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Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) with 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan or 131I-tositumomab combines a radiation-emitting radionuclide with an antibody targeting CD20 to treat B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Multiple studies demonstrate favorable RIT efficacy and safety profiles in follicular lymphoma (FL). The primary toxicity is reversible myelosuppression. Various FL treatment options include single-agent immunotherapy, radiation, chemoimmunotherapy, and RIT. Examining RIT clinical effects and position within treatment algorithms is important to optimal patient benefit. Clinical studies support using single-agent RIT in relapsed/refractory FL, in selected patients with new, untreated FL, and as consolidation after induction chemotherapy or chemoimmunotherapy. RIT as consolidation enhances response rates (with conversion of partial to complete responses following induction therapy) and prolongs disease control versus observation. The overall response rate is 60--80%% in the relapsed setting. Time to progression is longer with low-bulk disease, fewer prior therapies, and retained rituximab sensitivity. RIT apparently does not preclude subsequent therapies or increase risk of secondary malignancies compared with chemotherapy's known risk. This article summarizes consensus recommendations for RIT and presents RIT treatment algorithms developed by hematologists/oncologists who regularly treat patients with FL. Maximizing RIT benefit requires healthcare providers to utilize algorithms assisting with treatment decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) has proved to be a safe and effective treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) including rituximab-refractory follicular lymphoma. Further, FDA approval was recently granted for use in newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma as consolidative therapy immediately following induction chemotherapy. We detail herein the scope of clinical studies performed in relapsed/refractory and newly diagnosed indolent lymphoma and summarize the associated safety data. In addition, we discuss new applications of RIT that have been investigated in a variety of clinical scenarios (e.g. single-agent and sequential therapy in aggressive NHLs and as a component of stem cell transplant conditioning). The wide array of RIT-based studies have yielded encouraging data, although randomized controlled trials will be needed to prove superiority over conventional therapy. Novel therapeutic RIT-based strategies that continue to be explored include radiation-enhancing agents combined with RIT, pre-targeting, RIT fractionation, as well as the integration of new humanized antibodies. The field of RIT continues to evolve scientifically and grow clinically. A reappraisal of prior data and examination of recently published and ongoing studies will be important in recognizing the potential benefit of RIT in the treatment of NHL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell (CAR-T) immunotherapy is an effective therapy for relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r B-NHL). However, data are limited on the impact of the convergence of race and social determinants of health on outcomes for patients treated with CAR-T therapy. We examined the impact of interactions between race and insurance type on health care use and outcomes in patients treated with CAR-T therapy for aggressive B-NHL. Adult patients with r/r B-NHL treated with CD19 CAR-Ts were identified between 2015 and 2021 across 13 US academic centers. Insurance type, demographic, and clinical data were collected and analyzed. In total, 466 adult patients were included in our analysis. Median follow-up after CAR-T therapy was 12.7 months. Median progression-free survival (mPFS) was longer for Caucasians (11.5 months) than for African Americans (3.5 months; hazard ratio [HR], 1.56 [1.03-2.4]; P = .04) or Asians (2.7 months; HR, 1.7 [1.02-2.67]; P = .04). Differences in median overall survival (mOS) were not significant. For Medicare (n = 206) vs Medicaid (n = 33) vs private insurance (n = 219) vs self-pay (n = 7): mPFS was 15.9 vs 4.2 vs 6.0 vs 0.9 months (P < .001), respectively; and mOS was 31.2 vs 12.8 vs 21.5 vs 3.2 months (P < .001), respectively. Our multicenter retrospective analysis showed that race and insurance status can affect outcomes for patients treated with CAR-T therapy., (© 2024 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) and follicular lymphoma (FL) are the most common subtypes of B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in adults. Histologic transformation of FL to DLBCL (TFL) occurs in approximately 15% of patients and is generally associated with a poor clinical outcome. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors have shown promising results in the treatment of relapsed/refractory FL. CAR T-cell therapy (axicabtagene ciloleucel and tisagenlecleucel) has emerged as a novel treatment option for relapsed/refractory DLBCL and TFL. These NCCN Guidelines Insights highlight important updates to the NCCN Guidelines for B-Cell Lymphomas regarding the treatment of TFL and relapsed/refractory FL and DLBCL.

Purpose: To evaluate safety and efficacy outcomes for subjects on the ECHELON-1 study treated in North America (NA)., Patients and Methods: ECHELON-1 is a global, open-label, randomized phase III study comparing doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine in combination with brentuximab vedotin (A+AVD) versus ABVD (AVD + bleomycin) as first-line therapy in subjects with stage III or IV classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL; NCT01712490). Subjects were randomized 1:1 to receive A+AVD or ABVD intravenously on days 1 and 15 of each 28-day cycle for up to 6 cycles., Results: The NA subgroup consisted of 497 subjects in the A+AVD ( n = 250) and ABVD ( n = 247) arms. Similar to the primary analysis based on the intent-to-treat population, the primary endpoint [modified progression-free survival (PFS) per independent review] demonstrated an improvement among subjects who received A+AVD compared with ABVD (HR = 0.60; P = 0.012). For PFS, the risk of progression or death was also reduced (HR = 0.50; P = 0.002). Subsequent anticancer therapies were lower in the A+AVD arm. Grade 3 or 4 adverse events (AEs) were more common, but there were fewer study discontinuations due to AEs in the A+AVD arm as compared with ABVD. Noted differences between arms included higher rates of febrile neutropenia (20% vs. 9%) and peripheral neuropathy (80% vs. 56%), but lower rates of pulmonary toxicity (3% vs. 10%) in subjects treated with A+AVD versus ABVD., Conclusions: The efficacy benefit and manageable toxicity profile observed in the NA subgroup of ECHELON-1 support A+AVD as a frontline treatment option for patients with stage III or IV cHL., (©2019 American Association for Cancer Research.)

We aimed to characterize surveillance imaging and circumstances of relapse for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Outcomes Database, a prospective cohort study collecting clinical and outcome data at seven comprehensive cancer centers. Patients presenting with newly diagnosed DLBCL in remission ≥3 months after initial therapy and who had accrued 2 years of follow-up were eligible for analysis (n = 625). The median number of imaging studies was 2.5/year (institutional range 0.5-3.5, p < 0.0001); 48.4% received only dedicated computed tomography (CT) scans, 14.6% received only positron emission tomography (PET)-inclusive modalities, 32.8% received a combination and 4.2% received no imaging. Among all eligible patients, 50 (8.0%) experienced relapse, and approximately one-quarter of subclinical relapses were detected through routine imaging. Our results suggest that despite limited data regarding its effect on outcomes, surveillance imaging is prevalent in DLBCL, and a majority of patients receive PET scans at some point during follow-up.

The purpose of this study was to determine the activity of topotecan given by 21-day continuous infusion in patients previously treated with one prior therapy for a diffuse large-cell lymphoma or immunoblastic lymphoma. Patients with appropriate histology and measurable disease who had been treated with one prior chemotherapy regimen were eligible for study. Slides of tumor biopsies were submitted for central review of pathology. Patients were required to have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0, 1 or 2 and adequate bone marrow function. Patients were treated with continuous infusion topotecan, 0.4 mg/m(2)/day × 21 days. Therapy could be escalated to 0.5 and then 0.6 mg/m(2)/day in subsequent cycles if there was no dose-limiting toxicity at the initial dose level. Patients were treated with two cycles after achieving a complete response or until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. Thirty-seven patients were enrolled. However, only 26 cases were eligible due to a performance status of > 2 (n = 2), more than one prior chemotherapy (n = 1) and wrong histology on review (n = 8). Due to the unexpectedly high ineligibility rate, two sets of analysis were done for all 37 patients enrolled and for the 26 eligible patients, respectively. Of the 37 patients (15 males and 22 females), the International Prognostic Index included 11% low risk, 30% low intermediate risk, 46% high intermediate risk and 8% high risk. The median follow-up was 77 months. A total of 136 cycles of therapy were given with a median of 3 cycles per patient. Grade 4 toxicities included: 14% grade 4 thrombocytopenia; 14% grade 4 granulocytopenia, 8% leukopenia, 3% each anemia, hemorrhage, infection, vomiting, thrombosis, liver toxicity and neuromotor toxicity. The response analysis including all 37 patients showed five complete responses (CRs) and four partial responses (PRs) for a total response rate of 24% (90% two-stage confidence interval 13-39%). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.7 months, with 1- and 2-year PFS of 21% and 6%, respectively (90% confidence interval 11-34% and 2-15%). Median overall survival (OS) was 10.5 months, with 1- and 2-year OS of 41% and 27%, respectively (90% confidence interval 27-53% and 16-39%). Analysis including only eligible patients showed similar response rates and survival outcomes. Single agent topotecan has moderate activity for previously treated high-grade lymphoma equivalent to that of several newer agents, and should be considered for incorporation into multi-drug salvage chemotherapy programs.