High-risk Lymphoma Research Articles

Incidence of Restrictive Lung Disease Following Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for High Risk Lymphoma

Incidence of Restrictive Lung Disease Following Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for High Risk Lymphoma

Abstract C051: Alteration of protein translation by eIF4A1 inhibition exquisitely primes lymphoma cells to induction of ferroptosis

Abstract Background: Ferroptosis induction as a cancer therapy faces challenges establishing clinical therapeutic windows. Cells employ diverse mechanisms to prevent iron-mediated oxidation of membrane polyunsaturated fatty acids that causes ferroptosis, but populations with low rates of protein synthesis such as hematopoietic stem cells are more susceptible. Therefore, we hypothesized protein synthesis inhibitors might enhance therapeutic ferroptosis induction. Rocaglates, inhibitors targeting eIF4A1, have entered clinical trials with promising potential against diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), which also exhibits pre-clinical susceptibility to ferroptosis induction. Up to 40% of patients with DLBCL, the most common lymphoma type, have poor outcomes requiring new approaches to address these persistent unmet clinical needs. Our results reveal striking synergy of rocaglates, including the clinical compound zotatifin (eFT226), with ferroptosis inducers. TMT-pSILAC and RNA-seq analyses revealed profound deregulation of ferroptotic protection resulting from rocalate effects on protein synthesis. Methods: We used RNA-seq and TMT-pSILAC followed by mass spectrometry to analyze transcriptome and protein output in SU-DHL-10 DLBCL cells treated with zotatifin or DMSO for 24h. Enrichment analyses (Enrichr platform, ChIP-X Enrichment Analysis 3, GSEA) identified differentially expressed genes, proteins and transcription factors. We explored synergy between zotatifin and ferroptosis modulators in DLBCL cell lines and measured a wide variety of associated cellular endpoints including lipid peroxidation, glutathione levels, and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expression. Results: TMT-pSILAC translatome assessment during rocaglate exposure revealed expression alteration(log2FC ≥ 1.5) of numerous key proteins involved in oxidative stress (i.e. SDHB, SDHA, TRAP1, SCO1, UQCRH, ETFA, COX7C) and enrichment of factors indicating induction of an antioxidant response (CD98HC, NRF1, ATF2, SP2, and NFE2L). These changes led to high synergy of zotatifin in combination with a wide variety of ferroptosis inducers (Bliss δ synergy score > 10) and antagonism with ferroptosis inhibitors (Bliss δ synergy score < - 10). These results were consistent across multiple DLBCL mouse and human experimental systems, and preliminarily appear present also in models of T-cell lymphomas. Lipid peroxidation levels were significantly enhanced when zotatifin was combined with erastin (p-value < 0.0005). Moreover, zotatifin treatment resulted in elevated levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), an effect overcome by addition of ferroptosis inducers (p-value < 0.005). Consistently, GPX4 expression was also impaired. Conclusions: Rocaglates induce novel alterations in oxidative stress factors and associated response pathways, sensitizing B and T lymphomas to therapeutic ferroptosis induction. These findings provide valuable insights for using rocaglates in combination with ferroptosis induction to overcome heterogeneous resistance pathways in high-risk lymphoma patients. Citation Format: Paola Manara, Alexa Marie Barroso, Abdessamad Youssfi Alaoui, Olivia Barbara Lightfuss, Tyler Andrew Cunningham, Kyle Hoffman, Caroline Alice Coughlin, Jonathan Harry Schatz. Alteration of protein translation by eIF4A1 inhibition exquisitely primes lymphoma cells to induction of ferroptosis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC Virtual International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2023 Oct 11-15; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2023;22(12 Suppl):Abstract nr C051.

Efficacy and Safety of CD19-Specific CAR-T Cell Therapy Following Immunochemotherapy in Newly Diagnosed B-Cell Lymphoma Associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) represents a grave and potentially fatal systemic inflammatory condition. Lymphoma associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (LAHS), as a common type in secondary HLH, suffers the worst outcome among sHLH. B cell Lymphoma associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (B-LAHS) typically presents as high-risk lymphoma and is associated with a poorer prognosis compared to B cell lymphoma without HLH with standard first-line chemoimmunotherapy. As a result, there is an urgent need for more effective therapeutic strategies. Recent advancements in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy have demonstrated remarkable responses in relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL), as well as in some high-risk newly diagnosed B-cell lymphoma. However, There have been no clinical reports regarding the application of CAR-T cell treatment as part of first-line therapy in B-LAHS. We assessed the effectiveness and safety of autologous anti-CD19 CAR-T cell therapy following an immunochemotherapeutic regimen based on R-DEP (Rituximab-doxorubicin-etoposide-methylprednisolone) as a first-line treatment option for patients with B-LAHS. As of 1 July 2023, a cohort of 13 patients diagnosed with B-LAHS（with 3 cases enrolled before registration for clinical trials）was recruited for evaluation and met the criteria for assessing treatment efficacy at our institution. The overall response rate (ORR) for HLH was 100% (with 7 cases achieving complete response and 6 cases achieving partial response) prior to infuse CAR-T cells and the ORR for lymphoma also was 100% (with 10 cases achieving complete response and 3 cases achieving partial response) on the time of a month after CAR-T cell infusion. As of the follow-up date on 1 July 2023 (with a median follow-up time of 14 months), all 13 patients were still alive, 12 cases maintained sustained remission, while 1 case experienced relapse at 16 months after CAR-T cell infusion. The median overall survival (OS) has not been reached, and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 31.5 months. To provide comparison, we included a group of 26 patients diagnosed with B-LAHS who did not receive CAR-T cell therapy during the same period. The non-CAR-T group demonstrated a significantly lower median OS of 5.93 months and a median PFS of 4.43 months, highlighting the superior prognosis of the CAR-T group (p < 0.001). Regarding adverse events, the CAR-T group exhibited a cytokine release syndrome (CRS) incidence of 53.8% (7/13) and an immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) incidence of 30.7% (4 /13), all of which were classified as grade 1. None of the patients experienced non-hematologic toxicity of grade ≥3. While all 13 patients developed cytopenias, hematologic toxicity reactions ≥ grade 3 were observed in 76.9% (10 /13) of patients, but blood cell counts recovered within 3 weeks. Robust expansion of CAR T-cells occurred in all patients, with a median time to peak expansion of 8 days. Importantly, no exacerbation of hemophagocytic syndrome occurred following CAR-T cell infusion, and no patients succumbed to adverse events. In conclusion, our findings suggest that CD19 CAR-T cell treatment exhibits high efficacy as part of first-line therapy for B-LAHS, with a manageable safety profile.

Concordance analysis between practice and algorithm recommendations for cardiac screening in a cohort of high-risk lymphoma survivors.

498 Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of mortality among cancer survivors, with the risk peaking five or more years post-diagnosis. Among survivors, lymphoma patients receiving cardio-toxic therapies such as anthracyclines and mediastinal radiation exhibit an elevated risk for CVD-related complications and mortality. To address this concern, we have implemented lymphoma survivorship care algorithms that outline recommended cardiovascular health monitoring for these patients. Methods: In 2021, 387 patients were seen in the Lymphoma Survivorship clinic. Of these, 53 were previously treated with both an anthracycline and thoracic radiation. We conducted a review of cardiac screening tests and visits for this high-risk group, with the aim of evaluating the concordance between their survivorship care and the algorithm recommendations. Specifically, we assessed the frequency and type of cardiac screening received by these patients at risk for cardiac late effects from treatment, and the prevalence of cardiac abnormalities in the cohort. Results: The mean age of the patients at their most recent survivorship appointment was 53 years, while the median time since the last radiation therapy was 11.67 years. Of the patients studied, 84.9% had a post-treatment cardiology consultation, with 69.8% receiving cardiology services at MD Anderson. An echocardiogram (ECHO) was available for 90.5% of patients, with no abnormal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) reported. The average number of cardiology visits was 3.08 per patient, and the average time between the most recent ECHO and the latest survivorship appointment was 1.26 years. A lipid profile was performed for 98% of the cohort, typically during their survivorship appointment or a subsequent cardiology visit. Body Mass Index (BMI) and blood pressure were assessed in all patients, with an average BMI of 29 and hypertension reported in 28% of cases. Conclusions: We identified a high level of concordance in survivorship care and our algorithm’s recommendations for a cohort of lymphoma survivors with a high risk of cardiovascular late effects post-treatment. We conclude the algorithm was beneficial in guiding care in this patient population. Collaboration with cardiology services is crucial for identifying and monitoring high-risk survivors, updating cardiology care guidelines, and continuously monitoring long-term cardiovascular outcomes.

A pilot study of cord blood-derived natural killer cells as maintenance therapy after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Natural killer (NK) cell based immunotherapy is an emerging strategy in hematologic malignancies because allogeneic NK cells can provide potent antitumor immunity without inducing graft-versus-host disease. Thus, we expanded cord blood-derived NK (CB-NK) cells ex vivo from random (MHC mismatched and KIR mismatched) donors, and investigate the feasibility and efficacy of repeated infusions CB-NK cells as maintenance therapy after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Thirty-one patients with acute myeloid leukemia and high-risk lymphoma received ASCT and the adoptive CB-NK cell multiple infusions for maintenance therapy. Patients received a median dose of 5.98 × 107/kg (range, 1.87-17.69 × 107/kg) CB-NK cells and 23 patients completed four infusions, 8 patients received three infusions. Only mild infusion reactions occurred in 15.5% of 116 infusions. Compared to a contemporaneous cohort of 90 patients who did not receive NK cell therapy, the adoptive transfer of CB-NK cells as maintenance treatment showed a tendency of difference in decreasing the relapse rate between CB-NK group and control group (9.7% vs 24.4%). The patients who receiving NK cell infusions had a better PFS and OS than controls (4 year PFS, 84.4 ± 8.3% vs 73.5 ± 5.4%; and 4 year OS, 100% vs 78.1 ± 5.4%) . These findings demonstrate safety and validity of maintenance therapy using CB-NK cells multiple infusions after ASCT, and it is worthy of further clinical trial verification.

Toxicity Profile According to Etoposide and Cytarabine Dosing in Patients with Lymphoma Receiving Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation Following BEAM Conditioning.

High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is part of the treatment strategy for some patients with high-risk lymphoma by improving survival with an acceptable toxicity profile. Although the BEAM (BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan) intensification regimen is the most used, the optimal dosing for each drug is unclear. Here, we retrospectively compared the outcome of 110 patients receiving higher (400mg/m2, n = 69) or lower (200mg/m2, n = 41) etoposide and cytarabine doses in our institution between 2012 and 2019. Patients in the BEAM 200 group experienced less toxicity with reduced fever duration (P < 0.001), number of platelet transfusions (P = 0.008), antibiotic duration (P < 0.001), antifungal therapy (P < 0.001), and mucositis (P < 0.001) whereas length of stay, admission to the intensive care unit, and in-hospital mortality were not different between groups. Progression-free survival (PFS) was non-significantly lower in the BEAM 200 group (36-month PFS, 68% vs. 80%, P = 0.053) whereas OS was similar between the two groups (36-month OS, 87% vs. 91%, respectively, P = 0.12). Albeit a non-significant reduction in PFS, BEAM 200 conditioning intensity was associated with a reduced toxicity profile.

Glofitamab for Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Glofitamab for Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Real-world efficacy of DA-EPOCH-R/HD-MTX regimen in CD5-positive diffuse large B cell lymphoma: a single-institute analysis.

CD5-positive diffuse large B cell lymphoma (CD5+ DLBCL) is a high-risk lymphoma type. Recently, the PEARL5 (a Phase II trial of DA-EPOCH and Rituximab with HD-MTX therapy for newly diagnosed DLBCL with CD5 expression) study demonstrated the efficacy of the DA-EPOCH-R (cyclophosphamide, etoposide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, and rituximab)/HD-MTX (high-dose methotrexate) regimen for CD5+ DLBCL. In this report, we revealed the impact of the DA-EPOCH-R/HD-MTX regimen on the clinical course of CD5+ DLBCL in the real-world. We retrospectively compared CD5+ and CD5- DLBCL patients diagnosed from January 2017 to December 2020 and analyzed their clinicopathological characteristics, treatment, and prognosis. There was no difference in age, sex, clinical stage, and cell of origin; however, the CD5-positive group had higher lactate dehydrogenase levels and a worse performance status than the CD5-negative group (p=0.00121 and p=0.0378, respectively). International prognostic index (IPI) was worse in the CD5-positive group than in the CD5-negative group (p=0.0498), but NCCN-IPI (National Comprehensive Cancer Network-IPI) was no different between the two groups. The CD5-positive group was more frequently treated with the DA-EPOCH-R/HD-MTX regimen than the CD5-negative group (p =0.001857). Complete remission rate and 1-year overall survival did not differ between the CD5-positive and -negative groups (90.0% vs 81.4%, p=0.853; 81.8% vs 76.9%, p=0.433). We conclude that the DA-EPOCH-R/HD-MTX regimen is effective for CD5+ DLBCL in this single institute analysis.

Lymphopenia and outcomes of bendamustine-based therapy in follicular lymphoma.

e19540 Background: Bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) is the preferred first-line immunochemotherapy for follicular lymphoma (FL) due to its efficacy and generally favorable adverse effect profile. However, it often causes prolonged lymphopenia, and impaired lymphocyte recovery after BR therapy has been recognized as a risk factor for opportunistic infections. On the other hand, little is known about the impact of profound lymphopenia on the overall treatment outcomes of BR. We examined the relationship between lymphopenia and treatment response in patients with FL who received BR at our institution. Methods: We retrospectively identified patients who received BR as first-line therapy for FL at the Lifespan Cancer Institute between October 2008 and November 2020. We used log-transformed absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) as the potential prognostic variable, integrated as the area under curve based on all available laboratory tests over the typical duration of BR (6 months). Outcomes included complete response to BR determined by post-treatment positron emission tomography or computed tomography, survival, and occurrence of hospitalization or herpes zoster on therapy. The association between ALC and survival or binary endpoints was examined using Cox or logistic models, respectively, adjusting for age, sex, cumulative bendamustine dose, and baseline ECOG performance status (PS). Results: We included 53 patients followed for a median of 69 months from start of BR. At treatment initiation, most patients had a PS of 0-1, stage III or IV disease, and high-risk lymphoma as defined by the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) (Table). We observed an association between higher ALC during treatment and increased rates of CR (adjusted odds ratio, 2.50, 95% CI 1.04 – 6.00; p = 0.040), longer progression free survival (PFS) (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.53, 95% CI 0.31 – 0.92, p = 0.023), and overall survival (OS) (HR, 0.45, 95% CI 0.23 – 0.87, p = 0.018). Higher ALC values during treatment and 1 month after treatment initiation were also associated with lower probability of hospitalization (p = 0.048 and p = 0.028, respectively). We did not find a statistically significant association between ALC and rates of zoster infection, but the number of observed events was low (n = 6). Conclusions: Our results suggest an association between higher ALC values during bendamustine therapy and improved treatment outcomes. Improvement in PFS, OS, and hospitalization rates with higher ALC values may be due relative preservation of nutritional balance and immune reserve. The association with survival should be confirmed in larger datasets and its potential mechanism elucidated.[Table: see text]

Cost effectiveness of reduced intensity conditioning and transplantation of unrelated umbilical cord blood versus HLA haploidentical related bone marrow for adults with hematologic malignancies.

6591 Background: BMT CTN 1101 was a Phase III randomized controlled trial evaluating the comparative effectiveness of unrelated umbilical cord blood (UCB) versus HLA-haploidentical related donor bone marrow (haplo-BM) cell sources for hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in patients with high-risk hematologic malignancies (leukemias, lymphomas). We report results of an economic evaluation conducted as part of the clinical trial. Methods: 368 patients (90% of planned accrual) enrolled from 33 centers in the U.S. were randomly assigned to unrelated UCB (n=186) or haplo-BM (n=182) transplant. Healthcare utilization and costs were estimated using propensity-score matched cohorts of BMT patients in the OptumLabs Data Warehouse for trial participants &lt;65 years, and Medicare claims for trial participants ≥65 years. Cost-effectiveness was calculated from payer perspectives (commercial, Medicare) over a 20-year time horizon from time of transplant. Weibull models (best fit based on AIC/BIC) were used to extrapolate survival from 5-year trial follow-up data. Trial participant surveys (EQ-5D) were used to derive health state utilities for estimating Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess uncertainty in results. Outcomes were discounted at 3% annually. Results: At 5-year follow-up, overall survival was 42% for haplo-BM versus 36% for UCB (P=.06). Over a 20-year time horizon, haplo-BM is expected to be more effective and more costly for &lt;65 year-olds and in ≥65 year-olds it is expected to be more effective and less costly. In one-way uncertainty analyses, for persons &lt;65, the cost/QALY result was most sensitive to life years and health state utilities. For persons ≥65, life years were more influential than costs and health state utilities. Using probabilistic sensitivity analysis, for persons &lt;65 there was a 43% chance that haplo-BM was cost-effective using a willingness to pay threshold of $150k/QALY and 52% at a $200K/QALY threshold. Conclusions: Results from a large national clinical trial indicate that compared to UCB, haplo-BM was moderately cost-effective for patients aged &lt;65 years, and less costly and more effective for persons ≥65 years. Haplo-BM is a fair value choice for commercially insured patients with high-risk leukemia and lymphoma who require HCT. For Medicare enrollees, haplo-BM is a preferred choice when considering costs and outcomes. [Table: see text]

High grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC, BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements: unraveling the genetic landscape of a rare aggressive subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma

High-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements (DH/TH-HGBL) still miss an in-depth genomic characterization. To identify accompanying genetic events, we performed a pilot study on 7 cases by applying DNA microarray and targeted NGS sequencing. Interestingly, the genetic background of DH/TH-HGBL is largely overlapping with that of other high-grade/poor prognosis lymphomas. Namely, copy number abnormalities were trisomy of chromosome 7 and chromosome 8q gain, encompassing MYC. Among gene variants, those affecting transcription factors (MYC, FOXO1), epigenetic modulators (KMT2D, EZH2 and CREEBP), and anti-apoptotic gene (BCL2), were recurrent. MYC and BCL2 were mutated in 3 and 5 cases, respectively. In addition, mutations of FOXO1, previously reported in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphomas, were also detected. Clarifying the genomic background of this subset of high-risk lymphomas will pave the way for the clinical use of new biomarkers to: (1) monitor treatment response and; (2) consider alternative targeted therapies.

Salvage Therapy with Brentuximab-Vedotin and Bendamustine for Patients with Relapsed/Refractory T Cell Lymphoma. a Multicenter and Retrospective Study

Methods : This multicentric retrospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and the safety of the combination of BBV in patients with non-cutaneous R/R PTCL among 21 LYSA centers in France and Belgium.The primary objective was to evaluate the best overall response rate (ORR) (complete response (CR) and partial response (PR)). Secondary objectives were progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), duration of response (DoR), impact of transplantation on outcome, and safety. Patients treated between January 2013 and October 2020 were reviewed and all the data were collected through an electronic questionnaire sent to all the physicians.Results : Eighty two patients with R/R PTCL (40 angioimmunoblastic lymphoma (AITL), 2 T-cell lymphoma with TFH phenotype ,13 PTCL not otherwise specified (PTCL NOS), 5 Alk+ anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), 17 Alk- ALCL, , 1 Extranodal NK-/T-cell lymphoma, 3 Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (EATL), 1 subcutaneous panniculitis) were included. Median age at beginning of BBV was 60 years, most of patients were male (61%), had advanced stage (88%) and an IPI ≥ 2 (79%). Half of patients were refractory to their last treatment. Median number of prior regimens was 1 (range 1 to 6).The best ORR was 71%, with 51% of patients in CR. In multivariable analysis, only the relapse status after the last regimen (relapse vs refractory) was associated with ORR, relapsed patients having a better ORR (83% vs 57% in refractory patients, p=.014, OR=3.70 (95%CI:1.3-10.5)). Median DoR was 15.4 months in patients with CR but differed significantly whether patients were transplanted or not (Not reached vs 8.4 months, p=.0055).Twenty-two patients (30% of patients ≤ 70 years of age) were transplanted (6 autologous and 16 allogenic). With a median follow-up of 9 months, the median PFS and OS were 8.3 and 26.3 months respectively.In multivariable analysis, only 2 factors had a significant impact on PFS and OS: best response (CR/PR vs SD/PD with a median PFS of 17.4 vs 1.9 months, p<.0001, and a median OS Not Reached vs 5,9 months, p<.0001) and transplantation (for patients in CR, median PFS was Not Reached in transplanted patients vs 13.1 months; p=.0410, and median OS was Not Reached vs 34, 6 months; p=.0304) (Fig1). Histological subgroups was also significantly associated with PFS (p=.012) but not with OS (p=.26) in multivariable analysis. Patients with PTCL NOS/Other subtypes had worse PFS than patients with TFH subtypes (HR=2.89 (95%CI: 1.4-5.8), p=.0029). Interestingly the CD30 status (positive vs negative) had no impact on ORR or survival.Fifty-nine percent of patients experienced a grade 3 to 4 adverse event which was mainly hematologic toxicity. Treatment had to be stopped in 11% of patients.Conclusion:To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting on the combination of BBV in the treatment of R/R PTCL in such a large cohort.The results are very encouraging with a high response rate, long DoR in responding patients and a very good outcome. Furthermore, patients in CR who are eligible for transplant have the best outcome, making this combination a good candidate as salvage therapy before transplant consolidation in these high-risk lymphomas with limited treatment options. [Display omitted] DisclosuresBouabdallah: Kite/Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria. Herbaux: Takeda: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Abbvie: Honoraria, Research Funding. Brice: MSD: Research Funding; Amgen: Other: Travel/accommodations/expenses; Roche: Other: Travel/accommodations/expenses; Takeda: Research Funding. Sibon: Abbvie: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Roche: Consultancy; iQone: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy. Laribi: AstraZeneca: Other: Personal Fees; AbbVie: Other: Personal Fees, Research Funding; IQONE: Other: Personal Fees; Astellas Phama, Inc.: Other: Personal Fees; BeiGene: Other: Personal Fees; Takeda: Other: Personal Fees, Research Funding; Novartis: Other: Personal Fees, Research Funding; Le Mans Hospital: Research Funding; Jansen: Research Funding. Damaj: roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria. OffLabel Disclosure:Brentuximab Vedotin and Bendamustine

Clinical Characteristics and Responses of Patients with Relapsed or Refractory High-Grade B-Cell Lymphoma Treated with Loncastuximab Tesirine in the Lotis-2 Clinical Trial

Clinical Characteristics and Responses of Patients with Relapsed or Refractory High-Grade B-Cell Lymphoma Treated with Loncastuximab Tesirine in the Lotis-2 Clinical Trial

Outcomes of High Grade B- Cell Lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 Rearrangements: An Atlantic Canadian Centre Perspective

Background: High Grade B cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements (also known as Double-hit lymphoma (DHL)) is an aggressive B cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma which has recently been recognized by the WHO as a distinct clinical entity from Diffuse Large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Compared to patients with DLBCL, patients with DHL have poor outcomes with standard R-CHOP chemoimmunotherapy, and the optimal treatment regimen for this high-risk lymphoma is unknown. Due to clinical and genetic overlap with Burkitt lymphoma (which shares translocations involving MYC), treatment of DHL with more intensive Burkitt lymphoma protocols is a common approach. However, these regimens are associated with significant toxicity, and the superiority of these regimens over standard R-CHOP remains uncertain. At our institution, R-CODOX-M/IVAC has been the preferred regimen for fit younger patients with DHL.Objective: To review the outcomes of patients with DHL treated with R-CODOX-M/IVAC at our institution.Methods: In this retrospective single-centre study, patients with DHL receiving R-CODOX-M/IVAC were identified by cross-referencing provincial cancer care data and hospital pharmacy data. All adult patients with a diagnosis of DHL and who were treated with R-CODOX-M/IVAC between January 2009 and January 2019 were included in the analysis. The primary outcomes is complete response (CR) per standard lymphoma response criteria. Secondary outcomes include median progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival at 1 year, and median overall survival. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used for survival analyses.Results: 14 patients with DHL and meeting the inclusion criteria were identified and included in the analysis. The complete response rate was 35.7%. With a median followup time of 26 months, the median PFS was 31.8 months, and the median OS was 54.3 months. The overall survival at 1 year was 77%.Conclusions: A previous meta-analysis demonstrated inferior outcomes for patients with DHL receiving RCHOP, with a median PFS of only 12.1 months. The optimal treatment of these patients remains to be defined. Dose-adjusted regimens have been associated with a significant improvement in PFS compared to RCHOP (21.6 months versus 12.1 months). Previous retrospective data suggests R-CODOX-M/IVAC results in more favourable outcomes 2 year PFS of 41% and 2 year OS of 53% (Sun et al., Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia, 2015). Our data, although limited, that R-CODOX-M/IVAC may be associated with improved outcomes compared to published results with RCHOP. The limitations of this study include its retrospective design, lack of matched controls receiving RCHOP, and its small sample size. Nevertheless, this study adds to the small body of available evidence on this difficult to treat clinical entity. [Display omitted] DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Improvement in Outcomes of Autologous Stem Cell Transplant in Patients with Lymphoma Older Than 70 Years: The Significance of Age in 2020s?

Backgrounds: Autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) has been the standard treatment approach for patients with relapsed or high-risk lymphoma for several decades. Despite the improvement in supportive care, age has remained one of the critical factors that determines transplant eligibility and outcomes. Herein, we explored the transplant-related outcomes of patients with lymphoma aged 70 years or older at our institution and compared to those with younger ages.Methods: In this retrospective single center study, we include all patients with diagnosis of lymphoma who underwent ASCT between January 2000 and February 2021 at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. In addition to data obtained from the transplant database, we abstracted data from electronic medical record. We described relevant clinical characteristics and transplant associated outcomes including engraftment, transplant related mortality, relapse incidence, and survival outcomes. We compared the key transplant related outcomes with patients at the younger age group between 65 and 70 years old.Results: A total of 196 patients with lymphoma aged 70 years or older underwent ASCT between January 2000 and February 2021. The median age of patients at the time of ASCT was 72.4 (70.0-78.7) years with 24 patients (12.2%) being older than 75 years old. Of 196 patients, 76 (38.8%) had Charlson comorbidity index of 3 or higher and 10 (5.1%) had performance status of 2 or higher at the time of ASCT. Table 1 summarizes the relevant baseline clinical characteristics of 196 patients in this cohort including the comparison with younger patients (age 65-70 years old, n=296). The most common transplant indication in this cohort was relapsed diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The majority of patients (91.3%) received peripheral blood graft with a median CD34+ cell dose of 5.14x10 6 cells/kg which was significantly lower than younger patients (P=0.01). The rate of neutrophil and platelet engraftment was 99.0% and 98.8% with corresponding median time to engraftment of 13 days for both cell lineages. The 30- and 100-day non-relapse mortality (NRM) of the entire cohort was 1.5% (95%CI 0-3.2%) and 4.6% (95%CI 1.6-7.5%) not statistically different between 70-75 years old and 75 years or older cohorts. With the median follow-up duration of 48 months, the 2-year event free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) was 55.9% (95%CI 49.2-63.5%) and 67.4% (95%CI 61.0-74.5%), respectively. Patients from the 70 years old or older cohort had similar EFS but inferior OS compared to the 65-70 years old cohort. However, there was no difference in EFS and OS between 70-75 and >75 years old cohorts. There was overall an improved trend of 30-day NRM, 2-year EFS and 2-year OS over the 3 different transplant periods (Figures). Although not statistically significant, patients who underwent ASCT between 2000 and 2006 had a trend towards higher 30-day NRM compared to patients who were transplanted at later time points (7.3% vs 0%, P=0.06). The major causes of death included progressive lymphoma, infection, and conditioning regimen related organ toxicities.Conclusion: Outcomes of ASCT in older patients with lymphoma have improved over time with an excellent 30-day NRM (0%) in the past recent years. The major cause of treatment failure after ASCT was progressive disease. With appropriate patient selection, ASCT in older patients is feasible and provides acceptable outcomes comparable to the patients from younger age group. [Display omitted] DisclosuresPaludo: Karyopharm: Research Funding. Ansell: Bristol Myers Squibb, ADC Therapeutics, Seattle Genetics, Regeneron, Affimed, AI Therapeutics, Pfizer, Trillium and Takeda: Research Funding.

The role of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in aggressive B-cell lymphomas: real-world data from a retrospective single-center analysis

Patients with high-risk or relapsed aggressive B-cell lymphomas are characterized by poor prognosis. High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) can induce durable remissions in these patients and is potentially curative. Two hundred forty-seven patients with aggressive B-cell lymphomas treated with high-dose chemotherapy and ASCT, either as consolidation after first-line therapy or after salvage therapy for relapsed disease, between 2002 and 2019 at the University Hospital Muenster, were analyzed. The median follow-up of surviving patients was 36 months (range 0–163). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) after 3 years was 63% and 68%, respectively. After ASCT, 28% of all patients experienced a relapse. The cumulative incidence of non-relapse mortality at day 100 after ASCT was 4%. Multivariate analysis identified remission status at ASCT, age at ASCT, and the numbers of infused CD34+ cells as independent prognostic factors for both PFS and OS. Patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) or primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) treated with ASCT in first-line had a superior OS and PFS when compared to patients treated with ASCT in relapsed disease. For patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), early relapse (< 12 months) after first-line therapy showed a trend towards an inferior PFS and OS. Deaths after ASCT were predominantly caused by lymphoma relapse and/or progression (64%) or due to infections (23%). In conclusion, high-dose chemotherapy followed by ASCT in the era of novel targeted agents remains a feasible and effective approach for patients with high-risk or relapsed aggressive B-cell lymphomas. Remission status and age at ASCT, and the number of infused stem cells were of prognostic relevance.

Impact of initial chemotherapy regimen on outcomes for patients with double-expressor lymphoma: A multi-center analysis.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma featuring overexpression of MYC and B-Cell Lymphoma 2 (double expressor lymphoma, DEL) is associated with poor outcomes. Existing evidence suggesting improved outcomes for DEL with the use of more intensive regimens than R-CHOP is restricted to younger patients and based on limited evidence from low patient numbers. We retrospectively evaluated the impact of intensive frontline regimens versus R-CHOP in a multicenter analysis across 7 academic medical centers in the United States. We collected 90 cases of DEL, 46 out of 90 patients (51%) received R-CHOP and 44/90 (49%) received an intensive regimen, which was predominantly DA-EPOCH-R. Treatment cohorts were evenly balanced for demographics and disease characteristics, though the intensive group had a higher lactate dehydrogenase (LDH, 326 vs. 230 U/L p=0.06) and presence of B-symptoms (50% vs. 22%, p=0.01) compared to the R-CHOP cohort. There was no difference in PFS (median 53 vs. 38 months, p=0.49) or overall survival (67 vs. not reached months, p=0.14) between the R-CHOP and intensive therapy cohorts, respectively. On multivariate analysis, intensive therapy was associated with a hazard ratio of 2.35 (95% CI 0.74-7.41), though this was not statistically significant. Additionally, a subgroup analysis of intermediate high-risk lymphoma defined by IPI ≥3 did not identify a difference in survival outcomes between regimens. We conclude that in our multi-center cohort there is no evidence supporting the use of intensive regimens over R-CHOP, suggesting that R-CHOP remains the standard of care for treating DEL.

Chidamide, a HDAC Inhibitor, Combined with Cladribine, High Dose Gemcitabine and Busulfan with Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory and Poor-Risk Lymphoma

IntroductionHigh dose chemotherapy (HDC), such as carmustine/etoposide/cytarabine/melphalan (BEAM), followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) was a standard of care for patients with relapsed/refractory and poor-risk lymphomas for over decades. However, with the introduction of new drugs, such as rituximab, patients relapsed from or refractory to first line therapy benefit less from HDC with ASCT. To improve the survival of these patients with ASCT, better HDC combination is urgently needed. Our previous research indicated the combination of cladribine/gemcitabine/busulfan (CGB) had strong synergistic effect against lymphoma cell lines. Adding Histone deacetylases inhibitor (HDACi), vorinostat or chidamide (chi), to CGB further enhanced cytotoxicity, which warrant the clinical use of ChiCGB combination as conditioning chemotherapy. We started a phase II clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ChiCGB followed by ASCT in patients with relapsed/refractory and poor-risk lymphomasPatients and methodsEligibility included ages 18 to 65 and one of the following lymphomas: High-risk and relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCL), T and natural killer/T (NK/T) cell lymphoma, and hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Additional eligibility criteria included adequate renal, hepatic, pulmonary, cardiac function, performance status 0 to 1, no active hepatitis B or C.Patients received oral chidamide 30mg on days -7, -4, 0, +3. Cladribine was administered intravenously at the dose of 10 mg from days -6 to -2. Gemcitabine was administered intravenously 4 hours after the finish of cladribine at the dose of 2500 mg/m2 on days -6 and -2. Busulfan was administered intravenously at dose of 3.2 mg/kg on days -6 to -2. Dexamethasone 10 mg i.v. was given from day -6 to -2. Infusion of peripheral blood stem cells was on day 0.CR, OS and progression free survival(PFS) were calculated using standard methods. Statistical analysis was done using Fishers exact test or Chi-square test / Kruskal-Wallis test. Kaplan-Meier method was used for time-to-event analysis including overall survival and progression free survival. The Wilcoxon test was used to evaluate the difference in time-to-event endpoints between patient groups.ResultsForty-three patients were enrolled between Apr. 2015 and Apr. 2017. Median age was 34 years (range, 22-62). The diagnoses were DLBCL (N=19), T&NK-NHL (N=20), HL (N=4). Eight patients had double/triple protein expression of C-myc, Bcl-2 or Bcl-6 protein identified by immunohistochemistry; 2 had IVLBCL; 1 had transformed DLBCL; 13 had stage IV extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma (ENKTCL); and 2 had lymphoblastic T cell lymphoma. Twenty-tow patients were in first CR, 21 had R/R disease, and 5 had PET positive tumor before HDC.Stem cells source was peripheral blood. Median infused CD34+cells count was 2.1×106/Kg (range, 1.0 to 11.6×106/Kg). Neutrophils and platelets were engrafted on a median day +11 (range, days +8 to +14) and day +12 (range, days +9 to +22), respectively.The median follow-up is 10.3 months (range, 3-26.5 months). The progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of the whole cohort are 78.2% and 89.5%, respectively (Figure-1A). The PFS and OS in DLBCL group are 81.7% and 100% respectively (Figure-1B). Of 19 patients with DLBCL, only 2 with IVLBCL relapsed at 5.7 and 11.1 months post transplantation respectively. The EFS and OS in T&NK/T group are 73.7% and 78.8%, respectively (Figure-1C). Twelve of 16 patients with ENKTCL, 1 of 2 patients with lymphoblastic T cell lymphoma and 1 of 2 patients with T-NHL remain alive in CR at last follow-up. The EFS and OS in HL group are 75% and 100%, respectively. For the whole cohort, patients who had active disease before HDC demonstrated poorer EFS (80.9% vs. 53.3%; P=0.039) (Figure-1D).The most common adverse event was infection. Thirty-nine (90.7%) patients developed grade 3 neutropenic fever. Other notable toxicities included grade 2 (55.8%) and 3 (9.3%) mucositis, grade 2 (13.9%) and 3 (4.7%) dermatitis, grade 2 (9.3%) diarrhea and self-limited transaminase elevation. All these toxicities were manageable and there was no therapy-related mortality.ConclusionOur study showed ChiCGB combination can be safely administered as HDC before ASCT for patients with R/R or high-risk lymphomas. This combination showed promising early outcomes and warrant further clinical investigations. [Display omitted] DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Extranodal Natural Killer/T-cell Lymphoma

Objective:Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKL) is aggressive and resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a potentially curative treatment for high-risk lymphomas owing to its associated graft-versus-lymphoma (GVL) effect. However, its application to ENKL is limited. We aim to summarize the characteristics of allo-HSCT for ENKL and, more importantly, evaluate whether allo-HSCT could offer any benefits for ENKL.Materials and Methods:A systematic review and data analysis were performed to evaluate the performance of allo-HSCT in the treatment of ENKL using studies obtained from PubMed, Medline, and Embase from January 2000 to December 2019 in the English language.Results:A total of 136 cases from 17 eligible publications were included in this study. It was found that after allo-HSCT, with an average follow-up time of 34 months (range: 1-121 months), 37.5% (52) of 136 patients had acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and 31.6% (43) had chronic GVHD. Furthermore, 35.3% (48) of the patients were reported to have relapsed, but 2 of those relapsed only locally and achieved complete remission (CR) again with additional irradiation, chemotherapy, and donor lymphocyte infusions for one and rapid tapering and discontinuation of cyclosporine for the other, earning more than one year of extra survival. Finally, of the 136 patients, 51.5% (70) died because of primary disease progression (42.9%), infection (20.0%), GVHD (11.4%), organ failure (7.1%), hemorrhage (4.3%), and other causes (not specified/unknown) (14.3%).Conclusion:Allo-HSCT may be a treatment option for advanced or relapsed/refractory ENKL, but its role still requires more rigorous future studies.

Impact d’un programme de diagnostic précoce des cancers de l’enfant à Abidjan ?

To promote the early diagnosis of pediatric cancers in Ivory Coast, we have initiated a program to train local physicians in the warning signs and to raise public awareness. The aim of this work was to compare the times, stages and survival of patients before and three years after the initiation of the program. This retrospective study involved children 0-17 years of age admitted from January to December 2014 and from May 2018 to April 2019. The Mann-Whitney non-parametric test and the Fisher's exact test were used to compare time limits, stages and survival. One hundred and fifty-nine doctors were trained and 1020 people were sensitized. The median age of the 216 children included was 7 years, sex ratio 1.4. For both periods, the median consultation times were 75 and 30 days (P=0.003) and the median diagnostic times were 120 and 105 days (P=0.033). High-risk lymphomas accounted for 60.5% and 58.5% (P=0.99) respectively and nephroblastoma 46.1% and 56.2% (P=0.51). The overall survival was 31% and 30.2% (P=0.92). The early diagnosis program had no impact. The diagnosis times and the proportion of cancer classified as high risk are comparable to the data reported in sub-Saharan Africa, which vary respectively from 7 to 15.8 weeks and from 60 to 71%. This program must be intensified, extended to all health workers and include improving access to care.