High International Prognostic Index Score Research Articles

Plasmablastic lymphoma: 2024 update on diagnosis, risk stratification, and management.

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare CD20-negative aggressive lymphoma with a poor prognosis under standard treatment options. Though PBL is associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection and other immunosuppressed states, it can also affect immunocompetent individuals. The diagnosis requires a high clinical suspicion and pathological confirmation. EBER expression and MYC gene rearrangements are frequently detected. The differential diagnosis includes EBV+ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, extracavitary primary effusion lymphoma, ALK+ DLBCL, and HHV8+ large B-cell lymphoma, among others. Age ≥60 years, advanced clinical stage, and high intermediate and high International Prognostic Index scores are associated with worse survival. Combination chemotherapy regimens, such as EPOCH, are recommended. The addition of bortezomib, lenalidomide, or daratumumab might improve outcomes. Including PBL patients and their participation in prospective clinical trials is warranted.

A single-centre, real-world study of BTK inhibitors for the initial treatment of MYD88mut /CD79Bmut diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

MCD (MYD88L265P /CD79Bmut ) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma has a poor prognosis. There is no published clinical research conclusion regarding zanubrutinib or orelabrutinib for the initial treatment of MCD DLBCL. This study aimed to analyse the efficacy and safety of Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) (zanubrutinib or orelabrutinib) therapy for newly diagnosed DLBCL patients with MYD88mut and/or CD79Bmut . Twenty-three newly diagnosed DLBCL patients with MYD88mut and/or CD79Bmut from June 2020 to June 2022 received BTKi combined with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (R-CHOP) or rituximab + lenalidomide (R2 ). A control group of 17 patients with MYD88mut and/or CD79Bmut DLBCL who received the standard R-CHOP therapy was also assessed. We retrospectively analysed clinical characteristics, safety, overall response rate (ORR), complete response (CR) rate and progression-free survival (PFS) of the two groups. The main clinical features were a high International Prognostic Index (IPI) score (≥3, 22/40, 55%) and a high rate of extranodal involvement (27/40,67.5%). Among the 23 DLBCL patients, 18 received BTKi + R-CHOP, and five elderly DLBCL patients were treated with BTKi + R2 . Compared with those in the control group (ORR 70.6%, CRR 52.9%, 1-year PFS rate 41.2%), improved ORR, CRR and PFS results were observed in the BTKi + R-CHOP group (100%, 94.4% and 88.9%, p = 0.019, 0.007, and 0.0001). In subgroup analyses based on genetic subtypes, cell origin, dual expression or IPI score, patients in the BTKi + R-CHOP group had better PFS than patients in the control group. In the BTKi + R-CHOP group, no significant difference was found in ORR, CRR and PFS based on subtype analysis, while BTKi-type subgroups exhibited statistically significant differences in 1-year PFS (p = 0.028). There were no significant differences in grade 3-4 haematological toxicity (p = 1) and grade 3-4 non-haematological toxicity (p = 0.49) between the BTKi + R-CHOP and R-CHOP treatment groups. In the BTKi + R2 group, the ORR was 100%, the CRR was 80%, and the 1-year PFS rate was 80%. The incidences of grade 3-4 haematologic toxicity and non-haematological toxicity were both 40%. No bleeding or cardiovascular events of grade 3 or higher occurred in any patients. The efficacy of BTKi combined with R-CHOP was similar to previous reports, which was significantly better than R-CHOP alone. It is necessary to fully consider that 14 patients in the BTKi + R-CHOP group received a BTKi as maintenance therapy when evaluating efficacy. Meanwhile, the addition of a BTKi may improve the prognosis of non-GCB, DEL or high-IPI-score DLBCL patients with MYD88mut and/or CD79Bmut . In our study, five elderly DLBCL patients with MYD88mut and/or CD79Bmut were achieved better ORR, CRR, PFS than the historical data of R-miniCHOP treatment and Ibrutinib + R2 treatment. However, the efficacy and benefit of BTKis for this type of DLBCL need to be further analysed using a larger sample size. This study suggests that newly diagnosed DLBCL patients with MYD88mut and/or CD79Bmut may benefit from BTKis according to real-world clinical data.

Clinical Features and Prognosis Analysis of 168 Cases of MYC/BCL2 Double Expression Diffuse Large B Lymphoma

Objective: A retrospective study of the clinical features and prognosis of MYC/BCL2 double-expressor diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DEL). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients diagnosed with MYC/BCL2 double-expressor diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DEL) for the first time by pathological and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques at Fujian Medical University Affiliated Union Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021. Clinical features, immunohistochemistry, laboratory tests, treatment plans, and follow-up information of all patients were collected. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used for univariate analysis, and Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis. Results: Clinical characteristics:Among the 168 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), 13 cases (7.7%) involved the primary central nervous system. Of the patients, 95 (56.55%) were male and 73 (43.45%) were female, resulting in a male-to-female ratio of 1.3:1. The age of onset was at least 60 years for 93 cases (55.36%), with the youngest being 22 years old and the oldest being 88 years old. The median age was 62 years old. A total of 113 cases (72.90%) were classified as stage III-IV by the Ann Arbor staging system, 40 cases (23.81%) had B symptoms, 82 cases (52.90%) had an International Prognostic Index (IPI) score of 3-4, 84 cases (54.19%) had involvement of two or more extranodal sites, 87 cases (51.79%) had a β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) level of ≥2.53mg/L, 122 cases (72.62%) had a serum albumin (SA) level of <35g/L, and 103 cases (61.31%) had elevated levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).Survival status: Complete follow-up data were available for 162 DEL patients, with a median follow-up time of 20.38 (1-73) months. The median overall survival (OS) was not reached, while the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 37.1 months. Among them, and 58 (34.5%) died. Survival analysis was performed on 168 DEL patients, with 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year OS rates of 82.1%, 61.1%, and 58.9%, respectively. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year PFS rates were 69.5%, 51.4%, and 45.6%, respectively. Among the 93 elderly (≥60 years old) DEL patients, the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year OS rates were 77.2%, 52.7%, and 48.6%, respectively, and the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year PFS rates were 67.4%, 47.4%, and 43.7%, respectively. The 1-year and 3-year OS rates of the 13 patients with primary central nervous system DLBCL were 25.50%, and the 1-year and 3-year PFS rates were 16.70%.Clinical efficacy analysis: Among 168 patients with DEL, the complete remission (CR) rate was 62.5% (105/168), the partial remission (PR) rate was 3.5% (6/168), the overall effective rate (ORR) was 66.1%, and the relapse/progression rate was 25.6% (43/168). Comparing the efficacy of 88 patients treated with the R-CHOP regimen with 32 patients treated with sildalafil combined with the R-CHOP regimen, the results showed a higher CR rate (81.25% vs. 67.05%) and a lower relapse rate (3.13% vs. 12.5%) in patients treated with sildalafil combined with the R-CHOP regimen.4. Univariate analysis: Age over 60 years ( P=0.031), B symptoms ( P=0.031), advanced Ann Arbor stage (P=0.003), high IPI score ( P<0.001), elevated LDH ( P=0.031), and elevated β2-MG( P<0.001) were significantly correlated with poor prognosis in DEL patients, and were identified as adverse prognostic factors. Non-GCB subtype ( P=0.029), B symptoms ( P<0.001), advanced Ann Arbor stage ( P<0.001), high IPI score ( P<0.001), decreased serum albumin ( P<0.001), elevated LDH (P=0.085), and elevated β2-MG(P<0.001) were significantly associated with poorer progression-free survival (PFS) among DEL patients.5.Multivariate analysis revealed that elevated β2-MG levels and high IPI scores were independent risk factors for poor overall survival (OS) in DEL patients, with HR values of 2.363 and 7.090, respectively. B symptoms, elevated β2-MG levels, and reduced serum albumin (SA) levels were independent risk factors for poor progression-free survival (PFS) in DEL patients, with HR values of 1.819, 2.879, and 1.987, respectively. Conclusion: Elevated β2-microglobulin and high IPI scores in DEL patients are risk factors for OS, while B symptoms, elevated β2-microglobulin, and decreased serum albumin are risk factors for PFS. Keywords: Lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell, clinical features, prognosis, double- expression lymphoma

The Prognostic Impact of Relative Dose Intensity of Vincristine in R-CHOP for Untreated Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Supplementary Analysis of JCOG0601

Introduction R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide [CY], doxorubicin [DXR], vincristine [VCR], and prednisolone) is the standard of care for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and cures around 60% of patients. However, some DLBCL survivors suffer from long-lasting peripheral neuropathy (PN) caused by VCR, and the dose of VCR is usually decreased to prevent severe PN. Though, there is a lack of information regarding the effect of VCR dose reduction on DLBCL prognosis, especially based on data from prospective clinical trials. Recently, VCR dose reduction was not associated with poor prognosis in patients with aggressive B-cell lymphomas, based on the results of the RICOVER-60 trial (NCT00052936) (Bewarder et al., Haematologica 2023). In this trial, R-CHOP was administered in 14-day cycles. To evaluate the clinical impact of relative dose intensity (RDI) of VCR (RDI O) in patients with DLBCL treated with tri-weekly R-CHOP (R-CHOP21), we conducted a supplemental analysis of the JCOG0601: randomized phase II/III trial of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (jRCTs031180139). In the JCOG0601 trial, RW-CHOP21 (CHOP21 with eight doses of weekly rituximab) and R-CHOP21 were compared for progression-free survival (PFS) (Ohmachi et al., Blood Adv. 2021). Methods Between 2007 and 2014, 422 patients were enrolled in the JCOG0601 trial. Among them, 401 patients who received at least six courses of R-CHOP21 (n=206) or RW-CHOP21 (n=195) were eligible for this supplemental analysis. Those who could not complete six courses of chemotherapy were excluded because their treatment outcomes might be impaired mainly due to their disease aggressiveness and not the dose intensity of chemotherapy. As PFS was not significantly different between the two treatment arms, these 401 patients were analyzed together (Figure A). The impact of decreased RDI O on PFS was assessed using the Cox proportional hazard model and two-sided log-rank p-values with several cutoff values of RDI O (95, 90, 85, 80, 70, 60, or 50%). The VCR dose was reduced according to the protocol. As a subgroup analysis, the impact of RDI O was evaluated in patients whose RDI of CY and DXR (RDI C+H) were retained, defined as RDI C+H were both ≥85% (high RDI C+H), or not retained, defined as either or both of RDI C+H were <85% (low RDI C+H). Clinical factors, including the cell of origin (COO), as defined by the Hans algorithm, were evaluated for their association with poor PFS. Result The baseline clinical characteristics of the 401 patients were as follows: median age, 62 years (range, 20-79), male sex (54.6%); performance status of 0 or 1 (97.5%); Ann Arbor stage Ⅰ or Ⅱ (53.4%); and International Prognostic Index (IPI) of low or low-intermediate (82.6%). The median RDI O of the 401 patients was 97% (interquartile range [IQR], 89-100). The median RDI of CY and DXR were as high (96% each). At the data cut-off date (Dec 2017), the median follow-up time was 59.4 months, and the 3-year PFS was 81.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 77.3-85.0). Among the cutoff values investigated, 95% of RDI O (<95% [n=161], ≥95% [n=240]) showed the smallest p value (log-rank test, p = 0.0679), and the hazard ratio (HR) of low RDI O against high RDI O was 1.452 (95% CI, 0.971-2.171) (Figure B); RDI O <95% clinically means VCR dose was reduced in one or more times. A cutoff value of 95% was used for further analyses. Patients with RDI O <95% tended to have low RDI C+H. According to RDI O of <95% vs. ≥95%, there was a similar difference in the subgroup of patients with high RDI C+H as in the whole population (n=324, HR 1.508, 95% CI 0.934-2.434), but no remarkable difference in low RDI C+H (n=77, HR 0.932, 95% CI 0.432-2.009). Multivariable analysis revealed that the presence of B symptoms (HR 1.859, 95% CI 1.078-3.207) and high-intermediate or high IPI scores (HR 1.721, 95% CI 1.031-2.873) were risk factors for PFS. However, neither RDI O <95%, low RDI C+H, nor COO subtypes showed no remarkable impact on poor PFS in this patient population. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that among patients with DLBCL who completed six or more courses of R-CHOP21, VCR dose reduction was not associated with poor PFS as much as the presence of B symptoms and high IPI risk. VCR dose reduction driven by toxicity might not impair its efficacy if patients can complete R-CHOP21 therapy.

Effectiveness of Chemo-Immunotherapy (CIT) and Novel Therapies in Second or Later Line of Therapy (2L+) for Patients with Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) Aggressive Large B-Cell Lymphoma (LBCL)

Aim: Patients with R/R LBCL after first-line treatment have poor prognosis. Multiple novel therapies have been approved for R/R LBCL in recent years, but CIT regimens are still commonly used. This study evaluated the effectiveness of CIT and novel therapies in 2L+ in patients with R/R LBCL and the association between patient clinical characteristics and real-world outcomes. Methods: This was a multi-site retrospective observational study of patients aged ≥18 years with R/R LBCL in the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) Consortium of Real-World Evidence (CReWE) cohort (patients followed from 1/1/2015 to 2/15/2023) who were treated with CIT or novel therapy in 2L+. CIT regimens included salvage/palliative chemotherapy, lenalidomide, rituximab, or obinutuzumab, used alone or in combination. Novel therapies included polatuzumab vedotin plus bendamustine and rituximab or variations thereof (i.e., pola-based regimen), tafasitamab plus lenalidomide or variations thereof (tafa-based regimen), and loncastuximab tesirine (lonca). Patients' demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed from the first confirmed R/R disease diagnosis and initiation of 2L+ therapy. When multiple lines of therapy (LOTs) were eligible for inclusion in the analysis, one was randomly selected as the index LOT. Real-world outcomes, determined by investigators at each clinical site, including overall response rate (ORR), complete response (CR) rate, duration of response (DOR), duration of complete response (DOCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were described for all patients in each treatment group and for the subgroup of patients with prior chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Multivariable Cox Proportional Hazards models were used to assess associations between select patient clinical characteristics and real-world outcomes. Results: The study population included patients treated with CIT (N=653), pola-based regimen (N=116), tafa-based regimen (N=55), and lonca (N=42) ( Figure 1A). The median (m) age at date of index treatment initiation across groups ranged from 63 to 74 years. Across groups, most patients had primary refractory disease-i.e., were refractory to the first LOT (69.5% CIT vs. 73.3% pola vs. 58.2% tafa vs. 71.4% lonca), whereas variable proportions had one prior LOT (65.5% vs. 17.2% vs. 43.6% vs. 7.1%) and prior CAR T-cell therapy (5.1% vs. 43.1% vs. 32.7% vs. 47.6%). In the CIT group, ORR was 33.8%, 15.5% of patients achieved CR, mPFS (95% CI) was 1.9 (1.7, 2.1) months, and mOS was 9.1 (8.1, 10.5) months. In the pola group, ORR was 42.2%, 24.1% of patients achieved CR, mPFS was 2.5 (2, 3.2) months and mOS was 7.8 (6.4, 11.8) months. In the tafa group, ORR was 25.5%, 14.5% of patients achieved CR, mPFS was 2.7 (2.1, 4.2) months, and mOS was 8 (5.3, 12.7) months. In the lonca group, ORR was 40.5%, 21.4% of patients achieved CR, mPFS was 3 (2.1, 5.1) months, and mOS was 4.7 (3.7, 10.8) months. Demographics and outcomes for all patients and those who received prior CAR T-cell therapy are summarized in Figure 1A. In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, International Prognostic Index (IPI) risk score ≥3, CIT as the index treatment type, and primary refractory status were significantly associated with time from response to progression/death (P<0.05; Figure 1B). IPI risk score ≥3, CIT as the index treatment type, and primary refractory status were significantly associated with worse PFS. IPI risk ≥3, ≥3 prior LOTs, and primary refractory status were significantly associated with OS. Conclusion: In this large clinical cohort of patients with R/R LBCL with high proportions having primary refractory disease, all common treatments were associated with modest ORR/CR and poor OS. Receiving CIT treatments, higher IPI score, primary refractory status, and higher number of prior LOTs were significantly associated with poor clinical outcomes. A study with larger sample size and longer follow-up may be warranted to further understand the clinical effectiveness of novel treatments. Thus, despite the availability of novel treatments during the study period, these findings highlight the need for more effective treatment alternatives beyond currently available options to improve outcomes.

Cyclin D1-Positive Expression Associated with Prognostic Significance and Clinicopathological Characteristics By Paving the Way for Proliferation in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphomas

Introduction: Cyclin D1 protein expression in lymphocytes is commonly associated with mantle cell lymphoma. However, it has rarely been reported in patients with diffuse large B-cell leukemia (DLBCL), particularly in Asia where studies on cyclin D1 expression in DLBCL are limited and often small. Furthermore, the clinical implications of cyclin D1 expression in Asia remain unclear. Methods: In this study, a total of 815 patients diagnosed with DLBCL and treated with R-CHOP or R-CHOP-like regimens over a five-year period were reviewed. The authors conducted clinical, immunohistochemical, and genetic analyses, with a specific focus on cyclin D1. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify cyclin D1-positive patients, and fluorescence in situ hybridization was employed to assess cyclin D1 gene (CCND1) rearrangements. A comparison was made between DLBCL patients with and without cyclin D1 expression in terms of clinical, immunohistochemical, and genetic features. Results: Among the DLBCL patients, 16 individuals (2.61%) exhibited cyclin D1 expression without CCND1 gene rearrangements. Cyclin D1-positive DLBCLs were observed in patients with a median age of 58.88 ± 4.07 years, with 93.75% of them classified as stage IV. The majority of cyclin D1-positive patients (81.25%) displayed elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels and advanced international prognostic index (IPI) scores. Additionally, all cases exhibited a proliferation rate exceeding 80%, and a significant proportion (93.75%) demonstrated MYC expression. Cyclin D1-positive DLBCLs were associated with elevated LDH levels, higher IPI scores, advanced stage, increased Ki-67 proliferation, and MYC expression (p<0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in other clinical characteristics and immunohistochemical features. Patients with cyclin D1 expression experienced shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to cyclin D1-negative patients (p<0.05). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying cyclin D1-positive DLBCL. Among the top 50 gene alterations identified, all samples exhibited BRD9 and NOTCH2NL gene mutations, while gene alterations in the PI3K/AKT signaling pathways were evident in cyclin D1-positive DLBCLs. Furthermore, a more pronounced variation in the MTOR gene was observed between cyclin D1-positive and negative patients. Notably, DLBCL patients with cyclin D1 expression frequently exhibited CDKN2A and CDKN2B gene deletions, known to regulate the cell cycle transition from G1 to S phase in tumors. Conclusion: Cyclin D1-positive DLBCL patients exhibited aggressive clinical behavior and inferior survival outcomes compared to DLBCL patients without cyclin D1 expression. NGS studies revealed a potential association between cyclin D1 expression and abnormal cell cycle transition and AKT pathway activation. These findings support the existence of a diagnostically challenging “gray zone” of DLBCL associated with cyclin D1 expression.

Effectiveness and Safety of a Cmop±R Regimen for the Initial Treatment of Patients with NHL

Introduction Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a globally prevalent cancer with a high mortality rate. Although advances in treatment have improved patient survival, patients with high International Prognostic Index (IPI) scores continue to face challenges. The CMOP regimen (cyclophosphamide, mitoxantrone, vincristine, and prednisone) has shown promising efficacy in peripheral T-cell lymphomas with an overall response rate of 84%, but there is a lack of evidence in other NHL subtypes. In this study, we present preliminary results of a CMOP±R (CMOP±rituximab) regimen for the initial treatment of patients with NHL. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT 2300074073). Aim This prospective, single-arm, open-label, multicenter phase 2 clinical trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a CMOP±R regimen including mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome in patients with newly diagnosed NHL. Method Adult patients with a confirmed diagnosis of NHL (predominantly DLBCL, MZL, FL, and AITL), ECOG performance status ≤1, normal organ and bone marrow function, and at least one measurable or evaluable lesion were enrolled in this study. Patients with significant cardiac dysfunction or uncontrolled cardiovascular disease were excluded. Treatment with the CMOP±R regimen was administered every 4 weeks for up to 6 cycles until disease progression or an intolerable toxic response. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR), which was assessed by the investigators. Secondary endpoints included duration of response (DoR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Adverse events were graded using NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) 5.0. The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee (IRB number: 2022021). Results From November 26, 2022 through May 19, 2023, 17 Chinese patients with various NHL subtypes who were eligible for enrollment were treated with the CMOP±R regimen. Nine of these patients were eligible for efficacy evaluation. Results showed that 100% of evaluable patients achieved an objective response and 66.7% achieved a complete response. Hematological toxicity was the most common treatment-related adverse reaction, with leukopenia (100%) and neutropenia (100%) being the most common grade ≥3 toxic reactions. Conclusions The CMOP±R regimen using mitoxantrone hydrochloride liposome showed efficacy in the initial treatment of NHL with acceptable and manageable adverse effects. The role of this regimen in the treatment of NHL warrants further exploration.

Phase II Clinical Trial of R-CHOP Combined with Lenalidomide in the First-Line Treatment for Patients with High Risk Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma

Introduction: Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Currently, R-CHOP (Rituximab-Cyclophosphamide, Epirubicin, Vincristine and Prednisone) is world-widely used in the first-line treatment for DLBCL, producing a long-term survival rate of approximately 60%. The unmet need is focused on high-risk DLBCL patients, having high International Prognostic Index (IPI) scores, non-germinal center-like B cell (non-GCB) origin, double expression of MYC and BCL2 protein, or TP53 aberrations. Lenalidomide is an active agent in the activated B cell-like (ABC) subtype of DLBCL by increasing interferon-stimulated gene transcription and activation of immunomodulatory mechanisms. At present, it has been approved for the treatment of multiple myeloma with good efficacy and safety. This is a prospective single arm, multi-center, phase II clinical trial and the goal of our trial is to assess the efficacy and safety of R-CHOP combined with lenalidomide in the first-line treatment for patients with high risk diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Methods: We did an investigator-initiated, open-label, phase 2 trial at the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University in China. Patients were eligible if they were aged over 18 years, had histologically confirmed DLBCL. The key inclusion criteria included untreated and medium to high /high risk DLBCL (International Prognostic Index (IPI) score 3-5, aaIPI score 2-3 or NCCN-IPI score≥ 4/ Immunohistochemical staining of double expression (BCL2 ≥ 50% and C-MYC ≥ 40%) or P53 protein mutation positive ≥ 50%). Participants in RL-CHOP cohort were given Lenalidomide orally 25 mg per day on days 1 through 10 of each cycle and delivered concomitantly with standard dose R-CHOP-21 chemotherapy. We also set another group treated with conventional R-CHOP-21 used as a matched contemporary cohort. The primary clinical endpoint was 2-year progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary efficacy endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), 2-year overall survival (OS) and safety. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT04214626. Results: Between December 2019 and January 2023, 63 patients with untreated DLBCL enrolled and were evaluable in the investigator-initiated phase II study. The median age was 59 years (range: 25-76 years); 49.2% of patients were older than age 60 years. 46 of 63 patients (73.02%) had a ECOG score of 0-1; 43 of 63 patients (68.25%) had stage III-IV disease, and 33 of 63 patients (52.38%) had ≥2 extranodal localizations. The IPI score was high-intermediate and high in 73.02% (46/63) of patients. 51 of 63 patients (80.95%) were non-GCB subtype; 25 of 63 patients (39.68%) were double expressor. The TP53 protein was positive in 34.55% (19/55) of patients. In RL-CHOP cohort, the complete response rate was 80.95%, with overall response rate achieving 100%. The median follow-up time was 18.25 (3.73-42) months, median PFS and OS were not reached, and 2-year PFS and OS was 71.1% (+-6.7) and 87.4% (+-4.5), respectively. Comparing with historical matched contemporary cohort, the 2-year PFS and OS rates were improved for medium to high /high risk DLBCL. The most common adverse events of treatment were hematologic toxicities. Grade 3/4 AEs occurred in ≥20% patients were neutropenia, leukopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia and decreased serum potassium, without bleeding complications. No grade 4 non-hematological adverse event was reported. Conclusion: RL-CHOP is effective and safe in patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL with high risk. Relevance of molecular biomarkers on RL-CHOP response warrants further investigation in DLBCL.

Treatment Pattern and Survival of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection-Related Lymphoma in China 2008-2021

Background Over the past few decades, little has been known about HIV-related lymphoma, and there has been a lack of treatment. However, with the development of cART therapy in the 1990s, the survival of HIV-related lymphoma patients has been significantly improved, but there is still a lack of large-scale data reports on HIV-related lymphoma patients in China.Therefore, we performed a multi-center study to analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of HIV-related lymphoma patients in China. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of 443 patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection-related lymphoma from eleven large academic centers in China from 2008 to 2021. Results In the entire cohort, the median age was 47 years (range, 18-90) at lymphoma diagnosis, and 364 patients were male (82.2%).More than half of the patients came from public health treatment centers. The most common type of pathology was DLBCL (61.6%)and BL (10.6%). Most patients had elevated lactate dehydrogenase (56.2%), bulky tumor(30.7%), B symptoms(39.3%), extranodal involvement(52.8%), and advanced Ann Arbor stage (60.3%) at diagnosis. High international prognostic index (IPI) score (3-5) at diagnosis was found in 58.7% of patients. The number of patients with CD4 cell count below 200/μl was 244, accounting for 55.1% of the total. The percentage of patients who gave up chemotherapy was as high as 15.6%. The median follow-up of our cohort was 10.1 (0.1-160) months. The overall 1-year OS rates 70.2%. Cox univariate analysis showed that education level(HR=0.682, 95%CI 0.468-0.994; p=0.046),B symptoms(HR=0.730, 95%CI 0.562-0.948; p=0.018),PLR(ratio of the number of platelets to the number of lymphocytes)(HR=1.000, 95%CI 1.000-1.001; p=0.044),elevated LDH(HR=0.607, 95%CI 0.463-0.769; p=0.000),extranodal involvement(HR=1.498, 95%CI 1.141-1.968; p=0.004) were independent risk factor for adverse prognosis based on overall survival (OS).The overall 1-year PFS rates was 67.4%.Cox univariate analysis showed that age≥60(HR=1.819, 95%CI 1.197-2.763; p=0.005),anemia(Hb<120g/L)(HR=1.564, 95%CI 1.099-2.226; p=0.013),LDH(HR=3.646, 95%CI 2.115-6.286; p=0.000),CNS involvement(HR=2.209, 95%CI 1.384-3.524; p=0.001) were independent risk factor for adverse prognosis based on progression-free survival(PFS). Conclusion This is the largest retrospective study of HIV-associated lymphoma in China to date. Our results show that the proportion of men with HIV infection is much higher than that of women, which is positively correlated with the proportion of HIV infection. Patients with HIV-associated lymphoma have more risk factors at first diagnosis, including late stage, high risk layer, elevated LDH, extranodal involvement, and low CD4 cell count.

Expression of PD-1/PD-L1 in peripheral blood and tumor tissues of patients with classical Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Significant biomarkers can predict and estimate the response to chemotherapy for different types of lymphoma. Classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (cHL) and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) belong to different types of lymphoma, their prognosis is very different, programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) have been studied in these 2 types of diseases. However, few studies have involved the difference in PD-1/PD-L1 levels between cHL and PTCL. To find out the difference and relevant clinical application value, we collected blood samples of 29 newly diagnosed cHL patients and 11 newly diagnosed PTCL ones. At the same time, tumor tissue paraffin sections of 13 patients with cHL were collected at the initial diagnosis. Flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunohistochemical staining were used to detect PD-1/PD-L1 levels in peripheral blood T cells, plasma, and tumor tissues, and the relationship between the above results and clinical data of patients in patients with cHL were investigated. The levels of PD-1 on CD4+ T cells, PD-L1 on CD4+ T cells and PD-1 on CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood of cHL and PTCL patients were higher than those of healthy controls, the level of PD-1 in CD4+ T cells from peripheral blood was higher from cHL patients with stage III-IV (P = .0178), B symptoms (P = .0398), higher lactate dehydrogenase (P = .0056), higher international prognostic index score (P = .0349), and relapsed in later stages (P = .0306). The expression level of soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) from cHL (P < .001) and PTCL (P < .0001) patients was higher than that of the healthy control group, and there was higher sPD-L1 level in patients with higher international prognostic index scores (P = .0016). The dynamic detection of sPD-L1 showed that after 2 courses of chemotherapy, the sPD-L1 level in cHL patients with complete remission declined, but the level of sPD-L1 from patients with incomplete remission was not significantly changed (P > .05). In tumor tissues of cHL patients, PD-1(+) was 77%, PD-L1(+) was 69%, PD-1 and PD-L1 expression levels were high. Our results suggest that PD-1 levels in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells are helpful for the stage of disease in patients with cHL, and the dynamic detection of sPD-L1 level is helpful for the judgment of patients with cHL.

Challenges for quality and utilization of real-world data for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in REALYSA, a LYSA cohort

AbstractReal-world data (RWD) are essential to complement clinical trial (CT) data, but major challenges remain, such as data quality. REal world dAta in LYmphoma and Survival in Adults (REALYSA) is a prospective noninterventional multicentric cohort started in 2018 that included patients newly diagnosed with lymphoma in France. Herein is a proof-of-concept analysis on patients with first-line diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) to (1) evaluate the capacity of the cohort to provide robust data through a multistep validation process; (2) assess the consistency of the results; and (3) conduct an exploratory transportability assessment of 2 recent phase 3 CTs (POLARIX and SENIOR). The analysis population comprised 645 patients with DLBCL included before 31 March 2021 who received immunochemotherapy and for whom 3589 queries were generated, resulting in high data completeness (<4% missing data). Median age was 66 years, with mostly advanced-stage disease and high international prognostic index (IPI) score. Treatments were mostly rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP 75%) and reduced dose R-CHOP (13%). Estimated 1-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival rates were 77.9% and 90.0%, respectively (median follow-up, 9.9 months). Regarding transportability, when applying the CT's main inclusion criteria (age, performance status, and IPI), outcomes seemed comparable between patients in REALYSA and standard arms of POLARIX (1-year progression-free survival 79.8% vs 79.8%) and SENIOR (1-year EFS, 64.5% vs 60.0%). With its rigorous data validation process, REALYSA provides high-quality RWD, thus constituting a platform for numerous scientific purposes. The REALYSA study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03869619.

Radiotherapy dose de-escalation in patients with high grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma in a real-world clinical practice.

The standard treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) comprises combined modality treatment, radiotherapy (RT), and chemotherapy with rituximab which has significantly improved both disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). However, there is no uniformity in radiation dose usage in these patients. In this retrospective study, we compared lower radiation dose with higher in patients with aggressive NHL. From 2007 to 2017, treatment records of all high-grade NHL or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and non-central nervous system NHL were included. We compared response rates, OS and DFS of patients who received ≤30 Gy RT to those with >30 Gy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done to determine factors affecting prognosis, i.e., age, sex, stage, International Prognostic Index (IPI), adding rituximab, and radiation dose. A total of 184 NHL patients treated with combined modality or radiation alone having complete follow-up details were analyzed. At median follow-up of 66.8 months, 5-year OS was 72.8% in high-dose group versus 69.9% in low-dose group (p = 0.772) and 5-year DFS 64.7% versus 64.1% (p = 0.871). Patients having early-stage disease receiving low dose and those with advanced disease treated with >30 Gy had better OS and DFS though not statistically significant. Adding rituximab was associated with significantly better OS and DFS irrespective of radiation dose delivered. High IPI score and omitting rituximab were the only factors that significantly worsened both OS and DFS. Acute radiation toxicities were comparable in both groups (p = 0.82). Among late toxicities, no patient developed a second malignancy and 5% died due to cardiovascular complications (p = 0.595) though only two patients (1.1%) had received thoracic radiation. The two groups had comparable response rates, acute toxicities, DFS and OS. This study suggests that RT dose reduction may be possible in high-grade NHL without compromising the DFS and OS.

Consolidative Autotransplantation Achieves High Cure Rates in Adverse-Risk Large B Cell Lymphoma

There remains an unmet need to optimize the first-line treatment of patients with high-risk large B cell lymphoma (LBCL), particularly those with a high International Prognostic Index (IPI) score or a positive interim positron emission tomography (PET) scan who experience poor outcomes with R-CHOP. This study was conducted to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of consolidative autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) among patients with high-risk LBCL. This retrospective study included consecutive patients with LBCL and IPI score 4 or 5 who underwent consolidative ASCT as part of first-line therapy in Alberta, Canada. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and disease-specific survival (DSS) were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method. The study cohort comprised 114 patients with median age of 60 years (range, 18 to 73 years), of whom 81 (71%) had an IPI score of 4 and 33 (29%) had an IPI score of 5. With a median follow-up of 5.6 years, the 5-year PFS was 72% (95% confidence interval [CI], 62% to 79%), 5-year OS was 74% (95% CI, 64% to 81%), and 5-year DSS was 80% (95% CI, 71% to 87%). There was no significant difference in PFS among patients with and patients without positive interim PET scans (n = 24), MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements (n = 26), or central nervous system involvement (n = 15). Consolidative ASCT is associated with high cure rates and favorable survival outcomes in patients with high-risk LBCL and may overcome the adverse prognostic impact of a positive interim PET scan.

Association between serum albumin levels and survival in elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a single-center retrospective study.

In clinical hematology, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is notably heterogeneous and varies in prognosis. Serum albumin (SA) is considered a biomarker of prognostic value in a number of hematologic malignancies. However, current knowledge of the association between SA levels and survival is limited, especially in DLBCL patients aged ≥70 years. Thus, this study sought to assess the prognostic value of SA levels among this age group of patients. The data of DLBCL patients aged ≥70 years at the Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital in China from 2010 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. The SA levels were measured using standard procedures. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival time, and the Cox proportional hazards model for time-to-event data was used to identify potential risk factors. The data of 96 participants were included in the study. The univariate analysis showed that B symptoms, Ann Arbor stage III or IV of the disease, high International Prognostic Index (IPI) scores, high NCCN-IPI scores, and low SA levels were prognostic factors for an undesirable overall survival (OS) rate. The multivariate analysis showed that a high SA level (hazard ratio: 0.43; 95% confidence interval: 0.2-0.88; P=0.022) was an independent prognostic factor of superior outcomes. An SA level ≥4.0 g/dL was identified as an independent biomarker of prognostic value for DLBCL patients aged ≥70 years.

ZUMA-23: A global, phase 3, randomized controlled study of axicabtagene ciloleucel versus standard of care as first-line therapy in patients with high-risk large B-cell lymphoma.

TPS7578 Background: The nearly 40% of patients (pts) with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) who are refractory to or relapse after current first-line (1L) standard-of-care (SOC) regimens, such as R-CHOP (rituximab [R] + cyclophosphamide [C], doxorubicin [H], vincristine [O], and prednisone [P]) and DA-EPOCH-R (dose-adjusted etoposide [DA-E]), have poor prognoses. High International Prognostic Index (IPI) score and the subtype of high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL) are associated with shorter progression-free and overall survival (PFS and OS; Nastoupil LJ and Bartlett NL. J Clin Oncol. 2023). Strategies to improve outcomes in these subgroups have been largely unsuccessful; therefore, therapeutic options with a different mechanism of action are needed. Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved to treat pts with relapsed/refractory (R/R) LBCL after demonstrating significant clinical benefit as 2L (ZUMA-7; Locke FL, et al. N Engl J Med. 2022) and ≥3L (ZUMA-1; Neelapu SS, et al. N Engl J Med. 2017) therapy. Additionally, in the Phase 2 ZUMA-12 study in pts with refractory 1L LBCL, axi-cel showed a high rate of durable responses with an objective response rate of 89% (complete response rate, 78%) and an ongoing response rate of 73% (median follow-up, 15.9 mo; Neelapu SS, et al. Nat Med. 2022). ZUMA-23 is the first Phase 3, randomized controlled study to evaluate CAR T-cell therapy as a 1L regimen for any cancer and will assess axi-cel versus SOC in pts with high-risk LBCL, defined as IPI 4-5. Methods: The Phase 3 trial design will enroll ≈300 adult pts with high-risk, histologically confirmed LBCL based on the 2016 WHO classification, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), HGBL, and transformed follicular or marginal zone lymphoma (Swerdlow SH, et al. Blood. 2016). Eligible pts will receive 1 cycle of R-chemotherapy and then be randomized 1:1 to receive axi-cel or continue with SOC. Pts in the axi-cel arm will undergo leukapheresis and then receive R-CHOP or DA-EPOCH-R as bridging therapy, followed by lymphodepleting chemotherapy (fludarabine/cyclophosphamide), and a single axi-cel infusion (2×106 CAR T cells/kg). Prophylactic corticosteroids may be administered to reduce the incidence and severity of cytokine release syndrome at the investigator’s discretion. Pts in the SOC arm will receive 5 additional cycles of R-CHOP or DA-EPOCH-R (investigator’s choice). The primary endpoint is event-free survival by blinded central review. Key secondary endpoints are OS and PFS. Safety, quality of life, and pharmacokinetics will also be assessed. Pts with a history of HIV and/or hepatitis B or C and undetectable viral loads may enroll. Key exclusion criteria include LBCL of the central nervous system. ZUMA-23 is open for enrollment (NCT05605899). Clinical trial information: NCT05371093 .

ZUMA‐23: A GLOBAL, PHASE 3, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY OF AXICABTAGENE CILOLEUCEL VERSUS STANDARD OF CARE AS FIRST‐LINE THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH HIGH‐RISK LARGE B‐CELL LYMPHOMA

ZUMA‐23: A GLOBAL, PHASE 3, RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY OF AXICABTAGENE CILOLEUCEL VERSUS STANDARD OF CARE AS FIRST‐LINE THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH HIGH‐RISK LARGE B‐CELL LYMPHOMA

Zanubrutinib plus obinutuzumab versus obinutuzumab in patients with relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma: Updated analysis of the ROSEWOOD study.

7545 Background: In an early-phase study, the combination of zanubrutinib plus obinutuzumab (ZO) was well tolerated and associated with an early signal of efficacy in patients (pts) with follicular lymphoma (FL) (Tam et al. Blood Adv 2020). ROSEWOOD (NCT03332017) is a phase 2, randomized study designed to assess efficacy and safety of ZO vs obinutuzumab (O) in pts with relapsed/refractory (R/R) FL. Here, we present an updated analysis with a median follow-up of 20.2 mo. Methods: Pts with R/R FL (grade 1–3a) who received ≥2 lines of therapy including an anti-CD20 antibody and alkylating agent were randomized 2:1 to receive ZO or O. Zanubrutinib was given at 160 mg twice daily until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) by independent central review. Secondary endpoints included duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), time to next treatment (TTNT), overall survival (OS), and safety. Results: A total of 217 pts were randomized (145 for ZO; 72 for O). Median age was 64 years. Of the 217 pts, 114 (52.5%) had a high Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) score at screening and 123 (56.7%) pts had high tumor burden criteria according to Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes Folliculaires (GELF) criteria. Median number of prior lines of therapy was 3 (range, 2–11). A total of 114 (52.5%) pts were refractory to rituximab; 214 (98.6%) pts received prior immunochemotherapy. Prior exposure to anticancer drugs included anthracyclines (80.6%), cyclophosphamide (94.0%), and bendamustine (54.8%). ORR was 69.0% (ZO) vs 45.8% (O) ( P = 0.0012). Complete response rate was 39.3% (ZO) vs 19.4% (O); 18-mo DOR rate was 69.3% (ZO) vs 41.9% (O); median PFS was 28.0 mo (ZO) vs 10.4 mo (O) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.50 [95% CI: 0.33, 0.75]; P = 0.0007). Median TTNT was not evaluable for ZO and 12.2 mo for O (HR, 0.34 [95% CI: 0.22, 0.52]; P &lt; 0.0001). Estimated OS rate at 24 mo was 77.3% (ZO) and 71.4% (O), with median OS not reached in either arm. Nonhematologic treatment-emergent adverse events of any grade that occurred more frequently for ZO vs O ( &gt; 5% difference) were petechiae (6.3% vs 0%) and herpes zoster infection (6.3% vs 0%); in contrast, pyrexia (13.3% vs 19.7%) and infusion-related reaction (2.8% vs 9.9%) occurred more frequently in pts on O. When adjusted for duration of treatment exposure, incidences of infection and cytopenia were similar, and incidence of all grades of hemorrhage was 2.4 (ZO) vs 1.3 (O) persons per 100 person-months. Two pts in each treatment group reported major hemorrhage. Incidences of atrial fibrillation and hypertension were low and similar in both treatment arms. Conclusions: ZO demonstrated meaningful activity and a manageable safety profile in pts with heavily pretreated R/R FL, representing a potential novel therapy. Clinical trial information: NCT03332017 .

Myc rearrangement and concurrent high protein expression of C-Myc/Bcl2 carry an adverse prognosis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

PurposeDiffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogeneous group of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, characterized by a variety of clinicopathological, histomorphological, immunophenotypic, and molecular genetic features. The subtype of DLBCL known as double-expressor lymphoma (DEL) is associated with an adverse prognosis when treated with R-CHOP. Our study aimed to investigate the clinicopathologic features of DEL and the prognostic roles of Myc rearrangement and C-Myc expression in DEL patients. Patients and methodsWe conducted a retrospective study of 145 patients who were identified through fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing. ResultsWe found that DEL patients were more likely to have a non-germinal center B-cell (GCB) subtype, stage III/IV disease, and a high International Prognostic Index (IPI) score. Our survival analysis indicated that Myc rearrangement and C-Myc expression were associated with poor prognosis. Although DEL patients with Myc rearrangement exhibited trends towards worse survival compared with patients without Myc rearrangement, the differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.4008). The median overall survival (OS) of DEL patients with ≥70 % C-Myc expression (DEL-C-Mychigh) was 5 months. In the DEL-C-Mychigh group, the non-GCB subtype showed nonsignificant trends towards poorer survival compared with the GCB subtype (P = 0.1042). ConclusionIn conclusion, our study shows that a cut-off of ≥70 % for C-Myc expression in DEL patients can improve risk stratification, and suggests that more intensive treatment regimens may be necessary to improve survival in this high-risk population.

The Prognostic Impact of Tumor Microenvironment and Checkpoint Blockade-Associated Molecules (PD-1, PD-L1, CD163 and CD14) in Nodal Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma, NOS.

It is aimed to determine expression of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), CD163 and CD14 in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL), and whether these markers may predict prognosis in DLBCL cases. A total of 52 nodal DLBCL, NOS cases with no known extranodal involvement at the time of diagnosis were evaluated. PD-1, PD-L1, CD163, and CD14 were studied by immunohistochemistry. The relationships between the results and clinical and laboratory prognostic markers were investigated. It was observed that patients with PD-1 expression < 5 positive cells/HPF had worse overall survival. No significant relationship was found between survival and PD-L1, CD163 and CD14 expressions. In addition, cases that are > 60years of age, that have Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score ≥ 2, stage IV disease, high International Prognostic Index score score (≥ 3), elevation of LDH, low albumin level, low hemoglobin level, low peripheral blood lymphocyte count, high peripheral blood neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, high peripheral blood platelet/lymphocyte ratio were found to have worse overall survival. It was concluded that in patients with low number of PD-1 positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes have low survival rates and therefore PD-1 expression may be useful in indicating prognosis.

Maintenance regimen of GM-CSF with rituximab and lenalidomide improves survival in high-risk B-cell lymphoma by modulating natural killer cells.

The treatment of high-risk B-cell lymphoma (BCL) remains a challenge, especially in the elderly. A total of 83 patients (median age 65 years), who have achieved a complete response after induction therapy, were divided into two groups: R2 + GM-CSF regimen (lenalidomide, rituximab, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF]) as maintenance therapy (n = 39) and observation (n = 44). The efficacy of the R2 + GM-CSF regimen as maintenance in patient with high-risk BCL was analyzed and compared with observation. The number of natural killer cells in patients increased after R2 + GM-CSF regimen administration (0.131 × 109 /L vs. 0.061 × 109 /L, p = 0.0244). Patients receiving the R2 + GM-CSF regimen as maintenance therapy had longer remission (duration of response: 18.9 vs. 11.3 months, p = 0.001), and longer progression-free survival (not reached (NR) vs. 31.7 months, p = 0.037), and overall survival (OS) (NR vs. NR, p = 0.015). The R2 + GM-CSF regimen was safe and well tolerated. High international prognostic index score (p = 0.012), and high tumor burden (p = 0.005) appeared to be independent prognostic factors for worse PFS. The maintenance therapy of R2 + GM-CSF regimen may improve survival in high-risk BCL patients, which might be modulated by amplification of natural killer cells. The efficacy of the R2 + GM-CSF maintenance regimen has to be further validated in prospective random clinical trials.