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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Defining margins around the Gross Tumour Volume (GTV) to create a Clinical Target Volume (CTV) for head and neck cancer radiotherapy has traditionally been based on presumed knowledge of anatomical routes of spread. However, using a concentric geometric expansion around the GTV may be more reproducible. The purpose of this study was to analyse the inter-observer consistency of geometric CTV delineation with adaptation for anatomical boundaries versus anatomically defined CTVs.MATERIAL AND METHODS: Radiation oncologists at four Danish cancer centres delineated high, intermediate and elective dose CTVs (CTV1, CTV2 and CTV3, respectively) in a patient-case template (stage IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx), first using mainly anatomical margins (original standard) and then using concentric geometric expansion (new standard). Each centre made a dummy-run radiotherapy plan based on the delineated CTVs. The difference between the CTV contours and the radiotherapy plans was evaluated across the centres.RESULTS: Anatomy-based contours were significantly more heterogenous and showed larger volume differences between centres than geometric margins. Dice similarity coefficient increased by 0.29 and mean surface distance decreased by 4mm for CTV1. Use of consistent CTV volumes resulted in more consistent irradiated volumes between centres.CONCLUSION: Introduction of geometric margins resulted in more uniform CTV1 and CTV2 delineation. Geometric CTV expansion was easier, left less room for misinterpretation, and resulted in more uniform treatment plans with similar irradiated high and intermediate dose volumes across all centres.

Immunoparesis (hypogammaglobulinemia) is associated to an unfavorable prognosis in newly diagnosed Multiple myeloma (MM) patients. However, this finding has not been validated in an unselected population-based cohort. We analyzed 2558 newly diagnosed MM patients in the Danish Multiple Myeloma Registry representing the entire MM population in Denmark from 2005-2013. Two-thousand two hundred and fifty three patients (90%) presented with reduction below lower normal levels of at least one uninvolved immunoglobulin. Using multivariable Cox regression we found that high age, high ISS score, high LDH and IgA MM were associated to both shorter overall survival and progression free survival. Furthermore, bone marrow plasma cell% was associated to short progression free survival. Immunoparesis had no independent significant effect on OS (HR 0.9 (95% CI: 0.7; 1.0; p = 0.12)). Likewise, the number of suppressed immunoglobulins or the relative degree of suppressed uninvolved immunoglobulins from lower normal level (quantitative immunoparesis) was not associated to OS in the multivariable analysis. However, quantitative immunoparesis with at least 25% reduction (from lower normal level) of uninvolved immunoglobulins was associated to shorter PFS for the entire population. The impact of quantitative immunoparesis on PFS was present irrespective of calendar periods 2005-2008 and 2009-2013. Our population-based study does not confirm that immunoparesis at diagnosis is an independent prognostic factor regarding OS. However, quantitative immunoparesis is associated to a shorter PFS.

Peter Gimsing,1 Morten O Holmström,2 Tobias Wirenfelt Klausen,3 Niels Frost Andersen,4 Henrik Gregersen,5 Robert Schou Pedersen,6 Torben Plesner,7 Per Trøllund Pedersen,8 Mikael Frederiksen,9 Ulf Frølund,2 Carsten Helleberg,3 Annette Vangsted,1 Peter de Nully Brown,1 Niels Abildgaard,10 On behalf of the Danish Myeloma Study Group 1Department of Hematology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, 2Department of Hematology, Roskilde Sygehus, Roskilde, 3Department of Hematology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen, 4Department of Hematology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, 5Department of Hematology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, 6Department of Hematology, Holstebro Hospital, Holstebro, 7Department of Hematology, Vejle Hospital, Vejle, 8Department of Hematology, Hospital of Southwestern Jutland, Esbjerg, 9Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital of Southern Jutland, Aabenraa, 10Department of Hematology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark Aim: The Danish National Multiple Myeloma Registry (DMMR) is a population-based clinical quality database established in January 2005. The primary aim of the database is to ensure that diagnosis and treatment of plasma cell dyscrasia are of uniform quality throughout the country. Another aim is to support research. Patients are registered with their unique Danish personal identification number, and the combined use of DMMR, other Danish National registries, and the Danish National Cancer Biobank offers a unique platform for population-based translational research.Study population: All newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (MM), smoldering MM, solitary plasmacytomas, and plasma cell leukemia in Denmark are registered annually; ~350 patients. Amyloid light-chain amyloidosis, POEMS syndrome (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes syndrome), monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance with polyneuropathy have been registered since 2014.Main variables: The main registered variables at diagnosis are patient demographics, baseline disease characteristics, myeloma-defining events, clinical complications, prognostics, first- and second-line treatments, treatment responses, progression free, and overall survival.Descriptive data: Up to June 2015, 2,907 newly diagnosed patients with MM, 485 patients with smoldering MM, 64 patients with plasma cell leukemia, and 191 patients with solitary plasmacytomas were registered. Registration completeness of new patients is ~100%. A data validation study performed in 2013–2014 by the Danish Myeloma Study Group showed >95% data correctness.Conclusion: The DMMR is a population-based data validated database eligible for clinical, epidemiological, and translational research. Keywords: Multiple Myeloma Registry, population-based, treatment response, progression-free survival, overall survival

The Nordic Myeloma Study Group conducted an open randomized trial to compare bortezomib as consolidation therapy given after high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) with no consolidation in bortezomib-naive patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Overall, 370 patients were centrally randomly assigned 3 months after ASCT to receive 20 doses of bortezomib given during 21 weeks or no consolidation. The hypothesis was that consolidation therapy would prolong progression-free survival (PFS). The PFS after randomization was 27 months for the bortezomib group compared with 20 months for the control group (P = .05). Fifty-one of 90 patients in the treatment group compared with 32 of 90 controls improved their response after randomization (P = .007). No difference in overall survival was seen. Fatigue was reported more commonly by the bortezomib-treated patients in self-reported quality-of-life (QOL) questionnaires, whereas no other major differences in QOL were recorded between the groups. Consolidation therapy seemed to be beneficial for patients not achieving at least a very good partial response (VGPR) but not for patients in the ≥ VGPR category at randomization. Consolidation with bortezomib after ASCT in bortezomib-naive patients improves PFS without interfering with QOL. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00417911.

Good's syndrome (GS) is a rare immunodeficiency complicating thymoma and characterized by absence of B-cells, hypogammaglobulinaemia and a reduced CD4 T-cell level. Autoimmune neutropenia coexisting with GS is very unusual and carries a poor prognosis due to severe immunodeficiency. We report a case of a thymoma patient with GS and autoimmune neutropenia. Neutropenia disappeared on filgrastrim, prednisone and azathioprine treatment. However, the patient still suffers from GS and requires regular prophylactic immunoglobulin injections. On this treatment, the patient has survived for nine years.

International audience; The gene was originally described as an inhibitor of RelA/p65 subunit of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). Here, we analyse the association between genetic variation in the genes and and outcome of 348 myeloma patients treated with high-dose treatment (HDT), 146 patients treated with interferon-α (INF-α) as maintenance treatment, 177 patients treated with thalidomide, and 74 patients treated with bortezomib at relapse and address if the effects of polymorphisms in and are modified by a functional polymorphism in . By linkage disequilibrium mapping, we found that variant alleles of several polymorphisms in a sub-region of 19q13.3 spanning the regions -intron1-1 to intron1-3 and the region exon1 to exon3-6 in were associated with prolonged time-to-treatment failure (TTF; = 0.003) and overall survival (OS; = 0.02). Haplotype analyses revealed that none of the haplotypes were more strongly associated to TTF or OS than the two strongly linked SNPs, -intron1-1 (rs4572514) and (rs967591). The association of -intron1-1 and with TTF was independent of -94 ins/del, but homozygous ins-allele carriers which were also variant allele carriers of -intron1-1 or had the longest OS. Among patients treated with INF-α or thalidomide, no effect was seen in relation to genotype. Our results indicate that polymorphism in and are associated with outcome of myeloma patients treated with HDT. Combination analyses with the functional polymorphism in suggest that a possibly functional effect of or could be related to NF-κB availability.

Udgivelsesdato: 2010-Sep OBJECTIVE: To analyse if patients with early relapse after high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell support (HDT) benefit from new treatment strategies in a population-based setting. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of relapse treatment and survival in 348 patients undergoing HDT in Denmark in 1994-2004. Patients were divided into two groups according to time-to-treatment failure (i) within 18 months after HDT and (ii) later than 18 months after HDT. The fraction of patients surviving 3 yr after first relapse was evaluated in relation to calendar periods for introduction of new drugs: before the introduction of thalidomide (1995-1999), before the introduction of bortezomib and lenalidomide (2000-2002) and when patients had access to all treatment modalities (2003-2008). RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-three patients suffered from relapse which required treatment. The median follow-up time was 91.4 months (60-158.8 months) and overall survival was 56.3 months after HDT. The fraction of patients alive 3 yr after first relapse increased in the periods after the year 2000 for patients with late relapse: 1995-1999, 36%; 2000-2002, 57%; and 2003-2008, 72% (P = 0.03), in contrast to patients with early relapse: 1995-1999, 25%; 2000-2002, 33%; and 2003-2008, 31% (P = 0.7). CONCLUSION: Improved survival was only observed among patients with late relapse after HDT and this may be because of increased use of salvage HDT, improved supportive care and introduction of new drugs.