI), double refractory (DR) status, and type of therapy. DR status was defined as being refractory (disease progression or initiation of a new LOT in <6 months) to an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody therapy and an alkylating agent. Chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) regimens included obinutuzumab/rituximab + bendamustine (OB/BR), rituximab/obinutuzumab+cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (R/O+CHOP), R/O+CVP, R/O+other alkylating agent, and R/O+fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (FC). Novel therapies included lenalidomide + rituximab (R 2), phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors, and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR T). The proportion of patients with CR (as retrieved from clinician documentation in EHR) as the physician-reported response within each LOT was calculated. ORR was calculated as the proportion of patients with a CR or PR. Response rates were reported by LOT (3L, 4L, 5L+) and stratified by patient age (<65 vs ≥65 years), FLIPI score (low/intermediate vs high), and DR (not DR vs DR). Results: Overall, 240 patients with R/R 3L+ FL were included: 3L (n=140), 4L (n=55), and 5L+ (n=45). At 3L initiation, median age was 66 years and most patients were male (58.8%), White (89.6%), and had FL grade 1/2 (72.5%); 47.9% of patients were DR, 22.9% had novel therapy use, and 51.3% had CIT use. A total of 152 patients had FLIPI scores available, 38.2% of whom had high-risk scores at 3L initiation. Among all R/R 3L+ FL patients, ORR was 67.9%, with CR in 30.4% ( Figure 1). Response rates decreased across LOTs for both ORR (3L: 72.9%; 4L: 65.5%; 5L+: 55.6%) and CR (3L: 35.0%; 4L: 30.9%; 5L+: 15.6%) ( Figure 2). ORR was higher among all R/R 3L+ FL patients <65 years vs ≥65 years (75.5% vs 62.3%), as was CR rate (36.3% vs 26.1%). Among the subset of R/R 3L+ FL patients with a FLIPI score, those with low/intermediate risk vs high risk had a greater ORR (78.7% vs 58.6%) and CR rate (36.2% vs 20.7%). ORR was also higher for R/R 3L+ patients without DR status vs with DR status (73.0% vs 63.2%), as was CR rate (37.4% vs 24.0%). Patients receiving novel therapy 3L+ had an ORR of 70.9% and a CR rate of 27.3%. Among R/R 3L+ FL patients, more LOTs of CIT were associated with decreased response rates; patients with CIT in 1 LOT vs CIT in >2 LOTs had greater ORR (76.4% vs 69.2%) and CR rate (37.4% vs 26.9%). Conclusions: This analysis provides granular details on patients with R/R FL with poor prognosis. Patients with FL who progress to later LOTs have worsening response rates. This analysis included more patients with later LOTs than previously published reports, providing additional insight into response rates as treatment progresses. Lower response rates were observed among patients ≥65 years, those with a high-risk FLIPI score, and those with DR status. The high utilization of CIT in later LOTs, despite suboptimal response rates, especially among subgroups of patients with FL who may not have indolent experience of the disease, underlines the need for efficacious alternative therapies in patients with R/R 3L+ FL.

Pirtobrutinib, a Highly Selective, Non-Covalent (Reversible) BTK Inhibitor in Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma: Results from the Phase 1/2 BRUIN Study

Background: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a chronic and incurable disease requiring multiple lines of therapy for patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory (R/R) disease. Covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (cBTKi) have transformed the management of select B-cell malignancies, in particular chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). However, despite the transformative impact in CLL and MCL, the efficacy of single-agent cBTKi has been limited in pts with R/R FL, with an overall response rate (ORR) of 20.9% to 37.5% (Gopal et al, J Clin Oncol, 2018; Bartlett et al, Blood, 2018). Pirtobrutinib, a highly selective, non-covalent (reversible) BTKi, inhibits both wildtype and C481-mutant BTK with equal low nM potency and has a favorable oral pharmacology that enables continuous BTK inhibition throughout the once-daily dosing interval. Pirtobrutinib has demonstrated promising efficacy and tolerability in pts with poor-prognosis B-cell malignancies following prior therapy, including cBTKi. Here, we report the safety and efficacy of pirtobrutinib in a cohort of pts with R/R FL from the BRUIN study (NCT03740529). Methods: Pts with previously treated B-cell malignancies were eligible for treatment with pirtobrutinib monotherapy in either the dose escalation or expansion portion of the multicenter phase 1/2 BRUIN study. FL diagnosis required pathologic review of an adequate biopsy. Key endpoints included investigator-assessed ORR per Lugano 2014 criteria, duration of response (DoR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. A data cutoff date of 05 May 2023 was utilized. Results: Among the 48 pts with FL, 45 (94%) pts received the recommended phase 2 dose of pirtobrutinib (200 mg once daily) as their starting dose. Pts had a median age of 64.5 years (range, 37.0-85.0), were mostly male (60%, n=29), and had a median of 3 (range, 1-12) prior lines of therapy. Most pts (81%, n=39) had Ann Arbor stage III/IV disease. The Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) risk was low (0-1) in 9 (19%) pts, intermediate (2) in 13 (27%) pts, high (3-5) in 23 (48%) pts, and missing in 3 (6%) pts. Overall, 43 (90%) pts had received chemotherapy plus an anti-CD20 antibody, 17 (35%) pts had received a PI3K inhibitor, 14 (29%) pts had received lenalidomide, 6 (13%) pts had received an autologous stem cell transplant, and 4 (8%) pts had received CAR T-cell therapy. Of the 4 (8%) pts who had received a prior cBTKi, 3 discontinued due to disease progression and 1 discontinued for intolerance. The ORR was 50.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 35.2-64.8), including 7 (14.6%) complete responses and 17 (35.4%) partial responses (Figure). An additional 12 (25.0%) pts had stable disease. Among 4 pts who had received prior cBTKi, 3 achieved partial response and 1 had stable disease. With a median follow-up of 18.4 months (interquartile range, 10.1-21.0) among 24 responding pts, median DoR was 5.5 months (95% CI, 3.7-not estimable [NE]), and the 18-month estimated DoR rate was 41.0% (95% CI, 20.1-60.9). Median PFS was 5.8 months (95% CI, 3.8-8.1), and the 18-month estimated PFS rate was 32.3% (95% CI, 19.1-46.2). Median OS was NE, and the 18-month estimated OS rate was 78.3% (95% CI, 62.1-88.1). The efficacy outcomes by FLIPI risk category are presented in the Table. The median time on treatment was 7.6 months (range, 0.6-42.2), with 14 (29.2%) pts still receiving pirtobrutinib. The most frequent treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs), regardless of attribution, were diarrhea (29.2%, n=14), fatigue (25.0%, n=12), and nausea (22.9%, n=11). TEAEs of hemorrhage/hematoma (6.3%, n=3), hypertension (4.2%, n=2), and atrial fibrillation/flutter (2.1%, n=1) were infrequent. The most frequent grade ≥3 TEAEs were infection (18.8%, n=9) and neutropenia/neutrophil count decreased (14.6%, n=7). Only 1 (2.1%) pt had a treatment-related adverse event (rash) that led to pirtobrutinib discontinuation. Conclusions: In this cohort of heavily pre-treated pts with R/R FL, pirtobrutinib showed potential efficacy and was well tolerated, including in pts with high risk FLIPI.

Integrative genomic and transcriptomic analysis reveals genetic alterations associated with the early progression of follicular lymphoma.

Follicular lymphoma (FL), the most common indolent lymphoma, is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease. However, the prognostic value of driver gene mutations and copy number alterations has not been systematically assessed. Here, we analysed the clinical-biological features of 415 FL patients to identify variables associated with disease progression within 24 months of first-line therapy (POD24). Patients with B symptoms, elevated lactate dehydrogenase and β2-microglobulin levels, unfavourable baseline haemoglobin levels, advanced stage, and high-risk FL International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) scores had an increased risk of POD24, with FLIPI being the most important factor in logistic regression. HIST1H1D, identified as a driver mutation, was correlated with POD24. Gains of 6p22.2 (HIST1H1D) and 18q21.33 (BCL2) and loss of 1p36.13 (NBPF1) predicted POD24 independent of FLIPI. Gene expression profiling of FL samples showed that the POD24 cohort was significantly enriched in the inflammatory response (mediated by interferon and tumour necrosis factor), cell cycle regulation (transcription, replication and proliferation) sets and PI3K-AKT-mTOR signalling. This result was further validated with transcriptome-wide information provided by RNA-seq at single-cell resolution. Our study, performed on a large cohort of FL patients, highlights the importance of distinctive genetic alterations and gene expression relevant to disease diagnosis and early progression.

Integrative genomic and transcriptomic analysis reveals genetic alterations associated with the early progression of follicular lymphoma

Introduction: Follicular lymphoma (FL), the most common indolent lymphoma, is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease. Progression of disease within 24 months (POD24) is strongly associated with poor outcome. Therefore, prediction of POD24 at diagnosis is essential to support the precision medicine treatment strategies making in clinical practice. However, risk factors associated with POD24 remain uncertain in FL patients. In addition, the prognostic value of driver gene mutations and copy number alterations has not been systematically assessed in FL. Method: We analysed clinical-biological features of 415 FL patients to identify variables associated with POD24. In addition, we integrated whole exome sequencing (WES) and transcriptomic analysis of 102 these patients with FL to identify genetic alterations associated with early progression. Result: POD24 occurred in 21% of evaluable FL patients, with a 5-year OS rate of 82.9% compared with 96.2% for those without POD24 (HR, 5.03; 95% CI, 2.15–11.72; P < 0.01). Patients with B symptoms, elevated lactate dehydrogenase and β2-microglobulin levels, unfavourable baseline haemoglobin levels, advanced stage, and high-risk FL International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) scores had an increased risk of POD24, with FLIPI being the most important factor in logistic regression. Among all the somatically occurring non-silent mutations, twenty-three genes were considered cancer drivers. HIST1H1D, known as a driver mutation, was significantly correlated with POD24. Gains of 6q22.2 (HIST1H1D) and 18q21.33 (BCL2) and loss of 1p36.13 (NBPF1) predicted POD24 independent of FLIPI. Integration of the four variants led to the identification of 76% of POD24 patients. Gene expression profiling (GEP) of 41 FL samples showed that the POD24 cohort was significantly enriched in the inflammatory response (mediated by interferon and tumour necrosis factor) and cell cycle regulation (transcription, replication and proliferation) sets. Keywords: Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers, Genomics, Epigenomics, and Other -Omics, Indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma No conflicts of interests pertinent to the abstract.

Benefit of rituximab maintenance is associated with Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index in patients with follicular lymphoma.

Rituximab maintenance (RM) prolongs the progression-free survival (PFS) of responding patients with follicular lymphoma (FL), but the maintenance efficacy in different Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) risk group is still confusing. We performed a retrospective analysis of the effect of RM treatments in patients with FL responding to induction therapy based on their FLIPI risk assessment carried out prior to treatment. We identified 93 patients between 2013 and 2019 who received RM every 3 months for ≥4 doses (RM group), and 60 patients who did not accept RM or received rituximab less than 4 doses (control group). After a median follow-up of 39 months, neither median overall survival (OS) nor PFS was reached for the entire population. The PFS was significantly prolonged in the RM group compared to the control group (median PFS NA vs 83.1 months, P = .00027). When the population was divided into the 3 FLIPI risk groups, the PFS differed significantly (4-year PFS rates, 97.5% vs 88.8% vs 72.3%, P = .01) according to group. There was no significant difference in PFS for FLIPI low-risk patients with RM compared to the control group (4-year PFS rates, 100% vs 93.8%, P = .23). However, the PFS of the RM group was significantly prolonged for FLIPI intermediate-risk (4-year PFS rates, 100% vs 70.3%, P = .00077) and high-risk patients (4-year PFS rates, 86.7% vs 57.1%, P = .023). These data suggest that standard RM significantly prolongs the PFS of patients assigned to intermediate- and high-risk FLIPI groups but not to low-risk FLIPI group, and pending larger-scale studies to validate.

Early progression in follicular lymphoma in the absence of histological transformation or high-risk Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index still has a favourable outcome.

Although follicular lymphoma (FL) patients relapsing within 24 months after first-line treatment (POD24) have a poor prognosis, some cases show notable survival after first relapse (SF1R). We aimed to characterize the POD24 FL population and to identify the main prognostic factors at progression. We selected 162 POD24 patients (80F; median age at first relapse 59 years) from a cohort of 1067 grades 1-3a FL-treated patients. The remaining 905 patients treated with first-line immunochemotherapy and diagnosed during the same period were used to compare outcomes in terms of survival. After a median follow-up of 11.0 years, 96 patients died (10y-SF1R of 40%). Age over 60 years (p< 0.001), high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p< 0.001), haemoglobin (Hb) less than 120 g/L (p< 0.001), advanced stage (p< 0.001), high-risk Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) (p< 0.001), histological transformation (HT) (p < 0.001) and reaching less than complete response (CR) after salvage therapy (p< 0.001), predicted poor SF1R at relapse. In multivariate analysis only high-risk FLIPI and HT maintained prognostic significance for SF1R. POD24 patients not transformed and with low/intermediate FLIPI at relapse behaved better than the remaining cases. POD24 patients showed an excess mortality of 38% compared to the general population. Although outcome of POD24 FL patients is poor, a considerable group of them (low/intermediate FLIPI and not transformed at first relapse) behave better.

Treatment Patterns and Outcomes Among Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Follicular Lymphoma Treated in Routine Clinical Practice in the US with Three or More Lines of Therapy

Background: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is an indolent, yet incurable disease, and patients often require several lines of therapy throughout their lifetime (Batlevi et al. Blood Cancer J 2020); however, there are limited real-world data available regarding the treatment of a contemporary cohort of patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) FL. The objective of this study was to assess real-world treatment patterns and outcomes among patients receiving third- and later-line (3L+) therapies for FL in the US.Methods: This retrospective cohort study used the nationwide Flatiron Health electronic health record-derived de-identified database. During the study period, de-identified data originated from approximately 280 cancer clinics (~800 sites of care) in the US. We selected patients aged ≥18 years with an initial FL diagnosis between January 2011 and January 2021, who had received at least 3 lines of therapy for FL (follow-up ended March 2021). Exclusion criteria included: evidence of clinical trial participation during the study period, high-grade (3b) FL at diagnosis, transformation to an aggressive lymphoma any time before 3L FL treatment, or other anticancer therapies or stem cell transplant 12 months before first-line (1L) FL treatment. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed using descriptive statistics. Treatment patterns and time to next anti-lymphoma treatment or death (TTNTD) were reported. Median TTNTD was estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods.Results: Of 2,990 patients receiving treatment for FL during the study period, 157 patients who received at least 3 lines of therapy for FL were included. Median age at time of 3L FL treatment initiation was 70 years, and 48.4% (n=76) of patients were male. At initial FL diagnosis, 79.6% (n=125) had low-grade (1-2) FL, 78.3% (n=123) had advanced stage (III/IV) FL, and 68.6% (n=48) of the 70 patients with available Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) scores had high-risk FLIPI (≥3). Overall, 68.2% of patients had evidence suggestive of early progression of disease within 24 months of 1L FL treatment. The majority of patients were treated at community oncology practices (n=140 [89.2%]). Median time to 3L treatment initiation from diagnosis was 35.6 months, and median follow-up after 3L treatment was 15.4 months. Fifty-two (33.1%) patients received a subsequent fourth-line therapy. The most common 3L treatment regimens received were rituximab (R) monotherapy (n=32 [20.4%]), R plus bendamustine (n=26 [16.6%]), R plus lenalidomide (n=18 [11.5%]), obinutuzumab monotherapy (n=14 [8.9%]), and idelalisib (n=13 [8.3%]; Table). Median TTNTD after 3L treatment was 14.1 months (95% confidence interval: 10-23.6; Figure).Conclusions: Our study provides an update on the heterogeneous treatment landscape for R/R FL in the US for patients receiving 3L+ therapy in real-world clinical practice, the majority of whom were treated in community oncology practices. Many patients requiring 3L+ FL treatment had clinical characteristics predictive of poor prognosis, as evidenced by the high proportion of patients who had evidence of early progression and high-risk FLIPI at diagnosis. Treatment outcomes following 3L therapy remain poor, and approximately one-third of patients required additional treatment beyond 3L. Limitations of this analysis include those inherent to real-world observational databases and the relatively short follow-up of patients with indolent FL in the Flatiron Health database, particularly following 3L FL treatment. Future studies with additional follow-up are warranted. Nevertheless, these findings highlight the ongoing unmet need for novel, effective treatments in this setting in order to improve patient outcomes. [Display omitted] DisclosuresTa: Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment. Arndorfer: Genesis Research: Consultancy, Current Employment. Julian: Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment, Current holder of stock options in a privately-held company. Wu: Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Lai: Bristol-Myers Squibb: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; AbbVie: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Divested equity in a private or publicly-traded company in the past 24 months, Ended employment in the past 24 months; Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Shapouri: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment.

Validation of POD24 as a robust early clinical end point of poor survival in FL from 5225 patients on 13 clinical trials

AbstractObservational studies and stand-alone trials indicate that patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) who experience disease progression within 24 months of front-line chemoimmunotherapy (POD24), have poor outcomes. We performed a pooled analysis of 13 randomized clinical trials of patients with FL in the pre- and postrituximab eras to identify clinical factors that predict POD24. Logistic regression models evaluated the association between clinical factors and POD24. Cox regression evaluated the association between POD24 as a time-dependent factor and subsequent overall survival (OS). A landmark analysis evaluated the association of POD24 with OS for the subset of patients who were alive at 24 months after trial registration. Patients without progression at 24 months at baseline had favorable performance status (PS), limited-stage (I/II) disease, low-risk FL International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) score, normal baseline hemoglobin, and normal baseline β2 microglobulin (B2M) level. In a multivariable logistic regression model, male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.30), PS ≥2 (OR, 1.63), B2M (≥3 mg/L; OR, 1.43), and high-risk FLIPI score (3-5; OR, 3.14) were associated with increased risk of progression before 24 months. In the time-dependent Cox model and the 24-month landmark analysis, POD24 was associated with poor subsequent OS (hazard ratio, 4.85 and 3.06, respectively). This is the largest pooled analysis of clinical trials data validating POD24 as a robust indicator of poor FL survival and identified clinical predictors of early death and progression that can aid in building comprehensive prognostic models incorporating clinical and molecular predictors of POD24.

High-Risk FLIPI Score at Diagnosis Is Associated with Early Relapse in the Rituximab Era for Patients with Follicular Lymphoma

High-Risk FLIPI Score at Diagnosis Is Associated with Early Relapse in the Rituximab Era for Patients with Follicular Lymphoma

Autologous Transplantation Improves Survival Rates for Follicular Lymphoma Patients Who Relapse within 2-Years of Chemoimmunotherapy: A Multi-Centre Retrospective Analysis of Consecutively Treated Patients in the Real World

Introduction: Although rituximab-based chemoimmunotherapy (RChemo) significantly improves overall survival (OS) for follicular lymphoma (FL), approximately 20% of patients experience initial time to progression (TTP1) of ≤2 years (early relapse) and relatively poor OS. We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate OS rates for patients with early relapse who were treated with or without high dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT).Methods: A retrospective, multi-centre, study was conducted to identify all patients aged 18 to 70 years who were consecutively diagnosed in Alberta with grade 1 to 3a FL prior to 2011, and eventually received RChemo as their initial systemic therapy. Patient characteristics including Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) factors at RChemo, treatment details including Rituximab-maintenance (RMaintenance), TTP post-RChemo, frequency of transformation at relapse, and treatments after relapse were obtained. TTP and OS following RChemo and ASCT were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analyses.Results: Interrogation of the Alberta Cancer Registry identified 397 patients diagnosed with FL prior to 2011 who received RChemo. At a median follow-up of 92 months (3-179), 148 (37.3%) of the 397 patients relapsed from RChemo, including 82 (20.7%) with early relapse ≤2years and 66 (16.6%) with late relapse >2years.Table 1.0 lists characteristics of the 148 patients who relapsed after RChemo. Seventy-one (48.0%) patients underwent ASCT at relapse. Conditioning regimens included high dose melphalan (n=49, 69%, of whom 35 also received total body irradiation), BEAM (carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan, n=21, 29.6%), and CBV (cyclophosphamide, BCNU, VP-16, n=1, 1.4%). In total, there were 29.1% (n=43) deaths following relapse, with majority of deaths due to FL (n=32, 74.4%).The projected 10-year OS following first RChemo was 93.8% in those with no relapse, 76.4% with late relapse, and 56.9% with early relapse (logrank p<0.001). Of the 71 patients who received ASCT, the 5-year TTP post-ASCT was 66.8% vs 70.6% for early (n=44) vs late (n=27) relapse patients, respectively (logrank p=0.85). Although the use of ASCT was not associated with OS for patients with late relapse (p=0.72), OS was superior for early relapse patients who received ASCT compared to those who did not receive ASCT (Figure 1.0) with 5-year OS rates of 86.0% vs 57.0%, respectively (HR 0.36, 95%CI 0.16-0.71, logrank p=0.005). Of note, relapse after RMaintenance vs no prior RMaintenance was not associated with OS (p=0.55). Table 2.0 lists the only factors that were associated with OS for patients with early relapse after RChemo in both univariate and multivariate analyses. The use of ASCT remained independently associated with improved OS for patients who relapsed <2 years of RChemo even when controlling for the other significant factors, which included baseline high risk FLIPI and transformation at relapse. Similar results were found when analyzed from time of first relapse following RChemo instead of from the time of first RChemo.Conclusions: Our study strongly suggests that the use of ASCT for FL patients who relapse within 2 years of RChemo is associated with improved OS. [Display omitted] DisclosuresPeters:Gilead: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Lundbeck: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Abbvie: Honoraria. Stewart:Merck: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Abbvie: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Honoraria; BMS: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; Servier: Honoraria; Lundbeck: Honoraria.

Clinicogenetic Risk Models in Patients Randomized to Receive Consolidative Autologous Stem-Cell Transplantation after Frontline R-CHOP for Advanced Follicular Lymphoma: An Analysis from the GLSG2000 Trial

Clinicogenetic Risk Models in Patients Randomized to Receive Consolidative Autologous Stem-Cell Transplantation after Frontline R-CHOP for Advanced Follicular Lymphoma: An Analysis from the GLSG2000 Trial

THE PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF FLIPI IN THE ERA OF RITUXIMAB

Introduction: Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) was developed in the pre-rituximab era to predict the outcome of follicular lymphoma (FL) patients. With the introduction of rituximab (R) into treatment, the predictive value of FLIPI needed reassessment. We performed a retrospective study to evaluate the prognostic value of FLIPI in the era of rituximab. Methods: One hundred and eleven FL patients (pts) with evaluable FLIPI, needing therapy, were included in the study. They induction regimen was R-CHOP in 106 pts (95.5%) and R-CVP in 6 pts. With Cox model, we evaluated hazard ratios (HR) for overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) for intermediate risk versus low-risk FLIPI group and high-risk versus low-risk group. Results: Among 111 pts, 43% were over 60 years old, and 85% had stage III–IV disease. According to FLIPI score, 34 pts (30.6%) were categorized as low-risk, 35 pts (31.5%) as intermediate-risk and 42 pts (37.9%) as high-risk pts. At a median follow-up of 4.5 years, the 5-year PFS and OS for all 111 pts were 54% and 82%, respectively. The 5-year PFS for low-, intermediate- and high-risk FLIPI pts was 53%, 64% and 49% (p = 0.148) and the 5-year OS 87%, 91% and 67%, respectively. The difference in OS was significant (p = 0.002). HR for OS was 2.93 for the high-risk FLIPI group compared to the low risk group (95% CI 1.14–7.53, p = 0.025) and HR for PFS was 1.58 for the high-risk FLIPI group compared to the low-risk group (CI 0.71–3.54, p = 0.261). There were no differences in any outcome between the low and the intermediate-risk groups (Table1). Table 1: Hazard ratios for OS and PFS by FLIPI prognostic groups in R-chemo pts (N = 111). OS HR (95% CI), p PFS HR (95% CI), p 0.61 (0.17–1.16) p = 0.442 0.75 (0.29–1.90) p = 0.546 2.93 (1.14–7.53) p = 0.025 1.58 (0.71–3.54) p = 0.261 Conclusions: FLIPI retained its prognostic value in terms of OS in the era of rituximab. High-risk FLIPI patients receiving induction R-chemo had a significantly worse survival compared to the low-risk patients. However, we did not confirm the adverse impact of high FLIPI in terms of PFS in this group of pts. It seems that rituximab in induction therapy eliminated the unfavorable influence of high FLIPI and thus diminished its prognostic significance for disease progression. Keywords: follicular lymphoma (FL); prognostic indices; rituximab.

Refractoriness to immunochemotherapy in follicular lymphoma: Predictive factors and outcome.

Follicular lymphoma is characterized by a good response to immunochemotherapy (ICT). However, a small percentage of patients responds poorly to treatment and seems to have a worse outcome. This study attempted to identify the predictive factors and outcome of refractoriness to first-line ICT. All patients diagnosed with stage II to IV follicular lymphoma between 2002 and 2014 and treated with first-line ICT in 4 Spanish institutions were analyzed. Those with no response or progression or relapse within 6months of first-line response assessment were considered ICT refractory. Three hundred forty-three patients were included (median age 58years, 48% male), of whom 53 (15%) were ICT refractory. On multivariate analysis, high-risk follicular lymphoma international prognostic index (FLIPI) score, B symptoms, and elevated β2-microglobulin were correlated with refractoriness, and refractoriness, high-risk FLIPI score, and β2-microglobulin were correlated with overall survival (OS). Compared with ICT-sensitive, ICT-refractory patients had a higher incidence of histological transformation (5-year cumulative incidence 25% [14%-39%] vs. 6% [3%-10%], P<.001), a higher rate of refractoriness to second-line therapy (16/33 [48%] vs. 13/57 [23%], P=.01), and a lower OS (5-year OS probability 38% [95% CI 23%-53%] vs. 87% [82%-92%%], P<.001). In conclusion, refractoriness to ICT was seen in 15% of patients and was predicted by high-FLIPI scores, B symptoms, and elevated serum β2-micrglobulin. Immunochemotherapy-refractory patients had a worse prognosis than ICT-sensitive patients, and current treatment options for this subgroup are not satisfactory.

Follicular lymphoma: an Institutional Analysis

Background:Follicular lymphoma (FL) is second most common lymphoma in adult, constituted 20% of all lymphoma cases in the west. There is limited information is available on FL from India.Methods:The clinico-pathological profile, treatment outcome and prognostic factors for survival were assessed retrospectively in 181 patients of FL seen at our center over a period of 17 years (1996-2012).Results:There were 120 males and 61 females. The median age was 51 years (24-80 years). The common presenting features were lymphadenopathy 71%, fatigue 23% and fever 20%. Ann Arbor stage distribution was: stage I - 9%, stage II - 11%, stage III -22 % and stage IV - 58%. Extra nodal involvement and bulky disease were present in 22% and 19% patients respectively. Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) 1 score : Low -25%, Intermediate-45% and high risk in 30% of cases. One forty five patients (80%) received treatment at presentation or during follow-up. Chemotherapeutic regimen used were: CHOP-45, CVP-51, chlorambucil and prednisolone -7, BR (bendamustine and rituximab)-12, RCHOP- 14 RCVP – 7 and other regimen were used in 5 cases. The overall response (ORR) and complete remission (CR) rates were 70% and 35% respectively. Median overall survival (OS) and event free survival (EFS) was 5.5 years and 2.5 years respectively, with median follow up period of 3.0 years. Grade 3 histology, failure to attain CR, low serum albumin, and high risk FLIPI were significantly associated with lower event free survival. High risk FLIPI (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.03-2.10, p=0.003) and failure to attain CR (HR 2.64, CI 1.10-4.30, p=0.001) were predictors of poor OS.Conclusions:FL represents 9 % of all lymphoma in adult. This is the largest data from single institute from India. Eighty percentage of patients presented in stage III/IV disease. High risk FLIPI and failure to attain CR were important prognostic variables for OS.

Dual institution experience of nodal marginal zone lymphoma reveals excellent long-term outcomes in the rituximab era.

Nodal marginal zone lymphoma (NMZL) is a rare non-Hodgkin lymphoma that arises from mature B-cells. We delineate outcomes, prognostic factors and treatment trends among a large cohort of patients with NMZL in the rituximab era. We identified 56 such patients treated at our institutions. The majority presented with advanced stage disease (78·6%). Over a median follow-up of 38·2months, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 42·4months and median overall survival (OS) was not reached. Kaplan-Meier estimates of OS at 120months after diagnosis was 71·9%. High-risk follicular lymphoma international prognostic index (FLIPI) was associated with inferior PFS. Age >60years and elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were associated with inferior OS. Transformation to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma occurred in 7 patients, 6 of who presented with advanced disease. OS was comparable to our previously reported extranodal MZL cohort. FLIPI score predicted for inferior PFS and OS when both cohorts were analysed together (n=267). In summary, outcomes in NMZL are favourable with a large majority of patients surviving at 120months. High risk FLIPI, age >60years, and elevated serum LDH were associated with inferior outcomes.

A Clinicogenetic Risk Model (m7-FLIPI) Prospectively Identifies One-Half of Patients with Early Disease Progression of Follicular Lymphoma after First-Line Immunochemotherapy

Background: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the second most common nodal lymphoma worldwide and remains incurable for most patients (pts). FL is recognized to be a highly heterogeneous disease and a subset of pts experience remarkable poor outcome. In a recent study, 19-26% of pts receiving first-line R-CHOP experienced progression of disease (POD) within 24 months after diagnosis and had a 5-year (yr) overall survival (OS) of only 34-50%, as compared to a 5-yr OS of 90-94% for pts without POD within 24 months (Casulo et al., J Clin Oncol 2015). Consequently, event-free survival at 12 (EFS12) and 24 months (EFS24) have been suggested as novel surrogate endpoints for poor overall survival in clinical trials and useful for patient counseling (Maurer et al., ASH 2014).We have previously shown that a clinicogenetic risk model (m7-FLIPI) that includes the mutation status of seven genes (EZH2, ARID1A, MEF2B, EP300, FOXO1, CREBBP, and CARD11), the FL International Prognostic Index (FLIPI), and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, improves risk stratification for failure-free survival (FFS) and OS in pts with FL receiving first-line immunochemotherapy (Pastore et al., Lancet Oncology 2015). An online tool is available at: http://www.glsg.de/m7-flipi. It would be advantageous to determine prognosis prior to front-line therapy rather than after POD. Thus, we aimed to investigate the predictive utility of the m7-FLIPI for early POD.Patients and Methods: Clinical and mutation data were available from two independent cohorts: 151 pts who received R-CHOP and IFN maintenance as part of a randomized trial of the German Low-Grade Lymphoma Study Group (GLSG), and 107 pts from a population-based registry of the British Columbia Cancer Agency (BCCA) who received R-CVP. Among the latter, 93 (87%) received R-maintenance by intention to treat. All pts had symptomatic, advanced stage or bulky disease considered ineligible for curative radiotherapy, and a biopsy specimen obtained </=12 months prior to the initiation of first-line therapy. POD was defined as progression, relapse, or death due to any cause. POD12 and POD24 were defined based on POD status at 12 and 24 months after therapy initiation, respectively. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess if m7-FLIPI was predictive of early POD using the statistical software R (version 3.1.2).Results: In the GLSG cohort, median age was 57 yrs (range 27-77), 51% had high-risk FLIPI, and 5-yr failure-free survival (FFS) and OS rates were 66% and 83%, respectively (median follow-up for OS 7.7 yrs). In the BCCA cohort, median age was higher (62 yrs, 37-83), but high-risk FLIPI was similarly frequent (50%); 5-yr FFS and OS rates were 58% and 74%, respectively (median follow-up for OS 6.7 yrs). A total of 43 GLSG (28%) and 24 BCCA pts (22%) were classified as high-risk by m7-FLIPI, with a 5-yr OS of 65% and 42%, respectively.In the GLSG cohort, 8 (5%) and 29 pts (19%) had POD within 12 and 24 months, respectively, 4 and 10 pts were censored before POD12 and POD24 (table). High-risk m7-FLIPI pts were significantly more likely to experience early POD with an Odds Ratio (OR) of 20.80 (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.53-395.96; p=0.0052) for POD12 and 6.33 (95% CI 2.67-15.69; p<0.0001) for POD24. Likewise, in the BCCA cohort, 16 (15%) and 28 pts (26%) experienced POD12 and POD24, respectively (table). The OR for high-risk m7-FLIPI pts was 4.69 (95% CI 1.52-14.65; p=0.0068) for POD12, and 5.36 (95% CI 2.03-14.60; p=0.0008) for POD24.In the GLSG and BCCA cohorts, the m7-FLIPI had a sensitivity of 88% and 50%, a specificity of 75% and 82%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 16 and 33%, and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 96% and 90% to predict POD12. For POD24, sensitivity was 62% and 46%, specificity 79% and 86%, PPV 42% and 54%, and NPV 82% and 82%, respectively.Conclusion: We conclude that patients classified as high-risk m7-FLIPI are highly enriched among those with early progression of disease. However, approximately one-half of patients with progression by 24 months after therapy initiation are classified as low-risk m7-FLIPI. Thus, further efforts are needed to refine the m7-FLIPI and thereby capture additional cases that may benefit from innovative first-line approaches.TablePopulationm7-FLIPINPOD12POD24GLSGTotal1518/147*29/141*High-risk43718Low-risk108111BCCATotal10716/10728/107High-risk24813Low-risk83815*Pts censored were removed DisclosuresAnsell:Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; Celldex: Research Funding.

VEGF 2578 c>a, a Functional Angiogenic Polymorphism, Is Associated with Aggressiveness and Clinical Outcome of Follicular Lymphoma

Introduction: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the second most prevalent non-Hodgkin lymphoma worldwide, and is characterized by an indolent course and frequent relapses. Better understanding of FL has shown that angiogenesis (AG) has an important role in its progression to a more aggressive form. The most important mediator of AG is the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which is encoded by a polymorphic gene. It is already known that allele C of the VEGF 2578C/A polymorphism (rs699947) is related to higher serum concentration of VEGF compared to the A allele. The roles of this genetic polymorphism in clinical manifestations and outcome of FL are still unknown, and therefore these were the aims of the present study.Methods: Our analysis included 86 consecutive FL patients seen at diagnosis at the university hospital. The patients were treated with 6 to 8 cicles of R-CHOP. The clinical data of these patients were obtained from medical records. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples, and genotyping of the VEGF -2578C/A (rs699947) polymorphism was performed with real-time qPCR. Overall-survival (OS) was defined as time from diagnosis until death from any cause or last follow-up. The differences between groups were analyzed by the logistic regression model. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank analyses were used to assess survival information from the patients’ data. Furthermore, we examined survival data using univariate Cox proportional hazards regression, with the respective hazard ratios (HR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs). Adjustement of Cox regression for clinical features was also performed. A p-value smaller than 0.05 was used to denote statistical significance.Results: The FL patients had a mean age of 56.2 years at diagnosis. The majority of the patients were caucasians (87.6%), and there was an equivalent distribution between genders: 43 male and 43 female patients (50% each). Thirty-nine (45.3%) patients had B-symptoms and 48 (54.7%) had no B-symptoms at diagnosis. Sixty-three (73.2%) patients presented at diagnosis with tumors of III or IV Ann Arbor stage, and 30 (34.8%) had bone marrow infiltration. Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) was assessed and patients were classified as follows: low-risk FLIPI (≤ 1 point) was seen in 34 cases (39.5%), medium-risk FLIPI (2 points) in 28 cases (32.5%), and high-risk FLIPI ( ≥ 3 points) was seen in 24 patients (27.9%).The VEGF 2578CC genotype was more common in patients with B-symptoms at diagnosis than in those without B-symptoms (51.2% versus 29.7%, p=0.04). The frequency of VEGF 2578CC genotype was also higher in patients with high-risk FLIPI than in those with medium and low-risk FLIPI (58.3% versus 32.2%, p=0.03). We found no association between genotypes and bone marrow infiltration at diagnosis.Considering clinical course of the patients, Kaplan Meier curves of OS showed that at 60 months of follow up, B-symptoms at diagnosis (65.2% of OS versus 87.1%, p=0.02), high-risk FLIPI (52.5% of OS versus 90%, p=0.002), and 2578CC genotype (62.1% of OS in 2578CC patients versus 89.4% in 2578CA plus 2578AA patients, p=0.01) had negative impacts on outcome. In univariate Cox analysis, presence of B-symptoms (p=0.03, HR=3.2, 95% CI: 1.09-9.38), high-risk FLIPI (p=0.01, HR= 3.91, 95% CI: 1.38-11.03) and 2578CC genotype (p=0.02, HR=3.70, 95% CI: 1.16-11.82) were also associated with a worse outcome. The prognostic role of the abovementioned polymorphism was still present after adjustment for age (p=0.04, HR=3.23, 95% CI:1.01-10.36) and Ann Arbor stage (p=0.02, HR=3.58, 95% CI:1.1-11.6) in univariate regression. After adjustment for FLIPI status as a whole, only a trend of association of 2578CC genotype with a worse outcome was found in the study (p=0.05, HR=3.24, 95% CI: 0.95-13.05).Conclusion: Our results present, for the first time, preliminary evidence that FL patients with the VEGF 2578CC genotype, related to higher production of VEGF, are more likely to develop aggressive form of the disease at diagnosis, and to succumb earlier to death. We recognize, however, that our study is based on a small sample size and that more numerous cohorts should be analyzed in order to assess additional associations. Also, further studies, such as correlations between relevant AG genes and tumor vascularization, should be done in order to clarify this issue in the context of FL. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Correlation of FDG-PET-CT with Bone Marrow Aspiration and Biopsy at the Initial Staging in Follicular Lymphoma: Can We Omit Bone Marrow Biopsy in Some?

Introduction: The role of FDG PET-CT in follicular lymphoma is limited to accurate assessment of disease extent in early stage patients and selection of biopsy site in cases of suspected high- grade transformation. Despite the known FDG avidity of follicular lymphoma, FDG PET-CT has not yet been included as part of standard staging procedures in these patients. FDG PET-CT has shown significant correlation with bone marrow biopsy in Hodgkin and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. In this retrospective analysis we have assessed the correlation of PET-CT with that of bone marrow biopsy, the reference standard for assessment of bone marrow infiltration in follicular lymphoma.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed electronic medical records and database of patients with newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma registered at Tata Memorial Centre from July 2009 to Jun 2014, who underwent complete staging workup as per the current recommendations along with whole body 18FDG-PET/CT. The demographic features, performance status, stage, LDH, nodal sites, haemoglobin, follicular lymphoma international prognostic index (FLIPI), FDG PET-CT findings (bone marrow involvement, pattern of involvement- focal or diffuse, sites of marrow involvement, liver and spleen uptake, SUVmax of most FDG avid lesion) and bone marrow aspiration/biopsy (morphology, immunohistochemistry and immunophenotyping on aspirate, where available) findings were recorded. Focal uptake in marrow on baseline PET-CT was considered as marrow involvement if post therapy PET-CT showed resolution of these lesions. The sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive value of PET-CT in detecting bone marrow infiltration was assessed taking bone marrow biopsy as gold standard. The factors responsible for discordant results were analyzed.Results: A total of 54 patients (males-38, females-16) were included in analysis with median age of 50 years, (range 22-73 years). At diagnosis 83% (45 patients) had stage III or IV disease and 57% patients had high-risk FLIPI score. Approximately 88% patients had good performance status (ECOG-<2). Bone marrow showed infiltration in approximately 60% (32 patients) on biopsy and immunophenotyping. PET-CT showed bone marrow involvement in 18 patients (focal-12, diffuse -6). In 4 patients with focal PET-CT positivity, bone marrow was uninvolved. However, post therapy these lesions showed resolution, thus confirming the presence of disease pretherapy. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of PET/CT with respect to biopsy was 43.7%, 81.2%, 77.8% and 50% respectively. However, if we include the above mentioned 4 cases as true positives, then specificity and positive predictive value improves to 100% each. In addition, PET-CT could accurately predict absence of bone marrow involvement in stage I and stage II disease (100% concordance). The median SUVmax of most FDG avid lesion was 13.1 (5.25-34.93). However the SUVmax did not correlate with grade of lymphoma as the node biopsy was not done based on PET-CT results.Conclusion: This study shows that in patients with advanced stage follicular lymphoma bone marrow biopsy can be omitted if PET-CT shows focal or diffuse bone marrow uptake. Similarly, patients with early stage disease with no bone marrow uptake on PET-CT can be spared from bone marrow biopsy. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.