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Introduction: we previously reported (Vitolo U, JCO 2013) the results of a randomized study with brief first-line chemoimmunotherapy followed by rituximab maintenance vs observation. With a median follow-up of 42 months, 3-year Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS) were 66% and 89%, respectively. The addition of Rituximab maintenance gave a benefit to the patients: 2-year PFS was 81% for rituximab maintenance versus 69% for observation with a HR of 0.63 (95% CI: 0.38-1.05, p=0.079), although not statistically significant. Moreover we also found that achievement of Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) negativity predicted a better PFS: 3-year PFS 72% vs 39%, HR 3.1 (Ladetto M, Blood 2013). Overall these data showed the good efficacy of this brief chemoimmunotherapy regimen in elderly FL patients. Aim of this analysis was to report long-term outcome and long-term toxicities of this regimen. Methods: From January 2004 to December 2007, 242 treatment-naive patients aged 60-75 years with FL Grade I, II and IIIa were enrolled by 33 FIL centres. Patients had to have advanced (high tumor burden stage II or stage III-IV) disease requiring treatment: 4 monthly courses of R-FND (standard doses of Rituximab, Fludarabine, Mitoxantrone, Dexamethasone) every 28 days followed by 4 weekly Rituximab infusions as consolidation. Responders patients [complete remission (CR) + unconfirmed CR + partial remission (PR)] were randomized to brief rituximab maintenance (Arm A), once every 2 months for a total of 4 doses, or observation (Arm B). MRD for the bcl-2/IgH translocation was determined on bone marrow cells in a centralized laboratory belonging to Euro-MRD consortium, using qualitative and quantitative PCR. Results: a total of 234 patients began chemoimmunotherapy: after induction and consolidation treatment overall response rate was 86%, with 69% CR. Of these, 210 completed the planned treatment and 202 responders were randomized. Up to date, median follow-up were 96 months from enrollment and 87 months from randomization; additional follow-up data were available for 127/146 (87%) not relapsed/progressed patients. Five- and 7-year PFS for the whole population were 57% and 51%, respectively; 5- and 7-year OS for the whole population were 85% and 80%, respectively. From enrollment, an advantage in term of PFS and also OS was observed in FLIPI low risk patients: 7-year PFS was 67% for low risk versus 38% for intermediate-high risk patients (p Conclusions: the present long-term results of this trial with a prolonged follow-up of 7 years confirm that a good outcome is achievable in elderly FL patients with a short-term chemoimmunotherapy (R-FND + Rituximab consolidation) with a 7-year PFS of 51% and low toxicity. In addition these results did not show clear evidence in favor of a shortened Rituximab maintenance after R-fludarabine containing chemotherapy. Conversely, the achievement of PCR negativity maintains predictive value for a better outcome. Figure 1. Figure 1. Disclosures Off Label Use: Rituximab maintenance was not licensed in first-line treatment for follicular lymphoma at that time in Italy; Rituximab was provided free by Roche.

Introduction The role of bone marrow (BM) involvement as prognostic factor in untreated young patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma at poor prognosis is still a matter of debate. Recent data showed an adverse prognostic role of BM involvement in DLBCL including patients both at low and high IPI score (Sehn L et al, J Clin Oncol 2011). On this basis, FIL analyzed the impact of BM involvement in the prospective randomized phase III trial DLCL04 (Vitolo U et al, Blood, ASH annual Meeting 2012) that included only young patients at high-risk age-adjusted IPI (aa-IPI) score 2 or 3. Patients and Methods Inclusion criteria were: age 18-65; untreated DLBCL or follicular grade IIIb; aa-IPI score 2 or 3. Patients were stratified according to aa-IPI and randomized at diagnosis to receive: R-CHOP14 x 8 cycles; R-MegaCHOP14 (1200 mg/sqm Cyclophosphamide, 70 mg/sqm Doxorubicin, standard dose Vincristine and Prednisone) x 6; R-CHOP14 x 4 + R-HDC (Rituximab + High Dose Cytarabine + Mitoxantrone + Dexamethasone) followed by BEAM and ASCT; R-MegaCHOP14 x 4 + R-HDC + BEAM and ASCT. BM biopsy and aspirate were mandatory at diagnosis; at the end of treatment, BM assessment was mandatory only in case of positivity at baseline. BM involvement was defined as concordant if marrow was involved by large B-cell and discordant if involved by small B-cells. Flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and/or molecular studies were utilized to confirm a clonal B-cell population. Results From June 2005 to September 2010, 399 patients were randomized to receive: 199 R-HDC+ASCT and 200 R-dose-dense chemotherapy without ASCT. All patients were evaluable for analysis. BM involvement was reported in 84 patients (21%): 39 (20%) in the R-HDC+ASCT group and 45 (22%) in the R-dose-dense chemotherapy group. Pattern of involvement was: concordant in 63 patients, discordant in 14 and not specified in 7 patients. Patients with BM involvement (BM positive: 84) compared to those without BM involvement (BM negative: 315) were significantly older (median age 53 years vs 47 years, p1 43% vs 45%, bulky 25% vs 33%, extranodal sites > 1 26% vs 33%, LDH higher than normal value 93% vs 89%). With a median follow-up of 49 months, 3-year PFS for the whole series of 399 patients enrolled in the trial was: 67% (95% CI: 62-72). Three-year PFS was significantly worse in BM positive vs. BM negative: 46% (95% CI:35-56%) vs. 73% (95% CI:67-77%) p Conclusions Bone marrow involvement, namely concordant pattern, is a strong adverse predictor of outcome in young patients with untreated DLBCL at poor prognosis treated with R-chemotherapy regardless of intensification with HDC+ASCT. New treatment approaches are needed for these high-risk patients at poor prognosis. Disclosures: Vitolo: Roche: Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Speakers Bureau.

Background The introduction of new agents has substantially changed the management of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated retrospectively 69 symptomatic newly diagnosed transplant-ineligible MM patients treated at our Institute, between 2004 and 2012, with Melphalan and Prednisone (MP) plus Thalidomide (MPT; 23 patients) or plus Bortezomib (MPV; 30 patients) or plus Lenalidomide (MPR; 16 patients). There were 37 men and 32 woman, median age was 73 years (range 65-84) with 20 patients >75 years, 19 (27.5%) were in stage III according to ISS, 12 (17%) had renal failure (creatinine >1.5 mg/dl at baseline), 7 (10%) an underlying diabetes mellitus and 36 (52%) a cardiovascular disease. Melphalan was given at 9 mg/m2 and Prednisone at 60 mg/m2 orally on days 1-4; Bortezomib at 1.3 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1, 4, 8, 11, 22, 25, 29, 32 for the first 4 cycles and thereafter on days 1, 8, 15, 22; Lenalidomide at 10 mg on days 1-21 and Thalidomide 100 mg/daily were administered orally. All patients received antibacterial prophylaxis; thromboprophylaxis and antiviral prophylaxis were administered to patients treated with IMIDs and Bortezomib, respectively. Aims To evaluate the safety and efficacy within the MPT-, MPV- and MPR-treated groups. Results The overall response rates ( ≥ partial response), according to the IMWG criteria, were 20/23 (87%) in the MPT group, 26/30 (87%) in the MPV group, 11/16 (68%) in the MPR group (including 3, 9, 2 very good partial response and 2, 3, 2 complete response/near complete response, respectively). The median PFS was 29 months (95% CI: 18-NA months) for patients who received MPT, 24 months (95% CI: 20-32 months) with MPV and 21.5 months (95% CI: 17-NA months) with MPR, with no significant differences between the three regimens. Among the 69 patients, the overall grade 3-4 hematologic and non-hematologic toxicities were 36% and 43%, respectively. The most common non-hematologic toxicities included all grades of peripheral neuropathy (14% with MPV, 7.2% with MPT and none with MPR), grade 3-4 infections (7.2% with MPV, 4.3% with MPT and 2.9 with MPR) and grade 3-4 cardiovascular disease (4.3% with MPT, 1.4% with MPV and none with MPR). With the use of thromboprophylaxis in all IMID-treated patients, we observed only one deep vein thrombosis in one patient treated with MPT. Conclusions MPT, MPV and MPR are highly active and well tolerated regimens for previously untreated MM patients. The rates of treatment-associated thrombocytopenia and neutropenia were similar between the 3 different regimens and proved transient, predictable and manageable; few patients required supportive care. The results obtained using MP plus one of the recently developed drugs confirm that MPT, MPV and MPR should be considered the standard of care in the frontline treatment of newly diagnosed transplant-ineligible MM patients. Disclosures: Petrucci: Janssen and Celgene: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Membership on an entity’s Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Abstract 688 Introduction. The prognosis of young DLBCL patients at high risk treated with standard R-CHOP is still rather poor. The role of intensified HDC+ASCT in first line treatment is still a matter of debate in the Rituximab era. The FIL planned a prospective randomized phase III trial with a 2×2 factorial design aimed at investigating the possible benefit of intensification with R-HDC+ASCT after R-dose-dense chemotherapy delivered at two different level of dose (R-CHOP14/R-MegaCHOP14). Patients and methods. The primary end-point was to increase 2-year Progression Free Survival (PFS) from 50% of the standard dose-dense arm (R-dose-dense chemotherapy) to 65% in the experimental arm (R-dose-dense chemotherapy followed by R-HDC +ASCT). Secondary end-point was the comparison between two different schemes of dose dense chemotherapy, R-CHOP14 and R-MegaCHOP14. Inclusion criteria were: age 18–65; untreated DLBCL; age-adjusted IPI (aa-IPI) score 2 or 3. Patients were stratified according to aa-IPI and randomized at diagnosis to receive: R-CHOP14 × 8 cycles; R-MegaCHOP14 (1200 mg/sqm Cyclophosphamide, 70 mg/sqm Doxorubicin, standard dose Vincristine and Prednisone) × 6; R-CHOP14 × 4 + R-HDC (Rituximab + High Dose Cytarabine + Mitoxantrone + Dexamethasone) followed by BEAM and ASCT; R-MegaCHOP14 × 4 + R-HDC + BEAM and ASCT. G-CSF support was mandatory. Central nervous system prophylaxis was done according to the Italian Society of Hematology guidelines. Results. From June 2005 to September 2010, 412 patients were enrolled. Histology was centrally reviewed in 90% of cases. Thirteen patients were excluded because of different histological subtypes in 10 and active hepatitis HCV and HBV in 3. 399 patients were eligible and randomized: 199 to R-HDC+ASCT and 200 to R-dose-dense chemotherapy without ASCT; according to the type of chemotherapy 203 were randomized to RCHOP14 and 196 to R-MegaCHOP14. All patients were evaluable for analysis. Clinical characteristics were: median age 49 (range 18;65); stage II/III/IV 6/29/65%; LDH higher than normal value 89%; ECOG PS >1 43%; aa-IPI score 2/3 74/26%; all characteristics were well balanced between patients treated with or without ASCT. In the R-HDC+ASCT group, 151 patients (76%) completed the treatment and 177 (88%) in the R-dose-dense chemotherapy arms. Complete Remission (CR) was seen in 296 (74%) patients; CR was 76% in R-HDC+ASCT vs. 72% in the R-dose-dense chemotherapy arms. Overall 26 patients (7%) had a partial remission and 64 (16%) did not respond. Treatment-related deaths occurred in 13 (3%) patients: 8 (4%) in the R-HDC+ASCT arms vs. 5 (2.5%) in R-dose-dense arms. Grade III/IV extrahematological toxicities were reported in 85 patients (43%) in the R-HDC+ASCT vs. 38 (19%) in R-dose-dense arms. With a median follow-up of 36 months, 3-year PFS and 3-year Overall Survival (OS) rates for the whole series were: 64% (95% CI:59–69) and 79% (95% CI:74–83) respectively. Patients randomized to R-HDC+ASCT had a 3-year PFS of 70% (95% CI:63–76) compared to 59% of those treated with R-dose-dense only (95% CI:51–66); p = .010 (Figure 1) with a HR of 0.64 (95% CI: 0.46–0.91, p = .012). No difference in 3-year PFS was observed between R-CHOP14 and R-MegaCHOP14. According to aa-IPI, 3-year PFS in R-HDC+ASCT vs R-dose-dense arms were: aa-IPI score 2 74% (95%CI:65–80) vs. 63% (95%CI:54–71) p = .047; aa-IPI score 3 59% (95% CI:45–71) vs. 46% (95% CI:32–59), p= .121. At the time of this analysis, 3-year OS is 81% (95% CI:74–86) in R-HDC+ASCT vs. 78% (95% CI:70–83) in R-dose-dense chemotherapy patients, p= .556. In a Cox-model including the four arms and assuming R-CHOP14 as reference, the risk of relapse was significantly reduced in both ASCT arms with a major effect in the R-CHOP14+R-HDC+ASCT arm (HR=0.58, 95% CI=0.36–0.93, p= .025) and a slight minor HR reduction in the R-MegaCHOP14+R-HDC+ASCT arm (HR=0.68, 95% CI=0.42–1.09 p= .109). Moreover PFS in both arms (ASCT vs no ASCT) was further compared within pre-planned subgroups analysis according to the type of dose-dense chemotherapy, age, gender, aa-IPI and bone marrow involvement: the benefit of R-HDC+ASCT in PFS was maintained across all subgroups with no statistically significant interaction. Conclusions. R-dose-dense chemotherapy followed by R-HDC and BEAM with ASCT significantly reduced the risk of progression compared to standard dose-dense chemotherapy (R-CHOP14 or R-MegaCHOP14) in young patients with high-risk DLBCL. Disclosures: Vitolo: Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Zaja:Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Abstract 730 Background: Carfilzomib is a novel, irreversible proteasome-inhibitor with a significant activity and favourable toxicity profile. Here we evaluated efficacy and safety of the combination carfilzomib-cyclophosphamide-dexamethasone in elderly (≥ 65 years) newly diagnosed MM patients. Methods: The Bryant and Day two-stage design was used to evaluate both efficacy and safety. Patients received oral cyclophosphamide (300 mg/m2 on days 1,8,15), oral dexamethasone (40 mg on days 1, 8, 15, 22) and iv carfilzomib (20 mg/m2 on days 1, 2, and 36 mg/m2 on days 8, 9, 15, 16, cycle 1; 36 mg/m2 on days 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, cycles 2–9) every 28 days for 9 cycles, followed by maintenance with iv carfilzomib (36 mg/m2 on days 1, 2, 15, 16) every 28 days until progression or intolerance. Results: Thirty-four patients were enrolled: median age was 70 years, 21% of patients were older than 75 years, 24% had reduced creatinine clearance ( Grade (G) 4 hematologic toxicities included neutropenia (1 patient, 5%). At least one G3-4 non-hematologic event was reported in 4 patients (21%): pneumonia and bronchitis (2 patients, 10%), atrial fibrillation (1 patient, 5%) and renal failure (1 patient, 5%). Only 1 patient (5%) developed G1 peripheral neuropathy. No patient discontinued treatment and 4 patients (21%) required carfilzomib dose reductions due to adverse events (G4 neutropenia, G3 pneumonia, G3 atrial fibrillation and G3 renal failure). Conclusions: Carfilzomib-cyclophosphamide-dexamethasone showed encouraging activity in patients with newly diagnosed MM. The combination was well tolerated with a frequency of at least one G3-4 non-hematologic adverse event of 21%. Results will be updated at the meeting. Disclosures: Palumbo: Onyx: Honoraria. Bringhen:Onyx: Honoraria.

Abstract 3965 Introduction. Gene-profiling studies demonstrated a constitutive activation of the NFκB signalling pathway in Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) and Marginal Zone Lymphoma (MZL). Bortezomib, a potent inhibitor of the 26S proteasome, is a good candidate to block this pathway and was tested in relapsed or refractory MCL with encouraging results (objective response up to 45%, with a median PFS of 5–7 months). In vitro, the combination of Bortezomib and Rituximab has been shown synergistic apoptosis and enhanced NFkB depletion in MCL and MZL cells. Aim. On these bases, the IIL conducted a phase II multicenter study to evaluate safety and efficacy of Rituximab and Bortezomib combination in relapsed/refractory indolent non-follicular lymphoma (Linfocytic Lymphoma, LL, or MZL) and MCL not eligible for high-dose chemotherapy. Patients and methods. Inclusion criteria were: age 18–75 years, histological proven relapsed or refractory LL, MZL and MCL after 1–4 lines of therapies. Treatment plan was: one course of four weekly intravenous bolus of 1.6 mg/sqm Bortezomib in combination with four infusion of 375 mg/sqm Rituximab followed by two courses of four weekly bolus of 1.6 mg/sqm Bortezomib. Patients with complete (CR), partial remission (PR) and stable disease at the intermediate evaluation were planned to be given three further courses with the same schedule. Results. From September 2006 to March 2008, 55 patients entered into the study. Central histology revision was performed. Forty-nine patients fulfilled inclusion criteria and were evaluable. Clinical characteristics were: median age 68 (50-74) years; 16 LL, eight MZL, 25 MCL; 42 stage III/IV; 33 bone marrow involvement; 20 at intermediate-high/high International Prognostic Index (IPI) risk. Thirty-eigh patients performed more than two prior lines of chemotherapy; 34 were Rituximab-pretreated; 21 refractory and 28 relapsed disease. Overall Response Rate (ORR) was 53% (CR 26.5%, PR 26.5%); no response 43% and 4% off therapy for other causes. ORR by histology was: 37% in LL, 50% in MZL and 64% in MCL. ORR was not adversely affected by Rituximab pretreatment: Rituximab-pretreated 62% and Rituximab-naïve 33%. ORR was higher in relapsed patients compared with refractory ones: 64% and 38% (p .06). (Table 1). With a median follow-up of 25 months, 2-year Overall Survival (OS) was 80% (95%CI: 66–89) and 2-year PFS was 25% (95%CI: 14–38) (Figure 1A, 1B). Two-year PFS by histology was shown in Figure 1C. A total of 233 courses were delivered with a median of 4.7 courses/patient. Thirty patients completed the treatment plan; 19 did not due to progression disease in 13, adverse events in five (concomitant gastric neoplasia, neurotoxicity grade II, sepsis, pleural effusion and toxic death due to interstitial pneumonia). Grade 3–4 CTC haematological toxicity was rare: neutropenia in 5% of the courses and thrombocytopenia in Table 1. ORR (%) MCL/MZL/LL 64/50/37 Rituximab-pretreated/Rituximab-naive 62/33 N of prior therapies Disclosures: Off Label Use: The use of Bortezomib is off-label in Relapsed/Refractory Indolent Non-Follicular and Mantle Cell Lymphoma. Vitolo:Roche-Italy: Advisory committee; Celgene-Italy: Advisory committee; Janssen-Cilag: Lecture Fee.

The introduction of Imatinib in the treatment of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) leads to the achievement of Complete Cytogenetic Response (CCR) in about 70% of patients: however, in the remaining 30% of patients there is a persistance of Ph+ cells also after standard (400 mg/day) and increased (600 mg/day) dose of Imatinib. These patients are thus cytogenetically resistant to Imatinib alone and their management is at present unclear. From 11/2002 to 11/2003, 10 patients in chronic phase (6 male and 4 female, median age 52.5 years, range 29 – 68 years) with persistance of 100% Ph+ cells (9 patients) or BCR/ABL + cells (1 patient with Ph- BCR/ABL+ CML at onset) after standard (at least 6 months of treatment) followed by increased dose (at least 3 months of treatment) of Imatinib alone, were considered resistant and added Hydroxyurea (HU) to Imatinib. Seven patients have been pretreated with IFN before Imatinib; median times from diagnosis and from Imatinib treatment to HU addition were 51 months (range 23 – 151) and 14 months (range 10 – 31), respectively. HU was given according to WBC count: patients with WBC < 10 x 109/l started HU at the dose of 1 g/day, patients with WBC > 10 x 109/l at the dose of 1.5 g/day. Imatinib was continued at the same previous dosage (600 mg/day in 6 patients and 400 mg/day in 4 patients who did not tolerate increased dosage for hematological toxicity). Three patients achieved a complete response (2 CCR after 3 and 12 months respectively and 1 molecular complete response after 9 months in the patient Ph- BCR/ABL+ at onset) and 1 patient achieved a partial CR (Ph+ < 33%) after 9 months: the remaining 6 patients were resistant with persistance of 100% Ph+ cells. Toxicity was mild and only 1 patient discontinued for 2 weeks the association due to transient thrombocytopenia: no extra-hematological toxicity has been recorded. After a median follow-up of 14 months (range 20 – 10), 2 patients (1 resistant and 1 after 5 months from the achievement of CCR) evolved in Blastic Phase (BP), 5 patients are in stable chronic phase with 100% Ph+ cells and 3 patients are still in response after 4,6 and 7 months respectively. In conclusion, the association of HU with Imatinib seems capable to induce cytogenetic response in at least one third of patients resistant to Imatinib alone, with minimal toxicity: a longer follow-up and a comparison with other associations is needed to evaluate the quality and duration of response in such group of patients.