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Understanding weight change patterns in follicular lymphoma (FL) may be important for the assessment of prognosis as well as the long-term care of survivors. A retrospective cohort of United States veterans with a new diagnosis of FL between October 1, 1998 and September 30, 2010 was assembled. Weight changes were evaluated before, during, and after treatment in 896 FL patients who received cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone, with or without rituximab (CHOP ± R); cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone, with or without rituximab (CVP ± R); or rituximab monotherapy. Weight decreased an average of 1.4 kg during therapy, and >5% weight loss during this time period was associated with worse overall survival. Weight increased to an average of 1.4 kg above baseline by 24 months after treatment initiation, with 15% gaining greater than 10% of their baseline weight. Weight management strategies may be an important part of long-term survivorship planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying weight changes associated with treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has the potential to improve the long-term health of survivors. A retrospective cohort of United States veterans with a new diagnosis of DLBCL between October 1, 1998 and September 30, 2008, with follow-up until April 23, 2013, was assembled. Weight changes were evaluated before, during, and after treatment in 1935 DLBCL patients who received cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone, with or without rituximab (CHOP+/− R). One year prior to treatment, 79% of patients were obese or overweight. During the 12 months leading up to treatment, 57% of the cohort lost weight. Among patients surviving 24 months after treatment initiation, weight increased an average of 2.9 kg above weight at treatment completion. The weight change trends observed in these DLBCL patients suggest that weight management strategies may be an important part of long-term survivorship planning after conclusion of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

High-dose methotrexate (HDMTX), defined by doses of methotrexate (MTX) ≥ 1 g/m2, is a widely used regimen known to cause renal toxicity. The reported incidence of renal toxicity in patients with osteosarcoma is 1.8%, but the incidence in hematologic malignancies is not well characterized. In this retrospective study of 649 cycles of HDMTX in 194 patients, renal toxicity occurred in 9.1% of cycles in patients with lymphoma compared to 1.5% in patients with sarcoma. Older age, male sex, decreased baseline creatinine clearance (CrCl) and increased proton pump inhibitor use among the lymphoma population likely contributed to the observed difference. The incidence of renal toxicity was independent of the incidence of delayed MTX elimination, suggesting that kidney function is only one factor involved in MTX clearance. Renal toxicity prolonged the duration of hospitalization but severe renal insufficiency was uncommon. No significant impact on progression-free or overall survival was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with multiple myeloma who are refractory or intolerant to both bortezomib and lenalidomide have a poor prognosis. Next-generation therapies carfilzomib and pomalidomide have shown promising activity in this dual refractory population. Here we describe the clinical characteristics and ascertain the effects of carfilzomib and pomalidomide on survival in this patient cohort. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 65 patients with dual refractory/intolerant myeloma diagnosed between January 2007 and May 2012 at a single institution. The median overall survival (OS) from the time patients became dual refractory/intolerant was 10.2 months. Patients who received carfilzomib or pomalidomide after they became dual refractory/intolerant had a better OS compared to those who did not (12.6 vs. 6.8 months, p = 0.03 by Wilcoxon test). Prospective randomized control trials are needed for confirmation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented related to the article that studies the outcome of Rituximab-based chemoimmunotherapy using rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (RCHOP).