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BACKGROUND Use of software to monitor Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) can improve outcomes for cancer patients receiving anticancer therapy; however, evidence from applications used in routine clinical practice is lacking. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate adherence to, and patient perceptions of a weekly, web-based PROM symptom monitoring in routine clinical practice for patients with Multiple Myeloma. Moreover, we aimed to capture how clinical alerts prompted by the system influenced clinical care. METHODS We conducted a single-center longitudinal observational study to evaluate patient adherence to and perceptions of the PROM monitoring software in routine practice. Patients with Multiple Myeloma remotely completed weekly treatment-specific PROMs to monitor key symptoms via a dedicated web-based platform. Alarming symptoms triggered clinical alerts in the application for the treatment team who could initiate clinical interventions. The primary outcomes were the online assessment completion rate and patients’ perceptions of the monitoring program assessed by an evaluation questionnaire. Moreover, clinical alerts prompted by the system and consequential clinical interventions were analyzed. RESULTS Between July 2021 and June 2022, 55 patients were approached for participation; 39 patients participated (24 male [61%], mean age: 63.2 years, SD 9.2). The median assessment completion rate out of all weekly scheduled assessments was 70.3% (IQR 41.2-89.6). Most patients (77%) felt that the healthcare team was better informed on their health status due to the online assessments. Clinical alerts were triggered for 1758/14639 (12.0%) of reported symptoms. For 548/1758 (31.2%) of alerts, the symptom had been registered before and no further action was required; for 348/1758 (19.9%) of alerts, telephone consultation and self-management advice sufficed. Higher-level interventions were seldom needed in response to alerts: referral to a doctor or specialist (88/1758 of alerts, 5.0%), medication changes (22/1758, 1.3%), scheduling additional diagnostics (9/1758, 0.5%), or unplanned emergency visits (7/1758, 0.4%). Most patients (55%) reported the calls in response to alerts gave them “quite a bit” or “very much” of an added feeling of security during therapy. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that high adherence to regular and tailored PROM monitoring can be achieved in routine clinical care. The findings provide valuable insight into how the PROM monitoring program and the clinical alerts and resulting interventions shaped clinical practice. CLINICALTRIAL NCT05036863 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/)

The present study presents an alternative analytical workflow that combines mid-infrared (MIR) microscopic imaging and deep learning to diagnose human lymphoma and differentiate between small and large cell lymphoma. We could show that using a deep learning approach to analyze MIR hyperspectral data obtained from benign and malignant lymph node pathology results in high accuracy for correct classification, learning the distinct region of 3900 cm-1 to 850 cm-1. The accuracy is above 95% for every pair of malignant lymphoid tissue and still above 90% for the distinction between benign and malignant lymphoid tissue for binary classification. These results demonstrate that a preliminary diagnosis and subtyping of human lymphoma could be streamlined by applying a deep learning approach to analyze MIR spectroscopic data.

High-grade B cell lymphomas with rearrangements on C-MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 (HGBL with MYC and BCL2 and/or Bcl6 rearrangement) are associated with worse clinical outcomes and thus were introduced as a separate new category in the recently updated WHO classification. From 2012 to 2016, we analyzed a consecutive cohort of large B cell lymphomas (LBCLs) for C-MYC, BCL2, and BCL6 rearrangements and correlated our results with clinical-pathological parameters. Ten of 78 (13%) cases had a C-MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangement, so-called double or triple hit (DH), while double/triple copy number gains (CNGs) were found in eight (10%) patients. Patients with a high-grade lymphoma with DH or CNG progressed significantly more often after first-line chemotherapy (p = 0.005). When treated with standard chemotherapy, patients with a DH or CNG had a significantly worse overall (OS) and recurrence free survival (RFS) compared with all other patients (p = 0.033 and p

Summary Background The PROUD-PV and CONTINUATION-PV trials aimed to compare the novel monopegylated interferon ropeginterferon alfa-2b with hydroxyurea, the standard therapy for patients with polycythaemia vera, over 3 years of treatment. Methods PROUD-PV and its extension study, CONTINUATION-PV, were phase 3, randomised, controlled, open-label, trials done in 48 clinics in Europe. Patients were eligible if 18 years or older with early stage polycythaemia vera (no history of cytoreductive treatment or less than 3 years of previous hydroxyurea treatment) diagnosed by WHO's 2008 criteria. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to ropeginterferon alfa-2b (subcutaneously every 2 weeks, starting at 100 μg) or hydroxyurea (orally starting at 500 mg/day). After 1 year, patients could opt to enter the extension part of the trial, CONTINUATION-PV. The primary endpoint in PROUD-PV was non-inferiority of ropeginterferon alfa-2b versus hydroxyurea regarding complete haematological response with normal spleen size (longitudinal diameter of ≤12 cm for women and ≤13 cm for men) at 12 months; in CONTINUATION-PV, the coprimary endpoints were complete haematological response with normalisation of spleen size and with improved disease burden (ie, splenomegaly, microvascular disturbances, pruritus, and headache). We present the final results of PROUD-PV and an interim analysis at 36 months of the CONTINUATION-PV study (per statistical analysis plan). Analyses for safety and efficacy were per-protocol. The trials were registered on EudraCT, 2012-005259-18 (PROUD-PV) and 2014-001357-17 (CONTINUATION-PV, which is ongoing). Findings Patients were recruited from Sept 17, 2013 to March 13, 2015 with 306 enrolled. 257 patients were randomly assigned, 127 were treated in each group (three patients withdrew consent in the hydroxyurea group), and 171 rolled over to the CONTINUATION-PV trial. Median follow-up was 182·1 weeks (IQR 166·3–201·7) in the ropeginterferon alfa-2b and 164·5 weeks (144·4–169·3) in the standard therapy group. In PROUD-PV, 26 (21%) of 122 patients in the ropeginterferon alfa-2b group and 34 (28%) of 123 patients in the standard therapy group met the composite primary endpoint of complete haematological response with normal spleen size. In CONTINUATION-PV, complete haematological response with improved disease burden was met in 50 (53%) of 95 patients in the ropeginterferon alfa-2b group versus 28 (38%) of 74 patients in the hydroxyurea group, p=0·044 at 36 months. Complete haematological response without the spleen criterion in the ropeginterferon alfa-2b group versus standard therapy group were: 53 (43%) of 123 patients versus 57 (46%) of 125 patients, p=0·63 at 12 months (PROUD-PV), and 67 (71%) of 95 patients versus 38 (51%) of 74 patients, p=0·012 at 36 months (CONTINUATION-PV). The most frequently reported grade 3 and grade 4 treatment-related adverse events were increased γ-glutamyltransferase (seven [6%] of 127 patients) and increased alanine aminotransferase (four [3%] of 127 patients) in the ropeginterferon alfa-2b group, and leucopenia (six [5%] of 127 patients) and thrombocytopenia (five [4%] of 127 patients) in the standard therapy group. Treatment-related serious adverse events occurred in three (2%) of 127 patients in the ropeginterferon alfa-2b group and five (4%) of 127 patients in the hydroxyurea group. One treatment-related death was reported in the standard therapy group (acute leukaemia). Interpretation In patients with early polycythaemia vera, who predominantly presented without splenomegaly, ropeginterferon alfa-2b was effective in inducing haematological responses; non-inferiority to hydroxyurea regarding haematological response and normal spleen size was not shown at 12 months. However, response to ropeginterferon alfa-2b continued to increase over time with improved responses compared with hydroxyurea at 36 months. Considering the high and durable haematological and molecular responses and its good tolerability, ropeginterferon alfa-2b offers a valuable and safe long-term treatment option with features distinct from hydroxyurea. Funding AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG.

Mid-infrared (MIR) microscopic imaging of indolent and aggressive lymphomas was performed including formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples of six follicular lymphomas and 12 diffuse large B-cell-lymphomas as well as reactive lymph nodes to investigate benefits and challenges for lymphoma diagnosis. MIR images were compared to defined pathological characteristics such as indolent versus aggressive versus reactive, germinal centre versus activated cell-of-origin (COO) subtypes, or a low versus a high proliferative index and level of PD-L1 expression. We demonstrated that MIR microscopic imaging can differentiate between reactive lymph nodes, indolent and aggressive lymphoma samples. Also, it has potential to be used in the subtyping of lymphomas, as shown with the differentiation between COO subtypes, the level of proliferation and PD-L1 expression. MIR microscopic imaging is a promising tool for diagnosis and subtyping of lymphoma and further evaluation is needed to fully explore the advantages and disadvantages of this method for pathological diagnosis.

Treatment results for multiple myeloma and plasma cell leukemia have considerably improved, but cure remains elusive and establishing new therapeutic approaches constitutes a major unmet clinical need. We analyzed the anti-myeloma properties of the aza-anthracenedione pixantrone which has been successfully used in a phase III study for the treatment of patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as monotherapy as well as in combination regimes in vitro and in an adapted in vivo model (ex ovo chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay). Pixantrone significantly inhibited proliferation and metabolic activity of all investigated myeloma cell lines. Importantly, anti-myeloma effects were more pronounced in tumor cell lines than in stromal cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy controls. Apoptosis of myeloma cell lines was observed only after a 7-day incubation period, indicating a fast cytostatic and a slower cytotoxic effect of this drug. Pixantrone reduced the viability of primary plasma cells of patients and induced downregulation of myeloma-cell growth in the CAM assay. Additionally, we demonstrate in vitro synergism between pixantrone and the histone deacetylase inhibitor panobinostat with respect to its anti-proliferative features. From these data, we conclude that systematic investigations of the clinical usefulness of pixantrone in the framework of controlled clinical trials are clearly indicated (e.g., in penta-refractory patients). Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00277-019-03797-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

In this study, we examined the suitability of visible and infrared (Vis-NIR) hyperspectral imaging (HSI) for the quantification of prognostic markers in non-Hodgkin lymphoma on the example of the Ki67 proliferation index. Ki67 quantification was done on six follicular lymphomas (FLs) and 12 diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) by applying classic immunohistochemistry. The Ki67 index was comparatively assessed visually, using HSI-based quantification and a digital imaging analysis (DIA) platform. There was no significant difference between visual assessment (VA), DIA, and HSI in FLs. For DLBCLs, VA resulted in significantly higher Ki67 values than HSI (p = 0.023) and DIA (p = 0.006). No such difference was seen comparing analysis by HSI and DIA (p = 0.724). Cohen's κ revealed a "substantial correlation" of Ki67 values for HSI and DIA in FLs and DLBCLs (κ = 0.667 and 0.657). Here we provide the first evidence that, comparably to traditional DIA, HSI can be used reliably to quantify protein expression, as exemplified by the Ki67 proliferation index. By covering the near-infrared spectrum, HSI might offer additional information on the biochemical composition of pathological specimens, although our study could not show that HSI is clearly superior to conventional DIA. However, the analysis of multiplex immunohistochemistry might benefit from such an approach, especially if overlapping immunohistochemical reactions were possible. Further studies are needed to explore the impact of this method on the analysis and quantification of multiple marker expression in pathological specimens.

Summary The treatment of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma has changed dramatically over the past 20 years, from near uniform application of chemotherapy to a patient performance status- and risk-based approach. Furthermore, initiation of treatment criteria have evolved from a pure end-organ damage-based definition to include risk factors of transformation to frank myeloma. Besides, the mainly cytogenetically defined Multiple Myeloma (MM) risk status, transplant eligibility of patients still serves primarily to allocate patients within a rational treatment algorithm. While all transplant-eligible MM patients should receive a triplet induction therapy followed by autologous transplantation and, in most cases, lenalidomide maintenance, other therapeutic elements (e. g., other maintenance strategies, consolidation, tandem transplantation,..) have to be decided on an individualized appraisal of risk and toxicities. Standard-risk patients should never be undertreated, as they derive the highest relative benefit from using the best available registered therapies. However, high-risk patients should be preferentially treated inside clinical trials testing additive innovative treatments, as the improvement in the prognosis of this group of patients by standard therapies has been underwhelming. Furthermore, the evaluation process of non-transplant-eligible patients should always comprise an evaluation of performance status, frailty, and comorbidities (e. g., a comprehensive geriatric assessment) to facilitate the allocation of individualized therapies.

EW: A 51-year-old Caucasian male smoker (>30 pack-year) was referred due to generalised lymphadenopathy and disseminated, apical accentuated pulmonary nodules (up to 12 mm) on CT scans that demonstrated an elevated 18F-FDG uptake. There was a history of childhood pulmonary tuberculosis with ongoing positivity in the interferon-gamma release assay. The patient had night sweats and frequent coughs. Lymph node and bone marrow biopsies demonstrated infiltration by a small cell lymphocytic lymphoma-Non Hodgkin Lymphoma (SCL-NHL) with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL-like) immunophenotype (Matutes score 4/5) staged as Ann Arbor IV B disease (figure 1A,B). Figure 1 Figure demonstrates results of the pathological and molecular analysis of biopsies from a lymph node (LN) affected by a small cell lymphocytic lymphoma and a pulmonary biopsy (PB) of the same patient affected by a PLCH. (A) HE TCT Thymin-Cytosin-Thymin (DNA base codes); PLCH, pulmonary …

Cancer patients frequently use complementary medicine. Curcumin (CUR) and its derivates (from the extract of Curcuma longa L.) represent some of the most frequently used ones, having a long history in traditional Asian medicine. CUR was demonstrated, both in vitro and in vivo, to have significant anti-inflammatory effects, thus potentially counteracting cancer-promoting inflammation, which is a hallmark of cancer. CUR modulate a plethora of signaling pathways in cancer cells, comprising the NF-κB (nuclear factor k-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells), the JAK/STAT (Janus-Kinase/Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription), and the TGF-β (transforming growth factor-β) pathways. Furthermore, CUR confers properties of electron receptors, which destabilize radical oxygen species (ROS), explaining its antioxidant and anti-apopototic effects. Although CUR has a low bioavailability, its role in advanced cancer treatment and supportive care was addressed in numerous clinical trials. After promising results in phase I–II trials, multiple phase III trials in different indications are currently under way to test for direct anti-cancer effects. In addition, CUR exerts beneficial effects on cancer treatment-related neurotoxcity, cardiotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, hemato-toxicity, and others. More efficient galenic formulations are tested to optimze CUR’s usability in cancer treatment. This review should provide a comprehensive overview of basic science, and pre-clinical and clinical data on CUR in the field of oncology.

Background: Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) relapsing early (within 12 months) or primary refractory to induction therapy with rituximab (R) and CHOP have a poor prognosis with a median overall survival (OS) of less than 2 years. Relapse immuno-chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation is the standard of care, but response rates are still not satisfactory and a substantial number of patients are ineligible for transplant or aggressive therapies. Novel antibodies, small molecules and CAR-T cell therapies have been explored for this population. We initiated a study with obinutuzumab and venetoclax to evaluate the effect of a chemo-free regimen in these refractory or early relapsing DLBCL patients with the option to prepare these patients for cell therapy. Study design and Methods: Twenty-one patients with DLBCL (relapsed within 12 months or primary refractory), detectable Bcl-2 protein expression and CD20 positivity were included in this prospective, Fleming-design Phase II single-arm study. Obinutuzumab was given i.v. at a dose of 1000 mg on days 1, 8, 15 in cycle 1 and on day 1 of each following 21-day cycles. Venetoclax was given at 800mg daily p.o. Treatment was repeated for up to 3 cycles. Eligible patients were planned to either proceed to stem cell transplantation or receive up to 9 cycles of maintenance if ineligible for transplant. The primary endpoint was objective response rate by Lugano 2014 criteria after 3 cycles (investigator assessed). Secondary objectives included dose-limiting toxicities, response duration, progression-free and overall survival and ability to proceed to further stem cell transplantation. A biomarker program investigated histopathologic, genomic and biological factors associated with outcome. The trial was registered under Eudract Nr. 2016-001760-10 andNCT02987400. Results: The ITT population consisted of 21 patients (median age 64 years, 9 M, 12F) with refractory or early relapsed DLBCL after 1 (N=11) to 4 previous lines of therapy. The majority of patients received 3 cycles of obinutuzumab-venetoclax (range 1-8). The regimen was well tolerated. No DLTs were observed. Adverse events were observed in 85.7% with gastrointestinal disorders and administration site conditions being most prominent. Cytopenias were reported in 23.8% and infections in 19%. Severe adverse events were observed in 19%. The objective response rate was 38.1% (8/21 patients) with a best response of 5 CR (23.8%) and 3 PR (14.2%). Response duration was 83.3% at 84 days, with a progression-free survival of 38.8% at 84 days and 25.9% at 168 days and an overall survival of 59.3% at 168 days. All deaths were due to underlying disease. Three of 6 responding patients eligible for transplant went on to ASCT, while 2 CR patients refused. Overall, 6 patients received ASCT and 3 patients anti-CD19 CAR-T cells. Three patients received further maintenance cycles. At final visit, 20% of patients were still in CR while 73.3% of patients had progressed. Overall the data indicate that this therapy creates a response period of approximately 3 months in responding patients. Progressive disease was treated with various regimens including chemo-immunotherapy, bispecific agents, antibody-drug conjugates, immunomodulators or small molecules. To date, 7 patients have died. Characteristics of responding patients include very good or good R-IPI as well as low number of previous therapies (median=1). BCL2 expression and genomic features are currently being analysed and will be presented at the meeting. Conclusion: Obinutuzumab and Venetoclax represents a chemo-free relapse regimen with low toxicity for DLBCL with the ability to induce objective responses in 38.1% of patients including complete remissions. Its potential to serve as a "window-of-opportunity", relapse- or bridging-treatment in preparation for stem cell or CAR-T cell therapies will be further increased by identification of clinical or biological predictors of response. Supported by a grant from Roche Austria. Disclosures Jaeger: F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Honoraria, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Honoraria; CDR Life AG: Consultancy, Research Funding; Miltenyi: Consultancy, Honoraria; Gilead: Honoraria, Research Funding; BMS/Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; AbbVie: Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Heibl:BMS/celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; AOP orphan: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Honoraria. Willenbacher:AbbVie: Honoraria; Roche: Honoraria. Erlsbacher:Assign Data Management and Biostatistics GmbH: Current Employment. Larcher-Senn:Assign Data Management and Biostatistics GmbH: Current Employment. Fridrik:Roche: Consultancy, Other; AbbVie: Consultancy, Other. Greil:BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accomodations, expenses, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accomodations, expenses, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accomodations, expenses, Research Funding; MSD Merck: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accomodations, expenses, Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo, Gilead: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accomodations, expenses, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accomodations, expenses, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accomodations, expenses, Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accomodations, expenses, Research Funding; Astra zeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accomodations, expenses, Research Funding; BMS/celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel, accomodations, expenses, Research Funding.

Introduction Patients with refractory metastatic cancer have been shown to benefit from molecular profiling of tumor tissue. The ONCO-T-PROFILE project was launched in March 2014 at the Innsbruck Medical University. Within 2 years our project aims to recruit 110 patients with stage IV cancer refractory to standard therapy. Our data presented here are based on an interim-analysis. Methods Tumor tissue specimens were submitted for molecular profiling to the certified laboratory (Caris Life Science, USA). Druggable tumor targets were selected based on biomarker status to agents with potential clinical benefit. Clinical benefit was defined as a PFS ratio (=PFS upon treatment according to the molecular profile/ PFS upon the last prior therapy) ≥ 1.3. Results As of April 2015, tumors from 50 patients have been molecularly profiled and one or more targets were detectable in 48 specimens (98%). So far, 19 (38%) patients have been treated according to their molecular tumor profile. To date, 8 (42%) patients have reached a PFS ratio of ≥ 1.3. Conclusions We could show that molecular profiling is feasible in the clinical routine. A proportion of patients might benefit from an individualized treatment approach based on molecular profiling. As a result, we will proceed to enroll patients in ONCO-T-PROFILE.

To the editor: Chemotherapy-containing regimens are effective for the treatment of advanced mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, and recent data on R -chlorambucil and R -bendamustine may potentially have set new treatment standards for progressive disease.[1][1][⇓][2][⇓][3]-[4][4

We would like to change the authors’ names and affiliations on Page 1 of paper [...]

Background Renal impairment (RI) is a negative prognostic factor in Multiple Myeloma (MM) and affected patients are often excluded from autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). However, it remains unclear whether historically inferior outcome data still hold true. Methods From a total of 475 eligible MM patients who had undergone ASCT between 1998 and 2016, 374 were included in this multi-centric retrospective cohort study. Renal function was determined both at the time of MM diagnosis and ASCT by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR according to the MDRD formula, RI defined as eGFR

Multiple myeloma (MM), the second most common hematologic malignancy, is characterized by the clonal expansion of plasma cells. Despite dramatic improvements in patients′ survival over the past decade due to advances in therapy exploiting novel molecular targets (immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies), the treatment of relapsed and refractory disease remains challenging. Recent studies confirmed complex, dynamic, and heterogeneous genomic alterations without unifying gene mutations in MM patients. In the current review, we survey recent therapeutic strategies, as well as molecular profiling data on MM, with emphasis on relapsed and refractory cases. A critical appraisal of novel findings and of their potential therapeutic implications will be discussed in detail, along with the author’s own experiences/views.

Achieving a first complete remission in myeloma has become feasible with novel agent-based combination therapies followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), leading to CR rates of 40%. But continuously occurring relapses in these patients have lead to the revival of maintenance (MT) concepts aiming to eliminate or control minimal residual disease when myeloma burden is low and not too many clonal tidings have been induced. On the other side, the clinical effectiveness of MT has to be balanced against its considerable cost, toxicity and effects on quality of life. Owing to low effectiveness and side effects of chemotherapy, steroids as monotherapy and α-interferon are obsolete options for maintenance concepts, while low-dose thalidomide should be considered in low-risk patients that do not achieve at least very good partial remission after ASCT, when other MT options are not available. There is limited data on the effectiveness of Bortezomib (BTZ) MT in high-risk patients with respect to both progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Lenalidomide (LEN) MT after ASCT shows a clear PFS benefit, but data on OS and the influence on the outcome of subsequent therapies are conflicting. Toxicity includes haematotoxicity, venous thromboembolism and the induction of secondary primary malignancies. LEN-MT cannot be considered a standard approach after ASCT yet, but should be discussed on a case by case basis with every patient, as well as BTZ-MT in t(4;14) positive myelomas. In non-transplant eligible patients keeping patients on prolonged therapies has been shown to be beneficial and the distinction to MT is often purely semantic.

Background Multiple myeloma is an incurable plasma cell malignancy that is mostly restricted to the bone marrow. Cancer-induced dysfunction of cytotoxic T cells at the tumor site may be responsible for immune evasion and therapeutical failure of immunotherapies. Therefore, enhanced knowledge about the actual status of T cells in myeloma bone marrow is urgently needed. Here, we assessed the expression of inhibitory molecules PD-1, CTLA-4, 2B4, CD160, senescence marker CD57, and CD28 on T cells of naive and treated myeloma patients in the bone marrow and peripheral blood and collected data on T cell subset distribution in both compartments. In addition, T cell function concerning proliferation and expression of T-bet, IL-2, IFNγ, and CD107a was investigated after in vitro stimulation by CD3/CD28. Finally, data was compared to healthy, age-matched donor T cells from both compartments. Methods Multicolor flow cytometry was utilized for the analyses of surface molecules, intracellular staining of cytokines was also performed by flow cytometry, and proliferation was assessed by 3H-thymidine incorporation. Statistical analyses were performed utilizing unpaired T test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results We observed enhanced T cell exhaustion and senescence especially at the tumor site. CD8+ T cells expressed several molecules associated with T cell exhaustion (PD-1, CTLA-4, 2B4, CD160) and T cell senescence (CD57, lack of CD28). This phenotype was associated with lower proliferative capacity and impaired function. Despite a high expression of the transcription factor T-bet, CD8+ T cells from the tumor site failed to produce IFNγ after CD3/CD28 in vitro restimulation and displayed a reduced ability to degranulate in response to T cell stimuli. Notably, the percentage of senescent CD57+CD28− CD8+ T cells was significantly lower in treated myeloma patients when compared to untreated patients. Conclusions T cells from the bone marrow of myeloma patients were more severely impaired than peripheral T cells. While our data suggest that terminally differentiated cells are preferentially deleted by therapy, immune-checkpoint molecules were still present on T cells supporting the potential of checkpoint inhibitors to reactivate T cells in myeloma patients in combination therapies. However, additional avenues to restore anti-myeloma T cell responses are urgently needed. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13045-016-0345-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objective To assess the model of quantitation of the Ki67 index by employing visible and infrared (Vis-NIR) hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (NHL) as time and cost-efficient tissue-sparing alternative to standard diagnostic procedures. Material and Methods Ki67 quantitation was done on 19 formalin-fixed paraffin embedded specimens (6 follicular lymphomas (FL); 12 diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) and one Burkitt-lymphoma (BL) by applying classical immunohistochemistry using an automated platform. Subsequent visual quantification of the Ki67 index was comparatively assessed visually and to HSI-based Ki67 index quantification. Results HSI was successfully implemented for analyzing histopathological slides using the IMEC SNAPSCAN camera. There was no significant difference between visual assessment (VA) and HSI (p = 0.257) in FL, while in DLBCL VA resulted in significantly higher Ki67 values than HSI (p = 0.006). Cohens Kappa showed a fair correlation for both FL and DLBCL (Kappa: 0.333 and 0.316, respectively). The case of BL added as a”super-positive” control was consistently measured by both techniques. Conclusion HSI can be used to quantify marker expression using the Ki67 index model. HSI offers additional information on the biochemical composition of tissues, while preserving limited samples. HSI is easy to install enabling optimization of workflows by restricting analysis times at low costs. Future application by automated imaging analyses systems may allow quantitative measurement of more significant areas of tissue samples, diminishing selection bias in commonl visual pathology and improving information on the tissue heterogeneity of a given marker. In summary, HSI is a cost-effective and quick alternative imaging platform when compared to other digital image analysis systems that are significantly more costly and time-consuming.

Background: Ropeginterferon alfa-2b (Ropeg) is a novel long-acting monopegylated IFN-alpha-2b. Due to reduced dosing frequencies, better tolerability and improved compliance, Ropeg may be a favorable treatment option for long-term therapy in patients with polycythemia vera (PV). Study design: PEGINVERA phase I/II (NCT: 2010-018768-18), a prospective, open-label, multicenter study, investigated the efficacy and safety of Ropeg for long-term treatment in 51 patients aged ≥18 years with a confirmed diagnosis of PV, regardless of prior cytoreductive therapy. Following ≥1 year of 2-weekly treatment, patients who responded well to Ropeg were permitted to switch to a 4-weekly dosing regimen. Results: Baseline characteristics of the study cohort and interim safety and efficacy data were presented previously (Gisslinger et al., Blood, 2015). Fifty-one patients were treated: Median exposure to Ropeg was approximately 5.1 years (61 months; range: 0 to 87 months). Patients were treated for a median of approximately 2 years (98.9 weeks; (Q1-Q3: 69.0 - 117.4 weeks) on the 2-weekly regimen and 4 years (207.1 weeks; Q1-Q3: 158.6 - 242.0 weeks) on the 4-weekly regimen. The best observed individual hematological response for patients in the efficacy analysis set (FAS) was a complete hematological response for 27/42 (64.3%) and a partial response for 14/42 (33.3%) patients. Patients required a median of 34 weeks (Q1-Q3: 10-96 weeks) treatment to achieve a complete hematological response, and 10 weeks (Q1-Q3: 10-20 weeks) to achieve any hematological response. Switch from 2 to 4-week dosing regimen had no apparent effect on maintenance of response. With respect to JAK-2 allele burden, the best observed individual molecular response was a complete response for 12/42 (28.6%) patients and a partial response for 19/42 (45.2%) patients. Lowest JAK-2 values relative to baseline are presented by patient in Figure 1. Patients required a median of 82 weeks (Q1-Q3: 44-115 weeks) treatment to achieve a complete molecular response and 34 weeks (Q1-Q3: 18-55 weeks) treatment to achieve any molecular response. Irrespective of dosing regimen, molecular responses tended to increase over time. Most patients reported at least one adverse reaction (AR) to treatment (409 ARs in 48/51 [94.1%]); however, the majority (296 in 44 [86.3%] patients) were mild; 102 (in 34 [66.7%] patients) were moderate and 11 (in 10 [19.6%] patients) were severe. The most frequently reported ARs (frequency >20%) were arthralgia, influenza-like illness and fatigue. Twelve serious treatment emergent adverse events (TEAE) reported by 8/51 patients (15.7%) were considered to be treatment related: 2 events of depression, 2 of positive anti-thyroid antibodies, and one each of acute stress disorder, increased antinuclear antibodies, arthralgia, atrial fibrillation, fatigue, influenza-like illness, pyrexia, and increased transaminases. 25 patients completed the trial. The majority of discontinuation due to TEAE (13/21 patients) occurred in the first year, when the recommended slow up-titration of Ropeg could not be applied because of the maximum-tolerated-dose design. After the first year, only 8 additional patients discontinued because of TEAE. Conclusions: The final results of this phase I/II study of Ropeg in patients with PV support the findings of the pivotal phase III clinical trial (Gisslinger et al., Blood 2015) with respect to safety and efficacy as determined by hematological, clinical and molecular parameters. In addition, these data provide evidence that treatment with Ropeginterferon alfa-2b for up to 7 years is efficacious, well-tolerated and disease-modifying at both the 2 week and 4 week maintenance treatment regimens. Disclosures Gisslinger: AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen Cilag: Consultancy, Honoraria; Shire: Consultancy, Honoraria. Kralovics:MyeloPro Diagnostics and Research GmbH: Equity Ownership. Krauth:BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria. Greil:MSD: Honoraria, Research Funding; Merck: Honoraria, Research Funding; Sandoz: Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Astra Zeneca: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Amgen: Honoraria, Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES, Research Funding; Janssen: Other: TRAVEL, ACCOMMODATIONS, EXPENSES; Abbvie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Zoerer:AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Empson:AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals: Employment. Grohmann-Izay:AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG: Employment. Klade:AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG: Employment.

Introduction: Most indolent NHL patients (pts) have advanced stage disease at diagnosis, and no curative therapy exists. The mainstay of both first- and second-line (2L) therapy is anti-CD20 chemo-immunotherapy, and although initially effective, most pts relapse, with median PFS decreasing markedly after 2L and 3rd-line therapies. In addition, many pts eventually develop resistance to rituximab (RTX)/RTX-containing regimens, thus therapeutic targets other than CD20 are important. Those who develop resistance to RTX, especially the elderly, need new treatment approaches. With a median age at diagnosis of 67 (seer.gov), NHL is a disease of the elderly, who are at risk of developing cumulative myelosuppression, cardiac toxicity, and severe infections with currently available therapies. CD37 is highly expressed (>90%) in B-cell NHL, providing an alternative target to CD20. Lutetium (177Lu) lilotomab satetraxetan (Betalutin®) is a beta-emitting anti-CD37 ARC in a ready-to-use formulation. LYMRIT 37-01 is a phase I/II open-label, multicenter, dose-escalation study to determine the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and preliminary efficacy of a single dose of Betalutin in pts with relapsed iNHL, and to establish a recommended phase II dose (RP2D). We present updated efficacy and safety data for the phase I/IIa part of the study (Part A) as of 22 June 2018; all pts have ≥ 6 months (m) of follow-up, except for 3 (will be completed in August). Methods: Pts with histologically confirmed iNHL relapsing after ≥1 prior therapy with 150 x 109/L, no prior SCT/RIT, and a life expectancy of ≥3 months were enrolled into 1 of 4 dose-escalation arms (Part A) to determine the optimal lilotomab pre-dose and Betalutin dose for further evaluation in an expanded phase II cohort. A fifth arm collected additional PK data. All pts received pre-treatment with RTX. Responses were assessed using Cheson IWG response criteria (including CT and FDG PET/CT scans) beginning at week 12. Results: 74 pts [57 follicular (FL), 7 mantle cell (MCL), 9 marginal zone (MZL), 1 small lymphocytic (SLL)] were enrolled at 13 sites from Dec 2012 to Feb 2018. Median age was 68 (range 38-87; 55% ≥ 65); the median no. of prior therapies was 3 (range 1-9); 48 pts (65%) had received ≥2 prior therapies. Two RP2Ds emerged: a lilotomab pre-dose of 40 mg + 15 MBq/kg Betalutin ("40/15"; Arm 1) and a lilotomab pre-dose of 100 mg/m2 + 20 MBq/kg Betalutin ("100/20"; Arm 4). For all pts, the overall response rate (ORR) was 61%, with 26% complete responses (CR). By subtype, the ORR was 65% (CR 24%) for FL, and 78% (CR 44%) for MZL. FL with ≥2 prior therapies (n=37) had an ORR of 70% (CR 27%). With a median follow-up of 9.1 m (range 4.9-49.5 m), the median duration of response for all pts is 13.3 m (20.5 m for those with a CR); 26 pts (35%) have remained free of disease progression for >12 m [CR(15)/PR(5)/SD(6)]. For the 36 pts receiving the "40/15" regimen, the ORR was 58% (CR 28%), and 64% (CR 28%) for FL (n=25). The ORR was 63% (CR 21%) for 19 pts receiving the "100/20" regimen, and 69% (CR 19%) for FL (n=16). Betalutinwas well-tolerated. The most common grade (G) 3/4 AEs were neutropenia (53%) and thrombocytopenia (48%); 5 pts (7%) had G3/4 infections (pneumonia, UTI, pharyngitis (G3), 2 G4 sepsis). No febrile neutropenia was reported. Four pts had plt transfusions [low plt count (2), epistaxis (1), hematuria (1)]; 3 received G-CSF. Two pts had infusion reactions; both were related to RTX. SAEs occurred in 14 pts (19%); SAEs in ≥2 pts were atrial fibrillation, thrombocytopenia, lymphoma progression and sepsis (all n=2). Five pts developed transient anti-drug antibodies. One case of CMML occurred 24 m after Betalutin (18 m after subsequent bendamustine-RTX therapy). There were no study drug-related deaths in the treatment period. G3/4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 56%/56% (40/15 regimen) and 47%/42% (100/20 regimen). Conclusions: Betalutin is well tolerated and has promising antitumor activity in recurrent iNHL, especially in FL and MZL. Use of a higher lilotomab pre-dose resulted in a lower incidence of G3/4 hematologic AEs. With a single administration, Betalutin has the potential to be a novel, safe, and effective therapy for pts with B-cell malignancies. The 2 RP2Ds from Part A of the study are now being compared in a randomized phase 2b cohort (Part B: "PARADIGME") in relapsed, RTX/anti-CD20 refractory FL pts who have received ≥2 prior therapies. Disclosures Kolstad: Nordic Nanovector: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Roche: Research Funding. Illidge:Nordic Nanovector: Consultancy, Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria. Hajek:Amgen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Jurczak:European Medicines Agency: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Astra Zeneca: Consultancy; Acerta: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sandoz-Novartis: Consultancy; Afimed: Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; BeiGene: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Epizyme: Research Funding; Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Nordic Nanovector: Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Morphosys: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Servier: Research Funding; Roche: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Research Funding. Rojkjaer:Nordic Nanovector: Employment. Østengen:Nordic Nanovector: Employment.

Clonal evolutionary models of myeloma progression were the main focus with respect to basic science highlights at ASH 2012. The well-documented evidence for the existence of a “Darwinian-branching” evolution pattern has major clinical implications for the development of new treatment strategies and disease monitoring. As treatment results for myeloma have been further improved in most patient cohorts, an easy to use score for identification of high-risk patients with shortened overall survival (OS) has been established (elevated LDH, International Staging System (ISS) stage 3 disease, presence of cytogenetic aberrations t(4;14) and/or del 17p), while further evidence supporting the use of cereblon expression as a biomarker of IMiD (Thalidomid, Lenalidomide, Pomalidomide (POM)) response was presented. Multiple presentations delivered further positive evidence of the usefulness of maintenance and/or consolidation elements in myeloma therapies. A good example came from the Italian VMPT-VT vs. VMP trial proofing both a considerable progression free (11 months)—and OS benefit in a large phase III setting, comparing a quadruplet induction with doublet maintenance with a standard triplet induction therapy. In relapsed and refractory myeloma with both Bortezomib and IMiD pretreatment, POM and low dose Dexamethason were proved to be superior to high dose Dexamethason in a phase III trial that is expected to lead to drug registration of POM in the near future. Five presentations gave evidence for the applicability of Bendamustin based combination therapies in third and later lines of therapies, with good results even in elderly patients.

Currently, there is no standard systemic treatment for extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. Both rituximab and cladribine have shown some activity in this disease, but the combination has not been tested so far. In view of this, we initiated a phase II study to assess the activity and safety of rituximab and cladribine in patients with histologically verified mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Treatment consisted of rituximab 375 mg/m(2) i.v. day 1 and cladribine 0.1 mg/kg s.c. days 1 - 4 every 21 days. In case of complete remission after two courses, another two cycles of therapy were administered, while patients with a partial response or stable disease were scheduled to receive six cycles of treatment. Out of 40 evaluable patients (14 female, 26 male), 39 received treatment as scheduled while one patient died before initiation of therapy and was rated as having progressive disease in the intent-to-treat analysis. Twenty-one patients had gastric lymphoma, while 19 suffered from extragastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma. Side effects consisted mainly of hematologic toxicity including leukopenia, lymphopenia, anemia and thrombocytopenia. Twenty-three patients had a complete remission (58%) and nine had a partial remission (23%) for an overall response rate of 81%, while five had stable disease (13%) and two progressed during therapy. After a median follow-up of 16.7 months (interquartile range: 15.9 - 18.7 months), 35 patients are alive (88%) while four patients have died and one patient withdrew consent and did not allow further follow up. Our data demonstrate that rituximab plus cladribine is active and safe in patients with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

Hypochromic, microcytic anaemia due to iron deficiency is usually caused by blood loss due to gynaecologic or gastrointestinal diseases. If no source of bleeding can be found using routine endoscopy and gynaecologic evaluation, a more detailed diagnostic workup must be performed before iron supplementation “ex juvantibus” is initiated. Here, we present a patient with progressive iron deficiency anaemia despite iron supplementation caused by bleeding due to infiltration of the small intestine by a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The diagnostic workup as well as the differential diagnosis and therapeutic approach in such rare cases will be outlined.

The European Group for Blood Marrow Transplantation held its 34th annual meeting between 30th March and 2nd April 2008 in Florence, Italy. Over 4700 participants engaged in lively discussions focussed on all aspects of haematological stem cell transplantation from basic science up to nursing issues. While the optimal incorporation of novel drugs, targeted therapies, stem cell engineering and up-to-date molecular wizardry into classical transplantation regimes was intensively debated some seemingly long forgotten issues resurfaced, not half as boring as thought of. All scientific contributions to the meeting are available as a supplement to Bone Marrow Transplantation to which all following reference numbers are alluding. The authors will present a strictly subjective selection out of the 1364 abstracts.

Development and progression of multiple myeloma (MM) is not only associated with multistep genetic alterations in myeloma cells, but is also influenced by the complex interaction between tumor cell...

In this prospective, open-label, multicenter phase 1/2 dose escalation study, we used a next-generation, mono-pegylated interferon (IFN) α-2b isoform, ropeginterferon alfa-2b. The unique feature of ropeginterferon alfa-2b is a longer elimination half-life, which allows administration every 2 weeks. We present data from 51 polycythemia vera patients. The main goal was to define the maximum tolerated dose and to assess safety and efficacy. A dose range of 50 to 540 µg was tested without the appearance of dose-limiting toxicities. All drug-related adverse events were known toxicities associated with IFN-α. The cumulative overall response rate was 90%, comprising complete response in 47% and partial response in 43% of patients; the best individual molecular response level was a complete response in 21% of patients and partial response in 47%. Notably, we did not observe any correlation between the dose level and the response rate or response duration, suggesting that already low levels of ropeginterferon alfa-2b are sufficient to induce significant hematologic and molecular responses. These data suggest promising efficacy and safety of ropeginterferon alfa-2b and support the development of the drug in a randomized phase 3 clinical trial. The study was disclosed at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01193699 before including the first patient.

In advanced Hodgkin’s disease, a new standard of therapy was defined by the results of the HD15 trial where 6 cycles of therapy according to the BEACOPPescalated regime translated into an impressive superior longterm survival compared to more intensive alternative approaches due to reduced toxicity and less secondary malignancies. Furthermore, PET guided allocation of consolidating radiotherapy to residual masses avoided unnecessary radiation in two-thirds of patients in the HD15 trial. Excessive radiotherapy was also proofed to be detrimental in early stage disease in the framework of the NCIC CTG/ECOG HD.6 trial. Rituximab was shown to be an effective, although not curative treatment in the early “Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin’s Lymphoma” (NLPHL) subtype in several series. The remaining challenge in Hodgkin’s disease is the optimisation of therapy in elderly patients, the only patient subgroup still underperforming. In aggressive lymphomas, no definite changes of therapeutic standards could be deduced from this year’s ASH meeting while multiple new therapeutics are still in phase I and II studies.