Use Of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Research Articles

Use of Hematopoietic Cell Transplant for Hematologic Cancers by Race, Ethnicity, and Age.

Utilization of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for hematologic cancers previously demonstrated race, ethnicity, and age-based disparities. To evaluate utilization over time by race, ethnicity, and age to determine if disparities persist in light of recent significant increases in HCT volume. This US population-based retrospective cohort study includes patients who received transplants from January 2009 to December 2018. Data collection and cleaning occurred from February 2019 to November 2021, and data analysis occurred from January 2022 to October 2023. Method 1 restricted the analysis to Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) reporting areas for cases and transplants. Method 2 applied SEER age-, race-, and ethnicity-specific incidence rates to corresponding US census population and included all transplants reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. Race and ethnicity groups were hierarchically defined as Hispanic (any race), non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic Other (Asian and American Indian). Receipt of HCT. Utilization rate of autologous or allogeneic HCT for patients with hematologic cancers by age, race, and ethnicity. From 2009 to 2018, 136 280 HCTs were analyzed for 6 hematologic cancers comprising 16.7% pediatric/adolescent/young adults (0-39 years), 83.3% adults (40-84 years), 58% male, 10.3% Hispanic, 11.4% non-Hispanic Black, 3.8% non-Hispanic Other, and 74.5% non-Hispanic White patients, with 49 385 allogeneic and 86 895 autologous HCTs performed. HCT utilization increased over time for all disease, age, race, and ethnic groups. From 2017 to 2018, adult (40-84 years) allogeneic transplant utilization for acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) was similar for Hispanic and non-Hispanic White or Other patients but was lower for non-Hispanic Black patients (acute myeloid leukemia: 19% vs 13%; MDS: 9%-10% vs 5%). Similarly, autologous transplant utilization for lymphoma was similar for all race and ethnicity groups; however, autologous transplant for multiple myeloma was highest for non-Hispanic White patients and lower for all other groups (31% vs 26%-27%). In patients aged 0 to 39 years, utilization of allogeneic transplant for acute lymphoblastic leukemia was highest in Hispanic patients, followed by non-Hispanic White, Black, and Other races (acute lymphoblastic leukemia: 19%, 18%, 17%, and 16%, respectively). In this cohort study of autologous and allogeneic transplant utilization for hematologic cancers, disparities persisted for non-Hispanic Black patients. Hispanic, non-Hispanic Other, and younger age groups had increased utilization over time that was on par with non-Hispanic White patients in the most recent cohort.

Unicentric Retrospective Analysis of 130 Patients with Extramedullary Multiple Myeloma (EMM)

CONCLUSION Despite the development of new agents and the widespread use of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), the prognosis of patients (pts) with multiple myeloma and extramedullary involvement (EMM) is rather unfavorable. Until now, there are no generally accepted standards for diagnosis and treatment of EMM. We performed a retrospective analysis of 130 pts with EMM treated at Klinikum Chemnitz between 2007 and 2022. Various demographic and clinical factors were recorded in a database and evaluated for their impact on response and survival. The data cut point was July 2022, and for follow-up a minimum of 3 months was required. One hundred and thirty pts (89 men, 41 women) with EMM at a median age of 68 years (range, 37-87 years) were included. In 78 pts extramedullary involvement was detected at the time of initial diagnosis (primary EMM), and in the remaining 52 pts a secondary EMM was diagnosed at the time of relapse (n=38) or refractory disease (n=14). In approximately two-thirds of pts EMM manifested exclusively in the paraskeleton (n=84), while roughly one-third of pts showed an extramedullary organ involvement (n=25), or both (n=21). Cytogenetic data were available in 125 pts, with 39 pts classified as high-risk EMM (including del17p in 11 pts). ISS could be evaluated in only 56 pts, of whom 22 pts had ISS III. Elevated serum LDH levels were observed in almost half of the pts (n=63) at the time of EMM diagnosis. Treatment regimens included mainly proteasome inhibitors (n=106), immunomodulatory drugs (n=74) and CD38 antibodies (n=42). Fifty-five pts (42.3%) received autologous (n=44), allogeneic (n=8) or autologous-allogeneic HCT (n=3). Serologic response to treatment (at least PR) according to IMWG criteria was 63.8% (83/130) and imaging response was 56.9% (74/130). With a median follow-up of 84.2 months, median progression-free survival was 10.3 months and median overall survival was 23.8 months. In univariate analysis for PFS and OS, we found significantly worse outcomes in patients with secondary EMM (vs. primary EMM), EMM with organ manifestation (vs. paraskeletal EMM only), ISS III (vs. ISS I +II), and elevated serum LDH (vs. not elevated). Furthermore, pts with del17p had significantly shorter PFS, while detection of ampl1q32 (n=14) was associated with significantly worse OS. For other tested factors [lambda light chain involvement, t(14;16), dupl1q21 or tripl1q21, EMM diagnosis 2007-2013 vs. 2014-2022] we found no negative effects on PFS or OS. Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed secondary EMM as an independent negative factor for PFS (HR 3.62, p<0.0001) and OS (HR 2.95, p<0.0001), whereas detection of del17p was only associated with unfavorable PFS (HR 2.02, p=0.03). Our data show that the prognosis of pts with EMM remains poor. Despite the introduction of many innovative agents, outcomes have not improved significantly since 2013. There is an urgent need for diagnostic/therapeutic guidelines of EMM as well as risk-adapted therapeutic strategies (using modern immunotherapies and cell therapies).

Impact of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation on Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Insulin Sensitivity

The use of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for treating malignant conditions in children has increased over the past five decades, leading to a growing population of long-term survivors.This population of childhood HCT survivors faces increased risks of adverse medical effects due to cancer treatments, including adverse cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance. but the impact of exposure to HCT preparative conditioning regimen has not been clearly delineated. These risk factors, including obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and insulin resistance (IR), are significant contributors to premature cardiovascular disease and represent a leading cause of non-relapse deaths in childhood cancer and HCT survivors. This study aimed to assess the early development of CVD risk factors and their relationship to insulin resistance in a large population of pediatric and young adult HCT survivors of childhood hematologic malignancies. The study compared their cardiovascular risk profiles, insulin resistance (measured by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp studies), and body composition (determined by dual X-ray absorptiometry - DXA) with a cohort of sibling controls. We enrolled 151 HCT recipients (26.36 ±0.90 years at study enrollment; time since HCT of 2.6-31.5 years) and 92 sibling controls to complete at cardiovascular risk assessment including insulin sensitivity by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp, anthropometry, body composition by dual X-ray absorptiometry, blood pressure, and serum biomarkers. We used linear models to test for mean differences in all continuous outcomes between survivors and siblings, accounting for intra-family correlations with generalized estimating equations. Recipients of HCT were found to have lower insulin sensitivity and more likely to have adverse CVD risk factors in comparison to their healthy siblings. Significantly higher percent fat mass and visceral adipose tissue, and significantly lower lean body mass were noted in HCT recipients than sibling controls despite having a similar body mass index between the two groups. Total body irradiation in the conditioning regimen was one of the strongest factors associated with lower insulin sensitivity, dyslipidemia and abnormal body composition leading to sarcopenic obesity. This study reveals that pediatric and young adult HCT survivors are more insulin resistant and have a higher prevalence of adverse cardiovascular risk factors compared to sibling controls. The presence of cardiovascular risk factors at a relatively young age raises concerns about an escalating trajectory of cardiovascular disease in this population. Therefore, regular monitoring of HCT survivors for cardiometabolic risk factors and early intervention will be crucial for preventing cardiovascular-related complications in the future. The findings underscore the importance of survivorship care for pediatric and young adult HCT survivors, with a focus on managing cardiovascular risk factors and promoting a healthy lifestyle to mitigate long-term adverse effects. Early identification and targeted interventions can significantly improve the long-term health outcomes of this vulnerable population, reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease and related complications.

Successful treatment of eltrombopag following immunosuppressive therapy in pediatric aplastic anemia

Immunosuppressive therapy (IST) is the first-line treatment for patients with aplastic anemia (AA) who require blood transfusion when a human leukocyte antigen-matched related donor is unavailable. However, the proportion of patients with AA who are refractory to IST remains high (30%). IST in combination with eltrombopag has been studied in adults, but its efficacy and safety in children have not been established. We present three cases of AA that were initially refractory to IST but improved with additional eltrombopag administration. These patients were successfully managed using this strategy without the use of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). The first patient achieved a complete response within one month after receiving eltrombopag. When the second and third patients were given eltrombopag, they were able to safely reduce the amount of cyclosporin they were given. They avoided blood transfusions, but no measurable response was obtained. The conjunctival icterus was detected and treated using a dose reduction of eltrombopag. Eltrombopag may be effective in children with AA who are refractory to IST, allowing them to avoid blood transfusions and HCT. More cases treated with this strategy are needed to confirm its efficacy and safety for children with AA.

Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes in Older Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Survivors

The use of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has been increasing in older patients. However, the levels if distress, psychosocial functioning, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among older HCT survivors remains largely unknown. In this secondary analysis using data from 2 randomized controlled trials, we analyzed baseline Cancer and Treatment Distress (CTXD) and Confidence In Survivorship Information (CSI) surveys of HCT survivors who were age ≥60 years at the time of transplantation and alive and disease-free ≥1 year post-autologous or -allogeneic HCT. We analyzed associations of these parameters with the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores of the 12-Item Short Form Survey (SF-12) and a healthcare adherence (HCA) scale, after adjusting for transplantation and patient demographic factors. A total of 567 patients were included. The median patient age at HCT was 65 years, and 68% of the patients underwent autologous HCT. The median CTXD score was .7 (mild), and the greatest distress was reported in the "health burden" subscale. The median CSI score was 1.4 (moderate-high), with the lowest confidence reported in the "late effects" subscale. We found negative Spearman correlations between CTXD score and SF-12 PCS (P=-.59) and MCS (P=-.54) and positive Spearman correlations between CSI score and SF-12 PCS (P=.23) and MCS (P=.30). The median HCA scale score was high at .8. Male sex, autologous HCT, increased distress level, and worse CSI score were associated with lower use of preventive care. Older survivors experienced a low level of distress and moderate-high level of CSI at ≥1 year post-HCT. As lower distress and higher CSI were associated with improved HRQOL and optimized preventive HCA, CTXD/CSI measures can be used to individualize the care of older adult HCT survivors.

Improved outcomes with 7+3 induction chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia over the past four decades: analysis of SWOG trial data.

We have previously shown that complete response (CR) rates and overall survival (OS) of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have improved since the 1980s. However, we have not previously evaluated how the length of first CR (CR1) has changed over this time period. To address this, we analyzed 1,247 patients age 65 or younger randomized to 7+3 arms from 5 SWOG studies: S8600 (n=530), S9031 (n=98), S9333 (n=57), S0106 (n=301), S1203 (n=261). We evaluated length of CR1 and survival after relapse from CR1 over the 4 decades these studies represent. Both length of CR1 and survival after relapse from CR1 have improved over the last four decades. The relative benefit associated with CR1 and the relative detriment associated with relapse have decreased over this period; while achieving CR1 and relapse from CR1 still have strong prognostic associations with outcomes, the magnitude of the association has decreased over time. Possible explanations for these patterns include higher CR rates with salvage therapies after relapse, more frequent use of hematopoietic cell transplant, and better supportive care.

Photodepletion with 2-Se-Cl prevents lethal graft-versus-host disease while preserving antitumor immunity.

Acute graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), limits the use of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) to treat a variety of malignancies. Any new therapeutic approach must satisfy three requirements: 1) Prevent GVHD, 2) Maintain anti-pathogen immunity, and 3) Maintain anti-tumor immunity. In prior studies we have shown that the selective photosensitizer 2-Se-Cl eliminates highly alloreactive lymphocytes from the graft prior to HCT preventing GVHD and that antiviral immune responses were preserved following incubation with 2-Se-Cl. In this report, we investigated whether 2-Se-Cl treatment preserves antitumor immunity, and then used high dimensional flow cytometry to identify the determinants of successful immune reconstitution. Donor C57BL/6 splenocytes were cocultured for 4 days with irradiated BALB/c splenocytes and then exposed to 2-Se-Cl. Photodepletion (PD)-treated splenocytes were then infused into lethally irradiated BALB/c mice inoculated with A20 leukemia/lymphoma cells. Recipient mice that received PD-treated splenocytes survived > 100 days without evidence of GVHD or leukemia. In contrast, mice that did not receive PD-treated cells at time of HCT died of leukemia progression. Multiparameter flow cytometry of cytokines and surface markers on peripheral blood samples 15 days after HCT demonstrated unique patterns of immune reconstitution. We found that before clinical disease onset GVHD was marked by functionally exhausted T cells, while tumor clearance and long-term survival were associated with an expansion of polyfunctional T cells, monocytes, and DCs early after transplantation. Taken together these results demonstrate that 2-Se-Cl photodepletion is a new treatment that can facilitate HCT by preventing GVHD while preserving antiviral and anti-tumor immunity.

Chronic Health Conditions and Late Mortality Among Survivors of Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS)

Introduction: Five-year survival following childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has doubled over the last 4 decades due to advances in treatment and supportive care, including more widespread use of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). The impact on long-term morbidity and mortality among survivors is unknown. Methods: Cumulative incidence and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overall and cause-specific late (>5 years from diagnosis) mortality and CTCAE grades 3-5 chronic health conditions (CHC) were estimated among 5-year survivors of AML diagnosed <21 years of age between1970-99 in the CCSS. Comparisons were made by decade of diagnosis (1970s, 1980s, 1990s) and treatment (HCT vs. chemotherapy only [chemo-only]). Cox regression models estimated hazard ratios (HR) for health-related deaths and CHC based on treatment decade and HCT status. Results: Among 927 AML survivors (median age at diagnosis 7.1 years [range 1-21 years]; median age at last follow-up 29.4 years [range 8-60 years]; 16,069 person-years of follow-up; 37% treated with HCT [15% of 1970s survivors, 36% of 1980s survivors, 44% of 1990s survivors), the 20-year cumulative incidence of all-cause mortality was 6.7% (CI 4.2-9.2%) for chemo-only survivors and 13.5% (CI 9.2-17.8%) for HCT survivors. For chemo-only survivors, the highest incidence of health-related mortality were attributable to cardiac causes (1.5%, CI 0.5-2.6), relapse (0.9%, CI 0.1-1.8), and SMN (0.6%, CI 0.0-1.2), whereas for HCT survivors the highest health-related causes of death were relapse (6.5%, CI 3.7-9.2%), SMN (1.3%, CI 0-2.5%), and pulmonary causes (0.6%, CI 0-1.5%). When treatment groups were considered in multivariable Cox models, risk for late mortality was similar for chemo-only survivors from the 1990s compared to the 1970s (HR 0.4, CI 0.1-1.4), but risk was reduced for HCT survivors from the 1990s compared to the 1970s (HR 0.2, CI 0.1-0.4). The 20-year cumulative incidence of grade 3-5 CHCs among chemo-only survivors was 26.9% (CI 23.0-30.7%) compared to 46.8% (CI 40.9-52.7%) among HCT survivors, with the highest incidence occurring for cardiovascular CHC (chemo-only, 9.7%, CI 7.1-12.2%; HCT, 10.6%, CI 7.0-14.2%), pulmonary CHC (chemo-only, 1.0%, CI 0.1-1.9%; HCT, 2.9%, CI 1.0-4.8%) and SMN (chemo-only, 0.8%, CI 0.0-1.7%; HCT, 5.7%, CI 2.9-8.6%). Incidence of overall CHC decreased in more recent decades among HCT survivors (p=0.03, Figure); however, among chemo-only survivors, CHC incidence did not significantly change by decade (p=0.12). When treatment groups were considered in adjusted models, risk for CHC was similar for those treated in the 1990s compared to the 1970s among chemo-only survivors (HR 1.5, CI 1.0-2.3) and risk estimates among HCT survivors decreased over time but did not achieve statistical significance (HR 0.6, CI 0.3-1.1). Conclusions: AML survivors treated with HCT had a reduced risk of late mortality and serious CHC in more recent treatment eras. In contrast, treatment with chemo-only was not associated with differences in mortality and serious CHC risk over time. Five-year survivors treated with chemo-only had a significantly reduced risk of health-related mortality compared with HCT survivors across all treatment eras. While treatment intensification with HCT has improved the cure rates for AML in recent decades, there remains disparity in long-term outcomes among AML survivors treated with HCT vs. chemo-only. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Increasing Lengths of First Complete Remission with 7+3 Induction Chemotherapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia over the Past Four Decades: Analysis of SWOG Trial Data

Background: We have previously shown that the survival of patients with AML who fail to achieve complete remission (CR) with 7+3 has improved since the 1980s. However, although CR rates with 7+3 have improved over the last four decades, we have not previously evaluated how outcomes for patients who achieve a CR1 with 7+3 has changed over time. Here we evaluate if either length of first CR (CR1) after 7+3 or of survival after relapse from CR1 has changed over the last four decades. Patients and Methods:We analyzed 1247 patients randomized to 7+3 arms from 5 SWOG studies and restricted to patients age 65 or younger: S8600 (n=530), S9031 (n=98), S9333 (n=57), S0106 (n=301), S1203 (n=261). S8600 enrolled patients in the 1980s, S9031 and S9333 in the 1990s, S0106 in the 2000s, and S1203 in the 2010s. S9031 and S9333 were analyzed together. All 5 protocols gave 7+3 per existing standard, which changed over time. In S8600, S9031, and S9033 the ara-C and daunorubicin doses were 200mg/m2and 45mg/m2, in S0106 100mg/m2and 60mg/m2, and in S1203 200mg/m2and 90mg/m2. CR was defined morphologically. To account for censoring in the dataset, we used landmark analyses. To evaluate patterns in length of CR1, among patients achieving CR1 and alive at 2 and 3 years, we calculated the proportion of 2 (or 3) years spent in CR1. To evaluate survival after relapse, among patients who achieved CR1 but who relapsed in next 2 (or 3) years we calculated the proportion of patients alive at least 1 year after relapse. To account for changing patient characteristics over time, multivariate linear and logistic regression models were fit. Results:Overall survival has improved dramatically over the last 4 decades (Figure 1). Additionally, among patients who achieved CR1 and were alive 2 years later, the proportion of those 2 years spent in CR1 has significantly improved over the last 4 decades (Figure 2) from a median of 58% to a median of 96% (p<0.001). This trend was maintained in multivariable modeling (Table 1) and similar trends were observed using a 3-year landmark time. Survival after relapse also improved over the 4 decades. Among patients who relapsed in the first 2 years after CR1, the proportion alive at least one year after relapse has significantly increased from 32% to 52% (Table 2, p<0.0001). This pattern was maintained in multivariable modeling adjusting for patient prognostic factors (Table 3) and similar trends were observed using a 3-year landmark time. Conclusion:Both length of CR1 and survival after relapse have increased over the last four decades in patients age 65 or younger even after accounting for differences in patient characteristics. Possible explanations for the longer survival after relapse include higher 2ndCR rates, more frequent use of hematopoietic cell transplant in CR, or better supportive care. Regardless, the longer survival after relapse suggests analyses of event-free survival should complement those of overall survival when evaluating new treatments in AML. Acknowledgement:The authors wish to gratefully acknowledge the important contributions of the late Dr. Stephen H. Petersdorf to SWOG and to study S0106. Disclosures Othus: Glycomimetics: Other: Data Safety and Monitoring Committee; Celgene: Other: Data Safety and Monitoring Committee. Garcia-Manero:Helsinn: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Astex: Consultancy, Research Funding; Onconova: Research Funding; H3 Biomedicine: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Amphivena: Consultancy, Research Funding. Erba:Agios, Amgen, Astellas Pharma, Daiichi Sankyo, ImmunoGen, Janssen, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Juno, Millennium, Seattle Genetics: Research Funding; Amgen, Celgene, Daiichi Sankyo, ImmunoGen, Incyte, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Millennium, Novartis, Ono, Pfizer, Seattle Genetics, Sunesis: Consultancy; Celgene, Incyte, Novartis: Speakers Bureau.

Primary Plasma Cell Leukemia Outcomes Remain Dismal Despite Novel Agents and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Background Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is a rare plasma cell neoplasm with a high mortality rate. There have been improvements in multiple myeloma (MM) outcomes with novel induction agents and use of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) with maintenance, but similar progress has not been reported for pPCL. We examined the outcomes of pPCL patients receiving novel agents with autologous (autoHCT) or allogeneic (alloHCT) approaches as reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) in the modern era. Methods From 2008 to 2015, 348 pPCL pts underwent HCT (N = 277 - autoHCT and 71 - alloHCT) with 45% and 48% having research level data available, respectively. Cumulative incidences of non-relapse mortality (NRM) and relapse/progression (REL), and probability of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated. Cox multivariate regression was used to model survival after autoHCT only. Median follow-up in autoHCT and alloHCT was 48 and 60 months, respectively. Results AutoHCT Cohort Median age was 60 years and 93% received HCT within 12 months of diagnosis with 76% after a single line of induction (Table 1). 35% had high risk cytogenetics. 23% received bortezomib, doxorubicin, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, and etoposide (VDPACE). Moreover, 40% received bortezomib (BTZ) and immunomodulatory drug (IMIID)-based triplets. Disease status at HCT was VGPR or better in 47%. 27% received maintenance therapy. At 4 years post-HCT, NRM was 7% (4-11%), REL 76% (69-82%), PFS 17% (13-23%), and OS 28% (22-35%) (Figures 1A, 2A, 2B). Disease status ≥VGPR at HCT and Karnofsky Performance Score >90 significantly predicted superior OS in multivariate analysis. AlloHCT Cohort Median age was 53 years and 89% received HCT within 12 months of diagnosis (Table 1). 61% received a single alloHCT, while 39% used auto-alloHCT tandem approach. 42% had high-risk cytogenetics. 61% received total body irradiation with 44% receiving myeloablative conditioning. Use of VDPACE was higher at 41% in this cohort. VGPR status at HCT was similar (48%), while maintenance was used less often (12%). Grade II-IV acute GVHD occurred in 30% and chronic GVHD in 45%. At four years post-HCT, NRM was 12% (5-21%), REL 69% (56-81%), PFS 19% (10-31%), and OS 31% (19-44%) (Figures 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B). There were no differences in outcomes based on type of HCT. A comparison of post-HCT outcomes of CIBMTR pPCL patients from 1995 to 2006 showed that PFS and OS outcomes are inferior despite lower NRM in this modern cohort (Mahindra et al. Leukemia. 2012). In addition, analysis of SEER (1995-2009) and CIBMTR databases showed that use of HCT increased from 12% (7-21%) in 1995 to 46% (34-64%) in 2009. Conclusion More newly diagnosed pPCL patients are receiving modern induction regimens translating into a higher proportion receiving HCT, but without significant further benefit post-HCT. Post-HCT relapse remains the biggest challenge and further survival in pPCL will likely need a combination of targeted and cell therapy approaches. This study provides a benchmark for future HCT studies for pPCL. Disclosures Girnius: Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Genentech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Dhakal:Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria. Shah:University of California, San Francisco: Employment; Indapta Therapeutics: Equity Ownership; Genentech, Seattle Genetics, Oncopeptides, Karoypharm, Surface Oncology, Precision biosciences GSK, Nektar, Amgen, Indapta Therapeutics, Sanofi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene, Janssen, Bluebird Bio, Sutro Biopharma: Research Funding; Poseida: Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Nkarta: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Teneobio: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Qazilbash:Amgen: Consultancy, Other: Advisory Board; Bioclinical: Consultancy; Autolus: Consultancy; Genzyme: Other: Speaker. Kumar:Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding. D'Souza:EDO-Mundapharma, Merck, Prothena, Sanofi, TeneoBio: Research Funding; Prothena: Consultancy; Pfizer, Imbrium, Akcea: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Hari:BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Kite: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Research Funding; Spectrum: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sanofi: Honoraria, Research Funding; Cell Vault: Equity Ownership; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria.

Premature Aging in Young Cancer Survivors.

Advances in early detection, treatment, and supportive care have resulted in an estimated 16 million cancer survivors who are alive in the United States today. Outcomes have notably improved for children with cancer as well as young adults with hematologic malignancies due, in part, to the intensification of cancer treatment, including the use of hematopoietic cell transplantation. Emerging evidence suggests that these cancer survivors are at risk for premature aging, manifesting as early onset of chronic health conditions and a higher risk of mortality compared with the general population. Although the pathophysiology of premature aging in these survivors has not been fully elucidated, emerging concepts in aging research could help shed light on this phenomenon. Longitudinal studies are needed to better characterize aging in these survivors, setting the stage for much-needed interventions to halt the trajectory of accelerated aging. These efforts will be enhanced through collaborations between translational researchers, clinical oncologists, primary care providers, geriatricians, patient caretakers, and other stakeholders committed to improving the lives of the growing population of survivors.

Successful Allogeneic HCT for W.H.I.M. Unexpectedly Complicated By Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

Intro/Objectives Warts, hypogammaglobulinemia, infections, myelokathexis (WHIM) syndrome is a rare primary immunodeficiency defined by its symptoms and CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) gene mutation. This leads to myelokathexis in which mature neutrophils cannot exit the bone marrow, causing severe neutropenia. Use of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) to correct a primary immunodeficiency is well accepted; yet, due to the rarity of WHIM, data on HCT in this setting are limited. We present a successful matched sibling donor (MSD) bone marrow (BM) transplant in a 6 year old male with WHIM who developed unexpected respiratory complications post HCT. Methods/Results The patient was initially followed for congenital neutropenia and therapy consisted of weekly filgrastim. At age 5 years, he was diagnosed with WHIM by CXCR4 sequencing. Treatment was changed to plerixafor, but he required frequent dose escalation. HLA typing revealed his brother was an 8/8 allele match. Patient's history was significant for asthma, but no recent flares. He was unable to perform pulmonary function tests due to age. At 6 years old he received an MSD BM graft after myeloablative conditioning with busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and ATG. GVHD prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporine and short course methotrexate. Myeloid engraftment ocurred on day +20 with >95% donor chimerism after day +55. On days +76, +87, and +104, he was admitted for respiratory distress. Infectious evaluations only revealed EBV PCR in a BAL specimen obtained during the second admission. For this he received four weeks of rituximab. On each admission, he improved quickly with albuterol and systemic steroids, but symptoms recurred soon after returning home. During his third admission it was found that he was exposed to an African Grey Parrot in his home. Due to the close association of his symptoms with returning home, and his exquisite response to steroids, Pulmonology consultation lead to a diagnosis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. The bird was relocated, the home extensively cleaned, and while staying in temporary housing from day +110 to +275 the patient did not relapse. After returning home the patient had no further respiratory events. The bird was allowed to return on day +367. Patient has remained well on inhaled corticosteroids as of day +473. Conclusion Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is a type IV hypersensitivity reaction that can be linked to bird exposure. It is T cell mediated and IgE independent. Acquisition of IgE mediated allergies has been reported after HCT, but there are no reports of new type IV hypersensitivity development. Neither patient nor donor had previous hypersensitivity to the bird. Due to the transient nature of the pneumonitis in our patient, this likely represents an unusual case of abnormal T cell maturation post HCT. This case also emphasizes the importance of environmental exposures in post HCT respiratory symptoms.

Severe hypertension is an independent risk factor for posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome post-hematopoietic cell transplantation in children with thalassemia major.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is an increasingly recognized serious complication of cyclosporine A (CSA) and tacrolimus (TAC) use in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients. A retrospective study was carried out, including 84 cases of HCT for TM from January 2012 to January 2017. Eleven cases were diagnosed with PRES. The cumulative incidence of PRES was 13.4% (95% confidence interval (CI) 9.7%-17.2%). The median onset time of the symptoms was 63 [20, 143] days after transplantation. Lumber puncture found that CSF was normal. Univariate analysis showed that patients who received methylprednisolone (MP) (OR=10.629 95% CI, 1.360-83.071, P=0.024), female patients (OR=4.275, 95% CI, 1.154-15.843, P=0.032), patients who had severe hypertension (OR=5.162, 95% CI, 1.042 to 25.559, P=0.029) had significantly higher risks of PRES. Multivariate analysis showed that severe hypertension (hazard ratio [HR], 12.793; 95% CI, 1.477 to 110.813; P =0.021), and Pesaro class 3 (HR, 3.367; 95% CI, 1.210 to 9.368; P = 0.020) were associated with PRES. The severe hypertension is an independent risk factor for PRES post-HCT in children with thalassemia major. Patients of Pesaro class 3 may benefit from optimum control of blood pressure post-HCT for prophylaxis of PRES.

Use of hematopoietic cell transplantation in younger patients with acute myeloid leukemia: A National Cancer Database Study.

Younger patients with intermediate or high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) obtain overall survival benefit from the upfront use of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). We queried the National Cancer Database to study 19,897 younger patients (18-60 years) with intermediate or high-risk AML reported between 2003-2012. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify variables associated with the utilization of HCT. Approximately 18.5% of younger patients received HCT as a part of initial therapy. A lower rate of utilization of HCT was associated with receipt of care in a non-academic hospital, African American race, male sex, age group 50-60 years, Charlson comorbidity score of ≥1, uninsured status, Medicaid or Medicare insurance, and lower educational or income status. The use of HCT in younger patients varies based on non-biologic factors such as race, hospital type, insurance, educational, and income status. Socioeconomic and health system factors contribute to disparity in the uptake of HCT in the US.

International variations in the use of haematopoietic cell transplantation for haematological malignancies: the effects of national transplant indications tables and differing access to therapies

International variations in the use of haematopoietic cell transplantation for haematological malignancies: the effects of national transplant indications tables and differing access to therapies

Haploidentical Hematopoietic Cell Transplant with Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Grafts in Older Adults with Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Many hematologic malignancies are diseases of aging, and the use of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) is growing rapidly among older adults. Modern post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) protocols with haploidentical (haplo) donors have dramatically expanded the donor pool for patients requiring HCT. Initial studies were performed with bone marrow grafts, which require the donor to undergo anesthesia during harvest. However, the use of mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) may be desirable, especially with older donors. However, data on PBSC haplo-HCT in older adults are lacking. To characterize the impact of age on outcomes in haplo-HCT, we identified all adult patients undergoing haplo-HCT with PTCy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) at our institution from January 2009 to June 2016. Patients were grouped into 3 cohorts: Age 1 (≤55), Age 2 (55 to 65), and Age 3 (≥65). To characterize the impact of donor type on outcomes in older patients, we identified age- and disease risk index (DRI)-matched patient age ≥ 65 undergoing HLA-matched unrelated donor (MUD) HCT for AML or MDS during the same time frame. Patients were scored for disease risk and underlying comorbidities using the DRI and HCT-specific comorbidity index. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed using 3 different Cox proportional hazards models. We identified 112 haplo-HCT patients, 95 with AML and 17 with MDS. There were 61 patients in Age 1, 29 patients in Age 2, and 22 in Age 3. Median OS was 448, 397, and 147 days in Age 1, Age 2, and Age 3 patients (log-rank, P = .04). After adjusting for other risk factors, age ≥ 65 was associated with significantly worse OS after haplo-HCT (aHR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.15 to 4.07). There was a trend toward increased relapse among older patients at 2 years (56%; 95% CI, 32% to 79%) versus Age 1 (41%; 95% CI, 28% to 54%) and Age 2 (31%; 95% CI, 12% to 50%) (P = .08). Among patients age ≥ 65, donor type (MUD versus haplo) did not impact OS (aHR, 1.03; 95% CI, .56 to 1.88) after adjusting for other risk factors. Prior allo-HCT (aHR, 4.95; 95% CI, 1.82 to 13.49) and myeloablative conditioning (aHR, 1.97; 95% CI, 1.04 to 3.73) were associated with inferior survival. Although age ≥ 65 was associated with inferior OS in our haplo-HCT cohort, no difference was seen in survival between MUD and haplo-HCT. Therefore, the use of haploidentical donors in older patients is a reasonable treatment option, especially if there is concern for clinical deterioration. A careful pretransplant evaluation and analysis of risks and benefits is warranted when offering this transplant modality to older adults, especially in patients with previous transplant or poor performance status. Strategies to reduce the risk of relapse and decrease nonrelapse mortality in older adults are areas of ongoing research, and prospective studies are needed.

Clonal Dynamics of Refractory Aplastic Anemia in Patients Treated with Eltrombopag

Despite documented success of immunosuppressive therapy (IST) in the treatment of AA, a minority of patients remain refractory, most responses are incomplete, and use of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is limited in older patients or those with significant comorbidities. While the introduction of the cMpl agonist eltrombopag (EPG) as salvage therapy or in conjunction with IST has revolutionized treatment for refractory AA. It may be effective in improving primary response rates to IST, engaging growth factor receptors with agonistic therapeutics (such as EPG) and also has the potential to promote evolution/expansion of mutant clones, thereby increasing the rate of progression to secondary myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a serious complication of AA occurring in 10-20% of patients. Clonogenic somatic mutations typical of MDS in patients with AA and PNH may increase the risk of progression to MDS.DNA from marrow samples of primary refractory AA patients was subjected to analysis before and after initiation of EPG to evaluate clonal expansion or evolution using a targeted multi-amplicon deep NGS panel of all ORFs of the top 60 most commonly mutated genes in MDS. In addition to the EPG treatment group, a case control cohort matched for age and duration from AA diagnosis to last clinical follow up (who did not receive EPG), was studied.Among 210 AA patients treated at Cleveland Clinic, we identified 26 who were treated with EPG for IST-refractory AA; median duration of treatment was 56 wks. The overall response rate after 12 weeks of therapy was 58% (15/26), while 31% of patients (8/26) showed stable disease with intermittent transfusions (one of whom underwent HCT). In 3 non-responders, one developed PNH, one had refractory AA/PNH, and one progressed to AML (see below). Expansion of PNH granulocytes after EPG treatment was observed in 23% of patients (6/26). In addition, 15% (4/26) had atypical subclonal chromosomal abnormalities.Prior to EPG, at least a single somatic event was found in 31% of patients (8/26), with 2 patients harboring 2 mutations. Events included CEBPA, EZH2, BCOR/BCORL1, ASXL1, U2AF1/2, TET2, and DNMT3A mutations. Following EPG therapy, acquisition of new somatic mutations was observed in 23% of cases, including RUNX1, U2AF1, BCOR, RIT1, and CEBPA. In cases with pre-existing clones, 6 clones expanded (e.g., BCOR or ASXL1 from VAF of 8 to 21% and 9 to 29%, respectively) despite clinical hematologic response, while in 2 cases clones disappeared (e.g., U2AF2 and BCORL1). In 54% of cases (14/26), we found detectable levels of a PNH clone at the time of diagnosis. Six of those cases had PNH clonal expansion post-EPG treatment, of which two developed clinically significant PNH clonal burden requiring eculizumab therapy.In the case-control cohort, 26 AA patients who received IST but were not treated with EPG, were followed for comparable time periods, and no evidence of progression to MDS was recorded. One patient was noted to have trisomy 15 on cytogenetics at diagnosis. "MDS type" molecular mutations were present in 10 patients similar to EPG cohort. Among these patients, 3 had persistent clones of U2AF1, DNMT3A, and STAT3 over one year without acquisition of any new molecular mutations. . PNH granulocytes expanded in 50% of AA cases, decreased in 30% and stayed stable in 20%. Thus, we did not observe any difference in expansion of PNH clones between those treated and untreated with EPG (p=0.73). Unlike for PNH clones, accounting for both new evolution and expansion of preexisting molecular mutations, the frequency of these clonal events was significantly higher in the EPG treated group (p=0.009).In conclusion, we observed occasional expansion of clones with potentially leukemogenic mutations during treatment with EPG in pts with AA. While higher rates of MDS evolution were not observed in this cohort of EPG treated patients, we found that serial evaluation of somatic mutations can inform clonal evolution and can potentially be used as abiomarker for evaluation of risk for post-AA MDS. Continued use of EPG in such patients should be judicious. DisclosuresCarraway:Celgene: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Baxalta: Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Sekeres:Millenium/Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Supporting blood needs in patients undergoing haematopoietic cell transplantation

Over the past several decades, there has been an increasing use of haematopoietic cell transplantation for patients with malignant and non‐malignant blood disorders. Blood transfusion support is essential for successful patient outcomes, as recipients have unique transfusion needs both pre‐ and post‐transplantation. These needs must be carefully managed by transplant teams in partnership with the transfusion service. Patients may present to haematology clinic anaemic, thrombocytopenic and/or neutropenic related to their underlying blood disorder. They will need transfusions of blood products for support prior to transplantation. Following transplantation, multiple red blood cell and platelet transfusions may be required especially until engraftment occurs. Often there is an ABO mismatch between the donor and the recipient, and blood will need to be selected for major and minor ABO compatibility of red blood cell and plasma‐containing blood components during the peri‐transplant period. Both myeloablative and non‐myeloablative preparative regimens are immunosuppressive, so irradiated blood products should be provided to minimize the risk of transfusion‐associated graft‐versus‐host disease and cytomegalovirus‐negative patients should receive cytomegalovirus‐reduced risk blood products to prevent transfusion‐associated infection. Leucocyte‐reduced blood components are used to minimize adverse effects of transfused donor leucocytes including febrile reactions, alloimmunization and immunomodulation. Alloimmunization to red blood cell or platelet antigens may pose a challenge in the selection of compatible blood components and platelet refractoriness may develop. In short, patients undergoing haematopoietic cell transplantation require considerable blood component support and collaboration between the transfusion and clinical transplant services is essential to effectively manage their transfusion needs.

Geographic access to hematopoietic cell transplantation services in the United States.

The use of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has risen in recent years and additional increases are projected in the near- and long-term future. The complex nature of HCT, along with its potentially rigorous follow-up care requirements, presents numerous potential barriers to accessing this important service (for example, financial considerations, donor availability and sociodemographic factors). The distance between a patient and an HCT facility also appears to be an important factor in both HCT use and outcomes. We provide the first comprehensive and detailed evaluation of geographic access to HCT services for the adult (18+ years) and pediatric (0-17 years) populations in the United States. Population-level access is examined as well as detailed gender, race/ethnicity and age breakdowns. Generally, access to HCT services appears to be quite high throughout the United States, as 48%, 78.6% and 94.7% of the 18+ years age population has 30, 90 and 180 min access (respectively) to an adult HCT facility and 42.5%, 72% and 91.5% of the 0-17 years age population has 30, 90 and 180 min access (respectively) to a pediatric facility.

Preconditioning of mesenchymal stem cells for improved transplantation efficacy in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

IntroductionThe use of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has previously been shown to ameliorate cutaneous blistering in pediatric patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), an inherited skin disorder that results from loss-of-function mutations in COL7A1 and manifests as deficient or absent type VII collagen protein (C7) within the epidermal basement membrane. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) found within the HCT graft are believed to be partially responsible for this amelioration, in part due to their intrinsic immunomodulatory and trophic properties and also because they have been shown to restore C7 protein following intradermal injections in models of RDEB. However, MSCs have not yet been demonstrated to improve disease severity as a stand-alone systemic infusion therapy. Improving the efficacy and functional utility of MSCs via a pre-transplant conditioning regimen may bring systemic MSC infusions closer to clinical practice.MethodsMSCs were isolated from 2- to 4-week-old mice and treated with varying concentrations of transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ; 5-20 ng/mL), tumor necrosis factor- α (TNFα; 10-40 ng/mL), and stromal cell-derived factor 1-α (SDF-1α; 30 ng/mL) for 24-72 hours.ResultsWe demonstrate that treating murine MSCs with exogenous TGFβ (15 ng/mL) and TNFα (30 ng/mL) for 48 hours induces an 8-fold increase in Col7a1 expression and a significant increase in secretion of C7 protein, and that the effects of these cytokines are both time and concentration dependent. This cytokine treatment also promotes a 4-fold increase in Tsg-6 expression, a gene whose product is associated with improved wound-healing and immunosuppressive features. Finally, the addition of exogenous SDF-1α to this regimen induces a simultaneous upregulation of Col7a1, Tsg-6, and Cxcr4 expression.ConclusionsThese data suggest that preconditioning represents a feasible method for improving the functional utility of MSCs in the context of RDEB stem cell transplantation, and also highlight the applicability of preconditioning principles toward other cell-based therapies aimed at treating RDEB patients.