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Limited data exist to describe the clinical features and outcomes for elderly patients with follicular lymphoma (FL). The Follicular Lymphoma Analysis of Surrogacy Hypothesis (FLASH) group performed a prospectively planned pooled analysis of individual patient data from first-line randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and examined associations between age (≤70 vs >70 years), clinical characteristics, and FL outcomes. We identified 18 multicenter clinical RCTs in the FLASH database that enrolled elderly patients (>70 years). Primary end points were early disease outcomes, CR24 and CR30, and progression-free survival (PFS) at 24 months (PFS24). Secondary end points were PFS and overall survival (OS). We identified 5922 previously untreated FL patients from 18 RCTs. Patients age >70 years (vs ≤70 years) more commonly had elevated lactate dehydrogenase, hemoglobin 70 years did not differ from patients ≤70 years in rates of CR24, CR30, or PFS24. With a median OS of 14.6 years for all patients, median OS was 7.4 and 15.7 years for patients >70 and ≤70 years of age, respectively (hazard ratio = 2.35; 95% confidence interval = 2.03-2.73; P < .001). Age >70 years was a significant predictor of OS and PFS due to higher rates of death without progression, but not PFS24, CR24, or CR30. FL patients >70 years treated on trials have similar early disease outcomes to younger patients. There is no disease-specific outcome difference between age groups. Age alone should not disqualify patients from standard treatments or RCTs.

Mantle cell lymphoma is an aggressive B-cell malignancy. Current frontline chemoimmunotherapies produce high response rates but relapse is inevitable. Furthermore, the elderly and those with comorbidities are precluded from standard regimens and stem cell transplant, leaving them with limited options. Targeted therapies, including Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors, are an effective treatment strategy in mantle cell lymphoma. Zanubrutinib is a potent next-generation Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has demonstrated complete and sustained Bruton tyrosine kinase occupancy, minimal off-target effects and favorable pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties. Described herein is an ongoing Phase III study comparing the efficacy and safety of zanubrutinib plus rituximab followed by zanubrutinib monotherapy versus bendamustine plus rituximab followed by observation in transplant-ineligible patients with previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT04002297 ( ClinicalTrials.gov )

Several biological and clinical features have been recognized in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). In recent years, the minimal residual disease (MRD) has been extensively investigated and is now considered as one of the strongest clinical predictors in this lymphoma. This article reviews methods used for the assessment of MRD in MCL and discusses their strengths and weaknesses. In addition, it examines the MRD contribution to the biology knowledge of MCL and the development of effective strategies for its management, including the possibility of personalized treatment based on MRD response.

International audience; Therapeutic management of patients with primary or secondary myelofibrosis (MF) who experience relapse or graft failure following allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) remains heterogeneous. We retrospectively analyzed 216 patients undergoing a second allo-HCT for either relapse (56%) or graft failure (31%) between 2010 and 2017. Median age was 57.3 years (range 51–63). The same donor as for the first allo-HCT was chosen in 66 patients (31%) of whom 19 received an HLA-identical sibling donor, whereas a different donor was chosen for 116 patients (54%). Median follow-up was 40 months. Three-year overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) were 42% and 39%, respectively. Three-year non-relapse mortality (NRM) and relapse rates were 36% and 25%, respectively. Grade II-IV and III-IV acute GVHD occurred in 25% and 11% of patients, respectively, and the 3-year incidence of chronic GVHD was 33% including 14% for extensive grade. Graft-failure incidence at 1 year was 14%. In conclusion, our data suggest that a second allo-HCT is a potential option for patients failing first allo-HCT for MF albeit careful patient assessment is fundamental to identify individual patients who could benefit from this approach.

Rituximab (R) is increasingly incorporated in reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT) in patients with B-cell malignancies, not only to improve disease control, but also to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). There are no randomized prospective data to validate this practice, although single center data and the CIBMTR analysis have shown promising results. We aimed at validation of these findings in a large registry study. We conducted a retrospective analysis using the EBMT registry of 3,803 adult patients with B-cell malignancies undergoing alloHCT (2001-2013) with either rituximab (R-RIC-9%) or non-rituximab (RIC-91%) reduced intensity regimens respectively. Median age and median follow up were 55 years (range 19.1-77.3) and 43.2 months (range 0.3-179.8), respectively. There was no difference in transplant outcomes (R-RIC vs RIC), including 1-year overall survival (69.9% vs 70.7%), 1-year disease-free survival (64.4% vs 62.2%), 1-year non-relapse mortality (21% vs 22%), and day-100 incidence of acute GVHD 2-4° (12% vs 12%). In summary, we found that addition of rituximab in RIC regimens for B-cell malignancies had no significant impact on major transplant outcome variables. Of note, data on chronic GVHD was not available, limiting the conclusions that can be drawn from the present study. ispartof: FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY vol:11 ispartof: location:Switzerland status: published

Summary Minimal residual disease (MRD) determined by classic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods is a powerful outcome predictor in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Nevertheless, some technical pitfalls can reduce the rate of of molecular markers. Therefore, we applied the EuroClonality‐NGS IGH (next‐generation sequencing immunoglobulin heavy chain) method (previously published in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia) to 20 MCL patients enrolled in an Italian phase III trial sponsored by Fondazione Italiana Linfomi. Results from this preliminary investigation show that EuroClonality‐NGS IGH method is feasible in the MCL context, detecting a molecular IGH target in 19/20 investigated cases, allowing MRD monitoring also in those patients lacking a molecular marker for classical screening approaches.

Minimal residual disease (MRD) detection is a broad term that indicates a number of methods suitable to detect the persistence of residual tumor cells below the sensitivity of standard diagnostic tools. Several tools are currently employed, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and flow cytometry. More modern approaches, such as those based on next-generation sequencing, are gaining considerable role in the current years. MRD detection provided a considerable amount of knowledge in several subtypes of indolent lymphoma and is regarded as a reliable outcome predictor in multiple settings. This chapter describes the rationale, the technical methods, and the clinical relevance of MRD detection in indolent lymphomas, mantle cell lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Treatment for follicular lymphoma (FL) in the elderly is not well standardized. A phase II, multicentre, single arm trial was conducted in this setting with a brief chemoimmunotherapy regimen. Treatment consisted in four monthly courses of rituximab, bendamustine and mitoxantrone (R-BM) followed by 4 weekly rituximab as consolidation; rituximab maintenance was not applied because the drug was not licensed at the time of enrolment. The primary endpoint was the complete remission rate (CR). Seventy-six treatment-naive FL patients (aged 65-80 and a "FIT" score, according to the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment) were enrolled. CR was documented in 59/76 patients (78%), partial remission in 12 (16%) and stable/progressive disease in five (6%) with an overall response rate in 71/76 (94%). Median follow-up was 44 months with 3-year progression-free-survival (PFS) and overall-survival of 67% and 92% respectively. Nine deaths occurred, three of progressive disease. The regimen was well tolerated and the most frequent severe toxicity was neutropenia (18% of the cycles). Bcl-2/IGH rearrangement was found in 40/75 (53%) of evaluated patients. R-BM was highly effective in clearing polymerase chain reaction-detectable disease: 29/31 (96%) evaluated patients converted to bcl-2/IGH negativity at the end of treatment. A brief R-BM regimen plus rituximab consolidation is effective and safe in "FIT" elderly, treatment-naive, FL patients, inducing high CR and molecular remission rates with prolonged PFS.

Summary Background Fit patients with mantle cell lymphoma aged 18–65 years are usually given cytarabine and rituximab-based induction regimens followed by autologous haematopoetic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). We investigated whether post-autologous HSCT maintenance with lenalidomide improves progression-free survival in this population. Methods This open-label, randomised, multicentre, phase 3 trial was done at 49 haematology and oncology units in Italy and Portugal. Eligible patients had Ann Arbor stage III or IV treatment-naive mantle cell lymphoma (or stage II plus bulky disease [≥5 cm] or B symptoms), and had evidence of cyclin D1 overexpression or the translocation t(11;14)(q13;q32). Patients were aged 18–59 years with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0–3, or aged 60–65 years with ECOG 0–2. After an optional prephase with vincristine and steroids (intravenous vincristine 1·4 mg/m2 on day 1, oral prednisone 100 mg [total dose] on days 1–5), patients were given three courses of R-CHOP (21-day cycle, intravenous rituximab 375 mg/m2 on day 1; intravenous doxorubicin 50 mg/m2, vincristine 1·4 mg/m2, and cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m2 on day 2; oral prednisone 100 mg/m2 on day 2–6). Patients then received one cycle of high-dose CTX (intravenous cyclophosphamide 4 g/m2 on day 1, intravenous rituximab 375 mg/m2 on day 4). After restaging, patients received two cycles of R-HD-cytarabine (high-dose intravenous cytarabine 2 g/m2 every 12 h on days 1–3, intravenous rituximab 375 mg/m2 on days 4 and 10). Patients with complete remission or partial remission proceeded to autologous HSCT and responding patients (complete remission or partial remission) with haematological recovery were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive 24 courses of oral lenalidomide maintenance (15 mg per day for patients with platelets >100 × 109 cells per L or 10 mg per day for platelets 60–100 × 109 cells per L, days 1–21 every 28 days) for 24 months, or observation. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival, measured in the randomised population. This study is registered with EudraCT (2009–012807–25) and ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT02354313 ). Findings Between May 4, 2010, and Aug 24, 2015, 303 patients were screened for inclusion and 300 patients were enrolled (median age 57 years, IQR 51–62; 235 [78%] male). 95 patients were excluded before randomisation, mostly due to disease progression, adverse events, and inadequate recovery. 104 patients were randomly assigned to the lenalidomide maintenance group and 101 patients to the observation group. 11 (11%) of 104 patients assigned to lenalidomide did not start treatment (3 withdrew, 6 adverse events or protocol breach, 2 lost to follow-up). At a median follow-up of 38 months after randomisation (IQR 24–50), 3-year progression-free survival was 80% (95% CI 70–87) in the lenalidomide group versus 64% (53–73) in the observation group (log-rank test p=0·012; hazard ratio 0·51, 95% CI 0·30–0·87). 41 (39%) of 104 patients discontinued lenalidomide for reasons including death or progression. Treatment-related deaths were recorded in two (2%) of 93 patients in the lenalidomide group (1 pneumonia, 1 thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura), and one (1%) of 101 in the observation group (pneumonia). 59 (63%) of 93 patients in the lenalidomide group had grade 3–4 haematological adverse events versus 12 (12%) of 101 patients in the observation group (p Interpretation Despite non-negligibile toxicity, lenalidomide after autologous HSCT improved progression-free survival in patients with mantle cell lymphoma, highlighting the role of maintenance in mantle cell lymphoma. Funding Fondazione Italiana Linfomi and Celgene.

In recent years, the outcome of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) has improved, especially in younger patients, receiving cytarabine-containing chemoimmunotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. Nevertheless, a proportion of MCL patients still experience early failure. To identify biomarkers anticipating failure of intensive chemotherapy in MCL, we performed target resequencing and DNA profiling of purified tumor samples collected from patients enrolled in the prospective FIL-MCL0208 phase 3 trial (high-dose chemoimmunotherapy followed by autologous transplantation and randomized lenalidomide maintenance). Mutations of KMT2D and disruption of TP53 by deletion or mutation associated with an increased risk of progression and death, both in univariate and multivariate analysis. By adding KMT2D mutations and TP53 disruption to the MIPI-c backbone, we derived a new prognostic index, the “MIPI-genetic” (“MIPI- g”). The “MIPI-g” improved the model discrimination ability compared to the MIPI-c alone, defining three risk groups: i) low-risk patients (4-year progression free survival and overall survival of 72.0% and 94.5%); ii) inter-mediate-risk patients (4-year progression free survival and overall survival of 42.2% and 65.8%) and iii) high-risk patients (4-year progression free survival and overall survival of 11.5% and 44.9%). Our results: i) confirm that TP53 disruption identifies a high-risk population characterized by poor sensitivity to conventional or intensified chemotherapy; ii) provide the pivotal evidence that patients harboring KMT2D mutations share the same poor outcome as patients harboring TP53 disruption; and iii) allow to develop a tool for the identification of high-risk MCL patients for whom novel therapeutic strategies need to be investigated. (Trial registered at clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02354313).

The incidence, the clinical characteristics, and the outcome of Kaposi sarcoma (KS) in patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) were assessed. During the period 1987-2018, 13 cases of KS were diagnosed, 3 females and 10 males, median age of 50 years, median time from HSCT of 7 months. KS had an incidence of 0.17% in allogeneic and 0.05% in autologous HSCT. HHV-8 was documented in eight of nine tumor tissue samples assessed. The organ involvement was: skin in nine, lymph nodes in six, oral cavity in four, and visceral in three patients, respectively; seven patients had >1 organ involved. Five patients had immunosuppression withdrawn, whereas four and three patients received radiotherapy and chemotherapy, respectively. Eight patients are alive (median follow-up 48 months, range 5-128), whereas five patients died after a median time of 8 months from the diagnosis of KS. However, no death was caused by KS. We conclude that the incidence of KS after HSCT is very low. Although KS can be managed with the reduction of immunosuppression, visceral forms may require chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. The low prevalence of KS indicates that screening for HHV-8 serology and surveillance for HHV-8 viremia are not indicated in HSCT patients.

Minimal residual disease (MRD) has been increasingly investigated in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), including for individual therapeutic stratification and pre-emptive treatment in clinical trials. Although patient/allele specific real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) of IGH or BCL1-IGH clonal markers is the gold-standard method, its reliance on a standard curve for relative quantification limits quantification of low-level positivity within the 1E-4 to 1E-5 range; over half of positive MRD samples after treatment fall below the quantitative range (BQR) of the standard curve. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), in contrast, allows absolute quantification, including for samples with no baseline determination of tumor infiltration by multicolor flow cytometry (MFC), avoiding the need for a reference standard curve. Using updated, optimized, ddPCR criteria we compared it with qPCR in 416 MRD samples (and with MFC in 63), with over-representation (61%) of BQR results by qPCR, from a total of 166 patients from four prospective MCL clinical trials. ddPCR, qPCR and MFC gave comparable results in MRD samples with at least 0.01% (1E-4) positivity. ddPCR was preferable to qPCR since it provided more robust quantification at positivity between 1E-4 and 1E-5. Amongst 240 BQR samples with duplicate or triplicate analysis, 39% were positive by ddPCR, 49% negative and only 12% remained positive below quantifiable ddPCR limits. The prognostic relevance of ddPCR is currently under assessment in the context of prospective trials within the European MCL Network.

No abstract available

The treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has been radically changed in the last years thanks to the targeted therapies, including kinase (i.e. ibrutinib) and BCL2 (i.e. venetoclax) inhibitors. Venetoclax (VEN) in particular is able to obtain undetectable minimal residual disease (uMRD), though only in a proportion of patients (pts) when given as single agent, thus warranting the need of different strategies in those not achieving uMRD. We designed a phase 2 multicenter Italian study where ibrutinib (IBR) is added to VEN based on a MRD-driven strategy aiming at obtaining uMRD and discontinuing both treatments in pts who did not achieve uMRD with VEN mono. Study treatment started with VEN (ramp up to 400 mg/day as per current label) for 12 months. MRD status in peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) was evaluated using the 6-color flow cytometry assay recommended by ERIC (CD5/CD81/CD79b/CD19/CD43/CD20). Pts with uMRD in both PB and BM at C12D1 discontinued VEN at C12D28 and entered the follow-up phase. Pts with detectable MRD in PB and/or BM added IBR 420 mg/day starting from C13D1 and continued both drugs up to maximum C24D28, uMRD, progression or unacceptable toxicity (whichever occurs first). After C24D28, pts with detectable MRD and still in response continued IBR alone. The primary endpoint was uMRD4 ( Thirty-eight pts (recruited from Nov 2017 to Jul 2018) fulfilled eligibility and started VEN. Baseline characteristics included: median number of prior therapies 1 (range 1-4) (60.6% previously treated with FCR or FC); del(17p) in 8/33 (24%); TP53 mutations in 10/30 (33%), and unmutated IGHV in 24/30 (80%). At the data cut-off, 35/38 evaluable pts still in the study have reached C24D1, 1 pt discontinued treatment due to myelodisplasia (considered unrelated to study treatment) before C12D1 and 1 pt progressed on VEN monotherapy shortly before that timepoint, 1 evaluation is still missing due to COVID-19 restrictions. At C12D1, uMRD4 in PB was achieved in 19/38 (50%) pts (Figure 1), 17/19 (89.5%) had uMRD4 confirmed in BM. Overall response rate with VEN single-agent was 36/38 (94.7%), 9 CR and 27 PR. As per protocol, the 17 pts (45%) with uMRD4 in PB and BM at C12D1 discontinued VEN at C12D28. Nineteen responsive cases with detectable MRD at C12D1 added IBR to VEN starting from C13D1. The combination of IBR and VEN led to an improved reduction of the depth of MRD in all but 3 pts with 16/19 (84%) achieving uMRD4 in both PB and BM between C16D1 (first MRD assessment after starting IBR) and C24D1, thus stopping both therapies as per protocol. After a median follow-up of 25.4 months (range 6.1-33.5) from treatment initiation, no clinical progression was observed among those discontinuing treatment in uMRD, while MRD4 relapse occurred in 21/33. Median time to MRD4 relapse in those who achieved uMRD at any timepoint and discontinued treatment was 4 months (range 2-13). Twelve pts (6 treated with VEN only) remain uMRD after stopping treatment, with a median observation of 13 months (range 3+-18+) since confirmed uMRD4. Safety data were analyzed in the intention-to-treat cohort (39 pts). No cases of clinical tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) and/or biochemical TLS were reported in the 39 pts exposed to VEN. Adverse events (AEs) were mild, with no treatment discontinuations or dose reductions. Five Serious AEs (Table 1) and 130 AEs (Table 2) occurred in 28 patients, without any SUSARs. All 5 SAEs were deemed unrelated to study drug(s) and 4/5 have resolved without sequelae. In conclusion, we here present the updated results of our study including the combination phase of VEN with IBR. This sequential MRD-guided approach was feasible and led to deeper responses in about 85% of pts not achieving uMRD4 after VEN alone. With this tailored and time-limited strategy 33 out of 38 pts (87%) obtained uMRD4 in PB and BM either after VEN monotherapy or the IBR-VEN combination, indicating we may reach identical depth of response with a personalized intensification and avoid unnecessary drug exposure. Time to clinical progression and response to VEN retreatment in this cohort remain to be established as well as the biological characteristics of those pts with persistent MRD despite the combined treatment. Updated results with further sequential MRD and clinical monitoring after treatment discontinuation will be presented at the meeting. Disclosures Scarfo: Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AstraZeneca: Honoraria; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Farina:Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Gaidano:Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Astrazeneca: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sunesys: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Reda:Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Coscia:Gilead: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Shire: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Karyopharm Therapeutics: Research Funding. Laurenti:Roche: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; AbbVie: Honoraria. Varettoni:Roche: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Other: Travel/accommodations/expenses; Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel/accommodations/expenses. Ghia:Lilly: Consultancy, Honoraria; Sunesis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Adaptive, Dynamo: Consultancy, Honoraria; MEI: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene/Juno: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company), Research Funding; BeiGene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Acerta/AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria; ArQule: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES (paid by any for-profit health care company), Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding.

Background and Aims. Prediction of treatment efficacy is an active and growing field of pharmacology. In the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL) MCL0208 phase III trial (NCT02354313), a 24 months lenalidomide maintenance (LM, 15 mg days 1-21 every 28 days) after high-dose immuno-chemotherapy followed by autologous transplantation (ASCT) in 300 frontline mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients showed substantial clinical activity in terms of Progression-Free Survival (PFS) vs observation (OBS). However, this benefit seemed not uniform across patient series. To deeper investigate the differential pattern of response to lenalidomide, a wide analysis of the host pharmacogenomics (PG) background was planned, in order to dissect whether specific germline polymorphisms of transmembrane transporters, metabolic enzymes or cell surface receptors (ABCB1, ABCG2, VEGFA, FCGR2A, NCF4, GSTP1, CRBN) might predict the drug efficacy. Actually, several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ABCB1 exert an effect on substrate affinity of lenalidomide for the transmembrane transporter. Moreover, VEGFA is involved in the anti-angiogenic activity of lenalidomide and might eventually upregulate ABCB1 expression, too. Patients and methods. Genotypes for SNPs were obtained through allele-specific (ASO) probes on germline DNA from peripheral blood. Minor allele frequencies (MAFs) were obtained and the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) was checked. Genotypes were used to infer individual haplotypes by Arlequin and Haploview softwares. Minimal residual disease (MRD) was assessed with ASO primers on either IGH or BCL-1/IGH rearrangements by RQ-PCR in bone marrow samples. TP53 disruption was identified by NGS targeting resequencing and copy number variation analysis. Clinical-biological correlations were screened by automated machine learning methods and validated by both Kaplan-Meier at univariate level and Cox models for multivariate analysis (MV). A logistic regression was implemented to investigate correlations between polymorphisms and MRD kinetics. Results. 278 out of 300 patients (93%) were fully genotyped. The MAF values of the SNPs were very similar to published data and the HWE was confirmed. Most notably, ABCB1 c.2677G>T/A(W) and VEGFA c.2055A>C were significantly associated to outcome and are thus described in this abstract. In the case of ABCB1, the three loci were in strong linkage disequilibrium (p Disclosures Ferrero: Servier: Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; EUSA Pharma: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Boccomini:SC Ematologia, ASOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Turin, Italy: Current Employment. Maria:Roche: Consultancy, Other: travel, accomodations, expenses; Abbvie: Consultancy, Other: travel, accomodations, expenses; BMS: Consultancy; MSD: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: travel, accomodations, expenses; Gilead: Consultancy, Other: travel, accomodations, expenses, Research Funding. Ferreri:Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Morphosys: Research Funding; Hutchinson: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding. Palumbo:Novartis: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Amgen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Galimberti:Novartis: Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Honoraria. OffLabel Disclosure: Lenalidomide maintenance in mantle cell lymphoma

Given the high hospital costs, the increasing clinical complexity and the overcrowding of emergency departments, it is crucial to improve the efficiency of medical admissions. We aimed at isolating organizational drivers potentially targetable through a widespread improvement action. We studied all medical admissions in a large tertiary referral hospital from January 1st to December 31st, 2018. Data were retrieved from the administrative database. Available information included age, sex, type (urgent or elective) and Unit of admission, number of internal transfers, main ICD-9 diagnosis, presence of cancer among diagnoses, surgical or medical code, type of discharge, month, day and hour of admission and discharge. National Ministry of Health database was used for comparisons. 8099 admissions were analyzed. Urgent admissions (80.5% of the total) were responsible for longer stays and were the object of the multivariate analysis. The variables most influencing length-of-stay (LOS) were internal transfers and assisted discharge: they contributed, respectively, to 62% and 40% prolongation of LOS. Also, the daily and weekly kinetics of admission accounted for a significant amount of variation in LOS. Long admissions (>= 30 days) accounted for the 15.5% of total bed availability. Type of discharge and internal transfers were again among the major determinants. A few factors involved in LOS strictly depend on the organizational environment and are potentially modifiable. Re-engineering should be focused on making more efficient internal and external transitions and at ensuring continuity of the clinical process throughout the day and the week.

This phase-II study assessed activity and toxicity of substituting conventional doxorubicin with nonpegylated liposomal doxorubicin in the conventional ABVD regimen for the treatment of elderly or cardiopathic patients with HL. Stage I-IIA and IIB-IV patients were treated with three courses of MBVD plus radiotherapy, or six courses of MBVD, respectively, plus radiotherapy limited to bulky or residual disease areas. The primary endpoints were CR rate and the rate of cardiac events. Forty-seven patients were enrolled. Median age was 75 years, 13 had stage I-II disease. Overall, CR was achieved by 36 patients (77%, 95% CI: 62-88), 100% and 68% in stage I-II and III-IV, respectively. With a median follow-up of 40 months (IQR: 36-45). Three-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 70% and 43%, respectively. Cardiac events grades 3-5 were reported in two patients. In conclusion, MBVD's activity and safety profile was comparable to historical ABVD data.

A prospective trial conducted in the period 2000-2005 showed no survival advantage for high-dose chemotherapy with rituximab and autograft (R-HDS) versus conventional chemotherapy with rituximab (CHOP-R) as first-line therapy in 134 high-risk follicular lymphoma patients aged

In 2009, the four laboratories of the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL) minimal residual disease (MRD) Network started a collaborative effort to harmonize and standardize their methodologies at the national level, performing quality control (QC) rounds for follicular lymphoma (FL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) MRD assessment. In 16 QC rounds between 2010 and 2017, the four laboratories received 208 bone marrow (BM) samples (126 FL; 82 MCL); 187 were analyzed, according to the EuroMRD Consortium guidelines, by both nested (NEST) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time quantitative (RQ) PCR for BCL2/IGH MBR or IGHV rearrangements. Here, we aimed at analyzing the samples that challenged the interlaboratory reproducibility and data interpretation. Overall, 156/187 BM samples (83%) were concordantly classified as NEST+/RQ+ or NEST-/RQ- by all the four laboratories. The remaining 31 samples (17%) resulted alternatively positive and negative in the interlaboratory evaluations, independently of the method and the type of rearrangement, and were defined "borderline" (brd) samples: 12 proved NEST brd/RQ brd, 7 NEST-/RQ brd, 10 NEST brd/RQ positive not quantifiable (PNQ), and 2 NEST brd/RQ-. Results did not change even increasing the number of replicates/sample. In 6/31 brd samples, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) was tested and showed no interlaboratory discordance. Despite the high interlaboratory reproducibility in the MRD analysis obtained and maintained by the QC round strategy, samples with the lowest MRD levels can still represent a challenge: 17% (31/187) of our samples showed discordant results in interlaboratory assessments, with 6.4% (12/187) remained brd even applying the two methods. Thus, although representing a minority, brd samples are still problematic, especially when a clinically oriented interpretation of MRD results is required. Alternative, novel methods such as ddPCR and next-generation sequencing have the potential to overcome the current limitations.

Relapse is the major cause of treatment failure after stem cell transplantation. Despite the fact that relapses occurred even if transplantation was performed in complete remission, it is obvious that minimal residual disease is present though not morphologically evident. Since adaptive immunotherapy by donor lymphocyte infusion or other novel cell therapies as well as less toxic drugs, which can be used after transplantation, the detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) has become a clinical important variable for outcome. Besides the increasing options to treat MRD, the most advanced technologies currently allow to detect residual malignant cells with a sensitivity of 10-5 to 10-6.Under the patronage of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) and the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT) the 3rd workshop was held on 4/5 November 2016 in Hamburg/Germany, with the aim to present an up-to-date status of epidemiology and biology of relapse and to summarize the currently available options to prevent and treat post-transplant relapse. Here the current methods and role of minimal residual disease for myeloid and lymphoid malignancies are summarized.

Simple Summary Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) is a lymphoproliferative disorder which represents less than 10% of all non-Hodgkin Lymphomas. The typical course of MCL is characterized by several relapses (“remitting-relapsing” course), and since its identification it has been considered an incurable disease. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) has represented in the past years the only treatment which could ensure prolonged remissions, at least in younger patients. In our paper, we critically revised the available data on the use of allo-SCT in MCL. The aim of our review is to identify the subgroups of patients who could best benefit from this therapeutic strategy, the optimal timing for transplantation and the best ways to bridge patients to allo-SCT, in an era in which many novel agents have been developed. Abstract MCL is an uncommon lymphoproliferative disorder that has been regarded as incurable since its identification as a distinct entity. Allogeneic transplantation for two decades has represented the only option capable of ensuring prolonged remissions and possibly cure. Despite its efficacy, its application has been limited by feasibility limitations and substantial toxicity, particularly in elderly patients. Nevertheless, the experience accumulated over time has been wide though often scattered among retrospective and small prospective studies. In this review, we aimed at critically revise and discuss available evidence on allogeneic transplantation in MCL, trying to put available evidence into the 2020 perspective, characterized by unprecedented development of novel promising therapeutic agents and regimens.

Purpose The benefit of high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) as first-line treatment in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphomas is still a matter of debate. To address this point, we designed a randomized phase III trial to compare rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP)-14 (eight cycles) with rituximab plus high-dose sequential chemotherapy (R-HDS) with ASCT. Patients and Methods From June 2005 to June 2011, 246 high-risk patients with a high-intermediate (56%) or high (44%) International Prognostic Index score were randomly assigned to the R-CHOP or R-HDS arm, and 235 were analyzed by intent to treat. The primary efficacy end point of the study was 3-year event-free survival, and results were analyzed on an intent-to-treat basis. Results Clinical response (complete response, 78% v 76%; partial response, 5% v 9%) and failures (no response, 15% v 11%; and early treatment-related mortality, 2% v 3%) were similar after R-CHOP versus R-HDS, respectively. After a median follow-up of 5 years, the 3-year event-free survival was 62% versus 65% ( P = .83). At 3 years, compared with the R-CHOP arm, the R-HDS arm had better disease-free survival (79% v 91%, respectively; P = .034), but this subsequently vanished because of late-occurring treatment-related deaths. No difference was detected in terms of progression-free survival (65% v 75%, respectively; P = .12), or overall survival (74% v 77%, respectively; P = .64). Significantly higher hematologic toxicity ( P < .001) and more infectious complications ( P < .001) were observed in the R-HDS arm. Conclusion In this study, front-line intensive R-HDS chemotherapy with ASCT did not improve the outcome of high-risk patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphomas.

Rituximab (Rit) therapy added to involved-field radiation therapy (RT) has been proposed as an effective treatment for stage I-II follicular lymphoma (FL). The results of an observational multicenter study on the Rit-RT combination in limited-stage FL are here reported.Data have been collected from 2 consecutive cohorts of 94 patients with stage I-II FL treated between 1985 and 2011 at 5 Italian institutions. All patients had grade 1-3a FL, a median age of 54 years (range: 25-82). The first 51 patients received RT alone (control group), while the subsequent series of 43 patients received 4 rituximab courses (375 mg/m(2), days 1, 8, 15, 22) before RT (Rit-RT). Molecular disease was evaluated by nested bcl-2/IgH PCR or clonal IgH rearrangement was available in 33 Rit-RT patients.At a median follow-up of 10.9 years (range: 1.8-22.9), the 10-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) projections for the whole cohort were 57% and 87.5%, respectively. The 10-year PFS was significantly longer (P.05) in the Rit-RT group (64.6%) compared to RT alone (50.7%), whereas the 10-year OS projections were not significantly different. On bivariate analysis controlling for stage, there was only a trend toward improved PFS for Rit-RT (HR, 0.55; P=.081). Follicular lymphoma international prognostic index and age were associated with OS but not with PFS on Cox regression analysis. Bone marrow molecular analysis showing PCR positivity at diagnosis was strongly associated with relapse risk upon univariate and multivariate analysis.This multicenter observational study suggests a potential benefit of adding rituximab to radiation therapy for stage I-II FL. The results of the currently ongoing randomized studies are required to confirm these results. The study underlines the importance of molecular disease monitoring also for patient with limited-stage disease.

Indolent non-Hodgkin lymphomas (iNHL) are a heterogeneous group of pathologies characterized by a prolonged natural history and good response to treatment. They also have a tendency to relapse, in some cases with a worse prognosis. One of the main objectives in the newest clinical trials is to identify patients at high risk of relapse. This cannot be accomplished using only clinical prognostic scores. Detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) is effective in evaluating long-term disease response, with a strong and independent predictive value that was demonstrated in large cohorts of patients. Analysis of MRD allows patient stratification based on the risk for relapse; therefore, different therapeutic programs can be designed based on the response characteristics. This tailored therapy is already happening in current clinical trials. Limits imposed by traditional PCR-based tools are being overcome due to new molecular biology techniques like droplet digital PCR and next generation sequencing. Although these techniques are not yet standardized, they will likely increase the reliability and ensure broad applicability of MRD detection in future years.

We investigated panobinostat 40 mg three times weekly in 35 adult patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Overall response rate and complete response were 17.1% and 11.4%, respectively. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival were 2.4 and 7.6 months, respectively. Calculated 12, 24 and 36 months PFS were 26%, 11% and 11%, respectively. Four patients who achieved a sustained CR, continued receiving panobinostat for an overall period of 44, 48, 50, 62 months. Thrombocytopenia grade 3 (5 patients) and 4 (24 patients) represented the main toxic effect, causing dose reduction or treatment suspension in 19 patients. Genomic analysis was unable to identify any relationship between mutations and response; TP53 mutation appeared not to impact the clinical outcome. Overall, panobinostat has a modest activity in R/R DLBCL patients, however it can induce very long lasting responses in some cases. Thrombocytopenia frequently limits the use of this agent.

Mantle cell lymphoma patients have variable clinical courses, ranging from indolent cases that do not require immediate treatment to aggressive, rapidly progressing diseases. Thus, diagnostic tools capable of stratifying patients according to their risk of relapse and death are needed. This study included 83 samples from the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi MCL-0208 clinical trial. Through gene expression profiling and quantitative real-time PCR we analyzed 46 peripheral blood and 43 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded lymph node samples. A prediction model to classify patients was developed. By analyzing the transcriptome of 27 peripheral blood samples, two subgroups characterized by a differential expression of genes from the B-cell receptor pathway (B-cell receptorlow and B-cell receptorhigh) were identified. The prediction model based on the quantitative real-time PCR values of six representative genes (AKT3, BCL2, BTK, CD79B, PIK3CD, and SYK), was used to classify the 83 cases (43 B-cell receptorlow and 40 B-cell receptorhigh). The B-cell receptorhigh signature associated with shorter progression-free survival (P=0.0074), selected the mantle cell lymphoma subgroup with the shortest progression-free survival and overall survival (P=0.0014 and P=0.029, respectively) in combination with high (>30%) Ki-67 staining, and was an independent predictor of short progression- free survival along with the Mantle Cell Lymphoma International Prognostic Index-combined score. Moreover, the clinical impact of the 6- gene signature related to the B-cell receptor pathway identified a mantle cell lymphoma subset with shorter progression-free survival intervals also in an external independent mantle cell lymphoma cohort homogenously treated with different schedules. In conclusion, this 6-gene signature associates with a poor clinical response in the context of the MCL- 0208 clinical trial. (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: 02354313).

Background and aims The amount of clinical and biological data stored within clinical trials is growing exponentially. Data warehousing (DW) is useful for systematic global evaluation of information collected in trials: the highly translational FIL(Fondazione Italiana Linfomi)-MCL0208 trial has been used to test DW to improve data quality and to discover putative associations [Zaccaria, ASH 17]. In this study we developed an engineered prognostic model, focusing on easily accessible clinical variables. For this purpose, we exploited hierarchical clustering with the aim of seeking hidden patterns of interest in large datasets. Hence, these tools allowed to develop a novel prognostic model: the engineered MIPI index (e-MIPI). Herein we present the first results, on baseline clinical characteristics:clustering analysis and definition of a signature of predictive variablesconstruction of the e-MIPI to detect patients' risk of relapsecomparison with known prognostic indexes for MCLvalidation of the signature on independent subset of patients. Methods Data were retrieved from electronic case report forms of the phase III, multicenter FIL-MCL0208 trial (NCT02354313) for younger MCL patients [Cortelazzo, EHA 15]. The study enrolled 300 subjects, with median followup of 51 months. In this work we employed baseline clinical data and May '18 as survival outcomes cut-off. For the present analysis, we started from 32 baseline features: 7 were not eligible due to number of missing values (MVs ≥40). Features with Clustering analysis was performed to discriminate different groups of patients. Thus, we applied a recursive feature reduction, according to regression modeling, to extrapolate a restricted signature predictive of both progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Survival analyses were done according to e-MIPI classes via both multivariate Cox and Kaplan-Maier modeling. Therefore, the e-MIPI classification was compared to known prognostic models [Hoster, Blood 08]. Finally, the signature was tested on the validation set: if any variable of the e-MIPI was missing (MVs=36, 29 and 15 for albumin - alb, Ki67 and flowcytometric peripheral blood invasion - flowpb) data mining (K-nn) technique was employed for imputation. Clustering and statistical analyses were implemented via MATLAB© and SPSS©. Results Training set: the clustering analysis allowed to define 3 groups of subjects: C1 (n=71), C2 (n=77) and C3 (n=37), showing significantly different PFS and OS. Thus, the e-MIPI index was modeled based on a signature of 9 significant features (fig 1): histologic bone marrow infiltration (bminf), flowpb, Ki67, B symptoms, platelets (plts), ldh, white blood cells (wbc), hemoglobin (hb) and alb levels. The re-clustering of the training set according to the e-MIPI confirmed the original patients clustering with 83% of accuracy. Figure 2A depicts the PFS curves stratified for the e-MIPI: C1, C2 and C3 groups have been renamed as low (L), intermediate (I) and high (H) e-MIPI risk classes, respectively. Each comparison reached the statistical significancy: I vs L, p=0.010; H vs I, p=0.023, outperforming in our series both the MIPI-St (H vs I risk, p=0.801) and MIPI-Bio (I vs L risk, p=0.665, fig. 2B) classifications. Validation set: the e-MIPI allowed to discriminate 3 groups of subjects C1 (n=32), C2 (n=59) and C3 (n=24). Actually, the e-MIPI on the validation set (fig. 2C) confirmed the results of the training set, overall improving the MIPI-St stratification (H vs I, p=0.059 ⇒ p=0.049), even if without reaching the statistical significancy on the I vs L comparison (p=0.24 ⇒ p=0.15), due to the limited number of events in this series. Discussion e-Mipi is a new first prognostic index derived from hierarchical clustering. Our results indicate that this approach might allow to model engineered prognostic indexes based on comprehensive analysis of large datasets. Even if promising, it needs validation through its application to independent series of MCL patients. Additional efforts aiming at integrating biological variables in the model are ongoing. Disclosures Gaidano: Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Morphosys: Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria; AbbVie: Consultancy, Honoraria. Ladetto:Celgene: Honoraria; Sandoz: Honoraria; Jannsen: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Abbvie: Honoraria; Acerta: Honoraria.

Minimal residual disease (MRD) detection has a powerful prognostic relevance for response evaluation and prediction of relapse in hematological malignancies. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) has become the settled and standardized method for MRD assessment in lymphoid disorders. However, qPCR is a relative quantification approach, since it requires a reference standard curve. Droplet digitalTM PCR (ddPCRTM) allows a reliable absolute tumor burden quantification withdrawing the need for preparing, for each experiment, a tumor-specific standard curve. We have recently shown that ddPCR has a good concordance with qPCR and could be a feasible and reliable tool for MRD monitoring in mature lymphoproliferative disorders. In this chapter we describe the experimental workflow, from the detection of the clonal molecular marker to the MRD monitoring by ddPCR, in patients affected by multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma. However, standardization programs among different laboratories are needed in order to ensure the reliability and reproducibility of ddPCR-based MRD results.

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been shown effective in the control of relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma. We evaluate the long-term outcome of patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma treated with ASCT with in vivo purged progenitors cells. We report the long-term results of a prospective multicenter phase 2 trial on 124 relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma patients treated with a program of anthracycline-based debulking chemotherapy, immunochemotherapy, mobilization of in vivo purged PBSC followed by ASCT. Median age was 52 years; 14% of patients had grade 3A histology. Debulking chemotherapy produced CR in 16% and PR in 71%, while 13% of patients progressed. After rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone (R-COP), CR was obtained in 60% and PR in 35%; 118 patients successfully mobilized PBSC and 117 proceeded to ASCT. The harvest in all the 32 molecularly informative patients was bcl-2 negative. TRM was 0%. The 5-year PFS was 54% and the 5-year OS was 83%. After a median f-up of 6.7 years (range 1.5-13.6), 54% are still in CR. These data show that prolonged PFS is achievable in relapsed/refractory patients with high dose autologous transplantation of in vivo purged progenitor cells.

Summary Background The combination of rituximab, bendamustine, and cytarabine (R-BAC) was highly active in a pilot trial of mantle cell lymphoma, but its use was restricted by high haematological toxicity. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of an R-BAC regimen with low-dose cytarabine (RBAC500). Methods In this multicentre, phase 2 trial, we recruited previously untreated patients with an established histological diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma from 29 Fondazione Italiana Linfomi centres in Italy. Patients had to be older than 65 years and fit according to the comprehensive geriatric assessment, or aged 60–65 years if they were ineligible for high-dose chemotherapy plus autologous stem-cell transplantation and were fit or unfit. All patients received RBAC500 (rituximab 375 mg/m 2 on day 1, bendamustine 70 mg/m 2 on days 2 and 3, and cytarabine 500 mg/m 2 on days 2–4; all administered intravenously) every 4 weeks for up to six cycles. Primary endpoints were the proportion of patients achieving complete response at the end of treatment and toxicity, defined as the occurrence of any of the stop treatment criteria or of any episode of relevant toxicity. All patients who started at least one cycle of RBAC500 were included in the primary and safety analyses. Using efficacy and toxicity as a composite primary endpoint, we considered the final conclusion positive if more than 28 of 57 patients achieve complete response and fewer than 18 of 57 patients report toxicities. This study is registered with EudraCT, number 2011-005739-23, and ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01662050, and is completed. Findings Between May 2, 2012, and Feb 25, 2014, we enrolled 57 patients (median age 71 years, IQR 67–75). 54 (95%) patients received at least four RBAC500 cycles (three discontinued because of toxicity), and 38 (67%) completed six cycles. Two (4%) had disease progression (one after the fourth cycle and one after the sixth cycle). All 52 (91%, lower limit of one-sided 95% CI 85%) remaining patients achieved complete response at the end of treatment. 23 (40%, upper limit of one-sided 95% CI 53%) of 57 patients had at least one episode of relevant toxicity. The most frequent grade 3–4 haematological toxicities were neutropenia (149 [49%] of 304 cycles) and thrombocytopenia (158 [52%]). Most treatment-related non-haematological adverse events were of grade 1–2, with the most frequent ones being fatigue (14 [25%] patients), nausea or vomiting (12 [21%]), and infusion-related reactions or tumour lysis syndrome (12 [21%]). 41 (72%) patients required a dose reduction. 12 patients died during the study, but no deaths were related to treatment. Interpretation RBAC500 is an effective treatment for elderly patients with mantle cell lymphoma and, despite not meeting our prespecified safety boundary, haematological toxicity was manageable with appropriate supportive care and dose reduction. Since maintenance therapy is not required, RBAC500 could be considered an option and should be studied in phase 3 trials. Funding Fondazione Italiana Linfomi and Mundipharma.

In this past decade, new therapeutic approaches based on the use of rituximab, high-dose cytosine-arabinoside, and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) have changed the paradigm of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) treatment, significantly improving the quality and duration of response and

Background Tumor regression after antiviral therapy (AT) is in favor of an etiological role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphomas (NHL). Patients and methods We carried out a cohort study of 704 consecutive HIV-negative, HCV-positive patients with indolent NHL diagnosed and treated from 1993 to 2009 in 39 centers of the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi; 134 patients were managed with AT for lymphoma control. Results For entire cohort, 5-year overall survival (OS) was 78% [95% confidence interval (CI): 74%–82%] and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 48% (95% CI: 44%–53%). In multivariate analysis, the use of AT during the patients’ life had positive impact on OS. Forty-four of the 100 patients treated with first-line AT achieved a complete remission (CR) and 33 a partial response (PR). HCV-RNA clearance was achieved in 80 patients and was related to lymphoma response. At a median follow-up of 3.6 years, 5-year PFS was 63% (95% CI: 50%–73%). CR + PR rate was 85% with AT as second-line treatment. Conclusion AT produces HCV-RNA clearance and consequent tumor regression in most patients with HCV-related indolent NHL. AT used at any time is associated with improved OS. Consequently, AT can be considered an option for patients with indolent lymphomas who do not need immediate cytoreductive treatment.

Introduction: Most patients with newly diagnosed FL treated with rituximab (R) alone or R + chemotherapy will experience prolonged progression-free survival and overall survival (OS), but it remains unclear what factors have the greatest influence on FL-associated and other causes of death in this patient population. We utilized individual patient data from 13 first-line randomized clinical trials from the FLASH database to perform a comprehensive multistate survival analysis to examine and quantify the relationships between clinical characteristics, treatment response, and early, intermediate, and late FL outcomes. Methods: The multistate survival analysis model defined states for "Alive after beginning Induction Treatment (TX)", "Alive after beginning Maintenance TX", "Death due to FL", and "Death from Other Causes" (Figure 1). We used the Aalen-Johansen estimator, a generalization of the Kaplan-Meier estimator, to calculate the likelihood of being in each model state and estimate the course of FL over time. Making no assumptions on the probability distributions and capable of coping with censored observations, the Aalen-Johansen estimator is a convenient and reliable nonparametric estimator for clinical data. Results: Among 7,465 FL patients with median age 56 (range 18-90) years, 49.2% were female; 28.7% Stage I-III, 71.3% Stage IV, and FLIPI was 0-1 (20.0%), 2 (36.8%), ≥ 3 (43.2%). Following initiation of induction treatment, 2-, 5- and 10-year death rates were 1.7%, 3.8%, and 5.8% due to FL, and 0.7%, 2.1%, and 4.8% from other causes (Figure 2). Death rates at 2, 5, and 10 years due to FL and other causes for subgroups based on clinical characteristics and treatment response are shown in Table 1. Notably, patients > 70 years and patients with FLIPI ≥ 3 had worse outcomes and patients achieving CR at 18, 24, and 30 months experienced improved outcomes. Conclusion: This is the largest study using data from randomized trials to quantify the impact of clinical factors on early, intermediate and late mortality by cause of death. We demonstrated that age > 70 years and FLIPI ≥ 3 were linked to increased FL-associated death and response to TX distinguished patients with favorable and poor outcomes. Future analyses should quantify the impact of predictors on the rate/time of FL outcomes in multivariable models. Disclosures Salles: Roche, Janssen, Gilead, Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Educational events; Amgen: Honoraria, Other: Educational events; BMS: Honoraria; Merck: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis, Servier, AbbVie, Karyopharm, Kite, MorphoSys: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Educational events; Epizyme: Consultancy, Honoraria; Autolus: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Educational events. Hoster:Janssen: Research Funding; Roche Pharma AG: Other: Travel Support. Hiddemann:Bayer: Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Honoraria; Vector Therapeutics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria. Herold:Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria. Morschhauser:Servier: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Janssen: Honoraria; Roche/Genentech: Consultancy; BMS: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria. Rummel:Roche Pharma AG: Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Sandoz: Honoraria. Kimby:AbbVie,: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Jansen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Other: educational lectures. Vitolo:Abbvie: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Kite: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Juno Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Gyan:Pfizer: Honoraria. Ladetto:Celgene: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Abbvie: Honoraria; Acerta: Honoraria; Sandoz: Honoraria. Nielsen:F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Employment, Equity Ownership. Flowers:AstraZeneca: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group: Research Funding; Burroughs Wellcome Fund: Research Funding; AbbVie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Optimum Rx: Consultancy; V Foundation: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics/Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding; Denovo Biopharma: Consultancy; Acerta: Research Funding; National Cancer Institute: Research Funding; Millenium/Takeda: Research Funding; Genentech, Inc./F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Spectrum: Consultancy

Introduction Limited stage follicular lymphoma (FL) is usually managed with involved field radiotherapy (IFRT), although different approaches are currently carried out, ranging from watch and wait to combined treatment. RT on involved lymph nodes allows eradication of the disease only in 40-50% of patients. Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (MoAb), widely used in advanced stage FL, are likely to be effective in reducing the relapse risk, although no scientific evidence of their role has been provided. The aim of this multicenter phase II prospective study was to evaluate the role of MRD in identifying patients unlikely to be cured by RT, for whom an immunotherapy-based consolidation could improve outcome. Methods 110 patients with stage I/II FL were enrolled. IFRT was administered to all patients at a dose of 24 Gy. Peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) samples were centralized to the Italian FIL (Federazione Italiani Linfomi) MRD Network of EuroMRD-certified laboratories: the presence of a BCL2/IGH rearrangement was investigated at baseline in all patients by nested PCR (NEST) and RQ-PCR (RQ), the latter according to the EuroMRD guidelines. In patients BCL2/IGH+ at baseline by both NEST and RQ in BM and/or PB, MRD was analyzed in both tissues after IFRT and every 6 months over a three-year follow-up period. Patients with positive MRD by both NEST and RQ in BM and/or PB after IFRT or who became positive during the follow-up were treated with 8 weekly doses of the anti-CD20 MoAb ofatumumab. The primary objective of the study was to define the efficacy of immunotherapy in obtaining the disappearance of BCL2/IGH rearranged cells. Results Preliminary data are available for 107 patients, 57 males, 50 females. Median age was 55 years (29-83). 17% had G1 FL, 32% G2, 40% G3A, 11% NOS. The FLIPI score was 0 in 59% of patients, 1 in 35%, 2 in 6%. 69% of patients had inguinal site involvement. Despite a negative BM biopsy, at baseline 30% of patients (n=32) had a BCL2/IGH rearrangement (30 MBR, 1 MBR and mcr, 1 mcr) in the BM and/or PB; the concordance between compartments was 90%, with 10% of negative PB showing a positive BM. No significant differences were observed in relapse probability between patients with or without a molecular marker. All patients were submitted to IFRT and all obtained a clinical response, which was complete in 79 of the 101 evaluated patients (78%) and partial in 22 (22%). MRD evaluation after treatment revealed the persistence of BCL2/IGH rearranged cells in the PB and/or BM in 60% of patients. According to the design of the protocol, MRD-positive patients, either after IFRT (n=18) or in case of conversion to a positive signal during the follow-up (n=7), received 8 weekly administration of ofatumumab. A conversion to MRD negativity, evaluated in 23 treated patients, was obtained in 20 (87% - CI 65.1-97.1). This result was significantly superior to the expected 50%. One death occurred after IFRT, due to ischemic stroke. Adverse events likely correlated to ofatumumab occurred in 7/25 treated patients, consisting of infusion reactions in 5, leading to a permanent interruption of immunotherapy in 3. After a median follow-up of 18 months, all patients who achieved a MRD negativity with ofatumumab underwent a regular molecular follow-up and are still MRD-negative. Overall, clinical relapse or progression were observed in 17 patients: 13 (18%) among the 73 "no marker" patients; 2 relapses (16%) were observed among the 12 MRD-negative patients after IFRT and 2 relapses were observed among the 23 patients treated with the anti-CD20 MoAb (8.7%), 1 having achieved a MRD negativity and 1 not. No significant differences in event-free survival have so far been observed between the three groups. Conclusions The MRD data of this phase II trial for early stage FL indicate that RT alone is often insufficient to eradicate the disease, being capable of inducing a negative MRD only in 40% of evaluable cases, with a long-lasting effect only in half of them. The primary objective of this study - MRD negativity after immunotherapy - was achieved, obtaining the disappearance of BCL2/IGH rearranged cells in the majority of patients treated with ofatumumab. The strategy of an immunotherapy consolidation after IFRT in MRD-positive patients allowed to increase molecular responses. A longer follow-up and further studies on larger patient populations will allow to conclusively define the impact of this MRD-driven strategy also on clinical outcome. Disclosures Pulsoni: Roche: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy; Sandoz: Consultancy; Gilead: Speakers Bureau; Merk: Consultancy; Bristol Meyer Squibb: Speakers Bureau. Ferrero:Servier: Speakers Bureau; EUSA Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Gilead: Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Luminari:ROCHE: Other: Role as Advisor ; CELGENE: Other: Role as Advisor & Travel Grant; TAKEDA: Other: Travel Grant; GILEAD: Other: Lecturer . Liberati:Amgen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Clinical trial support; Celgene: Honoraria, Other: Clinical trial support; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Honoraria; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Consultancy; Janssen: Honoraria; Servier: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AbbVie: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Clinical trial support; Roche: Other: Clinical trial support; Novartis: Other: Clinical trial support. Ferreri:Roche: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Kite: Consultancy. Nassi:Takeda: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Merck: Consultancy. Corradini:Roche: Honoraria; Novartis: Honoraria; kite: Honoraria; KiowaKirin: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Daiichi Sankyo: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria; Amgen: Honoraria; Abbvie: Honoraria; Servier: Honoraria; Sanofi: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria. Mannina:Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Abbvie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Arcaini:Celgene: Speakers Bureau; Gilead Sciences: Research Funding; Bayer, Celgene, Gilead Sciences, Roche, Sandoz, Janssen-Cilag, VERASTEM: Consultancy; Celgene, Roche, Janssen-Cilag, Gilead: Other: Travel expenses. Galimberti:Roche: Speakers Bureau; Celgene: Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Speakers Bureau. Ladetto:AbbVie: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria; ADC Therapeutics: Honoraria; Acerta: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; J&J: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria. Foà:Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Pfizer: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Celltrion: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Shire: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Amgen Inc.: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Abbvie: Consultancy, Speakers Bureau; Celltrion: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Amgen Inc.: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Shire: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Novartis: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. OffLabel Disclosure: The anti-CD20 MoAb Ofatumomab is employed to eradicate Minimal Residual Disease in early stage Follicular Lymphoma(FL). The drug is registered for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, not for FL.

To complement the existing treatment guidelines for all tumour types, ESMO organizes consensus conferences to focus on specific issues in each type of tumour. In this setting, a consensus conference on the management of lymphoma was held on 18 June 2011 in Lugano, next to the 11th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma. The conference convened similar to 30 experts from all around Europe, and selected six lymphoma entities to be addressed; for each of them, three to five open questions were to be addressed by the experts. For each question, a recommendation should be given by the panel, referring to the strength of the recommendation based on the level of evidence. This consensus report focuses on the three less common lymphoproliferative malignancies: marginal zone lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, and peripheral T-cell lymphomas. A first report had focused on diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

The identification of patients at high risk of relapse is a critical goal of modern translational research in oncohematology. Minimal residual disease (MRD) detection by polymerase chain reaction-based methods is routinely employed in the management of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Current knowledge indicates that it is also a useful prognostic tool in several mature lymphoproliferative disorders and particularly in follicular lymphoma (FL). Based on this evidence clinical trials employing MRD-based risk stratification are currently ongoing in FL. In this review the ‘state of the art’ of MRD evaluation in FL is discussed. A short description of technical issues and recent methodological advances is provided. Then, the bulk of the review focuses on critical take-home messages for clinicians working in the field. Finally, we discuss future perspectives of MRD detection and more generally outcome prediction in FL.

Early identification of patients at high risk of relapse is a major goal of current translational research in oncohematology. Minimal residual disease (MRD) detection by polymerase chain reaction-based methods is currently part of the routine clinical management of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, the current knowledge indicates that it is also a useful prognostic tool in several mature lymphoproliferative disorders. Its utility is currently well established in follicular lymphoma, mantle cell lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. In some of these entities, clinical trials employing MRD as a decision-making tool are currently ongoing. In the present review, we will discuss the 'state of the art' of MRD evaluation in these three neoplasms with the ultimate aim of providing critical take-home messages for clinicians working in the field. Moreover, we will outline the role of MRD detection in the design of future clinical trials.

Background and Aims. Minimal residual disease (MRD) detection by PCR-based methods is a relevant outcome predictor in MCL, however it is not clear which might represent the most effective methodology (nested vs real-time quantitative PCR, RQ-PCR), the most informative tissue source (bone marrow, BM, vs peripheral blood, PB), the best timing of analysis (midterm vs post-therapy) and the added value of performing multiple MRD determinations. To address these issues a systematic MRD detection program was performed in the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL) MCL0208 trial (NCT02354313), a prospective, randomized phase III trial comparing lenalidomide maintenance vs observation after an intensive citarabine containing chemo-immunotherapy (R-HDS) program followed by ASCT in 300 frontline MCL patients Disclosures Vitolo: Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; Sandoz: Speakers Bureau; Gilead: Speakers Bureau; Takeda: Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau.

Background and aims. In CLL, TL has been associated to outcome. However a larger patient sample and an analysis on a blinded validation series are required to fully establish the independent prognostic value of TL and to define its impact on prognostic subgroups defined according to established predictors. These issues have been addressed on a CLL learning cohort and validated on an independent blinded cohort, overall accounting for 401 CLL patients. Also, we have tested TL as a risk factor of Richter’s Syndrome (RS), an extremely severe event that most of the currently available biomarkers fail to predict. Methods. The learning series (LS) included 191 patients from the university of Torino (UT), while the blinded validation series (BVS) included 210 patients from University of Eastern Piedmont (UEP). TL was assessed on PBMC collected at diagnosis by Southern blotting and no biological or clinical feature of BVS patients was available to the laboratory performing the analysis. Detailed clinical history, clinical parameters at diagnosis as well as VH-mutational status, cytogenetics, CD38 expression and Zap-70 were available for the vast majority of patients and employed together with TL as covariates for multivariate survival analysis. Results. The two series showed no differences for any clinical and biological features except age that was slightly higher in the BVS series. Also TL distribution was similar in the two series (median TL 6024 and 5959 bp respectively). By applying ROC analysis and Youden’s index to the LS we identified a cut-off point of 5000bp segregating 26% (104/401) of patients in the high-risk subgroup. TL was a powerful and independent outcome predictor for both TFS (24.6 vs 73 months p65 years, p65 years (p=.004), Binet stage B-C (p Conclusions. These results demonstrate that TL is a powerful independent predictor of multiple outcome events in CLL and contributes to refine the prognostic assessment of CLL when utilized in combination with other prognostic markers. We thus recommend a more widespread use of this biomarker in CLL. Figure Figure

B-CLL patients with resistant/relapsed disease or adverse prognostic factors at presentation are suitable for alternative treatments. In the present pilot study we investigated a novel intensive chemo-immunotherapy approach for high-risk, fludarabine pretreated patients. Ten patients with resistant/relapsed, advanced stage BCLL were included. Age was 37-60 yr (median 53). All but one had an unmutated IgVH status. The treatment schedule included debulking with two DHAP courses followed by alemtuzumab (30 mg, eight doses), followed by peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) mobilization with intermediate/high-dose cyclophosphamide and by autografting after high-dose mitoxantrone+L-Pam. The DHAP-alemtuzumab combination was highly effective. Eight patients out of 10 responded to DHAP, with a single complete remission. Following alemtuzumab, the number of overall responses increased to nine, and the complete remissions to five. After alemtuzumab PB double-positive clonal CD5+/CD19+ lymphocytes dropped, with median purification rate 99.95%. Owing to poor PBPC mobilization, only five patients underwent autografting, and three of these experienced post-graft recurrence. The six patients entering complete remission were free of disease 3-23 mo after study entry, and three of them were still in remission at 3, 7, and 22 mo. However, molecular evaluation regularly revealed persistence of minimal residual disease, both in all PBPC collections tested and in post-treatment follow-up samples. The use of DHAP/alemtuzumab appears useful to re-induce disease remission in relapsed/refractory, high-risk B-CLL patients. However, the addition of autograft was not usually feasible and of questionable clinical use. Other strategies should thus be considered for remission maintenance.

The purpose of the study was to compare telomere length (TL) in peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) collected after two tightly spaced high-dose (hd) chemotherapy courses. We assessed 37 previously untreated lymphoma patients undergoing a hd-chemotherapy program with autografting. They sequentially received hd-cyclophosphamide (CY) and hd-Ara-C, both followed by PBPC harvesting. Both post-CY and post-Ara-C harvests were assessed for TL by Southern blot analysis. In 12 patients, the assay was also performed on purified CD34+ cells. All patients displayed high PBPC mobilization following both hd-CY and hd-Ara-C. In all but one patient, TL was shorter in PBPC collected after Ara-C compared to CY: 7226bp (range: 4135-9852) vs 8282 bp (range 4895-14860) (P0.0001). This result was confirmed on CD34+ cells. Platelet recovery in patients receiving post-Ara-C PBPC was significantly slower compared to those receiving post-CY PBPC. In conclusion, (i) administration of tightly spaced hd-chemotherapy courses induces marked telomere shortening on harvested PBPC; (ii) engraftment kinetics seem slower, with delayed platelet recovery, in patients autografted with PBPC suffering marked TL erosion; (iii) long-term follow-up is required to verify whether PBPC with shortened telomeres display defective engraftment stability and/or risk of secondary leukemia; (iv) TL evaluation is advisable whenever new mobilization procedures are developed.

Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether reappearance of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity for the Bcl-2/IgH translocation following a phase of molecular remission in autografted follicular lymphoma (FL) patients is always associated with reappearance of the original neoplastic clone. Patients and methods. The molecular follow-up of 119 autografted Bcl-2/IgH positive patients was evaluated by nested PCR. In case of molecular recurrence, direct sequencing of involved rearrangements has been performed both at diagnosis and at the time of recurrence. The two sequences then were compared in terms of breakpoints, N insertions, and JH usage. Results. Seventy-five patients achieving molecular remission were identified in our patient sample (63%). Of these patients, eight (10.6%) experienced molecular recurrence. Direct sequencing of the Bcl-2/IgH translocation performed at diagnosis and recurrence showed identical rearrangements in six subjects and unrelated rearrangements in two. As opposed to most true molecular relapses, unrelated rearrangements always occurred several years after transplantation. To date, the two subjects carrying unrelated rearrangements show no signs of active lymphoproliferative disease. Conclusions. This report is the first evidence that Bcl-2/IgH rearrangements unrelated to the original tumor clone can lead to false-positive results during the molecular follow-up of autografted FL patients. Based on these results, we recommend confirmation by direct sequencing, at least for patients experiencing molecular relapse 2 or more years after the end of treatment. This will be particularly important for patients enrolled in clinical trials that schedule additional treatment in case of molecular evidence of persistent disease activity.

Purpose: The role of the minimal residual disease (MRD) in follicular lymphoma is still debated. In this study, we assessed whether the BCL2/IGH rearrangement could have a prognostic role in patients receiving R-CHOP, R-FM, or R-CVP. Experimental Design: DNAs from 415 patients among the 504 cases enrolled in the FOLL05 trial (NCT00774826) were centralized and assessed for the BCL2/IGH at diagnosis, at the end of treatment, and after 12 and 24 months. Results: At diagnosis, the molecular marker was detected in 53% of cases. Patients without molecular marker or with a low molecular tumor burden ( Conclusions: In this study, standardized molecular techniques have been adopted and applied on bone marrow samples from a large cohort. Data reported show that the MRD detection is a powerful independent predictor of PFS in patients with follicular lymphoma receiving conventional chemoimmunotherapy. Clin Cancer Res; 20(24); 6398–405. ©2014 AACR.

Summary Background Up to 40% of elderly patients with untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) given a regimen of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone every 21 days (R-CHOP21) relapse or develop refractory disease. Lenalidomide has high activity in relapsed or refractory aggressive B-cell lymphomas. In phase 2 of the REAL07 trial, we aimed to establish the safety and efficacy of the combination of lenalidomide and R-CHOP21 in elderly patients with untreated DLBCL. Methods REAL07 was an open-label, multicentre trial that was done in 13 centres in Italy and one in Germany. Eligible patients were aged 60–80 years; had newly diagnosed, untreated, CD20-positive, Ann Arbor stage II–IV DLBCL or grade 3b follicular lymphoma; had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–2; had an International Prognostic Index (IPI) risk of low-intermediate, intermediate-high, or high; and were fit according to comprehensive geriatric assessment. Participants were to receive 15 mg oral lenalidomide on days 1–14 of six 21-day cycles, and standard doses of R-CHOP21 chemotherapy (375 mg/m 2 intravenous rituximab, 750 mg/m 2 intravenous cyclophosphamide, 50 mg/m 2 intravenous doxorubicin, and 1·4 mg/m 2 intravenous vincristine on day 1, and 40 mg/m 2 oral prednisone on days 1–5). The primary endpoint was frequency of overall response (complete response [CR] and partial response [PR]), which was assessed by 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG) PET at the end of the treatment. Analyses were by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00907348. Findings 49 patients were included in phase 2: nine had been enrolled into phase 1 between Oct 23, 2008, and June 4, 2009, and had received the maximum tolerated dose of 15 mg lenalidomide; and 40 were enrolled into phase 2 between April 28, 2010, and June 3, 2011. 45 patients (92%, 95% CI 81–97) achieved a response (42 [86%] CR; three [6%] PR). Three patients (6%) did not respond and one (2%) died for reasons unrelated to treatment or disease. 277 (94%) of 294 planned cycles of lenalidomide and R-CHOP21 were completed. Grade 3–4 neutropenia was reported in 87 cycles (31%), grade 3–4 leukopenia in 77 (28%), and grade 3–4 thrombocytopenia in 35 (13%). No grade 4 non-haematological adverse events were reported. No patients died during the study as a result of toxic effects. Interpretation Lenalidomide with R-CHOP21 is effective and safe in elderly patients with untreated DLBCL. Funding Fondazione Italiana Linfomi and Celgene.

Abnormal activation of MET/HGF (Hepatocyte Growth Factor) pathway has been described in several tumours and increased HGF plasmatic levels have been detected in patients with aggressive multiple myeloma (MM). MET and HGF mRNA expression was investigated in 105 samples of purified plasma cells derived from newly diagnosed MM patients treated with bortezomib-based induction therapy. Gene expression was compared with response to therapy and clinical outcome. MET gene copy number was also evaluated. MET mRNA expression was higher in CD138(+) than in CD138(-) cells (median 76·90 vs. 11·24; P = 0·0009). Low MET mRNA expression characterized patients with better response (complete response or very good partial response) compared to other patients (median 56·10 vs. 134·83; P = 0·0006). After a median follow-up of 50 months, patients with high MET mRNA expression displayed a worse progression-free survival (PFS; P = 0·0029) and overall survival (OS; P = 0·0023) compared to those with low MET mRNA levels. Patients with both high MET mRNA expression and high β2-microglobulin level (>5·5 mg/l) had further worse median PFS (P < 0·0001) and OS (P < 0·0001). Patients carrying 4 MET gene copies (8 out of 82, 9·8%) also had a short PFS. High MET mRNA expression identifies patients with dismal PFS and OS and the combination with high β2-microglobulin further characterizes patients with worse outcome.

Background: The combination of rituximab (R, 375 mg/m2 intravenously [IV], day 1), bendamustine (B, 70 mg/m2IV, days 2 and 3), and cytarabine (800 mg/m2, IV on days 2 to 4) was highly active in patients with mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL) in a phase 2 study [R-BAC; Visco et al, JCO 2013]. This regimen was well tolerated, but hematologic toxicity was quite relevant, especially in terms of transient grade 3 to 4 thrombocytopenia (76% of cycles). Aiming at reducing hematologic toxicity, the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL) designed a phase 2 trial adopting the R-BAC schedule, but lowering cytarabine dose to 500 mg/m2 (RBAC500). Materials and Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed MCL, aged 61 to 80 years, not eligible for autologous transplant and fit according to the comprehensive geriatric assessment, were enrolled. Patients presenting with non-nodal leukemic disease were excluded. The primary endpoints were complete remission rate (CR) measured by FDG-PET according to Cheson criteria 2007, and safety. Secondary endpoints included rate of molecular response (MR) by nested-PCR using patient specific IGH or BCL1 based targets, progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The study was conducted according to the Bryant and Day two-stage design. Results: From May 2012 to February 2014, 57 patients with MCL from 29 centers were recruited and treated. Central pathology revision was performed in 87% of cases. Median age was 71 years (range 61-79), 75% were males, and 91% had Ann Arbor stage III/IV disease. Mantle Cell International Prognostic Index (MIPI) was low in 15%, intermediate in 40%, high in 45%, Ki-67 was ≥30% in 31%, and 9% had the blastoid cytological variant. Overall, 53 patients (91%) received at least 4 cycles, while 36 (63%) had 6 cycles (median 5.3 cycles per patient). Fifteen patients (26%) discontinued treatment before reaching cycle 6 because of toxicity/adverse events, that mainly consisted of prolonged hemato-toxicity between cycles. Only one patient discontinued due to progressive disease. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia were observed in 49% and 52% of administered cycles, respectively. Febrile neutropenia occurred in 6% of cycles. Extra-hematologic toxicity was mainly cardiac (5%). Overall response rate was 96%, and CR was 93%. The MR rate at the end of treatment was 76% on peripheral blood and 55% on bone marrow (BM) samples. With a median follow-up of 34 months (28-52), the 2-years PFS (± confidence interval) was 81%±5% and the OS 85%±4%. Elevated Ki-67 (≥30%), and the blastoid variant were the strongest independent predictors of adverse PFS. Patients with either of these two features (33%), had a significantly inferior PFS (41% vs 97% after 34 months) compared to patients with classical/pleomorphic variants and low proliferative index (p Conclusions: The R-BAC500 regimen can be safely administered as first line therapy to elderly patients with MCL. Hematologic toxicity is substantially reduced compared to our previous experience. With 93% of FDG-PET negative CR, and a 2-years PFS of 81% without maintenance therapy, the R-BAC500 regimen is a highly effective treatment for patients with MCL, and compares favourably with previously reported regimens in this patient population, including R-bendamustine. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Visco: Gilead: Speakers Bureau; Lundbeck: Consultancy; Mundipharma: Research Funding; Celgene: Speakers Bureau. Spina:Mundipharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Speaker Fee; Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Speaker Fee. Di Rocco:Celgene: Honoraria. Carella:Millenium: Speakers Bureau; Genentech: Speakers Bureau. Vitolo:Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau; Janssen: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Takeda: Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria.

Although molecular remissions have been frequently observed and associated with low likelihood of relapse in some lymphoid tumours, they are seldom reported in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). We performed PCR analysis of a MCL patient with central nervous system (CNS) relapse occurring 76 months after autologous transplantation. Molecular follow-up showed constant absence of PCR-detectable disease, even after the onset of relapse. These data indicate that isolated CNS relapse may occur even after several years of continuous remission and cannot be excluded based on a persistent pattern of molecular remission. However, the prolonged remission duration observed in this patient suggests that achieving PCR-negativity may also be of benefit for MCL patients.

Despite improvements in standard therapy with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone for patients with untreated, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, up to 40% of these patients relapse. Lenalidomide alone or in combination with rituximab has been shown to be active in relapsed/refractory aggressive lymphomas. In this phase I study we determined the maximum tolerated dose of lenalidomide plus rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone in untreated, elderly (median age 68 years) patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Four lenalidomide doses (5, 10, 15, and 20 mg/day on days 1-14) allocated using the continual reassessment method were planned to be administered for 14 days in combination with each course of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone for a total of six courses. Seven cohorts of patients (n=3 in each cohort) were treated (total n=21) at 10, 20, 15, 15, 15, 10, and 10 mg of lenalidomide. Dose-limiting toxicities occurred in seven patients during the first three courses of treatment. The third dose-level of lenalidomide (15 mg/day) was selected as the maximum tolerated dose, with an estimated probability of dose-limiting toxicities of 0.345 (95% credibility interval 0.164-0.553). Grade 3-4 hematologic adverse events were: neutropenia in 28% of the courses, thrombocytopenia in 9%, and anemia in 3%. Non-hematologic toxicities were moderate: grade 4 increase of creatinine phosphokinase (n=1), grade 3 cardiac (n=2), grade 3 neurological (n=3), and grade 3 gastrointestinal (n=1). In this phase I study, the overall response rate was 90%, with 81% achieving complete remission. This combination regimen appears safe in elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and its efficacy will be assessed in the ongoing phase II trial. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00907348.

The peripheral blood lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) at diagnosis can be clinically relevant in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We reviewed the outcome of 1,057 DLBCL patients followed from 1984 to 2012 at four centers. LMR was analyzed as a clinical biomarker by receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and Harrell's C-statistics. Patients were characterized by a median age of 61 years, International Prognostic Index (IPI) score of >2 in 39%, and were treated with a rituximab-containing chemotherapy in 66%. LMR proved strongly predictive for survival in patients treated with rituximab-based programs, but not in those receiving chemotherapy alone. Additionally, an LMR value of ≤2.6 (as determined by ROC analysis) was associated with a worst performance status, a higher lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, an advanced clinical stage, and a higher IPI score (P = 0.000). In patients treated with rituximab-supplemented chemotherapy programs, an LMR value of

Pre-emptive rituximab (pRTX) might represent an effective approach for patients with follicular (FL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) experiencing molecular relapse (M-rel). However, available experience is still limited. We retrospectively collected FL and MCL cases that underwent pRTX with four weekly rituximab infusions (375 mg/m2) due to molecular persistence or M-rel. M-rel was assessed using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time quantitative PCR using the Bcl-1/IGH, Bcl-2/IGH or the immunoglobulin heavy chain rearrangement. Twenty-three occurrences of M-rel or persistence were treated in 18 patients (nine MCL and nine FL). The pRTX reinduced molecular remission (MR) in 17/23 cases (7/9 FL and 10/14 MCL). The median time to MR reinduction was 4.5 months (range 3–12), and the median duration of the first MR reinduction was 34 months (range 12–72). In five MCL cases, pRTX was used to treat subsequent M-rels, with success in four cases. No clinical relapses were seen within 2 years of successful reinduction of MR. Progression-free survival after pRTX was 64 % at a median follow-up of 6 years. pRTX was feasible and safe and effectively reinduced MR in FL and MCL patients (74 %). Prospective trials are needed to verify the clinical benefit of similar approaches.