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Objective To analyze the effects of hospital cardiorespiratory physical therapy protocol on the functional capacity and quality of life of patients submitted to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Methods From January to December 2019, bilateral dynamometry, Manovacuometry and Ventilometry, peak expiratory flow "Peak Flow", 6-min walk test (6MWT), SF-36 Quality of Life Questionnaire and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) were applied in patients who have undergone an allogeneic or autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), pre-conditioning (initial evaluation) and pre-discharge (final evaluation). The patients were submitted to an intervention protocol, consisting of aerobic training, muscle strengthening and respiratory muscle training, between the two assessments. Results 29 patients were enrolled in the study and 24 (83%) completed all procedure. Myeloablative and reduced intensity conditioning were performed in 89.6% and 10.4%, respectively; 17 (58%) patients have undergone an autologous HSCT; 10 (35%) identical related allogeneic HSCT, and 2 (7%) haploidentical allogeneic HSCT. The median number of interventions per patient was 3 (1–9). A decreasing in the right and left dynamometry (p ≤ 0.0001 and 0.002, respectively) and, also in the distance covered in the 6MWT (p = 0.004), was observed after HSCT. There was no significant difference in respiratory muscle strength, quality of life and fatigue sensation. Conclusion Cardiorespiratory rehabilitation can preserve functional capacity and quality of life.

The T-cell Lymphoma Project is an international registry prospective study that enrolled patients with newly diagnosed peripheral T-cell and NK-cell lymphomas (PTCL). The main objective was to define the clinical features and outcomes, establishing a robust benchmark for future clinical trials. Seventy-four institutions from 14 countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia collected data on patients diagnosed and treated at their respective centers between September 2006 and February 2018. Among 1553 PTCL patients, 131 (8.4% of the total cohort) were confirmed to have anaplastic large cell lymphoma - kinase positive (ALCL, ALK+). The median age of the patients was 39 years (18-84). Sixty-five patients (66%) had advanced-stage disease, although majority (45 patients, 54%) had a low-risk International Prognostic Index (IPI) score (0-1). Of 97 patients treated with chemotherapy, 97% received anthracycline-containing regimens. The overall response rate was 81%, with 69 patients (70%) achieving complete remission. Estimated OS and PFS at 3 years were 77% (95% CI: 54%-99%) and 68% (95% CI: 46%-90%), respectively, and at 5 years were very similar, 77% of OS (95% CI: 62%-92%) and 64% of PFS (95% CI: 34%-94%). Multivariate analysis for PFS showed advanced stage (hazard ratios [HR]: 4.72, 95% CI: 1.43-23.9, p = 0.015), elevated lactate dehidrogenade (LDH) (HR 4.85; 95% CI: 1.73-13.60, p = 0.001), and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status scale (ECOG-PS) ≥2 (HR: 5.25; 95% CI: 1.68-16.4, p = 0.024). For OS, elevated LDH (HR: 3.77; 95% CI: 1.98-14.17, p = 0.014) and ECOG-PS ≥2 (HR: 4.59; 95% CI: 1.46-14.39, p = 0.004) were identified. In summary, although the outcome of ALK+ ALCL is superior to that of other PTCLs, it remains sufficiently favorable, given the young median age of the patients. Our results confirm the usefulness of both IPI and Prognostic Index for T-cell Lymphoma (PIT) in identifying groups of patients with different outcomes. Clinical Trials ID: NCT01142674.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:28:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-04-01 The novel Coronavirus (CoVid-19) outbreak is now consider a world pandemic, affecting more than 1,300,000 people worldwide. Cancer patients are in risk for severe disease, including a higher risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, need for invasive ventilation or death. Management of patients with lymphoid malignancies can be challenging during the outbreak, due to need of multiple hospital visits and admissions, immunosuppression and need for chemotherapy, radiotherapy and stem cell transplantation. In this article, we will focus on the practical management of patients with lymphoid malignancies during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on minimizing the risk for patients. Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein Américas Oncologia AC Camargo Cancer Center Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu (HC-FMB) Instituto do Cancer de São Paulo (ICESP) Hemomed Hospital Municipal da Vila Santa Catarina Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP) Grupo Oncoclínicas - CTO/CEON Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (HC UFMG) Centro de Cancer de Brasilia CETTRO Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp) Hospital Sírio Libanês Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HPCA) Instituto Nacional do Cancer (INCA) Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) FCM da Santa Casa de São Paulo Hospital Samaritano Higienópolis Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu (HC-FMB)

Objective T-cell Brazil Project was designed as an ambispective data collection from January 2015 to December 2022 of previously untreated patients diagnosed with Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) or NK/T-cell lymphoma according to the revised WHO 2017 classification in Brazil. The primary and secondary end points were 2-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Clinical, treatment and survival data were also correlated. Methodology Twenty centers got approved for the study from the local and national institutional review board and registered their cases only online. OS was calculated from diagnosis date until last seen or death date, whereas PFS until first event, progression / relapse, date of death or last seen. Kaplan-Meier method was applied and a Log-rank test to compare their curves. P-value less than 5% was considered. From a total of 416 patients with PTCL, 46 (11%) were diagnosed as AITL. Results The median age was 65 years (31-82), with 63% males, 94% had advanced-stage disease. All patients received 61% CHOEP, 28% CHOP and 11% CT without anthracycline. 20% of pts were consolidated with autologous transplant (HSCT). There were 19 (41%) deaths, 10 by lymphoma, 8 infections, 1 new neoplasia. With 8-mo median f/u (1-36), OS at 24-mo was 27% and 2-year PFS was 21%. As consolidation, OS was 71% HSCT group vs. 16% no HSCT (P= 0.06) and PFS was 71% vs. 8%, respectively (P= 0.01). Conclusion These analyses are preliminaries but show a poor outcome of AITL in our population. Most patients were treated with anthracycline-containing combination chemotherapy and just 20% received autologous HSCT. A dismal survival was shown for those who did not receive HSCT.

Objetivos Avaliar a efetividade e eficiencia de um protocolo de descontinuacao de inibidores de tirosina quinase (ITK) em tratamento no Sistema Unico de Saude (SUS) que incluiu uma fase de descalonamento de dose antes da interrupcao do tratamento. Materiais e metodos Estudo prospectivo, em andamento. Criterios de inclusao: LMC em fase cronica, em tratamento com ITK no minimo ha 3 anos, transcritos BCR-ABL tipicos, com resposta molecular profunda (RMP) por 2 anos (MR4.5) Exclusao: fase avancada previa ou atual, resistencia previa, mutacoes do ABL. Antes da suspensao do tratamento, foi realizado o descalonamento do ITK para 50% da dose atual por 6 meses. Durante a fase de descalonamento foi realizado monitoramento de PCR quantitativo para BCR-ABL (PCRq) mensal. Apos a descontinuacao do ITK o paciente foi seguido com avaliacoes clinicas, hemograma e PCRq a cada 4 semanas no primeiro semestre, a cada 2 meses no segundo semestre e no segundo ano e depois a cada 3 meses. A terapia foi reiniciada na perda de RMM (PCRq Resultados Entre setembro de 2020 e julho de 2021 foram triados 213 pacientes com LMC; 28 eram potencialmente elegiveis: 9 nao aceitaram participar; 19 assinaram o TCLE e um paciente teve falha de screening. A mediana de idade dos 18 participantes foi de 61.5 anos (35-86), 61% homens, 44.4% Sokal baixo risco ao diagnostico, 15.1% intermediario/alto; 81% com transcrito BCR-ABL do tipo b3a2; 78% estavam em uso de Imatinibe,11% Dasatinibe,5.5% Nilotinibe e 5.5% Bosutinibe. A mediana da duracao do tratamento com ITK ate o inicio do descalonamento foi de 136 meses (46-201); a duracao da RM 4.5 foi de 104, 5 meses (27-168); a mediana do tempo entre suspensao e perda de RMM foi de 2.5 meses (2-3). Oito pacientes perderam a RM4.5 durante a fase de descalonamento: destes, 2 perderam RMM, um na fase de descalonamento e outro na fase de descontinuacao. Status atual: sete pacientes estao na fase de descontinuacao, 8 na fase de descalonamento e 3 pacientes (16.6%) apresentaram recaida molecular. Nao houve nenhum evento adverso serio. Dois pacientes tiveram Covid-19 (leve) na fase de descalonamento. Discussao a descontinuacao tem sido proposta como estrategia terapeutica na pratica clinica nos pacientes com LMC com RM profunda sustentada. Nesses casos, a chance de sobrevida livre de remissao e de 50%. Poucos estudos avaliaram o efeito da retirada gradual do ITK antes da interrupcao. No estudo DESTINY, o descalonamento foi feito por 12 meses, e a sobrevida livre de terapia aos 36 meses foi de 72% nos pacientes com RM4.0. Nos resultados preliminares do nosso estudo, ainda em recrutamento de pacientes, com 10 meses de seguimento, observamos que das 3 recaidas, uma delas ocorreu na fase de descalonamento, em um paciente em uso de nilotinibe em segunda linha e outra em um paciente na segunda tentativa de descontinuacao, onde e esperado uma menor chance de sucesso. Conclusoes ate o momento o protocolo mostrou-se seguro, com resultados dentro do esperado na literatura. O seguimento a longo prazo e inclusao de novos pacientes nos permitira avaliar se a estrategia do descalonamento trara vantagem na sobrevida livre de terapia.

Introduction: The incidence of grade 3–4 anemia was reported to be 3% with imatinib therapy for newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the chronic phase (CP). However, there are few data regarding the causes and the development of anemia after long-term treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of anemia after at least two years of imatinib treatment of CML patients in the CP and to identify other contributing causes of anemia in this population. Patients and methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 97 CML patients in the CP treated with imatinib for at least two years. We analyzed the hemoglobin (Hb) levels of CML patients at diagnosis, upon initiation of treatment with imatinib and after two years of imatinib treatment, and investigated other causes of anemia in this population. Results: Most of the patients presented Hb levels below the normal range (80.4%) after the second year of treatment, 17.9% grade 2 and 1.3% grade 3. In 13 cases (16.7%), anemia was attributed to resistance and in 13 cases (16.7%) the following causes were identified: iron deficiency (n = 5), hypothyroidism (n = 2), vitamin B12 deficiency (n = 3), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) (n = 1), pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 1) and renal toxicity (n = 1). In 52 patients (66.6%), there were no other factors contributing to anemia, except imatinib treatment. Conclusion: Regular follow-up is required to identify the causes of anemia not related to CML or imatinib toxicity. The importance of investigating secondary causes of anemia should be emphasized, especially in patients with good adherence to treatment and satisfactory therapeutic response. Keywords: Chronic myeloid leukemia, Imatinib, Anemia, Adverse events

We analyzed the management and outcomes of pregnancies of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia at a single center over fifteen years. Among the 203 CML female patients, there were ten pregnancies in seven women, all of them not planned. In three cases, the chronic myeloid leukemia diagnosis was made during pregnancy. Five patients received tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the first weeks of pregnancy and the drug was interrupted until delivery. One patient lost complete cytogenetic response, and two patients lost the hematological response. A patient with a stable major molecular response had two successful pregnancies without loss of response. There were four premature births. There were no maternal adverse events, fetal malformation or death. All patients received Interferon-alpha during gestation, and two received hydroxyurea for a short period. Leukapheresis was performed in two patients for hyperleukocytosis control. One patient with sickle cell disease died from disease progression six months after delivery. Conclusions: The tyrosine kinase inhibitors ministration should be interrupted during pregnancy. Patients should be advised to achieve a stable and deep molecular response if they plan to conceive, to avoid the risk of disease progression. Keywords: Chronic myeloid leukemia, Pregnancy, Imatinib, Interferon-alpha, Hydroxyurea, Dasatinib

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate efficacy and safety of generic imatinib (IM) compared to branded imatinib (Glivec) in chronic myeloid leukemia. The primary end-point was the achievement of a major molecular response (MMR) at 12 months and safety. Secondary end-points included response evaluation, overall (OS), event-free survival (EFS) progression-free survival (PFS) and toxicity. Methods: Ambispective, multicenter, observational, non-inferiority study, in newly diagnosed Brazilian patients with chronic phase CML patients treated with IM in first line. The historic cohort consisted of CML patients treated with branded IM (Glivec) from January 2010 to December 2011 and the prospective cohort was treated with generics between January 2015 and December 2018. A total of 493 cases (214 Glivec and 279 Generic) from 10 centers were enrolled, and 393 (80%) patients were eligible for analysis (Glivec = 163; Generics = 230). EFS was measured from the start of treatment until loss of complete hematologic response, loss of major cytogenetic response, progression to accelerated or blast crisis, no response or insufficient response to study therapy, after a predefined period of time or death from any cause at any time during initial therapy or permanent discontinuation of IM by adverse events. Results: The median age was 45 and 49 years in Glivec and Generics groups, respectively (p = 0.056). Sokal score stratification in Glivec and generic groups, was respectively: low risk 50/50%; intermediate risk 49/38% and high risk 12/22% (p = 0.05). E14a2 (b3a2) frequency was 63% vs. 52% in Glivec and Generic group, respectively, and e13a2 (b2a2) 36% in both groups, e14a2+e13a2 were 1% vs. 12% (p = 0.005). There was no significant difference in gender, Eutos score and ECOG. The median time between diagnosis and treatment starting was 40 (0-169) and 28 (0-168) days (Glivec vs. Generics, respectively), p = 0.17. MMR rate at 12 months was 77/142 (54%) and 88/145 (61%) in Glivec and generics groups, respectively (p = 0.26). There were more failures in the generics group at 6 months (21% vs. 14%) (p = 0.03, respectively). There was no difference in grade 3-4 hematological and non-hematological toxicity in in the first 12 months. EFS at 24 months were higher in Glivec cohort and 76% vs. 53%, p < 0.0001, respectively), PFS and OS was not significantly different (respectively: 96% vs. 93%, p = 0.09 and 97% vs 96%, p = 0.41). The independent risk factors associated with inferior EFS were: generics use (HR = 1.78; 95%CI 1.06-2.99; p = 0.02) and High Sokal index (HR 2.25; 95%CI 1.38-3.67; p = 0.001). Conclusion: In the intention to treat analysis there was no significant difference in the primary end-point (MMR and safety at 12 months). The generics cohort presented more failures at 6 months compared to branded imatinib and inferior 24 month-EFS. There was no difference in the 24-month OS and PFS. The interpretation of the results should take into consideration the differences in CML management over the years.

Introdução: O papel da terapia de altas doses (TAD) seguida pelo transplante de células tronco periférico (TCTP) autólogo como consolidação é ainda muito discutido para os pacientes com Linfoma de células T periféricas (LCTP), ou seja, não há consenso atualmente sobre o gerenciamento ideal para o tratamento de primeira linha, principalmente devido ao viés de seleção de pacientes e das amostras pequenas nos estudos. Da mesma forma, com a disponibilidade de novos medicamentos, o uso TAD seguida de TCTP na consolidação ou salvamento deixou de serem as únicas opções disponíveis. Assim, nosso objetivo é descrever e verificar os resultados desses procedimentos e compreender o papel da TAD seguida de TCTP nestes pacientes. Métodos: Entre janeiro de 2015 e julho de 2021, 414 pacientes foram registrados por 34 centros brasileiros; destes 374 tinha informação disponível das terapias usadas. Um total de 70 (18.5%) casos foi submetido ao TAD seguido TCTP e este grupo é o foco deste estudo. Sobrevida global (SG) foi calculada a partir da data do diagnóstico até a data da última visita ou data de óbito. A sobrevida livre de progressão (SLP) da data do diagnóstico até data do 1° evento ou última consulta. Para o grupo de salvamento (TCTP-S) foi calculado a SLP considerando a data do TCTP até a data da última consulta ou 1° evento, sendo o evento progressão ou morte. Resultados: A mediana de idade dos pacientes transplantados foi de 51 anos (20-75), 37 (53%) sexo masculino, 20% teve performance status > 1; 60% apresentaram sintomas B e 67% teve algum sintoma relacionado à doença. 73% apresentou estadio III/IV; 16% dos casos tinham envolvimento extranodal > 1 e 17% tinham doença com bulky; Os subtipos mais frequentes foram 39% Linfoma de células T periféricas não especificado; 28% Linfoma de grandes células T anaplásicas, ALK- e 17% Linfoma angioimunoblástico. O grupo TCTP-C teve 54 pacientes e o status da doença antes do procedimento foi 50 (92,5%) casos com RC e 4 RP (7,5%); o TCTP-S foi realizado em 18 casos e 2 pacientes foram transplantados em ambos os momentos. Em relação ao tipo de TCTP, na consolidação, foram realizados 48 autólogos e 6 alogênicos, enquanto no salvamento foram 13 autólogos e 5 alogênicos. Após uma mediana de seguimento de 23 meses (4-77) para o grupo TCTP-C e 25 meses (6-43) para TCTP-S, a SG do grupo com TCTP-C foi de 81% (IC 95% 69-93%) e 71% (IC 95% 24-88%) para o TCTP-S, P = 0.16; A SLP foi de 61% (IC 95% 45-77%) e 7% (IC 95% 0-19%), respectivamente, p < 0,0001. Analisando o grupo TCTP-S, a resposta após o TCTP foi 4 (22%) RC, 1 (5,5%) RP, 3 (16,5%) doença estável, 5 (28%) progressão e 5 (28%) morreram. A mediana de seguimento foi 10 meses (1-23), e a SG-S foi 54% e 56% SLP-S em dois anos. Conclusões: De acordo com os dados da literatura, o TCTP pode indicar um controle em longo prazo para o LCTP alcançando uma estabilização após 5 anos e nossos dados apresentam curvas de 3 anos para o grupo consolidação, sugerindo que este procedimento é uma boa opção para melhorar os resultados finais. (Número do Clinical trials: NCT03207789).

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:45:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-01-01 This observational, multicenter study aimed to report the clinical evolution of COVID-19 in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in Latin America. A total of 92 patients presented with COVID-19 between March and December 2020, 26% of whom were severe or critical. The median age at COVID-19 diagnosis was 48 years (22–79 years), 32% were 60 years or older, and 61% were male. Thirty-nine patients presented with at least one comorbidity (42.3%). Eighty-one patients recovered (88%), and 11 (11.9%) died from COVID-19. There was one case of reinfection. Patients with a major molecular response presented superior overall survival compared to patients with no major molecular response (91 vs. 61%, respectively; p = 0.004). Patients in treatment-free remission and receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors showed higher survival rates than patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and those who did not receive tyrosine kinase inhibitors (100, 89, 50, and 33%, respectively; p < 0.001). Hematology and Hemotherapy Center University of Campinas Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI IMSS JM Ramos Mejia CABA Hospital de Transplantes Euryclides de Jesus Zerbini Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal do Ceará Hospital Universitário Walter Cantídio Complexo Hospital de Clínicas–Universidade Federal do Paraná Laboratory of Medical Investigation in Pathogenesis and targeted therapy in Onco-Immuno-Hematology (LIM/31) Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo Hospital de Valdivia Bueras Centro de Pesquisas Oncológicas Hospital dos Fornecedores de Cana de Piracicaba Hospital AC Camargo Cancer Center Hospital Universitário Antonio Pedro Universidade Federal Fluminense Hospitalization & Clinical Research Center Fundaleu Hospital Jorge Valente Hospital Santa Casa de Misericordia de Maceió Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto University of São Paulo Hospital Santa Marcelina São Paulo State University UNESP Medical School Campus de Botucatu Hemorio São Paulo State University UNESP Medical School Campus de Botucatu

Introduction: Ruxolitinib has been approved for the treatment of myelofibrosis (MF). In this study, we present safety and efficacy findings from an analysis of 104 patients with intermediate- and high-risk MF in a Brazilian cohort of the JUMP study who received treatment with ruxolitinib. Methods: JUMP is a single-arm, open-label, phase IIIb, expanded-access study. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the safety and tolerability (frequency, duration, and severity of adverse events [AEs]) of ruxolitinib. Results: All of the 104 patients received the treatment. Median duration of exposure was 35.8 months. The most common hematologic AEs were anemia (57.7), thrombocytopenia (38.5%), neutropenia (11.5%), and leukopenia (9.6%). Second malignancies (all grades) occurred in 19.2% of patients (n = 20). Serious AEs were reported in 62.5% of patients (n = 65). The proportions of patients with ≥50% reduction from baseline in palpable spleen length at weeks 24 and 48 were 62.7% and 69.2%, respectively. The mean change from the baseline in the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT)-Lymphoma total score was 10.8 [15.6%] at week 4, 12.6 [14.1%] at week 24, and 12.2 [14.3%] at week 48. The mean change from the baseline for the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT)-Fatigue scale was 3.9 [42.8%] at week 4, 4.9 [29.9%] at week 24, and 4.7 [28%] at week 48. At week 48, the estimated progression-free survival, leukemia-free survival, and overall survival probabilities were 91%, 91% and 93%, respectively Overall, 21 deaths were observed in the present study. Conclusion: Findings from this study suggest that ruxolitinib could be evaluated as a standard-of-care treatment for the MF population in need of a viable treatment option. NCT01493414 Keywords: Ruxolitinib, Myelofibrosis, JUMP, Brazil

Summary Background Extranodal natural killer (NK) T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) is a unique clinicopathological entity, typically associated with poor survival outcomes. Most published data have come from east Asian study groups, with little information available from international cohorts. The effects of treatment advances on routine clinical practice across continental territories has not been clear. We aimed to improve understanding of the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with ENKTL. Methods We did a substudy of patients with ENKTL from the T-cell Project, a global prospective cohort study. The T-cell Project registered consecutively diagnosed adults (>18 years) with newly diagnosed, untreated mature T-cell or NK lymphomas (WHO 2001 or 2008 classifications) from 74 centres in 13 countries (in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America). In total, 1695 patients with mature T-cell or NK lymphomas were enrolled between Oct 12, 2006 and Feb 28, 2018 in the T-cell Project. The first patient with ENKTL was enrolled on Feb 15, 2007, and the last on May 26, 2017. Data on baseline characteristics, first-line treatment, treatment response, and survival outcomes were recorded in a central database (locked March 30, 2019). The primary outcome was 5-year overall survival. The T-cell Project is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT01142674 . Findings 166 patients were diagnosed with ENKTL, comprising 11% of 1553 eligible registered cases and distributed across 40 participating centres in four continents. At a median follow-up of 44 months (IQR 20–61), overall survival at 5 years was 54% (95% CI 44–63) in patients with nasal disease (n=98) and 34% (27–46) in patients with extranasal disease (n=68). Interpretation To our knowledge, this study presents the largest international cohort of patients with ENKTL. We describe a clinically significant improvement in the survival of patients with ENKTL treated in routine clinical practice over the past decade, likely to be attributable to the increasing use of treatment protocols specific for ENKTL. Funding The Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Modena, the Associazione Angela Serra per la Ricerca sul Cancro, the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi, Allos Therapeutics, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro, and the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.

Objective: Follicular and mantle cell lymphoma are low-grade B-cell malignancies that lack good responses to chemoimmunotherapy. This study aimed to assess retrospectively clinicopathological features and to determine independent prognostic factors for follicular and mantle cell lymphoma patients treated at two Brazilian medical centers: the Hematology and Hemotherapy Center of the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp), a public university hospital, and AC. Camargo Cancer Center, a specialized cancer center. Methods: Two hundred and twenty-seven follicular and 112 mantle cell lymphoma cases were diagnosed between 1999 and 2016. Archived paraffin blocks were retrieved and reviewed. Corresponding demographics and clinical data were recovered from medical charts. Outcome analyses considered both overall and event-free survival. Results: For follicular lymphoma treated with the R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine sulfate, prednisone) and R-CVP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine sulfate, prednisone) regimens, both B-symptoms (p-value

Objective: To investigate, in a large prospective multicenter study, whether 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose-positron emission tomography is sufficiently accurate to identify clinically important bone marrow involvement by Hodgkin's lymphoma to replace routine bone marrow biopsy in a developing tropical country. Methods: Patients newly diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma were recruited from six cancer centers in Brazil. All were staged by the results of positron emission tomography/computed tomography that were centrally reviewed and by iliac crest bone marrow biopsy. Patients were classified as having marrow disease if they had lymphoma identified by marrow biopsy histology or had focal 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose marrow uptake that resolved following chemotherapy. Results: A total of 246 participants were recruited from six different centers and 62 (25.2%) were judged to have Hodgkin's lymphoma in the bone marrow. Positron emission tomography and biopsies were concordant in 206 patients (83%). Positron emission tomography correctly identified marrow disease in 59/62 patients (95.1%) and marrow biopsy in 25/62 patients (40.3%). In 22/62 (35.4%) patients, the two techniques were concordant in the diagnosis of marrow involvement. Of the forty discordant results, positron emission tomography found bone marrow involvement in 37 patients, upstaging 22 to stage IV and having an impact on therapeutic decision in nine cases given their reallocation from early to advanced stage. Three false negative positron emission tomography results were obtained with bone marrow biopsy giving positive findings. All three cases were classified as stage IV regardless of bone marrow findings implying no modification in the clinical management. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of positron emission tomography for detecting bone marrow disease were 95%, 100% and 98% and for bone marrow biopsy they were 40%, 100% and 84%, respectively. Conclusion: We conclude that positron emission tomography can replace marrow biopsy in Brazilian patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma without compromising clinical management. Keywords: Hodgkin's lymphoma, FDG-PET, Positron-emission tomography, Bone marrow biopsy, Lymphoma staging

Objetivos: Avaliar a incidência e evolução clínica da COVID-19 em pacientes com leucemia mieloide crônica (LMC) acompanhados em dois centros. Materiais e métodos: Estudo prospectivo, observacional, em andamento. Os pacientes responderam a dois questionários com 6 meses de intervalo. Foram incluídas perguntas relacionadas a sintomas, comorbidades, incidência e suspeita de COVID-19, contatos com pessoas infectadas, comportamento durante a pandemia, gravidade da infecção e vacinação. Cada questionário avaliou dados referentes aos últimos 6 meses. Adicionalmente, foram obtidos dados clínicos, laboratoriais e de tratamento dos prontuários médicos.Os dados foram coletados e armazenados no sistema REDCap. Resultados: Entre setembro de 2020 e julho de 2021, 225 pacientes responderam ao primeiro questionário e 121 também responderam ao segundo. Dos analisados, 127 (56,4%) eram homens. A mediana de idade 56,5 anos (19-90). A maioria estava em tratamento com inibidores de tirosina quinase (88.5%) e 11.5% sem tratamento, em protocolo de descontinuação. 80% dos pacientes realizaram distanciamento social e 30% dos avaliados tiveram algum familiar ou contato próximo com COVID-19. Nos 6 meses anteriores à aplicação do primeiro questionário, 49 (21,9%) tiveram sintomas respiratórios, 30 (13,4%) febre, 7 (3,1%) pneumonia e 45 (20,1%) falta de ar ou tosse seca. Comorbidades: 79 (35,6%) hipertensão, 34 (15,3%) diabetes, 15 (6,8%) insuficiência renal, 13 (5,9%) doença pulmonar, 37 (16,7%) cardiopatia e 43 (19,4%) outra doença crônica. No total, 28 (12,4%) pacientes foram diagnosticados com COVID-19, enquanto 10 foram suspeitos. A mediana de idade foi 47 anos, 67,9% eram homens; 10 (37,0%) não estavam respeitando o distanciamento social. 36% tinham comorbidades: 12% diabetes, 28% hipertensão, 4% insuficiência renal, 24% cardiopatia e 12% outra doença crônica. 12 tiveram algum familiar ou contato próximo diagnosticado com COVID-19. Vinte e seis (92%) pacientes tiveram forma leve, sem necessidade de internação, um paciente de 71 anos em uso de nilotinibe e em RMM teve quadro grave, com óbito. 27 pacientes estavam na fase crônica e um em fase acelerada. Treze apresentavam resposta molecular maior, um resposta hematológica, 4 resposta citogenética completa, 3 MR4.0 e 7 MR4.5. Tratamento vigente: imatinibe (16), dasatinibe(5), nilotinibe (5) e um sem tratamento. Houve um caso de reinfecção. Até o momento, 84 (37%) dos pacientes receberam vacinas para a COVID-19 (32 CoronaVac, 51 Oxford/AstraZeneca e um da Pfizer). Dentre os pacientes vacinados, 22 apresentaram reações adversas: 8 apresentaram febre, 6 dor de cabeça e 20 outros (dores no corpo, calafrios ou dores no local da injeção). Discussão: Pacientes com neoplasias hematológicas tem quadro mais grave e maior mortalidade associada a COVID-19. Na LMC a mortalidade parece ser levemente superior à da população geral, com pior evolução nas fases mais avançadas e em pacientes com comorbidades. Tivemos um caso de óbito e um de reinfecção, onde não podemos descartar a hipótese de uma variante. Conclusão: A incidência de COVID-19 na população de LMC estudada foi de 12,4%, mais frequente em homens, com menor mediana de idade e menor taxa de isolamento social, com predomínio de casos leves e moderados. Todos os casos descritos ocorreram antes da vacinação.

Background The prognostic significance of breakpoint cluster region gene-Abelson murine leukemia viral oncogene homolog 1 (BCR-ABL1) transcripts in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is still controversial. Patients and Methods All consecutive CML patients in chronic phase treated with imatinib in a single center were analyzed (n = 170). BCR-ABL1 transcript was evaluated using multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Exclusively patients with BCR-ABL transcripts e13a2 and/or e14a2 were included in this analysis. Results Patients with e14a2 transcripts presented higher rates of optimal molecular responses at 3 months and higher rates of complete cytogenetic response (CCR) at 6 months. E13a2, e14a2, and e14a2 with e13a2 (e14a2+e13a2) groups presented similar rates of 5-year event-free, progression-free, and overall survival. There was a superior 10-year overall survival in patients with transcripts e13a2 compared with e14a2 (alone or coexpressed with e13a2; 93% vs. 73%; P = .03), although the 5-year overall survival was 96% vs. 88%, respectively (P = not significant). In a multivariate analysis, high/intermediate Sokal score and e14a3/e14a3+e14a2 were independent factors for poor overall survival (hazard risk [HR], 4.63; P = .023 for Sokal score and HR, 10.6; P = .041 for BCR-ABL transcript). Conclusion Patients with BCR-ABL transcripts e14a2 transcripts have higher rates of CCR at 6 months and higher rates of optimal molecular response at 3 months compared with e13a2 or with both transcripts, but no difference in 5-year overall, progression-free, and event-free survival. There was a superior 10-year overall survival among patients with transcripts e13a2 compared with e14a2 (alone or coexpressed with e13a2).

Data about Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in developing countries are scarce and suggest the existence of substantial disparities in healthcare and outcomes in large areas of the world. In 2009, a prospective registry of HL was implemented in Brazil. Web-based data were contributed by 20 institutions across the country participating in the Brazilian Prospective Hodgkin's Lymphoma Registry. The aim of this study was to present the clinical features and outcomes of newly diagnosed patients with HL aged 13 to 90 years. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to estimate progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) by clinical factors. A total of 674 patients with classical HL were analysed, with a median follow-up of 37 months. Median age was 30 years (13-90). The median time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 6 months (0-60). Only 6% of patients had early favourable disease, while 65% had advanced disease. Stage IVB was present in 26% and a high-risk International Prognostic Score in 38%. Doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine was used in 93%. The median dose of radiotherapy was 36 Gy for localized disease and 32 Gy for advanced disease. The 3 year PFS in early favourable, early unfavourable, and advanced disease were 95%, 88%, and 66%, respectively. High-risk International Prognostic Score, advanced disease, and age greater than or equal to 60 were independently associated with poorer PFS and OS; performance status greater than or equal to 2 was also associated with a poorer OS. Poor-risk patients predominated. Radiation doses for localized disease appear higher than current recommendations. Outcomes appear inferior in developing countries than in developed countries. Delayed diagnosis is probably a major factor underlying these findings. Scattered reports from developing nations suggest that many aspects of standard care in developed countries remain unmet needs for populations living in developing countries. The present report contributes to this body of data, with a proper description of what is currently achieved in urban areas in Brazil.

Introduction:Adult T cell Leukemia/Lymphoma (ATLL) is a mature T-Cell-neoplasm related to human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection that shows variable clinical presentation and adverse prognosis with shorter overall survival (OS) when compared to other peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL). Previous epidemiological studies estimated cumulative incidence in endemic regions around the world. In Brazil, mainly due to its vast dimension, data collection has limitations and is subject to bias. In April 2015 theBrazilianT-cell longitudinal project initiative was launched. One of the primary purposes was the collection of epidemiological and clinical data from the most frequent subtypes of newly diagnosed PTCL. Among them, 41 cases of ATLL were recorded. Objectives:The aim of this study is to describe clinical features, frequency and overall survival (OS) of 41 cases of ATLL registered in the ongoingBrazilianT-Cell Project. Methods:This is an ambispective observational study design collecting baseline characteristics, clinical features including date of diagnosis, clinical subtypes, B symptoms, performance status, Ann-Arbor staging, HTLV-1 status, number of sites, nodal and extra nodal presentation and types of skin lesions, peripheral blood counts and biochemical tests, front-line treatment and best response after first-line treatment. REDcap Platform has been used to collect and store data and for descriptive analysis the IBM-SPSS version 24 was applied. Kaplan-Meier method estimated the OS, whereas Log-Rank tests to compare its curves. OS period was calculated from diagnosis date until death or last seen date, and event was death by any cause. Results:Out of 281 cases of PTCL registered so far, 41 were ATLL cases. The median age was 50 years (34-88), 25 (64%) female; a higher incidence of lymphoma subtype was observed (46%), followed by acute (29%), chronic (17%) and smoldering (8%). Most of the patients (85%) had advanced-stage disease (III-IV, Ann-Arbor) and 56% had B symptoms (Table 1); 73% received chemotherapy with anthracycline-based regimens (46.5% CHOEP; 33.5% CHOP; 20% others) whereas 17% were managed with immunotherapy and antiviral therapy. The overall response rate was 30%; no response or progression 46%; stable disease 9% and 15% no data available yet (Table 2). Median follow-up was 13 months and 25 months for 41% of alive patients. Two year OS was 39% (95%CI: 23-55%) (Figure 1). Smoldering and Chronic subtypes showed better OS when compared with acute and lymphoma (100% smoldering, 86% chronic; 30% lymphoma type and 13% acuteP=0.04) (Figure 2). The multivariate Cox Regression analysis found male gender (HR 10.9 95%CI: 3.0-39.7, P Discussion:ATLL prognosis remains poor regardless of the type of treatment regimen and may be associated with the high incidence of lymphoma and acute subtypes, as well as advanced stage disease presentation. Despite the high number of cases seen in southeastern region of Brazil, it is important to emphasize there are still limited data from other regions. Albeit the sample size is small, these findings confirmed literature review data so far, with poor overall survival in a short time and gender and albumin as predictors of OS in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion:This study highlights the poor prognosis associated with ATLL. Moreover, it seems relevant to expand this study to all Brazilian regions. Hence, the need for early diagnosis and new treatment strategies, able to reduce mortality is warranted, that could possibly change the nature and spectrum of disease. Disclosures Federico: Spectrum:Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Sandoz:Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Cephalon/Teva:Research Funding;Mundipharma s.r.l.:Research Funding;Celgene:Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding;Millennium/Takeda:Research Funding;Roche:Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding;Takeda:Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Background: Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) is a rare and unique subtype of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) with distinct clinicopathologic features. Clinical presentation is varied with an aggressive course and dismal outcomes. Curative treatment modalities in AITLs are still an unmet need. Aims: In this study, we aimed to advance our understanding of clinical characteristics, prognostic factors, treatment strategies in patients with AITL in the international prospective T-Cell Project (TCP). Patients and methods: We did a sub-analysis of 282 patients with AITL out of 1,553 cases enrolled between 2006 and 2018 in the TCP, a global prospective registry of patients with PTCL involving 74 institutions in 13 countries in Europe, North/South America, and Asia. Eligible patients were >18 years old with baseline clinical data necessary for disease staging, treatment type, and follow-up for at least 5 years. The primary and secondary endpoints were 5-year OS and PFS. Additionally, we analyzed prognostic factors and POD24. The TCP is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT01142674 . Results: The median age at diagnosis was 64 years (range 22–88) and 63% of patients were >60 years old. The advanced stage had 90% of patients and 60% were males. According to the IPI, PIT, and PIAI, the majority of cases were in the high-risk groups. Anthracyclinecontaining chemotherapy was received by 81% of patients, and 27 (12.5%) underwent HDT/ASCT as consolidation. Five-year OS and PFS were 44% and 32%, respectively. CR was achieved in 106 patients. ASCT was associated with superior OS (89% vs 52%, p = 0.05) and PFS (79% vs 31, p = 0.02). In multivariate analysis, older age (p=0.003), ECOG PS >2 (p=0.0001), CRP>ULN (p=0.003) and Beta2 microglobulin >ULN (p=0.002) showed an independent prognostic value on PFS. Finally, POD24 was a powerful predictor of outcome: the 5-year PFS for patients with or without POD24 was 2% and 48%, respectively (p=0.0001). Conclusions: Our data confirmed the poor outcome of AITL, mostly in patients exhibiting POD24, and the promising efficacy of ASCT in CR1. Moreover, the collected data gave a better understanding of the need for more effective therapies and the importance to continue prospective studies in a real-world population.

Genetic susceptibility observed in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) – one common cancer in young adults – relates to dysfunction of immune system [1].The receptor programed death-1 (PD-1) in T lymphocytes has...

BACKGROUND: The clinical course of gastric lymphoma is heterogeneous and clinical symptoms and some factors have been related to prognosis. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to identify prognostic factors in gastric diffuse B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed and treated in different countries. METHODS: A consecutive series of gastric diffuse B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients diagnosed and treated in Brazil, Portugal and Italy, between February 2008 and December 2014 was evaluated. RESULTS: Of 104 patients, 57 were female and the median age was 69 years (range: 28-88). The distribution of the age-adjusted international prognostic index was 12/95 (13%) high risk, 20/95 (21%) high-intermediate risk and 63/95 (66%) low/low-intermediate risk. Symptoms included abdominal pain (63/74), weight loss (57/73), dysphagia (37/72) and nausea/vomiting (37/72). Bulky disease was found in 24% of the cases, anemia in 33 of 76 patients and bleeding in 22 of 72 patients. The median follow-up time was 25 months (range: 1-77 months), with 1- and 5-year survival rates of 79% and 76%, respectively. The multivariate Cox Regression identified the age-adjusted international prognostic index as a predictor of death (hazard risk: 3.62; 95% confidence interval: 2.21-5.93; p-value

Background Cardiovascular events (CVEs) have been observed in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia treated with second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Patients and Methods We retrospectively evaluated the incidence of CVEs on 233 consecutive patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, of which 116 were treated with imatinib, 75 with dasatinib, and 42 with nilotinib. The median follow-up was 2047, 1712, and 1773 days, respectively. Results The cumulative incidence of CVEs was 4.29%. Three events occurred during dasatinib treatment, 6 during nilotinib treatment, and none during imatinib treatment (P ≤ .001). Arterial occlusive events occurred in 2 (2.6%) of 75 patients treated with dasatinib and in 6 (14.2%) of 42 patients treated with nilotinib (P ≤ .001). Furthermore, all of them occurred in patients with high-risk (n = 2) and very high-risk (n = 6) cardiovascular risk, contributing to 4.3% of mortality. Conclusion CVEs were more frequent in patients treated with second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Arterial occlusive events were more frequent in patients treated with nilotinib, with high and very high cardiovascular risk.

Neurolymphomatosis (NL) is a rare disease that can be caused by T cell, B cell or natural killer cell (NK) lymphomas, but most commonly by B cell lymphomas.1 NL is characterized by direct infiltration of the central nervous system (CNS), nerve roots/plexus or peripheral nerves by a hematological malignancy.2–4 Multiple nerve involvement is more common than single nerve involvement.1 Secondary NL occurs as relapse or the progression of lymphomas.5

Differential gene expression analysis by suppression subtractive hybridization with correlation to the metabolic pathways involved in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) may provide a new insight into the pathogenesis of CML. Among the overexpressed genes found in CML at diagnosis are SEPT5, RUNX1, MIER1, KPNA6 and FLT3, while PAN3, TOB1 and ITCH were decreased when compared to healthy volunteers. Some genes were identified and involved in CML for the first time, including TOB1, which showed a low expression in patients with CML during tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment with no complete cytogenetic response. In agreement, reduced expression of TOB1 was also observed in resistant patients with CML compared to responsive patients. This might be related to the deregulation of apoptosis and the signaling pathway leading to resistance. Most of the identified genes were related to the regulation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), AKT, interferon and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in healthy cells. The results of this study combined with literature data show specific gene pathways that might be explored as markers to assess the evolution and prognosis of CML as well as identify new therapeutic targets.

Quantitative RT-PCR (RQ-PCR) is an essential test for BCR-ABL transcripts monitoring in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), to guide therapy and for monitoring after a discontinuation attempt in patients with deep molecular response. RT-PCR (RQ-PCR) is currently not reimbursed by the public health system in Brazil. Aims: To assess the proportion of CML patients treated with first-line imatinib eligible for discontinuation, and to calculate the financial impact resulting from IM discontinuation. Methods: Between January 2010 and December 2011, 151 consecutive cases of chronic phase myeloid leukemia treated with Glivec first-line therapy were evaluated. Between June and December 2013 there was a switch in treatment from Glivec to generic IM. Cases that exhibited stable MR4.5 for 2 years with first-line IM were selected for the study. Cases which switched treatment to second-generation inhibitors and patients older than 75 years of age were excluded from the study. The methodology used was a pharmacoeconomic cost-utility analysis. Glivec monthly cost has been estimated at U$ 3,257.54 and the generic IM U$ 365.48, while the unitary value for the PCR test was U$ 117.49. In order to calculate the period of IM consumption, the median age of the patients and the life expectancy data released in 2015 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) of 75 years was considered. In the first analysis, the life expectancy for the sample group, and the total cost of treatment (cost of Glivec, generic IM and four annual RQ-PCR tests for each patient) were calculated. The second analysis consisted of a hypothetical calculation of costs under the scenario where the study group is therapy-free (estimating that the survival rate under discontinued therapy was similar to data available in the literature, with discontinuation success of 50% in this group) with molecular monitoring by PCR monthly in the first year, bimestrial in the second year and every three months from the third year on. Results: One hundred fifty-one cases were analyzed, with a median age at diagnosis of 45. From those, 56 (37%) patients achieved stable MR4.5 with a median time to achieve MR4.5 of 71 months. The median duration of follow-up was 8 (0-10) years. In the last follow-up, 108 patients were still in treatment, 10% (11/108) with Glivec, 90% (97/108) on generic IM. Patients excluded from the analysis: 4 cases aged more than 75 years; 13 that switched therapy to another TKI and one during the bone marrow transplant period. Finally, 38/56 (25%) patients who obtained MR4.5 with IM were eligible for analysis. Analysis 1: Total treatment cost for the 38 eligible cases, if the individuals sustained continuous use of IM, considering the life expectancy of 75 years. The calculations resulted in an average of 29 years of treatment, with an estimated cost of U$ 9,363,866.00. Analysis 2: The cost after discontinuation of generic IM, estimating that 50% of patients would resume the treatment. Nineteen cases were analyzed. The costs related to the monthly PCR exam in year 1, bimestrial exam in year 2 and trimester in year 3, until the patient reaches 75 years of age, have been calculated, with a total cost of U$ 7,823.515. Conclusions: The economy resulting from the discontinuation of treatment (US$1.540.340,00) by 19 patients could support 219 patients tests over 29 years, or 12.110 tests each year. This data is relevant, providing that RQ-PCR is essential for the appropriate management of CML and to allow safe discontinuation of the therapy in eligible patients. Such results may help to change the current health policies concerning RQ-PCR tests reimbursement for CML management and future attempting of TFR in Brazil. Disclosures Centrone: Novartis: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria. Magalhaes:Novartis: Honoraria. Pagnano:Pint Pharma: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Sandoz: Consultancy.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors treatment changed dramatically the survival of CML patients, approaching to the survival of the normal population. Comorbidities may also impact treatment results. Aim: to investigate the impact of comorbidities in the survival of CML patients treated with TKI Methods: We collected clinical and laboratory data from CML patients treated in a single center from medical records from January 2001 to December 2018. Comorbidities were collected at diagnosis before treatment and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) was calculated. Because of CML diagnosis, the lowest possible score was 2. Patients were treated with imatinib 400-600 mg and one was treated with dasatinib in first line. Management followed the European Leukemia Net recommendations. OS probabilities were calculated using Kaplan-Meier method. OS was defined as the time between diagnosis and death of any cause, independent of treatment. Cox models were estimated for the multivariate analysis. All calculations were performed with version 24.0 SPSS software. Results: We included 273/310 patients in this analysis; 37 pts were excluded because of previous treated in other centers. Patients characteristics: 57.3% males, median age at diagnosis was 49 (14-86); 263 (96%) chronic phase and 11 (4%) accelerated phase; Sokal low risk 36.8%, intermediate 31.8% high risk 31.4%; EUTOS low risk (81.7%) and high risk (18.3%); median follow-up time was 92 months (1-223). Most frequent comorbidities: hypertension (27.2%); diabetes (7.5%). Smoking at diagnosis (15.3%). CCI group categories were: 2 (n=131), 3 (n=52), 4 (n=46), 5 or more (n=45). Probabilities of OS at 10 years for patients with CCI 2, 3 to 4 and ≥ 5 to were 81%, (95% confidence interval [CI]: 73-89%), 77% (95%CI: 63-100%), 69% (95%CI:53-85%), and 62% (95% CI: 38-86%), respectively. Probabilities of OS according to Sokal score was 86% (low risk) vs. 73% (intermediate) vs. 68% (high risk), P=0.002 and for EUTOS score 79% (low risk) vs. 61% (low risk), P=0.004. OS was lower in patients with hypertension (63% vs. 80%), P=0.018. In a multivariate analysis including CCI Sokal and EUTOS Score, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, the most powerful predictive factors for death were high and intermediate Sokal score and hypertension ((Wald test, P =0.003 and 0.049, respectively). There were 58 deaths, 22 not related to CML and 2 causes unknown. Conclusions: Comorbidities represents an important cause for mortality in CML patients treated in real life, besides known disease risk factors as Sokal and EUTOS scores. CCI high scores and hypertension were related to a lower OS. Figure 1 Disclosures Delamain: Novartis: Honoraria. Pagnano:Abbvie: Consultancy; Sandoz: Consultancy; Pint Pharma: Consultancy.

Preliminary reports demonstrated that pioglitazone, an antidiabetic drug that is agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) was able to reduce expression of STAT5 and its downstream targets HIF2α and CITED2, which are key guardians of the quiescence and stemness of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) leukemia stem cells (LSCs). Leaving quiescence would turn the LSCs more sensitive to imatinib (IM) and cause an erosion of the LSCs. This was demonstrated in vitro and in vivo in CML patients that achieved complete molecular response after pioglitazone use. This was the rational for the design of EDI-PIO trial (Pilot Study of Imatinib Discontinuation in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia with Deep Molecular Response - Evaluation of Pioglitazone in Treatment-Free Remission) (NCT02852486). In this trial, pioglitazone was given in association with IM, with the aim to pull out the LSCs from the quiescence and sensitizing them to IM effect, increasing treatment-free remission (TFR) rates after treatment interruption. Aims: to evaluate PPAR-γ, STAT5, HIF2α and CITED2 gene expression before and after pioglitazone use in CML patients with criteria for IM discontinuation Patients and methods: EDI-PIO is a prospective, phase II trial. Inclusion criteria: CML in chronic phase, treated with IM for at least 3 years, with stable deep molecular response (MR4.5) for at least 2 years. Patients received pioglitazone 30 mg/day, orally, for 3 months before IM discontinuation. BCR-ABL levels were measured by real-time quantitative PCR monthly in the first year after discontinuation, every two months in the second year, and then every 3 months during the subsequent follow-up. Imatinib was reinitiated at molecular relapse (loss of major molecular response or confirmed loss of MR4.0). Total RNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes, pre and post pioglitazone, and at 3 and 6 months after IM discontinuation. After cDNA synthesis, an aliquot was used for gene expression analysis by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), using specific primers for PPAR-γ, STAT5, HIF2α and CITED2. The relative gene expression was calculated using the equation, 2-ΔΔCT. GAPDH was used as control gene. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA. Treatment-free remission (TFR) was calculated from IM discontinuation until molecular relapse, reintroduction of IM by any cause, progression to advanced phases or death to any cause. Results: The study is closed for enrollment. Between June 2016 and January 2019, 32 chronic phase CML patients were recruited, of which 30 patients were included in gene expression analysis. Median age was 55 years at trial initiation; 56.7% were men, 50% low risk Sokal and the median time of IM treatment was 117 months (41-191). The median follow-up time was 20 months. TFR was 60% at 24 months. Eleven patients relapsed and IM was reintroduced, but none presented hematologic relapse or progression to advanced phases. There was no significant difference in STAT5, PPAR-γ, HIF2α and CITED2 expression pre and post pioglitazone, at 3 and 6 months after IM discontinuation. No difference was found in the comparison of the relapsed vs. non-relapsed group. Conclusions: pioglitazone did not affect STAT5, PPAR-γ, HIF2α and CITED2 gene expression in this group of pts with deep molecular response. The ACTIM trial demonstrated a reduction in STAT5 expression in bone marrow cells 6 months after pioglitazone exposure, but pioglitazone was given to pts with MMR, without MR4.0. There was no difference in gene expression in the groups with or without molecular relapse. TFR rates remains similar to those reported in other discontinuation trials. Disclosures Delamain: Novartis: Honoraria. Pagnano:Sandoz: Consultancy; Pint Pharma: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy.

Several trials have demonstrated the feasibility of discontinuation of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) treatment in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients (pts) with deep molecular response. Aims: to report the results of two Brazilian imatinib (IM) discontinuation trials and to evaluate factors impacting in treatment-free remission (TFR) and treatment-free survival (TFS) after IM discontinuation. Methods:Between September 2016 and January 2019, 60 CML pts were included in two ongoing phase II, single arm, prospective Brazilian discontinuation trials: Pilot Study of Discontinuation in Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia With Deep Molecular Response - Evaluation of Pioglitazone in Treatment-free Remission (TFR) (EDI-PIO UNICAMP)(NCT02852486)and Imatinib Discontinuation in Patients With Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Chronic Phase With Sustained MR4log(USP) (NCT03239886). Inclusion criteria: age >18 years, chronic phase, minimum of 3 years of IM therapy, deep molecular response for ≥ 2 years (confirmed by 4 tests in the last 2 years, defined as MR4.0 in USP trial and MR4.5 in EDI-PIO). Patients participating in EDI-PIO trial used pioglitazone 30 mg/day plus IM for 3 months before IM discontinuation (n=30). After discontinuation, pts were monitored by quantitative RQ-PCR monthly in the first year, every 2 months in the second year and every 3 months in the third year. Criteria for IM re-initiation: loss of MMR (in one test), loss of cytogenetic response, loss of hematologic response, disease progression or confirmed loss of MR4.0 (this criteria used only in EDI-PIO trial). TFR was calculated from the date of discontinuation until first event (loss of MMR; IM reintroduction; death any cause or last follow-up); TFS was calculated from the date of IM discontinuation until reintroduction or last follow-up (censoring deaths not related to CML). Adverse events after IM discontinuation were reported according to CTCAE. Results:Data cut-off for analysis was February 2019. In the 1stanalysis 48 pts who discontinued IM in MR4.5 were analyzed. Patient's characteristics from EDIPIO (n=30) and USP (n=18) trials were: 57% vs. 67% male, median age of 55 (29-77) and 56 (33-95) years (29-95) at discontinuation; 16% and 33% had used previously Interferon; median duration of IM treatment of 10 (3-16) vs. 10 (5-15) years; median duration of MMR 95 (30-149) vs. 93 (57-130) months; MR4.0 was 90 (26-135) vs. 89 (30-123) months; and MR4.5 was 76 (23-135) vs. 75 (30-102) months; none variable had statistical difference.One patient died in MMR due to cardiac failure. TFR was 61% (95% CI 47-75) at 20 months. Sixteen (33%) out 48 re-initiated IM (2 with confirmed loss of MR4.0 and 14 with loss of MMR) in a median time of 20 (1-26) months. All relapsed pts recovered MMR after IM reintroduction, in a median time of 2 months (0-4). There was no transformation to advanced phases. No serious adverse events were reported during pioglitazone treatment. In the Cox regression the duration of MMR was associated with a longer TFR HR: 0.96 (beta-) (CI 95%:0.94-0.99, P= 0.006). Gender, age at diagnosis, age at discontinuation, treatment with pioglitazone, Sokal and EUTOS scores, BCR-ABL transcripts type, duration of IM therapy, duration of MR4.0 and MR4.5 and previous use of Interferon did not affect TFR.In the second analysis all 60 pts were included. TFS was 56% and was higher in pts who discontinued IM in sustained MR4.5 vs. MR4.0 (63% vs. 33%, P=0.04)(Figure). The independent factors for TFR in the multivariate analysis by Cox-regression were the duration of MMR [HR: 0.97 (beta-), 95%CI: 0.95-0.98, P=0.001] and intermediate/high risk Sokal [HR 3.14 95%CI: 1.08-9.11, P= 0.035]. Twenty-four out of 60 pts (40%) re-initiated IM (2 with confirmed loss of MR4.0 and 22 with loss of MMR).Adverse events occurred in 38 (63%) pts, 30% attributed to withdrawal syndrome. Some pts presented more than one event. Grade 1-2: arthralgia or muscular pain (17), hyperglycemia (4), hypertriglyceridemia (2), polycythemia (2), hypertension (3), and others (11). Four pts had grade 3-4 event: arthralgia (1), death for cardiac failure (1), abortion and hypertriglyceridemia (1). Conclusions:both trials demonstrated the feasibility and safety of IM discontinuation in pts in sustained deep molecular response. The duration of MMR was associated with a higher TFR and TFS rate. Imatinib discontinuation was more successful in pts in stable MR4.5. Figure Disclosures Pagnano: Pint Pharma: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Sandoz: Consultancy. Delamain:Novartis: Honoraria.

Dasatinib has demonstrated efficacy in patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) who had resistance or intolerance to imatinib. However, some patients also develop resistance or intolerance to dasatinib. To identify potential molecular pathways involved in primary resistance to dasatinib in CML, we analyzed gene expression profiles of mononuclear cells of 7 imatinib-resistant patients, collected before and after 1-year dasatinib treatment. Large-scale gene expression was measured with Agilent microarrays covering protein-coding genes and long (>200 nt) noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Sets of genes and lncRNAs significantly differentially expressed (>1.5 fold-change; q value ≤10%) were identified. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis pointed to a number of functions, canonical pathways and gene networks that were significantly enriched with differentially expressed genes. In addition to protein-coding genes, lncRNAs have been recently implicated in pathways leading to tumorigenesis. Our data point to new possible regulatory elements involved in dasatinib resistance in CML.

The introduction of oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has dramatically improved outcomes in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. However, treatment success is directly related to good long-term adherence. Adherence to TKI therapy was evaluated in 137 CML patients over a period of 1 year. Three different methods were used to evaluate adherence: the Morisky questionnaire, a medication diary and the medication possession ratio (MPR). MPR was the most effective method of assessing adherence (median adherence 96.5%; p = 0.0001), duration of TKI treatment was the variable that most impacted adherence (p = 0.03), and the MPR was inversely correlated to the duration of therapy. Additionally, participation in clinical trials, better quality of life as reported by patients and higher socioeconomic status were all related to better compliance (p = 0.02, 0.007 and 0.01, respectively). For patients treated with imatinib for 24–48 months (n = 22), individuals with major molecular response (MMR) had a significantly better MPR than those who failed to achieve MMR (p = 0.04). In this group, the mean MPR was 87% for the population without apparent molecular response and 96% for those achieving MMR; however, only 24% of the patients were completely adherent to TKI treatment.

The risk of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) can be reliably estimated by the hematopoietic cell transplantation–specific comorbidity index (HCT-CI), which can be further refined by the incorporation of pre–hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) serum levels of inflammatory biomarkers such as ferritin and albumin. β2-Microglobulin (β2-m) is a key component of the MHC class I complex, which is independently associated with mortality and frailty in the general population. We took advantage of our institutional protocol that includes measurement of pre-HCT β2-m serum levels in the most patients to investigate whether pre-transplant β2-m levels were associated with the risk of aGVHD. One hundred three consecutive patients submitted to allogeneic HCT, of which 26 developed grades II to IV aGVHD, were included in the analysis. β2-m was significantly associated with age and HCT-CI. Higher levels of β2-m were observed in patients who developed aGVHD (P = .008). In the multivariate Cox regression model, β2-m and HCT-CI remained independently associated with the risk of developing aGVHD. In conclusion, the association between β2-m and the occurrence of aGVHD suggests that the measurement of this protein before HCT might represent an additional element for risk stratification of aGVHD.

Summary Background Optimal management of patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia in chronic phase with suboptimal cytogenetic response remains undetermined. This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of switching to nilotinib vs imatinib dose escalation for patients with suboptimal cytogenetic response on imatinib. Methods We did a phase 3, open-label, randomised trial in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia in chronic phase with suboptimal cytogenetic response to imatinib according to the 2009 European LeukemiaNet criteria, in Latin America, Europe, and Asia (59 hospitals and care centres in 12 countries). Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukaemia in chronic phase and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–2. Before enrolment, all patients had received 3–18 months of imatinib 400 mg once daily and had a suboptimal cytogenetic response according to 2009 ELN recommendations, established through bone marrow cytogenetics. By use of an interactive response technology using fixed blocks, we randomly assigned patients (1:1) to switch to nilotinib 400 mg twice per day or an escalation of imatinib dose to 600 mg once per day (block size of 4). Investigators and participants were not blinded to study treatment. Crossover was allowed for loss of response or intolerance at any time, or for patients with no complete cytogenetic response at 6 months. The primary endpoint was complete cytogenetic response at 6 months in the intention-to-treat population. Efficacy endpoints were based on the intention-to-treat population, with all patients assessed according to the treatment group to which they were randomised (regardless of crossover); the effect of crossover was assessed in post-hoc analyses, in which responses achieved after crossover were excluded. We present the final results at 24 months' follow-up. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00802841). Findings Between July 7, 2009, and Aug 29, 2012, we enrolled 191 patients. 96 patients were randomly assigned to nilotinib and 95 patients were randomly assigned to imatinib. Complete cytogenetic response at 6 months was achieved by 48 of 96 patients in the nilotinib group (50%, 95·18% CI 40–61) and 40 of 95 in the imatinib group (42%, 32–53%; difference 7·9% in favour of nilotinib; 95% CI −6·2 to 22·0, p=0·31). Excluding responses achieved after crossover, 48 (50%) of 96 patients in the nilotinib group and 34 (36%) of 95 patients in the imatinib group achieved complete cytogenic response at 6 months (nominal p=0·058). Grade 3–4 non-haematological adverse events occurring in more than one patient were headache (nilotinib group, n=2 [2%, including 1 after crossover to imatinib]; imatinib group, n=1 [1%]), blast cell crisis (nilotinib group, n=1 [1%]; imatinib group, n=1 [1%]), and QT prolongation (nilotinib group, n=1 [1%]; imatinib group, n=1 [1%, after crossover to nilotinib]). Serious adverse events on assigned treatment were reported in 11 (11%) of 96 patients in the nilotinib group and nine (10%) of 93 patients in the imatinib group. Seven (7%) of 96 patients died in the nilotinib group and five (5%) of 93 patients died in the imatinib group; no deaths were treatment-related. Interpretation While longer-term analyses are needed to establish whether the clinical benefits observed with switching to nilotinib are associated with improved long-term survival outcomes, our results suggest that patients with suboptimal cytogenetic response are more likely to achieve improved cytogenetic and molecular responses with switching to nilotinib than with imatinib dose escalation, although the difference was not statistically significant when responses achieved after crossover were included. Funding Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Male gender was recently reported as an adverse prognostic factor in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treated with R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone). We conducted a retrospective study of adult patients with DLBCL initially treated with rituximab containing regimens between 2001 and 2007. Patients were identified from the clinical archives of 43 Italian and Brazilian institutions. The principal endpoint was overall survival (OS). One thousand seven hundred and ninety-three patients were fully eligible for the study. Thirty-eight percent, 27%, 22% and 12% of patients had an International Prognostic Index (IPI) score of 0-1, 2, 3 and 4-5, respectively; 53% were males. After a median follow-up of 36 months (1-106), the 5-year OS was 76% (95% confidence interval 74-78%). In univariate analysis, male gender was an adverse prognostic factor with a hazard ratio of 1.52. In multivariate analysis, when adjusted by IPI, again gender maintained its prognostic relevance, showing an independent additive effect. In conclusion, in patients with DLBCL treated with rituximab containing regimens, gender may increase the predictive power of the IPI. Based on these results, given possible differences in blood clearance of rituximab between males and females, the benefit of higher doses of rituximab in males should be explored.

Background In the era of eculizumab, identifying patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria who may benefit from allogeneic stem cell transplantation is challenging. Design and Methods We describe the characteristics and overall survival of 211 patients transplanted for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria in 83 EBMT centers from 1978 to 2007. Next, we conducted a comparison with a cohort of 402 non-transplanted patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria diagnosed between 1950 and 2005 in 92 French centers. We compared the occurrence of complications (i.e. thromboembolism and aplastic anemia) using either an individual or a stratum-matching procedure. Results After a median follow-up of 5 years, the 5-year overall survival rate ± standard error (%) was 68±3 in the transplanted group (54±7 in the case of thromboembolism, 69±5 in the case of aplastic anemia without thromboembolism and 86±6 in the case of recurrent hemolytic anemia without thromboembolism or aplastic anemia). Only thromboembolism as the indication for transplantation was associated with worse outcome ( P =0.03). We identified 24 pairs of transplanted and non-transplanted patients with thromboembolism for the matched comparison, with worse overall survival for the transplanted patients (hazard ratio=10.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-78.1; P =0.007). This was confirmed by the global matching procedure ( P =0.03). As regards aplastic anemia without thromboembolism, 30 pairs were identified for the matched comparison. It was not observed that transplanted patients had a significantly worse overall survival (hazard ratio=4.0; 95% confidence interval, 0.9-18.9; P =0.06). A global matching procedure was not feasible. Conclusions Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is probably not a suitable treatment option for life-threatening thromboembolism in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of respiratory physiotherapy based on clinical evidence and analyze the improvement in respiratory parameters. METHODS: A prospective study was carried out in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit of the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Two different previously established respiratory physiotherapy protocols were applied from days D-1 to D+7 that aimed to improve airway clearance, pulmonary re-expansion and the strengthening of respiratory muscles. Group A were subjected to diaphragmatic proprioceptive stimulation, breathing exercises, incentive spirometry with Respiron®, inspiratory muscle training with the Threshold® Inspiratory Muscle Training device, bronchial hygienization with Shaker® and cough stimulation. Group B performed a protocol that only used incentive spirometry. The parameters analyzed were: tidal volume, minute volume, maximal inspiratory pressure, maximal expiratory pressure, oxygen saturation, heart rate and respiratory frequency. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients submitted to myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were included in this study. Among these, thirty-nine were evaluated and randomized in the two groups. There were significant differences between the groups for tidal volume at D+2 (p-value = 0.007) and maximal inspiratory pressure (p-value = 0.03), maximal expiratory pressure (p-value = 0.03) and tidal volume (p-value = 0.004) at D+7. CONCLUSION: On comparing Group A with Group B, the authors concluded that the protocol of respiratory physiotherapy applied in this study resulted in an improvement in ventilation and in respiratory muscle strength of patients submitted to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. OBJETIVO: investigar a eficácia da fisioterapia respiratória (FR) baseada em evidência clínica e nos parâmetros respiratórios. Estudo prospectivo realizado na Unidade de Transplante de Medula Óssea da Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Dois protocolos diferentes de FR foram previamente estabelecidos e aplicados entre D-1 e D+7 visando à reexpansão pulmonar, a desobstrução brônquica e o fortalecimento muscular. No grupo A aplicaram-se os seguintes exercícios: respiração diafragmática, padrão ventilatório com inspiração fracionada e expiração abreviada, espirômetro de incentivo Respiron®, exercícios com o Shaker®, treinamento da musculatura respiratória com Threshold® IMT, tosse espontânea. No grupo B aplicou-se somente a estimulação inspiratória com o espirômetro de incentivo. Os parâmetros analisados foram: volume corrente (VC), volume minuto (VM), pressão inspiratória máxima (PIM), pressão expiratória máxima (PEM), saturação periférica de oxigênio (SaO²), frequência cardíaca (FC) e frequência respiratória (f). Foram incluídos no estudo 67 casos submetidos ao TCPH; 39 foram avaliados e randomizados em dois grupos: A (estudo) e B (controle). Houve diferença significativa no D+2 e D+7, para VC (p = 0,007) no D+2 e PIM (p = 0,03), PEM (p = 0,03) e VC (p = 0,004) no D+7. O protocolo de FR aplicado obteve uma melhora importante no fortalecimento muscular respiratório e na ventilação dos pacientes submetidos ao TCPH, no grupo A. Este estudo obteve apoio do CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa) e FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo).

The guidelines project is a joint initiative of the Associacao Medica Brasileira and the Conselho Federal de Medicina. It aims to bring together information in medicine to standardize conduct in order to help decision-making during treatment. The data contained in this manuscript were prepared by and are recommended by the Associacao Brasileira de Hematologia, Hemoterapia e Terapia Celular. Even so, all possible conducts should be evaluated by the physician responsible for treatment depending on the patient's setting and clinical status.

In recent years there has been great increase in the relationship between the Latin American Societies of Hematology and the American Society of Hematology. This led to the meeting Highlights of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in Latin America (HOA-LA), first held in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with its third meeting taking place in 2011 in Punta del Este in Uruguay. With this exchange, it soon proved necessary to know the reality of hematology in Latin America and the context of development in different countries, so that the links between the different scientific societies of the area would become stronger. With this in mind, information was collected using a standardized questionnaire provided to the participants of the 2011 HOA-LA accompanied by guidelines on how to complete the questionnaire. The information provided was discussed during a specific section of the 2011 HOA-LA on April 30 coordinated by Drs. Raul Gabus, Carmino Antonio de Souza and Scott Howard. The session was attended by representatives of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela as well as those from the United States of America, Canada, Spain and Italy. The aim of the meeting was to prepare a document to evaluate the current status of hematology in Latin America in order to improve interactions between Latin American Societies of Hematology. An additional objective was to encourage the organization of cooperative projects on support and training for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with blood diseases in Latin America. Member societies of the OAH-LA were asked to designate a spokesperson for this activity before 15 December 2010. Questionnaires were distributed to these spokespeople to obtain a representative sample of partners and hematology services of each country. The questionnaires were then sent to the coordinators in January 2011. In February 2011, each representative wrote a brief summary of data on the general situation in their country that reflected the opinion of the respective Society of Hematology. Data were collected and analyzed by the coordinators of the LA-HOA in Uruguay in March 2011 with the reports being divulged to the participating scientific societies. In April 2011 the results were presented and the final text of the document was discussed. The estimated population of the countries involved (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela) is approximately 475 million people in an area of 19,046,336 km2. There are currently 4,306 hematologists for this population which is a rate of 0.9/100,000 hematologists/inhabitants with a heterogeneous distribution between the countries and between regions within each country. A total of 76.7% hematologists are connected to hematology institutions in their countries (range: 45-100%). In the case of Colombia, the Hematology Society is linked to oncology and in five countries (Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Venezuela) to transfusion medicine. In seven countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela), there are formal medical fellowships programs in hematology. Three countries (Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay) reported that it is the National Health System that regulates funds and supportive care. In the other countries the health care system is divided between the public health insurance, prepayments, loans and others. The participation of the public sector in different countries varies between 25 and 73%. Exclusive private healthcare covers 10 and 20% of care. There are few national records and those that exist are limited to specific diseases. The registries are mainly of isolated Hematology Centers with partial data and with little intervention of Hematology Societies (Figure 1). Figure 1 Registry With regards to healthcare in hematology, although most people can easily have access to referral centers, however there are geographic areas far from these centers, such as the Brazilian Amazon and Bolivian Altiplano (Figure 2). Figure 2 Healthcare in hematology accessibility The availability of cytogenetics, flow cytometry, molecular biology, immunohistochemistry, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET-CT) was found to be heterogeneous across countries and even within the same country. Some complex techniques such as computed tomography or immunophenotyping by flow cytometry (IHC) are generally accessible to the public. Some countries do not have cytogenetics, molecular biology, MRI or PET-CT availability. Moreover, even in countries that rely on these resources, access to them is not universal for all inhabitants (Figure 3). The reports also mention a need to develop IHC to assist diagnosis of hematologic diseases. Figure 3 Healthcare in hematology diagnosis About the availability of blood components and other resources in transfusion medicine, packed red blood cell and platelet concentrates are availability to the entire population and usually at no cost to the patient. The availability of platelets by apheresis and irradiated blood products is generally limited; normally they are only available to patients in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) units (Figure 4). It was found that in most countries, patients have access to basic hematology-oncology treatment, but only a part of the population has access to high-cost treatment. Monoclonal antibodies, new drugs and access to HSCT are considered high-cost (Figure 5). There are countries where HSCT is not performed or the program is poorly developed. Figure 4 Healthcare in hematology support Figure 5 Access to treatment and medications The financing of regular treatment is guaranteed by the state, by health insurance or medical organization to which the patient is affiliated. However, there are situations that hematological patients lack coverage (Figure 5). There is no guarantee of coverage of high-cost treatments and medications to all populations. In some countries it is the responsibility of the state, parastatal organizations, other health insurance institutions or medical organizations to which the patient is affiliated. Occasionally, this coverage is funded by a foundation or through a support program of the pharmaceutical industry (Figure 5). Regarding the study protocol and / or treatment, some hematology centers with guidelines or consensus on certain conditions, however almost none of them are national protocols. Most treatment programs follow international protocols with little or no adaptation to the country or region (Figure 6). Figure 6 Hemato-oncological protocol treatment This survey showed that the number of hematologists is inadequate and they are unevenly distributed (Figure 7). Figure 7 Human resources Most societies stated that the number of doctors who are currently in hematology specialist courses is insufficient to meet the needs of the population (Figure 7).

Introduction: The achievement of a deep and sustained molecular response after treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) is one of the requirements for therapy discontinuation in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the proportion of CML patients treated with imatinib in first-line that achieve MR4.5 (BCR-ABL transcripts ≤ 0.0032% in the international scale) after imatinib treatment and the predictive factors for this response. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the rate of MMR (PCR ≤0.1%), MR4.0 (PCR ≤ 0.01%), time to molecular responses, event-free survival, progression-free and overall survival. Patients and methods: This is a retrospective analysis of CP-CML patients treated in first-line with imatinib in a single center. Patients diagnosed after 2006 were managed according to the European Leukemia Net recommendations. All patients started CML imatinib within six months from diagnosis. The type of BCR-ABL1 transcript was determined by multiplex RT-PCR from cDNA synthesized from total leukocytes RNA at diagnosis. BCR-ABL transcripts by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were assessed at baseline, and then every three months for the first year until reaching a stable major molecular response, then every 3-6 months. The SPSS software was used for the Cox Regression model for univariate and multivariate analysis, using backward Wald. The cumulative incidence was calculated with the R Program, with Gray test for curve comparisons. Event-free, progression-free and overall survivals were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method, and the curves were compared with the log-rank test. Results: From January 2005 to December 2015 172 patients were treated with imatinib, median age 48 years (18-93), 55.8% male. Sokal score: 31% low-risk, 40% intermediate-risk and 29% high-risk. The median follow-up was 56 months (0-157). The Cumulative Incidence (CI) of MMR was 48% in 24 months and 84% in 5 years, while the CI of MR4.0 and MR4.5 was 63% and 51%, respectively, in 5 years. The median time to MMR, MR4.0 and MR4.5 was 16.7 (2-102), 31 (5-150) and 36 months (7-153), respectively. The univariate regression factors related to MR4.5 achievement were: age >48 years (HR 1.79; 95%CI: 1.08-2.98; P=0.023); days between diagnosis and imatinib start (HR=0.99; 95%CI: 0.98-0.99, P=0.020); e14a2 (b3a2) transcript (HR= 3.37; 95%CI: 1.67-6.81; P=0.001), which was the only factor in the multivariate analysis. Imatinib was discontinued in 96/172 (55.8%) patients due to resistance (36.5%), intolerance (20.8%), clinical trials (25%), death (15.6%) and adherence (2.1%). Eighteen out of 67 (26.8%) patients that achieved MR4.5 are currently participating in a discontinuation trial. Overall survival, PFS and EFS were 92%, 87% and 61% in 5 years. Conclusion: Approximately half of the patients that start imatinib in first-line obtain deep molecular responses within five years and could be candidates for treatment discontinuation. B3a2 transcript was an independent factor for MR4.5 achievement in the multivariate analysis, confirming the results of other studies that have reported earlier and deeper molecular responses in patients with b3a2 transcripts. Disclosures De Paula: Hematology and Transfusion Medicine Center, University of Campinas: Employment. Pagnano:Abbvie: Consultancy; EMS: Other: Financial support for participation in congress; Shire: Other: Lecture; Novartis: Consultancy.