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Idelalisib is a first-in-class selective, oral, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase delta (PI3Kδ) inhibitor approved for the treatment of several types of blood cancer. Idelalisib has demonstrated significant efficacy and a tolerable safety profile in clinical trials. However, the US prescribing information contains a black box warning for fatal and/or severe diarrhea or colitis, hepatotoxicity, pneumonitis and intestinal perforation. An expert panel was convened to review the pathology of these treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) to propose key management tools for patients receiving idelalisib therapy. This article provides an overview of idelalisib TEAEs reported in clinical trials, and a summary of the panel's recommendations for identification and management of idelalisib treatment-emergent diarrhea or colitis as well as a discussion of transaminitis and pneumonitis. For idelalisib-related diarrhea or colitis (including unresolved grade 2 and grade ≥ 3), after exclusion of infectious causes, the panel recommends individualized treatment with budesonide or oral or intravenous steroid therapy.

The CLL-IPI is a risk-weighted prognostic model for previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but has not been evaluated in patients with relapsed CLL or on novel therapies. We evaluated the CLL-IPI in 897 patients with relapsed/refractory CLL in 3 randomized trials testing idelalisib (PI3Kδ inhibitor). The CLL-IPI identified patients as low (2.2%), intermediate (12.8%), high (48.7%), and very high (36.2%) risk and was prognostic for survival (log-rank p <.0001; C-statistic 0.706). Of CLL-IPI factors, age >65, β2-microglobulin >3.5mg/L, unmutated immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region gene, and deletion 17p/TP53 mutation were independently prognostic, but Rai I-IV or Binet B/C was not. The CLL-IPI is prognostic for survival in relapsed CLL and with idelalisib therapy. However, low/intermediate risk is uncommon, and regression parameters of individual factors in this risk-weighted model appear different in relapsed CLL. Reassessment of the weighting of the individual variables might optimize the model in this setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the case of a 78-year-old woman who was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) four years prior presentation when she was found to have lymphadenopathy on positron-emission tomography (PET) scan obtained for follow-up of her breast and bladder cancer. Topics discussed include treatment she received for CLL, finding on a full body computed tomography (CT) scan, and efficacy of ibrutinib on disease outside of a lymph node.

A letter to the editor is presented regarding the extended follow-up with ibrutinib, an inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase, in previously treated patients with the non-Hodgkin lymphoma Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.

Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is effective treatment for indolent non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs), but response durations are usually limited, especially in aggressive NHL. We hypothesized that administration of bortezomib as a radiosensitizer with RIT would be tolerable and improve efficacy in NHL. This phase 1 dose-escalation study evaluated escalating doses of bortezomib combined with 131I-tositumomab in patients with relapsed/refractory NHL. Twenty-five patients were treated. Treatment was well tolerated, with primarily hematologic toxicity. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was determined to be 0.9 mg/m2 bortezomib, in combination with a standard dose of 75 cGy 131I-tositumomab. Sixteen patients responded (64%), including 44% complete responses (CRs), with 82% CR in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL). At a median follow-up of 7 months, median progression-free survival was 7 months, and seven of 11 patients with FL remained in remission at a median of 22 months. In conclusion, bortezomib can be safely administered in combination with 131I-tositumomab with promising response rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the biology of Waldenström macroglobulinemia is hindered by a lack of preclinical models. We report a novel cell line, RPCI-WM1, from a patient treated for WM. The cell line secretes human immunoglobulin M (h-lgM) with K-light chain restriction identical to the primary tumor.The cell line has a modal chromosomal number of 46 and harbors chromosomal changes such as deletion of 6q21, monoallelic deletion of 9p21 (CDKN2A), 13q14 (RB1) and 18q21 (BCL-2), with a consistent amplification of 14q32 (immunoglobulin heavy chain; IgH) identical to its founding tumor sample. The clonal relationship is confirmed by identical CDR3 length and single nucleotide polymorphisms as well as a matching IgH sequence of the cell line and founding tumor. Both also harbor a heterozygous, non-synonymous mutation at amino acid 265 in the MYD88 gene (L265P). The cell line expresses most of the cell surface markers present on the parent cells. Overall, RPCI-WM1 represents a valuable model to study Waldenstr0m macroglobulinemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on clinical activity in phase 2 studies, lenalidomide was evaluated in a phase 2/3 study in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Following tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) complications, the protocol was amended to a phase 1 study to identify the maximum tolerated dose-escalation level (MTDEL). Fifty-two heavily pretreated patients, 69% with bulky disease and 48% with high-risk genomic abnormalities, initiated lenalidomide at 2.5 mg/day, with dose escalation until the MTDEL or the maximum assigned dose was attained. Lenalidomide was safely titrated to 20 mg/day; the MTDEL was not reached. Most common grade 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia and thrombocytopenia; TLS was mild and rare. The low starting dose and conservative dose escalation strategy resulted in six partial responders and 30 patients obtaining stable disease. In summary, lenalidomide 2.5 mg/day is a safe starting dose that can be titrated up to 20 mg/day in patients with CLL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-B4-blocked ricin (anti-B4-bR) is a potent immunotoxin directed against the CD19 antigen. Previous phase I and II studies suggested a possible role for anti-B4-bR as consolidation after high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant. Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) 9254 is a phase III study which randomized 157 patients with B-cell lymphoma in complete remission following autologous transplant to treatment with anti-B4-bR or observation. With a median follow-up time for patients of 5.8 years, the median event-free survival for protocol treatment and observation are 2.1 and 2.9 years, respectively ( p == 0.275). The median overall survival for treatment and observation are 6.1 years and not reached, respectively ( p == 0.063). Therefore, no differences were found in event-free survival and overall survival between protocol treatment and observation, although there was a trend toward improved survival with observation. These data fail to support a role for anti-B4-bR as consolidative therapy after bone marrow transplant in patients with B-cell lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite advances in therapy, chronic lymphocytic leukemia remains an incurable disease and novel, effective therapies are needed. In this open-label, dose-escalation, phase I study, dacetuzumab (IgG1 humanized monoclonal antibody) was administered to 12 adults, all of whom had received several prior systemic therapies (median, 4; range, 2–11). Intrapatient dose escalation (maximum weekly doses of 3–8 mg/kg) was used to diminish first-dose-related inflammatory symptoms. No dose-limiting toxicities or dose-dependent trends in adverse events (AEs) were observed. The most common AEs (in ≥2 patients) were fatigue, headache, anorexia, conjunctivitis, hyperhidrosis, and night sweats, all of which were mild or moderate. No deaths, serious AEs, or discontinuations due to AEs occurred. Although no patient achieved an objective response, five patients demonstrated stable disease after 1 cycle of therapy, with no discernable correlation between dacetuzumab dose and outcome. This modest single-agent activity may warrant further testing of dacetuzumab in combination with other chronic lymphocytic leukemia therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]