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PURPOSE The PRIMA study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00140582 ) established that 2 years of rituximab maintenance after first-line immunochemotherapy significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with follicular lymphoma compared with observation. Here, we report the final PFS and overall survival (OS) results from the PRIMA study after 9 years of follow-up and provide a final overview of safety. METHODS Patients (> 18 years of age) with previously untreated high–tumor-burden follicular lymphoma were nonrandomly assigned to receive one of three immunochemotherapy induction regimens. Responding patients were randomly assigned (stratified by induction regimen, response to induction treatment, treatment center, and geographic region) 1:1 to receive 2 years of rituximab maintenance (375 mg/m2, once every 8 weeks), starting 8 weeks after the last induction treatment, or observation (no additional treatment). All patients in the extended follow-up provided their written informed consent (data cutoff: December 31, 2016). RESULTS In total, 1,018 patients completed induction treatment and were randomly assigned to rituximab maintenance (n = 505) or observation (n = 513). Consent for the extended follow-up was provided by 607 patients (59.6%) of 1,018 (rituximab maintenance, n = 309; observation, n = 298). After data cutoff, median PFS was 10.5 years in the rituximab maintenance arm compared with 4.1 years in the observation arm (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.52 to 0.73; P < .001). No OS difference was seen in patients randomly assigned to rituximab maintenance or observation (hazard ratio, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.77 to 1.40; P = .7948); 10-year OS estimates were approximately 80% in both study arms. No new safety signals were observed. CONCLUSION Rituximab maintenance after induction immunochemotherapy provides a significant long-term PFS, but not OS, benefit over observation.

STUDY QUESTION How efficacious is transplantation of ovarian cortex previously exposed to chemotherapy? SUMMARY ANSWER Prior exposure to chemotherapy did not disrupt the function of cryopreserved ovarian tissue after transplantation. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) followed by ovarian tissue transplantation (OTT) is an efficacious technique for restoration of female fertility. At least 130 children have been born following this procedure. To date, little is known about the efficacy of OTT in patients exposed to cancer chemotherapy prior to OTC. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This study evaluates the recovery of ovarian function and fertility in 31 consecutive patients who had received OTT, between 2005 and 2015. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Thirty one patients, wanting children, were transplanted with autologous ovarian cortex, among which 22 patients (71%) had been exposed to chemotherapy before OTC. Recovery of ovarian function was considered total once menstruation occurred. Ovarian function recovery (OFR), ovarian graft survival, and incidence of pregnancy were related to previous chemotherapy exposure, type of chemotherapy and graft characteristics (number of grafted fragments and follicular density). MAIN RESULTS AND ROLE OF CHANCE The amount of ovarian tissue collected was the only parameter to show any significant change between patients with versus without previous chemotherapy. At 1 year after OTT, the cumulative incidence of OFR was 83% (93% in patients exposed to chemotherapy and 67% in others (P = 0.14)). A low follicular density (

Summary Background Immunochemotherapy with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) is a standard front-line treatment for follicular lymphoma. The combination of lenalidomide and rituximab has shown high efficacy in relapsed or refractory and untreated follicular lymphoma. We aimed to evaluate the safety and activity of the combination of lenalidomide and R-CHOP (R2-CHOP) in previously untreated patients with high burden follicular lymphoma. Methods This single-arm, open-label, multicentre, phase 2 trial was done in 16 hospitals in France, all of which were Lymphoma Study Association (LYSA) sites. Eligible patients were aged 18–70 years and had previously untreated CD20-positive follicular lymphoma of grade 1, 2, or 3a; at least one high tumour burden criterion according to Groupe d'Etude des Lymphomes Folliculaires criteria; an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score of 2 or less; and a minimum life expectancy of more than 3 months. Patients received induction therapy with six cycles of R2-CHOP every 3 weeks (one cycle involved standard R-CHOP on days 1–5, and 25 mg oral lenalidomide per day on days 1–14), followed by two rituximab infusions at 3-week intervals. The total treatment schedule was 24 weeks. Patients who achieved a complete or partial response to induction therapy received maintenance therapy consisting of one rituximab infusion every 8 weeks for 2 years. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who achieved a complete response (complete response and complete response unconfirmed), according to International Workshop to Standardize Response Criteria, at the end of induction treatment. Safety was assessed in all patients who completed treatment. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , number NCT01393756 , and is closed to accrual. Findings Between Dec 21, 2010, and Jan 25, 2012, 80 patients were enrolled, and 68 (85%) completed six cycles of R2-CHOP. At the end of the induction phase, 59 patients achieved a complete response (74%, 95% CI 63–83). 55 patients achieved a complete response at 30 months from enrolment (69%, 57–78). The most frequent adverse event was grade 4 neutropenia in 52 (65%) patients. The most frequent non-haematological side-effects included grade 1–2 sensory neuropathy in 28 (35%) patients and grade 1–2 transient rash in 27 (34%) patients. Four patients died during the study period; none of these deaths were judged to be related to treatment. Interpretations Lenalidomide in combination with R-CHOP had an acceptable safety profile and showed anti-cancer activity in patients with previously untreated high burden follicular lymphoma. A future comparative study showing evidence of a survival advantage would be necessary for this combination to be proposed as a treatment for follicular lymphoma. Funding French Ministry of Health, Celgene Corporation, and Amgen France.

Objective Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections are associated with increased risks of lymphomas in the non-HIV setting. Their impacts on HIV-associated lymphomas deserved further studies in the modern combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) era. Design We evaluated the associations between HCV, HBV and HIV-related lymphomas in the Lymphovir-ANRS-CO16 cohort. Methods Prevalence of HCV seropositivity and chronic HBV infections were compared with those observed in the French Hospital Database on HIV (FHDH-ANRS-CO4). Results Between 2008 and 2015, 179 patients with HIV-related lymphomas from 32 French hospitals were enrolled, 69 had Hodgkin's lymphoma (39%), and 110 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (61%). The prevalence of HCV infection was higher in patients with NHL than in the FHDH-ANRS-CO4 [26 versus 14%, odd ratio (OR): 2.15; 95% confidence interval (1.35-3.32)] whereas there was no association between Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic HCV infection. Chronic HBV infection was not associated with NHL in our cohort with a prevalence of 5 versus 7% in FHDH-ANRS-CO4 but tended to be associated with Hodgkin's lymphoma [prevalence of 14%, OR: 2.16 (0.98-4.27)]. Chronic HCV infection tended to pejoratively impact 2-year overall survival in patients with NHL: 72% [57%, 91%] versus 82% [74%, 91%], hazard ratio: 2.14 [0.95-4.84]. In contrast, chronic HBV infection did not correlate with outcome. Conclusion In the modern cART era, chronic HCV infection is associated with an increased risk of NHL in PLWHIV and tends to pejoratively impact overall survival. HBV infection is not associated with the risk of NHL but with a borderline increase of Hodgkin's lymphoma risk.

PURPOSE: While patients with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) have an excellent outcome with combined treatment, the radiation therapy (RT) dose and treatment with chemotherapy alone remain questionable. This noninferiority trial evaluates the feasibility of reducing the dose or omitting RT after chemotherapy. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients with untreated supradiaphragmatic HL without risk factors (age ≥ 50 years, 4 to 5 nodal areas involved, mediastinum-thoracic ratio ≥ 0.35, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate ≥ 50 mm in first hour without B symptoms or erythrocyte sedimentation rate ≥ 30 mm in first hour with B symptoms) were eligible for the trial. Patients in complete remission after chemotherapy were randomized to no RT, low-dose RT (20 Gy in 10 fractions), or standard-dose involved-field RT (36 Gy in 18 fractions). The limit of noninferiority was 10% for the difference between 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) estimates. From September 1998 to May 2004, 783 patients received 6 cycles of epirubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and prednisone; 592 achieved complete remission or unconfirmed complete remission, of whom 578 were randomized to receive 36 Gy (n=239), 20 Gy of involved-field RT (n=209), or no RT (n=130). RESULTS: Randomization to the no-RT arm was prematurely stopped (≥20% rate of inacceptable events: toxicity, treatment modification, early relapse, or death). Results in the 20-Gy arm (5-year RFS, 84.2%) were not inferior to those in the 36-Gy arm (5-year RFS, 88.6%) (difference, 4.4%; 90% confidence interval [CI] -1.2% to 9.9%). A difference of 16.5% (90% CI 8.0%-25.0%) in 5-year RFS estimates was observed between the no-RT arm (69.8%) and the 36-Gy arm (86.3%); the hazard ratio was 2.55 (95% CI 1.44-4.53; P

Dose-dense induction and up-front consolidation with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) remain controversial issues when treating patients with high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. GELA designed a randomized phase 2 trial evaluating the efficacy of either rituximab, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vindesine, bleomycin, prednisone (R-ACVBP) or rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone (R-CHOP14) induction and a positron emission tomography (PET)-driven ASCT or standard immunochemotherapy (SIC) consolidation in age-adjusted international prognosis index 2 (aaIPI2)-aaIPI3 patients. PET was performed at baseline, after 2 (PET2) and 4 (PET4) induction cycles, and centrally assessed using international harmonization project (IHP) criteria. PET2-/PET4- patients were assigned SIC, PET2+/PET4- patients were assigned ASCT, and PET4+ patients were treated with the investigator's choice. The primary end-point was the 2007 international working group complete response (CR) rate after induction. Change in maximum standard uptake value (ΔSUVmax) after PET assessment was explored. Two hundred eleven patients were randomly assigned to R-ACVBP (n = 109) or R-CHOP14 (n = 102). PET4-/CR rates were 53%/47% with R-ACVBP and 41%/39% with R-CHOP14 (CR 95% confidence interval [CI], 38%-67% and 28%-54%, respectively; P = .076). Consolidation in the R-ACVBP and R-CHOP14 groups was SIC in 26% and 23% of patients and ASCT in 28% and 18% of patients, respectively. PET4 positivity was higher with R-CHOP14 vs R-ACVBP (54% vs 41%; P = .08), leading to more salvage therapy (37% vs 26%; P = .07) and lower event-free survival (EFS; 4-year EFS, 31% vs 43%; P 70% was associated with better outcome (4-year PFS, 84% vs 35%; 4-year OS, 91% vs 57%; P < .0001), whatever the consolidation. Superiority of R-ACVBP over R-CHOP14 was not established, as IHP criteria did not properly reflect disease control. ΔSUVmax may help better select patients needing an alternative to SIC, including ASCT.

International audience; B-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (B-PLL) is a rare hematological disorder whose underlying oncogenic mechanisms are poorly understood. Our cytogenetic and molecular assessment of 34 patients with B-PLL revealed several disease-specific features and potential therapeutic targets. The karyotype was complex ({greater than or equal to}3 abnormalities) in 73% of the patients and highly complex (>5 abnormalities) in 45%. The most frequent chromosomal aberrations were translocations involving MYC [t(MYC)] (62%), deletion (del)17p (38%), trisomy (tri)18 (30%), del13q (29%), tri3 (24%), tri12 (24%), and del8p (23%). Twenty-six of the 34 patients (76%) exhibit MYC aberration, resulting from mutually exclusive translocations or gains. Whole-exome sequencing revealed frequent mutations in TP53, MYD88, BCOR, MYC, SF3B1, SETD2, CHD2, CXCR4, and BCLAF1 The majority of B-PLL used the IGHV3 or IGHV4 subgroups (89%), and displayed significantly mutated IGHV genes (79%). We identified three distinct cytogenetic risk groups: low-risk (no MYC aberration), intermediate-risk (MYC aberration but no del17p), and high-risk (MYC aberration and del17p) (p=.0006). In vitro drug response profiling revealed that the combination of a B-cell receptor or BCL2 inhibitor with OTX015 (a bromodomain and extra-terminal motif (BET) inhibitor targeting MYC) was associated with significantly lower viability of B-PLL cells harboring a t(MYC). We conclude that cytogenetic analysis is a useful diagnostic and prognostic tool in B-PLL. Targeting MYC may be a useful treatment option in this disease.

International audience

International audience; Objective: Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) remains among the most frequent malignancies in persons living with HIV (PLWHIV). Survival among patients with HIV-associated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), the most frequent NHL subtype, has improved markedly in recent years. We aimed to analyze characteristics and outcomes of DLBCL in HIV-infected patients in the era of modern combined antiretroviral therapy (cART).Design: PLWHIV with lymphoma were prospectively enrolled in the French ANRS-CO16 Lymphovir cohort between 2008 and 2015. We compared the patients treated with R-CHOP) (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, daunorubicin, vin-cristine, prednisolone) with HIV-negative DLBCL patients enrolled simultaneously in the R-CHOP arms of Lymphoma Study Association trials.Results: Among 110 PLWHIV with NHL, 52 (47%) had systemic DLBCL. These 52 cases had frequent extranodal disease (81%), poor performance status (35%) and advanced age-adjusted international prognostic index (aaIPI) (58%), and were mainly treated with R-CHOP (n = 44, 85%). Their median CD4(+) T-cell count was 233 cells/mu l, and 79% of patients were on cART. The 2-year overall and progression-free survival rates were both 75% (95% confidence interval: 64%, 88%). Factors associated with progression or death in univariate analysis were poor performance status [hazard ratio: 3.3 (1.2, 8.9)], more than one extranodal site [hazard ratio: 3.4 (1.1, 10.5)] and an advanced aaIPI [hazard ratio: 3.7 (1.0, 13.1)]. Progression-free survival after R-CHOP therapy did not differ from that of the HIV-negative counterparts (P = 0.11).Conclusion: In the recent cART era, despite frequent high-risk features, the 2-year overall survival of HIV-DLBCL patients reaches 75%. Outcomes after R-CHOP therapy are similar to those of HIV-negative patients with similar aaIPI. Copyright (C) 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Summary Background In 2011 we reported a rituximab plus miniCHOP (reduced-dose cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) combination for patients older than 80 years with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The 2-year overall survival was 59% (95% CI 49–67) with an excess of early toxicity. To improve those results we tested the same chemotherapy protocol in combination with ofatumumab and a pre-phase treatment. Methods For this open-label, multicentre, single-group, phase 2 trial, we recruited patients older than 80 years with untreated histologically-proven CD20-positive DLBCL, Ann Arbor stage I to IV, from 41 academic and hospital centres in France and Belgium. Patients received a pre-phase with oral vincristine (1 mg total dose 1 week before cycle 1 [day −7]) and oral prednisone (60 mg total dose starting 1 week before cycle 1, for 4 days [day −7 to day −4]) before the first cycle of the ofatumumab plus miniCHOP regimen. The regimen consisted of 1000 mg total dose of intravenous ofatumumab, 25 mg/m 2 of intravenous doxorubicin, 400 mg/m 2 of intravenous cyclophosphamide, and 1 mg of intravenous vincristine, on day 1 of each cycle; and 40 mg/m 2 of oral prednisone on days 1–5. Ofatumumab was administered with 1000 mg of paracetamol and 50 mg of diphenhydramine. The primary endpoint was overall survival in the intention-to-treat population. The statistical analysis has been done on an intention-to-treat principle. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01195714. Findings Between June 2, 2010, and Nov 4, 2011, we enrolled 120 patients. Age-adjusted International Prognostic Index was 2–3 in 68 (57%) of them. The median follow-up time was 26·8 months (IQR 24·5–30·1). The 2-year overall survival was 64·7% (95% CI 55·3–72·7) and median overall survival was not reached (95% CI 30·2–not reached). 45 patients died during the treatment, of whom 28 (62%) died due to lymphoma. The most common side-effect was haematological toxicity. Among the 120 patients, grade 3–4 neutropenia was reported in 24 (21%) patients and thrombocytopenia in two (2%), during the treatment period. Grade 3–4 anaemia was reported in six (5%) patients; seven (6%) patients had one episode of febrile neutropenia. 17 (15%) of 115 patients in the modified intention-to-treat population had red blood cell transfusions and three (3%) had platelet transfusions. Interpretation Our result suggest that, in patients older than 80 years with DLBCL, ofatumumab and pre-phase treatment seem to improve overall survival compared with the previously reported data. The combination of pre-phase treatment, a monoclonal antibody against CD20, and miniCHOP can be considered a new treatment platform for use in randomised clinical trial design for DLBCL treatment in patients older than 80 years. Funding The Lymphoma Study Association, GlaxoSmithKline.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is frequent among HIV-infected patients. We describe, the characteristics of 6 HIV/HCV-coinfected patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) included in a prospective cohort study of HIV-related lymphomas. Five of the 6 cases had features of marginal zone/lymphoplasmacytic NHL versus 1 of 33 HIV only-infected patients. Remarkably, anti-HCV treatment led to a hematological response in a patient with splenic marginal zone lymphoma. This supports the role of chronic antigenic stimulation by HCV on lymphomagenesis and further evaluation of HCV antiviral therapy in coinfected patients with NHL.

International audience; Malignancies represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. The introduction of combined antiretroviral therapy has modified the spectrum of malignancies in HIV infection with a decreased incidence of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) malignancies such as Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma due to partial immune recovery and an increase in non-AIDS-defining malignancies due to prolonged survival. Management of HIV-infected patients with cancer requires a multidisciplinary approach, involving both oncologists and HIV physicians to optimally manage both diseases and drug interactions between anticancer and anti-HIV drugs. The French CANCERVIH group presents here a review and an experience of managing non-AIDS malignancies in HIV-infected individuals.

As rituximab combined with CHOP improves complete remission and overall survival in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, intensified chemotherapy followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation has also been advocated for high-risk patients. The aim of this study was to establish whether or not combining rituximab with high-dose chemotherapy and auto-transplantation also benefits patient survival.The LNH2003-3 study was a phase II trial including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients with 2 or 3 International Prognostic Index factors. They received four cycles of intensive biweekly chemotherapy with rituximab, doxorubicine, cyclophosphamide, vindesine, bleomycine, prednisolone (R-ACVBP) followed by auto-transplantation in responding patients. Two hundred and nine patients under 60 years of age were included in the study and 155 responding patients underwent auto-transplantation. In addition, a case-control study was performed by matching (1:1) 181 patients treated with R-ACVBP with ACVBP patients not given rituximab but submitted to auto-transplantation from the previous LNH1998-3 trial.With a median follow up of 45 months, 4-year progression-free survival and overall survival were estimated at 76% (CI: 69-81) and 78% (CI: 72-83), respectively. There was no difference between patients with 2 or 3 International Prognostic Index factors. Four year progression-free survival was significantly higher in R-ACVBP than ACVBP patients (74% vs. 58%; P=0.0005). There was also a significant increase in 4-year overall survival (76% vs. 68%; P=0.0494).In high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients, treatment with R-ACVBP followed by auto-transplantation results in a 78% 4-year overall survival which should be compared to other approaches.

Introduction: Clinical evolution of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) cannot be always predicted by clinical, biological or radiological parameters. Given the high treatment related morbidity of clinical trials it should be interesting to get other prognostic markers to predict cHL patients evolution. Some immunohistochemical (IHC) markers have been already published as prognostic in cHL but they are still matter to debate. We have tested 13 IHC markers in the LYSA H3/4 trial of cHL which compares patients with stage III to IV cHL in a phase III who were assigned to either doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (ABVD, 8 courses) to bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine and prednisons (escBEACOPPx4 & BEACOPP x4) without radiation therapy, in order to determine if some of these markers could predict different progression free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS). Methods: The H3/4 trial includes both high (n=549) and low risk (n=150) patients, and we obtained all biological data for 165 patients (106 high & 59 low risk). We performed 13 IHC markers (CD20, CD3, CD68, CD163, CD117, TiA1, FoxP3, ICOS, CD10, CXL13, PD1, PDL1 & EBER probe) on Tissue Micro Arrays (TMA) performed for these 165 patients. Most of these markers were evaluated on the micro-environment cells of the cHL (absolute number of cells stained when they are few or percentage of cells stained on TMA spots when they are numerous). For PDL1 and EBER, we evaluated the number of both micro-environmental cells and Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells stained with this antibody. The results of this IHC study were compared with the clinical data base of these patients. For each variable different cut-offs were studied on PFS and OS. Results: Patients characteristics were similar to those of the total population: median age (31 y), male sex (66%), nodular sclerosis histology (83.3%), stage IV (61%), B symptoms (73%), IPS>2 (66%), bulky disease (26.5%), bone marrow involvement (16%). Half of the patients received ABVD or escBEACOPP. 82.4% achieved a CR/Cru at the end of treatment and we observed 23 relapses and 14 deaths with a five-year median follow up. IHC study revealed a marked expression of tumor associated macrophages (TAM) and lymphocytes markers but none of them were associated with PFS or OS by statistical evaluation. By contrast, we found that a low count of TiA1+ cells in cHL microenvironment (median ≤29)) and a high number of RS cells PDL1+ (=100)) were significantly associated in a multivariate analysis with a worse PFS (TiA1: HR;95% CI=5.33; [1.62;17.52] and PDL1: HR;95%CI = 5.01; [1.39;18.05]). We also found that the association of a higher number of PDL1 RS+ and TAM CD68+ was statistically significant in patients of the high group risk in multivariate analysis. EBER expression on RS cells or on micro-environmental cells was not statistically associated with PFS or OS. But, the association of a higher number of EBER RS+ cells and TAM CD68+ was statistically significant in both high or low risk groups. The association of EBER and CD68 on micro-environmental cells was not statistically significant. Conclusion: In this large and unselected series of advanced cHL, we do not find prognostic significance of TAM CD68/CD163+ nor of other lymphoid markers tested nor of EBER expression. But, we showed that a low count of TiA+ cells in the micro-environment of cHL and a high level of PDL1 RS+ cells expression cells are predictive of a worse PFS in this study. We found also that there is a significant association between the number of PDL1 RS+ cells and TAM CD68+ in the high risk group and between EBER RS+ and TAM CD68+ cells in both groups. These results suggest that IHC markers could be helpful to predict evolution in cHL patients. Disclosures Casasnovas: Roche: Consultancy; takeda: Consultancy; merck: Consultancy; MSD: Consultancy; Gilead Sciences: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Roche: Research Funding; Gilead Sciences: Research Funding; Roche: Honoraria; Takeda: Honoraria; Merck: Honoraria; MSD: Honoraria; Gilead Sciences: Honoraria; Janssen: Honoraria; Celgene: Honoraria. Coiffier:NOVARTIS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; CELGENE: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; MORPHOSYS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; MUNDIPHARMA: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; CELLTRION: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Background: This study compared the induction regimens doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and etoposide (ACE) with doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, bleomycin and prednisone (ACVBP) before high-dose therapy (HDT) followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) for patients with poor-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). A second randomisation compared rituximab with observation post-ASCT. Materials and methods: Four hundred and seventy-six patients

Hodgkin lymphoma is a highly curable malignancy, but treatment outcome might be influenced by inherited gene polymorphisms determining anticancer agent metabolism. We prospectively collected peripheral blood lymphocytes from 313 patients with Hodgkin lymphomas to analyze GSTP1, GSTM1, GSTT1, UGT1A1, and CYP3A4 enzyme gene polymorphisms. All patients were treated with chemotherapy, associated with radiotherapy when they had localized disease. There was no difference for GSTP1, GSTM1, and GSTT1 as well as for UGT1A1 and CYP3A4 polymorphism distributions between Hodgkin lymphoma patients and healthy controls. Patients carrying 1 or 2 UGT1A1*28 allele had a significantly (P < .05) better freedom from progression and time to treatment failure than those homozygous for the UGT1A1 TA6/TA6 allele. Multivariate prognostic analyses showed that the UGT1A1 polymorphism was as an independent prognostic parameter for all the studied endpoints, the wild-type homozygous UGT1A1 TA6/TA6 genotype being associated with a significantly worse prognosis than genotypes with at least one UGT1A1*28 allele (overall survival; relative risk [RR] = 2.54, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-6.14; P = .04; freedom from progression, RR = 2.70, 95% CI, 1.37-5.31; P = .004; time to treatment failure, RR = 2.37, 95% CI, 1.28-4.40, P = .006). UGT1A1 polymorphism on TA repeats, which are thought to determine several anticancer drugs metabolism, influence Hodgkin lymphoma patient outcome.

International audience; Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a rare, distinct subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is associated with Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) infection. Although MYB levels are high in most neoplastic B cells, we found that, unexpectedly, both PEL cells and uncultured PEL patients' samples contained very low levels of MYB mRNA when compared to B-cell leukaemia samples obtained from KSHV(-) patients. These results were further confirmed at the protein level. Both latent viral FLICE inhibitory protein (v-FLIP) and early lytic viral G protein coupled receptor (v-GPCR) KSHV proteins were found to activate nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB and transrepress a MYB promoter reporter construct. In contrast, a dominant negative inhibitor of NF-kappaB (IkappaB-alpha) mutant prevented v-FLIP and v-GPCR from inhibiting MYB functions while a v-GPCR mutant that was impaired for NF-kappaB activation could not repress the MYB construct. Transduction of a v-FLIP expressing vector or stable transfection of v-GPCR both resulted in a marked downregulation of the endogenous MYB protein expression. However, MYB expression transactivated the lytic switch Replication and Transcription Activator (RTA) promoter in transient transfection assays. Taken together, our results demonstrate that, contrary to a number of other haematological malignancies, MYB expression is not required for PEL cell proliferation. Repressing MYB expression also helps in maintaining the virus in latency.

Purpose Approximately 15% of patients with localized and 30% with disseminated classical Hodgkin's lymphoma fail to respond or relapse after first-line treatment. Usual prognosis scoring systems are actually unable to identify this small subset of patients with good confidence, pointing out the need for additional prognostic biomarkers. Patients and Methods We prospectively analyzed the prognosis value of plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), its soluble receptors TNF-R1 and TNF-R2, IL-10, IL1-RA, IL-6, and soluble CD30 (sCD30) when taken before any treatment in 519 consecutive patients with a first diagnosis of classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. Results Levels of TNFα higher than 46 pg/mL, TNF-R1 higher than 3 ng/mL, TNF-R2 higher than 5 ng/mL, IL-10 higher than 30 pg/mL, IL1-RA higher than 668 pg/mL, IL-6 higher than 30 pg/mL, and sCD30 higher than 80 U/mL were associated with poor event-free and overall survival. In multivariate analysis, high levels of IL1-RA, IL-6, and sCD30 were independent poor prognosis factors, and the cytokine signature based on their combination allowed the stratification of patients in four prognosis classes, reaching a 5-year event-free survival probability of 92%, 85%, 76%, and 15%, respectively. This index was more potent than other scoring systems to predict patient event-free survival, and remained independent from the international prognostic score (P < .001), adding significant prognostic information to its predictive power. Conclusion Plasma cytokine signature is sufficient to predict disease-related outcome in classical Hodgkin's lymphoma, and allows the identification of patients with very high risk of treatment failure.

Item does not contain fulltext BACKGROUND: Treatment of early-stage Hodgkin's disease is usually tailored in line with prognostic factors that allow for reductions in the amount of chemotherapy and extent of radiotherapy required for a possible cure. METHODS: From 1993 to 1999, we identified 1538 patients (age, 15 to 70 years) who had untreated stage I or II supradiaphragmatic Hodgkin's disease with favorable prognostic features (the H8-F trial) or unfavorable features (the H8-U trial). In the H8-F trial, we compared three cycles of mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (MOPP) combined with doxorubicin, bleomycin, and vinblastine (ABV) plus involved-field radiotherapy with subtotal nodal radiotherapy alone (reference group). In the H8-U trial, we compared three regimens: six cycles of MOPP-ABV plus involved-field radiotherapy (reference group), four cycles of MOPP-ABV plus involved-field radiotherapy, and four cycles of MOPP-ABV plus subtotal nodal radiotherapy. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 92 months. In the H8-F trial, the estimated 5-year event-free survival rate was significantly higher after three cycles of MOPP-ABV plus involved-field radiotherapy than after subtotal nodal radiotherapy alone (98% vs. 74%, P

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a rare lymphoma of B-cell origin, developed in serous cavities. PEL tumor cells are latently infected with Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and in most cases co-infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). In 15 primary PEL tumors including 10 EBV-positive cases, we analyzed the fused terminal repeat (TR) regions of KSHV episomes using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and Southern blot. On the same genomic DNA samples, the cellular clonality was assessed by Southern blot and PCR detection of monoclonal immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) VDJ gene rearrangements, associated in the EBV-infected cases, with Southern blot analysis of the fused termini of EBV episomes. Monoclonal IGH gene rearrangements were detected in 13 tumors using Southern blot, in 11 cases using PCR, and in all cases considering both methods. EBV infection was monoclonal in all EBV-positive cases. However, only 5 PEL tumors were found to be monoclonally infected with KSHV. In the 10 other cases, we found a biclonal (2 bands; n = 4) or an oligoclonal pattern (3-6 bands; n = 6) of KSHV episomes. We hypothesized that the apparent discrepancy between viral and cellular clonalities in PEL might be due to several phenomena including complex mechanisms of genomic recircularization, insertion of duplicated sequences into the TR region and simultaneous infection of tumor cells with defective KSHV variants. KSHV infection of contaminating nontumoral cells, superinfection from lytically infected cells or viral integration events might also explain the oligoclonal pattern of KSHV infection. Several of these mechanisms, not mutually exclusive, might coexist in a single tumor.

HIV infection is associated with a high incidence of AIDS-related lymphomas (ARLs). Since the use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the incidence of AIDS-defining illnesses has decreased, leading to a significant improvement in survival of HIV-infected patients. The consequences of HAART use on ARL are under debate. This study compared the incidence and the characteristics of ARL before and after the use of HAART in a large population of HIV-infected patients in the French Hospital Database on HIV (FHDH) and particularly in 3 centers including 145 patients with proven lymphoma. Within the FHDH, the incidence of systemic ARL has decreased between 1993-1994 and 1997-1998, from 86.0 per 10 000 to 42.9 per 10 000 person-years (P

Given the generally poor outcome of advanced B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, experimental approaches are warranted, especially for younger patients in whom classical treatments have failed. We therefore conducted a prospective single-center study, using polychemotherapy (ESHAP) to prepare patients for hematopoietic stem cell collection and autologous stem cell transplantation as consolidation therapy. Twenty patients entered the study. An adequate response to ESHAP was obtained in 13 patients, and sufficient stem cells for grafting were obtained in eight of the 12 patients who underwent the collection procedure. Six of these grafted patients are alive in complete clinical remission a median of 30 months after transplantation. It should be noted that we were only able to graft 40% of the patients enrolled in this study, either because a new remission could not be obtained or because not enough hematopoietic stem cells could be collected. This argues for stem cell collection as soon as a first remission is obtained, even if the autograft is done later in the course of the disease.

PURPOSE To compare progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity of a doxorubicin-containing regimen administered alone or in combination with interferon alfa-2b (IFNalpha) in patients with low-grade follicular lymphoma (FL) and poor prognostic factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS Two hundred sixty-eight patients with advanced-stage FL received cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, teniposide, and prednisone (CHVP) monthly for 6 months, then every 2 months for 12 months. After randomization, 242 patients were evaluated for efficacy: 119 received CHVP alone, and 123 also received IFNalpha at a dose of 5 million units three times weekly for 18 months. RESULTS After a 6-year median follow-up, the patients treated with CHVP + IFNalpha showed significantly longer median PFS than those who received CHVP alone (2.9 years v 1.5 years, respectively; P = .0002) and significantly longer median OS (not reached v 5.6 years, respectively; P = .008). Although some side effects, which included neutropenia, asthenia, fever, elevated serum transaminase levels, flu-like symptoms, and thrombocytopenia, were more frequently observed in patients who received the combination regimen, these reactions were moderate. IFNalpha was withdrawn because of toxicity in 10% of the patients, and a dosage reduction or temporary suspension was required in 28%. CONCLUSION With long-term follow-up of 6 years, these results confirm that the addition of IFNalpha to a doxorubicin-containing regimen for patients with advanced-stage and clinically aggressive FL not only increased PFS, as in most other similar trials, but also prolonged OS. Toxicity was moderate. The beneficial effects of this combined chemotherapy and IFNalpha regimen on OS probably reflect the selection of FL patients with poor prognostic factors.

Background This multicentre, single-arm, open-label phase 2 trial investigated the efficacy and safety of lenalidomide monotherapy in patients with relapsed/refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). Methods Patients received oral lenalidomide 25mg once daily on days 1–21 of each 28-day cycle for a maximum of 24months, until disease progression or development of unacceptable adverse events (AEs). The primary end-point was efficacy; safety was evaluated as a secondary end-point. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00655668. Findings A total of 54 patients with PTCL were treated. The overall response rate was 22% (12 of 54), including complete response (CR) or unconfirmed CR (CRu) in 11% of patients; 31% of patients with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) responded (CR/CRu in 15% of patients). The median progression-free survival and median response duration were 2.5 and 3.6months, respectively, in the intent-to-treat population, and 4.6 and 3.5months, respectively, in patients with AITL. Thrombocytopenia and neutropenia were the most common grade 3 or 4 haematological AEs, in 11 (20%) and 8 (15%) patients, respectively. Overall, 19 patients (35%) experienced at least 1AE leading to study dose interruption or reduction (commonly neutropenia or thrombocytopenia). Serious AEs were observed in 54% of patients and 12 patients died during the study; lymphoma progression ( n =6); and acute respiratory distress syndrome, dyspnea, lung infiltration, neutropenic sepsis, pneumonia and cerebral ischaemia ( n =1 each). Interpretation Lenalidomide exhibited single-agent activity in heavily pretreated patients with PTCL, particularly in patients with AITL. Future development is warranted in specific histologies, such as AITL, and in combination with chemotherapy or other agents considered active in PTCL. Funding Celgene Corporation.

Limited data support the use of bendamustine in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). This retrospective study evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of bendamustine in 28 patients with refractory HL or relapsed HL after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) used as part of a compassionate use program. The median number of therapies before bendamustine was 5 (3-8). ASCT and non-myeloablative allogeneic transplant were previously performed for 25 and six patients, respectively. The median number of bendamustine cycles administered was 3 (1-12). The objective response rate was 50% with complete response (CR) in 29% of patients. The median progression-free survival was 5.7 months, and 10.2 months in patients with CR. During the first six cycles, two patients had a febrile neutropenia and four patients had grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia. Bendamustine was effective in these highly pretreated patients with HL. It might be used earlier in the treatment strategy of HL and in combination with other active drugs.

To the Editor: We report a case of recurrent Bordetella holmesii bacteremia with 4 clinical manifestations: 3 episodes of cellulitis and 1 episode of pneumonia. The patient, a 67-year-old man, was admitted to the Pitie-Salpetriere hospital in Paris, France, in December 2010, for recurrent cellulitis in his left leg. Eleven years earlier, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma had been diagnosed, and he had undergone 7 chemotherapy courses. He also had received 2 autologous stem cell transplants. He was receiving maintenance treatment with intravenous (IV) rituximab every 3 months and IV immunoglobulin for hypogammaglobulinemia. The first episode of cellulitis had occurred in his left leg 2 months before admission; the condition was treated with pristinamycin (3 g/day for 14 days), and the leg healed completely. Cellulitis recurred in his left leg 2 months later; it was again treated with pristinamycin (3 g/day) for 4 days in conjunction with fusidic acid. The cutaneous lesions worsened, and he was admitted to the hospital with fever (38.6°C) and chills. Clinical examination showed extended cellulitis; the left leg was bright red, hot, shiny, swollen, and non-pitting. The patient’s leukocyte count was 23 × 109/L (reference 1 year of follow-up. B. holmesii was first described in 1995 (2); it was primarily isolated from the blood of immunocompromised patients, especially those with spleen dysfunction. Since 1999, B. holmesii has been detected during pertussis outbreaks in NPS specimens of patients with pertussis-like signs and symptoms (3–6). To our knowledge, the association between B. holmesii infection and rituximab treatment has been reported only once, in a renal transplant recipient, and B. holmesii nasal carriage was not tested for (7). In this patient, the B. holmesii infection relapses definitively stopped after rituximab treatment was interrupted, which suggests a relationship between the 2 events and that patients receiving rituximab are at increased risk for severe infection (8). Interpretations of antimicrobial drug resistance are difficult because no breakpoints have been defined for this species, but MICs of the drugs showed changes in the resistance profile between infectious episodes (Table). These observations strongly suggest a heterogeneous population of bacteria and that resistance was acquired after antimicrobial drug treatment as described in the United Kingdom (9). The patient improved while receiving ceftriaxone, although, in vitro; the bacterium was found resistant to this antimicrobial drug family as reported (10). Thus, the in vitro susceptibility testing and in vivo efficacy were discordant. In conclusion, the patient’s nasal carriage and rituximab treatment may explain the recurrent infection. That the nasal carriage was the primary mode of transmission could not be proven because NPS specimens were not taken early enough. More studies are needed to determine the role of nasal carriage in B. holmesii bacteremia. That no B. holmesii infections occurred after rituximab was stopped suggests that rituximab played a role in the recurrent infections. In cases of recurrent infection or bacteremia, nasal carriage should be assessed, and the interruption of rituximab should be considered by physicians.

BACKGROUND Patients in the first relapse of Hodgkin's disease comprise a heterogeneous group regarding their primary treatment and their clinical characteristics. Because therapeutic options for these patients vary from radiotherapy to combined modality or high dose therapy, we wanted to identify the prognostic factors that would optimize the treatment choice among the different options available. METHODS Patients (n = 187) who relapsed for the first time after the end of treatment were included. Characteristics at diagnosis were: male to female ratio: 1.5; Stage III and IV: 59%; B symptoms: 60%; and mediastinal involvement: 76%, bulky in 29%. Chemotherapy (27%) or combined modality (73%) was prescribed. Relapses occurred 3 to 192 months (median: 35 mos) after the end of treatment; for 39% this interval was

Summary Background The outcome of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma has been substantially improved by the addition of the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab to chemotherapy regimens. We aimed to assess, in patients aged 18–59 years, the potential survival benefit provided by a dose-intensive immunochemotherapy regimen plus rituximab compared with standard treatment plus rituximab. Methods We did an open-label randomised trial comparing dose-intensive rituximab, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vindesine, bleomycin, and prednisone (R-ACVBP) with subsequent consolidation versus standard rituximab, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP). Random assignment was done with a computer-assisted randomisation-allocation sequence with a block size of four. Patients were aged 18–59 years with untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and an age-adjusted international prognostic index equal to 1. Our primary endpoint was event-free survival. Our analyses of efficacy and safety were of the intention-to-treat population. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00140595. Findings One patient withdrew consent before treatment and 54 did not complete treatment. After a median follow-up of 44 months, our 3-year estimate of event-free survival was 81% (95% CI 75–86) in the R-ACVBP group and 67% (59–73) in the R-CHOP group (hazard ratio [HR] 0·56, 95% CI 0·38–0·83; p=0·0035). 3-year estimates of progression-free survival (87% [95% CI, 81–91] vs 73% [66–79]; HR 0·48 [0·30–0·76]; p=0·0015) and overall survival (92% [87–95] vs 84% [77–89]; HR 0·44 [0·28–0·81]; p=0·0071) were also increased in the R-ACVBP group. 82 (42%) of 196 patients in the R-ACVBP group experienced a serious adverse event compared with 28 (15%) of 183 in the R-CHOP group. Grade 3–4 haematological toxic effects were more common in the R-ACVBP group, with a higher proportion of patients experiencing a febrile neutropenic episode (38% [75 of 196] vs 9% [16 of 183]). Interpretation Compared with standard R-CHOP, intensified immunochemotherapy with R-ACVBP significantly improves survival of patients aged 18–59 years with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with low-intermediate risk according to the International Prognostic Index. Haematological toxic effects of the intensive regimen were raised but manageable. Funding Groupe d'Etudes des Lymphomes de l'Adulte and Amgen.

Purpose The utility of [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) in assessing response at the end of induction therapy is well documented in Hodgkin's and diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, but its role in follicular lymphoma (FL) remains undetermined. We investigated the prognostic significance of PET-CT performed after first-line therapy in patients with FL treated in the prospective Primary Rituximab and Maintenance (PRIMA) study. Patients and Methods Results of PET-CT scans performed after induction immunochemotherapy were recorded retrospectively. Patients went on to either observation or rituximab maintenance per protocol independent of the PET-CT result. Patient characteristics and outcomes were then evaluated. Results Of 122 PET-CT scans performed at the end of the induction immunochemotherapy, 32 (26%) were reported as positive by the local investigator. Initial demographic or disease characteristics did not differ between PET-CT–positive (PET-positive) and PET-CT–negative (PET-negative) patients. PET status correlated with conventional response criteria (P < .001). Patients remaining PET positive had a significantly (P < .001) inferior progression-free survival at 42 months of 32.9% (95% CI, 17.2% to 49.5%) compared with 70.7% (95% CI, 59.3% to 79.4%) in those who became PET negative. PET status, but not conventional response (complete response or complete response unconfirmed v partial response) according to IWC 1999, was an independent predictive factor for lymphoma progression. The risk of death was also increased in PET-positive patients (hazard ratio 7.0; P = .0011). Conclusion [18F]FDG PET-CT status at the end of immunochemotherapy induction in patients with FL is strongly predictive of outcome and should be considered a meaningful clinical end point in future studies.

We aimed to assess quality of life (QoL) following front-line autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) and the QoL relationship with rituximab maintenance, in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Patients were then randomized to either one weekly rituximab injection for 4 weeks, or observation alone. Patients (n = 269) were given the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 questionnaires. Scales for all symptoms exhibited similar temporal patterns, with a marked increase, followed by a plateau after 1 year. The proportion of patients with a clinically significant improvement varied from 6% (constipation) to 56% (fatigue). Age, gender, and previous treatment-induced toxicities were not predictive of variations in QoL. Rituximab significantly reduced pain and symptom severity. Our results for QoL showed that patients experienced rapid recovery after ASCT in all the domains tested. Differences in QoL improvement with time were not connected with rituximab maintenance.

Background We analyzed detailed characteristics and salvage treatment in 175 follicular lymphoma patients from the FL2000 study who were in progression after first-line therapy with or without addition of rituximab to chemotherapy and interferon.Design and Methods The impact of using autologous stem cell transplantation and/or rituximab administration at first progression was investigated, taking into account initial therapy. With a median follow up of 31 months, 3-year event free and overall survival rates after progression were 50% (95%CI 42–58%) and 72% (95%CI 64–78%), respectively.Results The 3-year event free rate of rituximab re-treated patients (n=112) was 52% (95%CI 41–62%) versus 40% (95%CI 24–55%) for those not receiving rituximab second line (n=53) (P=0.075). There was a significant difference in 3-year overall survival between patients receiving autologous stem cell transplantation and those not: 92% (95%CI 78–97%) versus 63% (95%CI 51–72%) (P=0.0003), respectively. In multivariate analysis, both autologous stem cell transplantation and period of progression/relapse affected event free and overall survival.Conclusions Regardless of front-line rituximab exposure, this study supports incorporating autologous stem cell transplantation in the therapeutic approach at first relapse for follicular lymphoma patients.

purpose: An increased risk of high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is observed in patients who are seropositive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Treatment of such patients is complicated by their underlying acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Intensive strategies such as those used in non-HIV-related lymphoma may be poorly tolerated. However, patients without severe AIDS may derive significant benefits from such an approach. In a prospective multicenter study, treatment outcomes were assessed in 141 cases of HIV-seropositive lymphomas submitted to aggressive chemotherapy. patients and methods: Adult patients with lymphoma with a performance status less than 3 and no active opportunistic infection were consecutively treated with three cycles of doxorubicin 75 mg/m2, cyclophosphamide 1,200 mg/m2, vindesine 2 mg/m2 for 2 days, bleomycin 10 mg for 2 days, and prednisolone 60 mg/m2 for 5 days (ACVB). This treatment was followed by a consolidation phase of high-dose methotrexate plus leucovorin, ifosfamide, etoposide, asparaginase, and cytarabine (LNH84). Central nervous system prophylaxis with intrathecal methotrexate was routinely used. Zidovudine maintenance therapy was started after chemotherapy. Ninety-three patients had high-grade lymphomas (59 Burkitt's type) and 48 had intermediate-grade lymphomas. Disseminated stage III-IV was present in 86 patients, meningeal involvement in 29, and bone marrow infiltration in 30; 62 patients had more than 2 extranodal localizations. Lactate dehydrogenase levels were above the normal value in 95 cases. The median CD4-positive lymphocyte count was 227 X 106/L. results: Eighty-nine patients (63%) achieved complete remission (CR) and 19 (13%) partial remission, whereas 13 did not respond and 20 (14%) died during the course of ACVB, 8 of them from progressive disease. With a median follow-up of 28 months, median survival and disease-free survival were 9 and 16 months, respectively. Median survival for nonresponders was 5 months; 23 patients died of opportunistic infections while in persistent CR. In multivariate analysis, four factors were strongly associated with shorter survival: (1) CD4 count less than 100 × 106/L, (2) performance status greater than 1, (3) immunoblastic lymphoma, and (4) prior AIDS. In the absence of all risk factors, the probability of survival at 2 years was 50%. conclusion: In a selected group of HIV-related lymphomas, intensive chemotherapy with LNH84 is feasible and yields a high CR rate. Survival is short due to death from HIV-related infections; however, in a subgroup of patients without adverse prognostic factors, long-term remission was observed.

Background: The pathologic heterogeneity of AIDS related lymphomas (ARL) reflects several pathogenic mechanisms: chronic antigenic stimulation, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, and genomic abnormalities. Genetic abnormalities, known to play a major role in lymphomas of non-immunocompromised patients, are not well characterized in ARL. Objective: Characterization of the DNA copy number change (CNC) in ARL and comparison of our findings with tumoral EBV and immune status. Design and methods: We have studied by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), 28 ARL well characterized for histopathologic, clonality and EBV findings. Results: DNA-CNC were detected in 50% of cases. Gains of chromosomal material were much more frequent than losses and involved chromosomes 9p, 11q, 12q, 17q, and 19q recurrently. DNA-CNC tended to be more frequent in EBV-positive lymphomas with latency type II/III than in EBV-positive latency I or EBV-negative lymphomas. Most chromosomal regions affected in HIV-related lymphoma were similar to those already reported in HIV-negative lymphomas. Conclusion: This CGH study allowed the identification of non-random chromosomal alterations in ARL. The results suggested an inverse relationship between EBV infection (latency II/III), associated with deep acquired immune suppression, and the number of chromosomal alterations which may be explained by a direct role of viral proteins in lymphomagenesis by activation of signalling pathways without needing several genomic alterations.(c) 2006 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Purpose To evaluate the safety and efficacy of rituximab adjunction to the cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) regimen in patients with newly diagnosed AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Patients and Methods HIV-seropositive patients with high-grade lymphoma of B-cell origin were eligible if they had no more than one of the following characteristics: CD4 cell count less than 100/μL, prior AIDS, or performance status less than 2. This multicenter phase II trial evaluated the response rate and disease-free survival after six courses of rituximab plus CHOP. Results Sixty-one patients were enrolled. All the patients were assessable for safety and 52 were assessable for the tumor response after treatment completion. Characteristics of patients were median age, 41 years; median CD4 cells, 172/μL; histology, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n = 42), immunoblastic (n = 2), Burkitt lymphoma (n = 16), and plasmablastic (n = 1); 42 patients with stage III to IV; International Prognostic Index 0 to 1 (n=31), and 2 to 3 (n = 27). Grade 3 or 4 toxicity consisted of febrile neutropenia in nine patients, anemia in 16 patients, and thrombocytopenia in five patients. Complete remission (CR) or unconfirmed CR was achieved in 40 of the 52 assessable patients, partial remission was achieved in five patients, and seven patients experienced progression. Forty-three patients were alive after a median follow-up of 33 months. The estimated 2-year overall survival rate was 75% (95% CI, 64% to 86%). Eighteen patients died: 16 as a result of lymphoma, one as a result of infection, and one as a result of encephalitis. Conclusion Rituximab adjunction to CHOP produced a CR rate of 77% and a 2-year survival rate of 75% in patients with AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, without increasing the risk of life-threatening infections.

We aimed to compare AIDS risk–adapted intensive chemotherapy in AIDS-related lymphoma (ARL) patients before and after the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). A total of 485 patients aged from 18 to 67 years were randomly assigned to chemotherapy after stratification according to an HIV score based on performance status, prior AIDS, and CD4+ cell counts below 0.10 × 109/L (100/mm3). A total of 218 good-risk patients (HIV score 0) received ACVBP (doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vindesine, bleomycin, and prednisolone) or CHOP (doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisolone); 177 intermediate-risk patients (HIV score 1), CHOP or low-dose CHOP (Ld-CHOP); and 90 poor-risk patients (HIV score 2-3), Ld-CHOP or VS (vincristine and steroid). The 5-year overall survival (OS) in the good-risk group was 51% for ACVBP versus 47% for CHOP (P = .85); in the intermediate-risk group, 28% for CHOP versus 24% for Ld-CHOP (P = .19); and in the poor-risk group, 11% for Ld-CHOP versus 3% for VS (P = .14). The time-dependent Cox model demonstrated that the only significant factors for OS were HAART (relative risk [RR] 1.6, P < .001), HIV score (RR 1.7, P < .001), and the International Prognostic Index (IPI) score (RR 1.5, P < .001) but not chemotherapy regimen. Our findings indicate that in ARL patients, HIV score, IPI score, and HAART affect survival but not the intensity of the CHOP-based chemotherapy.

Introduction: R-miniCHOP is the standard chemotherapy for patients over 80 years (y) with DLBCL. In the LNH 03-7B trial, the 2-year overall survival was 58.9% [95% CI: 49.3-67.2%]. Grade III/IV toxicity and deaths occurred during the two first cycles mainly (Lancet Oncol. 2011 May;12(5):460-8). In order to improve overall survival (OS) rituximab (R) was replaced by Ofatumumab (OFA), a humanised anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. In vitro data suggest that OFA induces more potent complement-mediated cytotoxicity than rituximab, and clinical data demonstrate activity of OF in rituximab-refractory lymphomas). In addition, to reduce early toxicity a pre-phase (PP) with vincristine and prednisone (P) was tested. Patients and methods: Patients older than 80 y with untreated CD20+ DLBCL, Ann Arbor stage I to IV, left ventricular ejection fraction > 50%, and a performance status (PS) of 0 to 4 were eligible. Patients received a PP with vincristine (1 mg TD D-7) and P (60 mg TD D-7 to D-4) before the first cycle of OF-miniCHOP. PP was followed by miniCHOP chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide: 400 mg/m² D1; doxorubicine: 25 mg/m² D1; vincristine: 1 mg total dose D1 and prednisolone 40 mg/m² by oral route from D1 to D5) plus OFA (1000 mg TD) every 21 days for 6 cycles. GCSF was optional. The primary objective was to evaluate the efficacy of PP OF-mini-CHOP as measured by the OS. Secondary endpoints were response rate (RR), progression free survival (PFS), event-free survival (EFS), disease-free survival (DFS) for complete responders and toxicities. Survival results are presented for all included patients on an intend-to-treat basis (n=120). Response to treatment was evaluated according to 1999 Cheson criteria. Results: From June 2010 to November 2011, One-hundred-twenty-patients (male, female) were included in 41 centers of the LYSA. The median age was 83 years (range 89-95). Seventy-seven percent of patients had a stage III/IV. LDH level was elevated in 58% of patients. Age-adjusted (aa) IPI was 2-3 in 57% of patients. One-hundred-twenty patients completed the PP, 107 the first three cycles and 89 received the whole regimen. For patients who started the first cycle, the mean relative Dose-Intensity during trial was 98%, 97% and 96 % for OFA, doxorubicine and cyclophosphamide respectively. Seventy-eight percent of patient received at least one injection of GCSF. The overall RR was 67.5%, including 35.8% of complete response and 20 % of unconfirmed complete response. At the time of this analysis, in September 2013, the median follow-up time was 26.6 months. The 2-year overall survival was 64.7% [95% CI: 55.3-72.7%]. The two-year PFS, EFS and DFS were 57.2% [95% CI: 47.7-65.6%], 53.1% [95% CI: 43.7-61.6%] and 66.6% [95% CI: 54.0-76.5%] respectively. Haematological toxicity was the most common side effect. Grade 3-4 neutropenia was observed in 20.8% of the patients and grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia in 1.7%. Seven patients (5.8%) experienced at least one episode of febrile neutropenia. Infusion reaction related to OFA was reported in 12.5% of patients. Prolonged hospitalization (> or = 10 days) was observed in 17 cases (14.1%) and mainly occurred during cycle 1 to cycle 3. Forty-five patients died during the treatment evenly distributed between lymphoma (62.2%), intercurrent and other causes (22.2%), and concurrent illness (15.6 %). No toxic death was reported. Six patients died during treatment (1 during PP, 4 during cycle 1 to cycle 3, 1 during cycle 4 to cycle 6) Thirty-nine patients died during follow-up. In univariate analysis, low aaIPI (0 /1) is the unique statistically significant prognostic factor of prolonged OS (OR 3.083, [1.458-6.517] CI95%). Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) score equal to 4 is associated with a longer PFS. By contrast, low Albuminemia level, undernutrition according to buzby index and high Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) were not predictive of survival. Conclusion: In DLCBL patients over 80 y, immunochemotherapy with PP OFA-mini-CHOP appears to be safe and effective, confirming that a substantial proportion of very old patients can be cured. The use of a PP seems to reduce the early death risk. OFA and PP seems to improve OS comparing with the previous reported data. The combination of a PP, monoclonal antibody against CD20 and miniCHOP can be the new standard regimen for DLBCL patients over 80 y. Disclosures Off Label Use: Use of ofatumumab in high grade lymphoma..

Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is associated with an increased risk of classical Hodgkin (cHL) and non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). In the combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) era, while the incidence of NHL has declined, HL incidence has remained stable. In comparison to their HIV-negative counterpart, HIV-associated HLs present frequent high-risk characteristics: 1- mixed cellularity histological subtype, 2- advanced stage, presence of B symptoms and higher International Prognostic Score (IPS). Methods: The national prospective cohort of HIV-related lymphomas (ANRS CO16 Lymphovir cohort sponsored by Inserm-ANRS) enrolled adult patients in 40 centers since July 2008. Pathological materials were centralized and reviewed. Diagnoses were based on World Health Organization criteria. Patients have been followed every 6 months during 5 years. HIV HL patients were compared to a series of HIV-negative adult patients consecutively diagnosed with HL during the same period in Paris Saint-Louis hospital. Results: Among 159 HIV-infected patients, 68 (43%) were diagnosed with cHL. Mixed cellularity (MC) subtype was predominant (n=42), followed by nodular sclerosing (11). Fifteen cases could not be subclassified mainly because of small needle biopsies. Median age was 44 years (ranging from 20 to 65), male/female ratio was 5.8. Most patients (75%) had advanced clinical stage (III/IV). HIV infection had been diagnosed for a median of 13 years (maximum of 26 years) before the diagnosis of cHL. Median CD4 T-cell count was 380/μl (range 37-1742) and plasma HIV RNA was < 50 in 78% of the patients. All except one patient had been treated with cART prior to cHL diagnosis. They were all treated with cART after diagnosis. Front-line chemotherapy with standard anthracyclin based regimen (ABVD) was given to 64 out of 68 patients, BEACOPP in 4 patients. ABVD was followed by radiotherapy in limited stages. Five patients died from early disease progression (n=2), sepsis during chemotherapy (1) and after relapse (2). Two-year overall survival and Progression Free Survivals (PFS) were 94% [95%CI 88, 100] and 89% [82, 97], respectively. The only factor associated with PFS was age with a relative risk of 8.09 [0.97; 67.18] above 45 years (Table). IPS and CD4 count were not significantly associated with PFS. In comparison with HIV-negative patients, patients with HIV infection displayed higher risk features for all prognostic factors of HL (older age, male predominance, MC subtype, more advanced stages, lower lymphocytic counts). Treatment of HIV-negative patients was similar to HIV-positive patients: ABVD (79%), BEACOPP (21%), with addition of radiotherapy in limited stages. Overall, the outcomes of the HIV-infected patients did not differ significantly from those of HIV-negative patients (Figure). Conclusion : Although high risk features still predominate in HIV-HL, the prognostic of these patients has markedly improved in the recent cART era. We report 2-years OS and PFS of 94% and 89%, respectively, in patients mainly treated with cART and ABVD. The outcome of HL in HIV infected patients now resembles to those of non HIV infected patients. Table: Univariate analysis of Progression Free Survival in HIV associated Hodgkin Lymphoma (Cox model) (N=68) N Progression or Death, N RR 95 % CI p-value Gender 0.95 F 9 1 1 M 59 6 0.94 [0.11 ; 7.77] Age 0.05 =40 18 1 1 0.2 45 4 1 ≤0.2 21 3 1.64 [0.37 ; 7.32] RR: Relative Risk CI: Confidency interval *: 3 missing values **: 8 missing values ***: 2 missing values Median follow-up: HIV(-) cHL: 37 months (IQR=37) Lymphovir: 33 months (IQR=34) 2- year PFS: HIV(-) cHL: 0.86 CI95%=[ 0.82, 0.90 ] Lymphovir: 0.89 CI95%=[ 0.82, 0.97 ] Figure: Progression free survival (PFS) of HIV associated Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (N= 68) compared with HIV negative patients (N=336) Figure:. Progression free survival (PFS) of HIV associated Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (N= 68) compared with HIV negative patients (N=336) IQR: Interquartile range CI: Confidency interval Disclosures Brice: Seattle Genetics, Inc.: Research Funding; Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Co.: Honoraria, Research Funding; Roche: Honoraria.

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of high-dose chemotherapy plus autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HDC/AHSCT) in AIDS-related lymphoma (ARL), and its long-term impact in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).Fourteen patients with relapsed or resistant ARL (8 with nonHodgkin's lymphoma and 6 with Hodgkin's disease) were treated with HDC/AHSCT while on HAART. HIV-1 proviral DNA load was quantified in 11 grafts.Hematologic reconstitution was good. No toxic deaths occurred. Despite the large number of cells harboring HIV-1 proviral DNA (105 to 109) re-infused with the graft, HAART controlled HIV replication and led to CD4 cell reconstitution in 7 of the 8 patients who were still alive six months after AHSCT. Only two patients had opportunistic infections after AHSCT. There were no significant changes in viral load (VL) or CD4+ cell counts in most patients. One month after AHSCT, 10 patients were in complete remission (CR). Seven patients died from lymphoma between 1 and 10 months after AHSCT, and a further two patients died in CR (one from AIDS at 16 months, one from another tumor at 28 months). Five patients are alive: four are in CR, 14, 19, 32 and 49 months after AHSCT (median CD4+ cell count= 445/mL; undetectable VL in 3 patients), and one is being treated for relapsed lymphoma 36 months after AHSCT.HDC/AHSCT is feasible in AIDS-related lymphoma, in terms of harvesting, engraftment, adverse events and HIV control. It should be proposed to patients with poor-prognosis chemosensitive lymphoma.

The mutator phenotype caused by defects in the mismatch repair system is observed in a subset of solid neoplasms characterized by widespread microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H). It is known to be very rare in non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), whereas mutator NHL is the most frequent tumor subtype in mismatch repair-deficient mice. By screening a series of 603 human NHL with specific markers of the mutator phenotype, we found here 12 MSI-H cases (12/603, 2%). Of interest, we demonstrated that this phenotype was specifically associated with immunodeficiency-related lymphomas (ID-RL), because it was observed in both posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (9/111, 8.1%) and HIV infection-related lymphomas (3/128, 2.3%) but not in a large series of NHL arising in the general population (0/364) ( P < 0.0001). The MSI pathway is known to lead to the production of hundreds of abnormal protein neoantigens that are generated in MSI-H neoplasms by frameshift mutations of a number of genes containing coding microsatellite sequences. As expected, MSI-H ID-RL were found to harbor such genetic alterations in 12 target genes with a putative role in lymphomagenesis. The observation that the MSI-H phenotype was restricted to HIV infection-related lymphomas and posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders suggests the existence of the highly immunogenic mutator pathway as a novel oncogenic process in lymphomagenesis whose role is favored when host immunosurveillance is reduced. Because MSI-H-positive cases were found to be either Epstein-Barr virus-positive or -negative, the mutator pathway should act synergistically or not with this other oncogenic factor, playing an important role in ID-RL.

The monoclonal antibody rituximab, targeted against the CD20 antigen, has shown efficacy in patients with follicular lymphoma who relapse or fail to response to conventional chemotherapy. We evaluated the economic impact of using rituximab for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NLH) in comparison with conventional chemotherapy protocols (CHOP or CHVP). In this retrospective study conducted between 1998 and 2000, the direct costs of treating inpatients with NHL rituximab (n=20) or CHOP/CHVP (n=17) were compared. Results, including costs of administering chemotherapy and adverse events, showed that the average cost per patient was comparable for the two strategies (9700 euro for rituximab, versus 8487 euro for conventional chemotherapy). In the rituximab group, the cost was mostly due to drug purchases. In the conventional chemotherapy group, outlays were related to drug-induced toxicity and longer hospital stay. Our results were similar to others described in the literature. Prospective studies are nevertheless needed for confirmation. For first-line treatement, the difference in the cost-effectiveness-ratio between rituximab and conventional drugs might be smaller, but sound data are not yet available.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has changed the epidemiology of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and lymphoma occurring in people living with HIV. The KS's decrease was observed early after HAART availability: although delayed, the decrease of non Hodgkin lymphoma has been sign. The improvement of immune status due to HAART has decreased the occurrence of chemotherapy triggered opportunistic infections, and survival rates have been improved. The administration of chemotherapy with HAART does not seem to increase toxicity.