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Background: Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a rare monoclonal gammopathy, associated with short survival. Because of its very low incidence, only a few cohorts have been reported and thus, information on this disease is scarce. The goal of this study was to better understand the clinical features, prognostic factors, and efficacy of modern treatments in both primary PCL (pPCL) and secondary PCL (sPCL)., Methods: We performed a retrospective, multicenter study of patients diagnosed with PCL, defined as circulating plasma cells ≥20% of total leukocytes and/or ≥2 × 10 9 /L., Results: We identified 99 eligible PCL patients, of whom 33 were pPCL and 66 were sPCL. The median progression-free survival (PFS) to frontline treatment and overall survival (OS) were, respectively, 4.8 (95% CI, 0.4-9.2) and 18.3 months (95% CI, 0.0-39.0) for pPCL and 0.8 (95% CI, 0.5-1.1) and 1.2 months (95% CI, 0.9-1.5) for sPCL (both p < 0.001). We observed no improvement in OS over time (2005-2012 vs. 2013-2020, p = 0.629 for pPCL and p = 0.329 for sPCL). Finally, our data suggested that sPCL originates from a high-risk multiple myeloma (MM) population with a short OS (median 30.2 months), early relapse after stem cell transplant (median 11.9 months) and a high proportion of patients with multiple cytogenetic abnormalities (36% with ≥2 abnormalities)., Conclusions: This study is one of the largest PCL cohorts reported. We are also the first to investigate characteristics of MM before its transformation into sPCL and demonstrate that high-risk biologic features already present at the time of MM diagnosis. Moreover, our data highlights the lack of improvement in PCL survival in recent years and the urgent need for better treatment options., (© 2024 The Author(s). Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The prognosis of primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is poor, and the relevant prognostic factors are incompletely understood. We aimed to explore the prognostic factors and develop a validated prognostic prediction model for pPCL patients in the new era. This multicenter retrospective study was conducted across 16 hospitals in China. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to develop a prediction model. The predictive performance of the model was assessed using multiple metrics. Internal validation was conducted using bootstrap resampling. A total of 102 pPCL patients were included in this study, and 57 (55.9%) were male. The 12-month, 24-month, and 36-month OS rates for pPCL patients were 75.4%, 58.3%, and 47.6%, respectively. An overall survival prognostic nomogram for pPCL patients was established by integrating independent prognostic factors, including age, B2MG, and del17p. The nomogram exhibited good performance, with a C-index of 0.720 (95% CI 0.642-0.797) and an AUC of 0.653. Bootstrap validation yielded a C-index of 0.721 (95% CI 0.629-0.787) and an AUC of 0.653 (95% CI 0.546-0.759), indicating a relatively good fit of the calibration curve. A nomogram incorporating age, B2MG grade, and del17p were developed and validated to accurately and consistently predict the prognosis of pPCL patients., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Plasma cell leukaemia (PCL) is a rare and very aggressive plasma cell disorder. Preventing a dismal outcome of PCL requires early diagnosis with appropriate analytical tools. Therefore, the investigation of 33 patients with primary and secondary PCL was done when the quantity of circulating plasma cells (PCs) using flow cytometry (FC) and morphology assessment was evaluated. The phenotypic profile of the PCs was also analysed to determine if there is an association with clinical outcomes and to evaluate the prognostic value of analysed markers. Our results revealed that FC is an excellent method for identifying circulating PCs as a significantly higher number was identified by FC than by morphology (26·7% vs. 13·5%, P = 0·02). None of secondary PCL cases expressed CD19 or CD20. A low level of expression with similar positivity of CD27, CD28, CD81 and CD117 was found in both PCL groups. A decrease of CD44 expression was detected only in secondary PCL. Expression of CD56 was present in more than half of PCL cases as well as cytoplasmic nestin. A decreased level of platelets, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score of 2-3 and lack of CD20 + PC were associated with a higher risk of death. FC could be incorporated in PCL diagnostics not only to determine the number of circulating PCs, but also to assess their phenotype profile and this information should be useful in patients' diagnosis and possible prognosis., (© 2021 The Authors. British Journal of Haematology published by British Society for Haematology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Secondary plasma cell leukaemia (sPCL) is an aggressive form of multiple myeloma (MM), but the mechanism underlying MM progresses into PCL remains unknown., Methods: Gene expression profiling of MM patients and PCL patients was analysed to identify the molecular differences between the two diseases. Cox survival regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis were performed to illustrate the impact of integrin subunit alpha 6 (ITGA6) on prognosis of MM. Invasion assays were performed to assess whether ITGA6 regulated the progression of MM to PCL., Results: Gene expression profiling analyses showed that cell metastasis pathways were enriched in PCL and ITGA6 was differentially expressed between PCL and MM. ITGA6 expression was an independent prognostic factor for event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) of MM patients. Moreover, the stratification ability of the International Staging System (ISS) of MM was improved when including ITGA6 expression. Functional studies uncovered that increased ITGA6 reduced the myeloma cell invasion. Additionally, low expression of ITGA6 resulted from epigenetic downregulating of its anti-sense non-coding RNA, ITGA6-AS1., Conclusion: Our data reveal that ITGA6 gradually decreases during plasma cell dyscrasias progression and low expression of ITGA6 contributes to myeloma metastasis. Moreover, ITGA6 abundance might help develop MM prognostic stratification.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients with primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) defined by 5% or greater clonal circulating plasma cells on peripheral blood smear and treated with novel agent induction therapies., Patients and Methods: A cohort of 68 patients with pPCL diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2019, and treated with novel agent induction therapies was evaluated., Results: The median follow-up was 46 (95% CI, 41 to 90) months. The median bone marrow plasma cell content was 85% (range, 10% to 100%) and median clonal circulaitng plasma cell percentage on the peripheral blood smear was 26% (range, 5% to 93%). There was a preponderance of t(11;14) primary cytogenetic abnormality in this cohort. The median time to next therapy (TTNT) and overall survival (OS) for all patients with pPCL patients in this cohort was 13 (95% CI, 9 to 17) and 23 (95% CI, 19 to 38) months, respectively. However, when stratified by cytogenetic risk, the median TTNT and OS were 16 and 51 months for standard risk vs 9 and 19 months for high risk (P=.01 for OS)., Conclusion: Primary plasma cell leukemia remains an aggressive disease with poor prognosis despite novel agent-based therapies. Some patients have better than expected survival and this phenomenon may be influenced by the absence of high-risk cytogenetics. Newer treatment regimens are needed to improve the prognosis of this devastating disease., (Copyright © 2020 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We analyzed variations in terms of chromosomal abnormalities (CA) by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis on purified bone marrow plasma cells throughout the progression from monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance/smoldering multiple myeloma (MGUS/SMM) to newly diagnosed MM/plasma cell leukemia (NDMM/PCL) at diagnosis and from diagnostic samples to progressive disease. High risk was defined by the presence of at least del(17p), t(4;14), and/or t(14;16). 1p/1q detection (in the standard FISH panel from 2012 onward) was not available for all patients. We analyzed 139 MM/PCL diagnostic samples from 144 patients, with a median follow-up of 71 months: high-risk CA at diagnosis (MGUS/SMM or NDMM) was present in 28% of samples, whereas 37-39% showed high-risk CA at relapse. In 115 patients with NDMM who evolved to relapsed/refractory MM, we identified 3 different populations: (1) 31/115 patients (27%) with gain of new CA (del13, del17p, t(4;14), t(14;16) or 1q CA when available); (2) 10/115 (9%) patients with loss of a previously identified CA; and (3) 74 patients with no changes. The CA gain group showed a median overall survival of 66 months vs. 84 months in the third group (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.34-0.92, p = 0.023). Clonal evolution occurs as disease progresses after different chemotherapy lines. Patients who acquired high-risk CA had the poorest prognosis. Our findings highlight the importance of performing FISH analysis both at diagnosis and at relapse.

Plasma cell neoplasms (PCNs), comprising plasma cell myelomas (PCMs) and plasmacytomas, which occur after solid organ transplantation, represent rare subtypes of monomorphic post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (M-PTLDs). Data regarding the clinical and pathological features of post-transplant (PT)-PCMs are limited. To gain a better understanding of disease biology, we performed comprehensive immunophenotypic analysis, reviewed cytogenetic analysis results and evaluated clinical outcomes of PT-PCMs diagnosed and treated at our institution. Fifteen PT-PCM (M: F - 4:1) and two PT-MGUS (two males) cases were identified. The median age of PT-PCM patients was 68 years (29-79 years) and PCMs presented at a median of 9.7 years (0.5-24.7 years) after transplantation. The PT-PCMs accounted for 11.6% of all M-PTLDs and the period prevalence was 9/3108 (0.29%), 3/1071 (0.28%), 2/1345 (0.15%) and 1/878 (0.11%) post kidney, heart, liver and lung transplantation. Lytic bone disease was observed in 1/11 (9%) patients. Marrow plasma cell infiltration ranged from 10%-70% (median 20%), with 10/15 (67%) and 5/15 (33%) cases manifesting immature and plasmablastic morphology. The immunophenotype of all cases and cytogenetic abnormalities, identified in 60% of cases, were similar to multiple myeloma (MM) of immunocompetent individuals. All PT-PCMs were EBER negative. Ten of 11 (91%) patients with active MM were treated, all with proteasome inhibitor-based therapy. Treatment response and 5-year overall survival (54.5%) was comparable to MM of immunocompetent individuals. However, the survival of patients with plasmablastic PCMs was inferior to those with immature PCMs. 0ur findings indicate PT-PCMs to be predominantly late onset PTLDs that have similar clinicopathologic characteristics as conventional MM., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Primary plasma cell leukemia (PPCL) is a rare and aggressive plasma cell disorder. The use of novel agents, together with autologous stem cell transplantation, has improved survival outcome in PPCL. However, the prognosis is still very poor, and the optimal treatment remains an unmet clinical need., Patients and Methods: We studied the efficacy and prognostic impact of novel agents in 46 patients with PPCL patients at the Blood Diseases Hospital in China. We examined the impact of clinical and laboratory features, as well as therapies (bortezomib- and/or immunomodulatory drug-based therapies, chemotherapy) on survival and extent of clinical response, including progression-free survival and overall survival (OS). Progression-free survival and OS were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method, and survival distributions were compared by log-rank test., Results: In our cohort of 46 PPCL patients, the median age at the time of diagnosis was 54 years. Overall response rate was 54% (25/46). The median (95% confidence interval) progression-free survival time was 6 (0-12.5) months, and OS time was 14 (4.6-23.4) months. The OS time was significantly longer in patients treated with bortezomib-based versus non-bortezomib-based therapies (median [95% confidence interval], 19 [9-28.9] vs. 5 [4-24] months; P = .019)., Conclusion: This large single-center study of PPCL supports the use of bortezomib-based therapies as frontline treatment in PPCL patients., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The diagnosis of primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) has been made by quantifying circulating plasma cells (cPCs) morphologically on a peripheral blood (PB) smear. However, this technique is not sufficiently sensitive. Multiparametric flow cytometry (MFC) provides a readily available and highly sensitive method to identify and quantify cPCs that could complement PB smear assessment. However, an optimal quantitative cutoff for cPCs by MFC to identify pPCL has not been established. Thus, a total of 591 patients newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients who had their PB samples evaluated morphologically by PB smear, and immunophenotypically by MFC prior to beginning therapy were evaluated. The presence of ≥200 cPCs/μL by MFC (N = 25 or 5% of the total population) was chosen to identify patients with ≥5% cPCs by PB smear with a specificity of 99% and a sensitivity of 77%. For patients with ≥200 cPCs/μL by MFC compared to the remainder of the cohort, the median Time to next therapy (TTNT) was 18 vs 30 months and the median OS was 38 vs 70 months respectively. Thus, MFC assessment of PB can be utilized in conjunction with the morphological assessment of a PB smear to aid in improving the identification of pPCL among NDMM patients., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) usually follows a clinical course leading to refractoriness and limited treatment options in advanced stages, which might need bridge therapies to either autologous stem cell transplantation or novel therapies. We report our experience with the high-dose chemotherapy mCBAD (modified cyclophosphamide, bortezomib, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone) regimen in newly diagnosed MM (NDMM), relapsed/refractory MM (RRMM), and plasma cell leukemia (PCL) patients., Patients and Methods: We searched our electronic records database for MM patients who received mCBAD from 2010 to 2016 for 28-day cycles of cyclophosphamide 350 mg/m 2 intravenously (I.V.) twice daily with mesna 400 mg/m 2 I.V. daily (days 1-4), bortezomib 1.3 mg/m 2 subcutaneously/I.V. (days 1, 4, 8, 11), doxorubicin 9 mg/m 2 daily continuous infusion (days 1-4), dexamethasone 40 mg orally daily (on days 1-4, 9-12, 17-20). International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria were used for response assessment and diagnosis. Descriptive statistics, Fisher exact test, χ 2 , Wilcoxon rank sum, and Kaplan-Meier were used for statistical purposes., Results: One hundred forty patients met the inclusion criteria. A median of 2 cycles of therapy was administered. The overall response rate was 85% in patients with RRMM (n = 116) and 100% in NDMM (n = 13) and PCL (n = 11) patients. Respective median progression-free survival (mPFS) for NDMM, PCL, and RRMM were 19.61 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.26 to not applicable [NA]), 7.56 months (95% CI, 4.7 to NA), and 4.64 months (95% CI, 3.75-6.73). Patients with RRMM who used mCBAD as a bridge to autologous transplant (36.2%) had mPFS (11.48 months; 95% CI, 7.52-15.9 months) compared with those who did not (mPFS: 3.19 months; 95% CI, 2.4-3.75 months). Cytopenias occurred in more than 90% of patients, and febrile neutropenia was noted in 26%. All cases of treatment-related mortality (8%) occurred in patients with RRMM, except for 1 patient with PCL., Conclusion: mCBAD results in high response rates in myeloma and PCL, however, with high treatment-related mortality. Its use in RRMM should be limited to patients who have immediate need for therapy without other treatment options and who have good performance status (score of 0-1) or NDMM if novel agents are not available depending on practice setting. mCBAD can be a treatment option for patients with PCL., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is a rare and aggressive variant of multiple myeloma (MM) with poor long-term survival after cytotoxic chemotherapy. Many novel drugs have revolutionized the treatment algorithms for MM. The impact of targeted therapy, both pre- and post-autologous stem cell transplant (auto-HCT) remains an area of ongoing interest. In this study, we report outcomes post auto-HCT for pPCL and the impact of maintenance therapy posttransplant with novel agents.

Background: Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is an aggressive plasma cell disorder characterized by circulating plasma cells and a poor prognosis. Although patients who have pPCL benefit from the use of stem cell transplantation (SCT) and novel agents, their prognosis remains inferior to that of patients who have myeloma., Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 38 consecutive patients with pPCL who were diagnosed between October 2005 and July 2016 and were registered in the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University database. Baseline characteristics as well as data about treatment and survival outcomes were collected., Results: The median patient age at diagnosis was 58 years. All patients received a bortezomib-based induction regimen, and 92% received both bortezomib and an immunomodulatory drug (thalidomide or lenalidomide); in addition, 74% of patients underwent autologous SCT (ASCT), and 61% received maintenance therapy. The best response to first-line therapy was a partial response or better in 87% of patients, and 45% had a complete response (CR). The achievement of ≥CR was a predictor for prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The median PFS was 20 months, and the median OS was 33 months. PFS was prolonged in patients who underwent ASCT compared with those who did not undergo ASCT (25 vs 6 months; P = .004), and patients who received maintenance therapy after ASCT had prolonged median PFS (27 vs 11 months; P = .03) and a trend toward prolonged OS (median, 38 vs 22 months; P = .06) compared with those who did not receive maintenance therapy., Conclusions: The current data support the use of regimens combining novel agents in the upfront treatment of patients with pPCL as well as the role of ASCT and maintenance therapy for long-term disease control., (© 2018 American Cancer Society.)

This multicenter retrospective study included 101 patients (median age 62 years) with secondary plasma cell leukemia (sPCL). The median time from initial multiple myeloma diagnosis to sPCL was 31 months. Fifty-five out of 72 patients (75%) who received any therapy were treated with immunomodulators (IMiDs) and/or proteasome inhibitors (PIs), and 14/72 (19%) underwent salvage autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The overall response rate in patients who received ASCT or PI (either alone or in combination) was higher than in those who did not (93% vs. 36% and 60% vs. 30%, respectively). The median overall survival (OS) in patients who received therapy was 4.2 months (95% CI: 1.3; 8.0) with a 1-year OS of 19%. Platelet count ≤100 × 10 9 /L at sPCL diagnosis was the only independent predictor of a poorer OS in treated patients (HR = 3.98, p = .0001). These findings suggest that patients with sPCL may benefit from salvage ASCT- and PI-based regimens.

The current definition of plasma cell leukemia (PCL)- ≥ 20% circulating plasma cells (CPCs) on peripheral smear and plasma cell count ≥ 2 × 10 9 /L-may be too stringent. We reviewed outcomes of 176 multiple myeloma (MM) patients diagnosed between 1971 and 2016, and who had CPCs detectable at diagnosis, to determine whether a lower threshold could be used to diagnose PCL. Median overall survival (mOS) was 1.1 years (95% CI 0.8-1.4) and was similar between patients with < 5% (n = 54, mOS = 1.4 years [0.7-2.0]), 5-19% (n = 63, mOS = 1.1 years [0.7-1.4]), and ≥ 20% CPCs (n = 59, mOS = 1.1 years [0.7-1.5], p = 0.349). As survival was similar between those with 5-19% and ≥ 20% CPCs, we stratified patients by < 5% (mOS = 1.4 years [0.7-2.0]) and ≥ 5% CPCs (mOS = 1.1 years [0.8-1.4], p = 0.154). Outcomes of those with ≥ 5% CPCs were much poorer when compared with a cohort of MM patients diagnosed between 1971 and 2016, who did not have CPCs at diagnosis (n = 9724, mOS = 4.4 yrs [4.3-4.5], p < 0.001); survival was also lower in patients diagnosed after 2001 with ≥ 5% CPCs (n = 62, mOS = 1.4 years [0.8-2.5]) compared with patients with standard risk (n = 1326, mOS = 7.5 years [7.0-8.7]) and high-risk MM (n = 381, mOS = 4.3 years [3.5-4.9], p < 0.001). We therefore propose that the definition of PCL be revised to patients with ≥ 5% CPCs on peripheral blood smear, who otherwise meet diagnostic criteria for MM.

We have studied the efficacy and the prognostic impact of novel agents in 50 primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) patients registered in our database. Eighty percent of patients were treated upfront with novel agent-based combinations; 40% underwent autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Objective response rate was 76; 38% achieved at least very good partial response (≥vgPR) and this correlated significantly with bortezomib-based therapy plus ASCT. At the time of evaluation, 40 patients had died. Early mortality rate (≤1 month) was 6%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 12 months and 18 months respectively, both significantly longer in patients treated with bortezomib-based therapy + ASCT vs. others (PFS: 18 vs. 9 months; p = 0.004, OS: 48 vs. 14 months; p = 0.007). Bortezomib-based therapy + ASCT predicted for OS in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, achievement of ≥vgPR and LDH ≥ 300 U/L were significant predictors for OS. These real-world data, based on one of the largest reported national multicenter series of pPCL patients treated mostly with novel agents support that, among the currently approved induction therapies, bortezomib-based regimens are highly effective and reduce the rate of early mortality whereas in combination with ASCT consolidation they prolong OS.

We report a multicentre retrospective study that analysed clinical characteristics and outcomes in 117 patients with primary plasma cell leukaemia (pPCL) treated at the participating institutions between January 2006 and December 2016. The median age at the time of pPCL diagnosis was 61 years. Ninety-eight patients were treated with novel agents, with an overall response rate of 78%. Fifty-five patients (64%) patients underwent upfront autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The median follow-up time was 50 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 33; 76), with a median overall survival (OS) for the entire group of 23 months (95% CI 15; 34). The median OS time in patients who underwent upfront ASCT was 35 months (95% CI 24·3; 46) as compared to 13 months (95% CI 6·3; 35·8) in patients who did not receive ASCT (P = 0·001). Multivariate analyses identified age ≥60 years, platelet count ≤100 × 10 9 /l and peripheral blood plasma cell count ≥20 × 10 9 /l as independent predictors of worse survival. The median OS in patients with 0, 1 or 2-3 of these risk factors was 46, 27 and 12 months, respectively (P < 0·001). Our findings support the use of novel agents and ASCT as frontline treatment in patients with pPCL. The constructed prognostic score should be independently validated., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Solitary plasmacytoma (SP) and plasma cell leukemia (PCL) are uncommon (3-6%) types of plasma cell disease. The risk of progression to symptomatic multiple myeloma (MM) is probably important for the outcome of SP. PCL is rare and has a dismal outcome. In this study, we report on incidence and survival in PCL/SP, and progression to MM in SP, using the prospective observational Swedish Multiple Myeloma Register designed to document all newly diagnosed plasma cell diseases in Sweden since 2008. Both solitary bone plasmacytoma (SBP) (n=124) and extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP) (n=67) have better overall survival (OS) than MM (n=3549). Progression to MM was higher in SBP than in EMP (35% and 7% at 2 years, respectively), but this did not translate into better survival in EMP. In spite of treatment developments, the OS of primary PCL is still dismal (median of 11 months, 0% at 5 years). Hence, there is a great need for diagnostic and treatment guidelines as well as prospective studies addressing the role for alternative treatment options, such as allogeneic stem cell transplantation and monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of PCL., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The presence of circulating plasma cells in patients with multiple myeloma is considered a marker for highly proliferative disease. In the study herein, the impact of circulating plasma cells assessed by cytology on survival of patients with multiple myeloma was analyzed. Wright-Giemsa stained peripheral blood smears of 482 patients with newly diagnosed myeloma or plasma cell leukemia were reviewed and patients were classified into 4 categories according to the percentage of circulating plasma cells: 0%, 1-4%, 5-20%, and plasma cell leukemia with the following frequencies: 382 (79.2%), 83 (17.2%), 12 (2.5%) and 5 (1.0%), respectively. Median overall survival according to the circulating plasma cells group was 47, 50, 6 and 14 months, respectively. At multivariate analysis, the presence of 5 to 20% circulating plasma cells was associated with a worse overall survival (relative risk 4.9, 95% CI 2.6-9.3) independently of age, creatinine, the Durie-Salmon system stage and the International Staging System (ISS) stage. Patients with ≥5% circulating plasma cells had lower platelet counts (median 86×10 9 /L vs 214×10 9 /L, P <0.0001) and higher bone marrow plasma cells (median 53% vs 36%, P =0.004). The presence of ≥5% circulating plasma cells in patients with multiple myeloma has a similar adverse prognostic impact as plasma cell leukemia., (Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation.)

Introduction: Primary plasma cell leukemia (PPCL) is a rare and aggressive variant of multiple myeloma. The introduction of novel agents and modern technologies has recently partially changed the clinical and biological scenario of this malignancy, allowing limited, but not negligible, progresses. Areas covered: We will discuss: the complex landscape of genetic alterations in PPCL, derived from conventional and high-throughput technologies; the best available treatments for PPCL; the possible future therapeutic perspectives. Expert commentary: PPCL requires an immediate and intensive multi-phase treatment with short therapy-free intervals, which should include novel agents and autologous stem cell transplantation in eligible patients. Allogeneic transplantation should be considered in selected cases. In older and/or frailer individuals, personalized approaches should be applied. Integrated treatments with next generation proteasome inhibitors/IMIDs and monoclonal antibodies are currently planned or under investigation. The identification of novel genomic biomarkers may be potentially helpful for risk stratification and future personalized therapies.

Purpose: Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is a rare and aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. With conventional chemotherapy, patients typically die within 1 year. In all but one of the retrospective studies reported to date, bortezomib and lenalidomide seem to improve survival. We conducted a prospective phase II trial in patients with pPCL to assess the efficacy of an alternate regimen that combines standard chemotherapy, a proteasome inhibitor, and high-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation (HDM/ASCT) followed by either allogeneic transplantation or bortezomib/lenalidomide maintenance., Patients and Methods: Patients 70 years old and younger with newly diagnosed pPCL received four alternating cycles of bortezomib, dexamethasone plus doxorubicin or cyclophosphamide. Peripheral blood stem cells were collected from responding patients with < 1% of circulating plasma cells before HDM/ASCT. As consolidation, young patients received a reduced-intensity conditioning allograft, whereas the remaining patients underwent a second HDM/ASCT followed by 1 year of bortezomib, lenalidomide, dexamethasone. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS)., Results: Forty patients (median age, 57 years; range, 27 to 71 years) were enrolled. The median follow-up was 28.7 months. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the median PFS and overall survival were 15.1 (95% CI, 8.4; -) and 36.3 (95% CI, 25.6; -) months, respectively. The overall response rate to induction was 69%. One patient underwent a syngeneic allograft and 25 HDM/ASCT (16 of whom subsequently received a reduced-intensity conditioning allograft and seven a second ASCT followed by maintenance)., Conclusion: In this prospective trial in patients with pPCL, we show that bortezomib, dexamethasone plus doxorubicin or cyclophosphamide induction followed by transplantation induces high response rates and appears to significantly improve PFS., (© 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.)

We investigated the treatment and outcome of Japanese patients with primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) in the era of novel agents and analyzed the risk factors affecting survival. Among 3,318 patients with symptomatic multiple myeloma (MM), 38 patients were diagnosed with pPCL. The median overall survival (OS) of the pPCL patients was 2.85 years, which was significantly extended compared with that in previous reports. The proportion of patients treated with novel agents was 61%. The OS of the patients treated with novel agents was significantly extended compared with that of patients treated without novel agents according to the generalized Wilcoxon test (2.85 vs. 1.16 years, p = 0.049). This statistical finding suggests that treatment with novel agents could have prevented early death in the patients with pPCL. Age was the only statistically significant prognostic factor associated with an inferior OS (hazard ratio 4.57). Five patients received maintenance therapy with novel agents, and their OS tended to be longer than that of the other patients without maintenance (4.45 vs. 2.85 years). Unlike MM, OS for pPCL has not been improved significantly over the last decade, especially in elderly patients. Therefore, it is important to establish the treatment strategy, particularly after induction treatment., (© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a very aggressive and rare form of malignant monoclonal gammopathy characterized by the presence of plasmocytes in peripheral blood. It is classified as primary PCL occuring 'de novo', or as secondary PCL in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Primary PCL is a distinct clinicopathological entity from myeloma with different cytogenetic abnormalities and molecular findings, which are usually found only in advanced multiple myeloma. The clinical course is aggressive with short remissions and reduced overall survival. The diagnostic criteria are based on the percentage (>20%) and absolute number (2 × 10(9) /L) of plasma cells in peripheral blood. After establishing diagnosis, induction therapy should begin promptly which is aimed to rapid disease control and to minimize the risk of early death. Intensive chemotherapy regimens and bortezomib-based regimens, followed by high-dose therapy with autologous stem cell transplantation, are recommended. Allogeneic transplantation can be considered in younger patients. This article reviews recent knowledge of this hematological malignancy that is associated with a very poor prognosis., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Bortezomib-based therapy is commonly used in treatment for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM). Unfortunately, many patients show relapse or progression in heterogeneous patterns., Patients and Methods: In this study, we retrospectively evaluated patterns of relapse or progression after bortezomib-based salvage therapy in patients with MM and analyzed prognostic significance according to patterns of relapse or progression. One hundred forty-eight patients were treated with bortezomib-based therapy between November 2004 and April 2012. Of these patients, 104 (70.3%) patients relapsed or progressed after bortezomib-based salvage therapy. We divided the patterns of relapse or progression to the 2 groups: (1) the isoform relapse or progression (group A) in 89 (85.6%) patients as disease findings at initiation of bortezomib-based therapy; and (2) transformed relapse or progression (group B) in 15 (14.4%) patients (plasmacytoma, n = 7; light chain escape, n = 6; and plasma cell leukemia, n = 2) different from initial disease findings., Results: Median overall survival in group A and group B were 32.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 21.3-44.1) and 10.7 months (95% CI, 2.0-19.4) (P < .001), respectively., Conclusion: MM patients who relapsed or progressed as the transformed pattern for bortezomib-based salvage therapy have an extremely poor prognosis and might require new innovative approaches., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is a rare malignancy with an aggressive course and poor outcome. There has been significant improvement in the survival of multiple myeloma patients over the past decade as a result of incorporating autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and novel agents into treatment regimens. However, it is unknown whether these therapies have had a similar impact on the survival of patients with pPCL. We conducted an analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database to evaluate the trends in survival of 445 patients with pPCL between 1973 and 2009. The widespread availability of ASCT and use of novel agents in the upfront setting of multiple myeloma and pPCL began after 1995 and 2006, respectively. The median overall survival based on periods of diagnosis were 5, 6, 4, and 12 months for those diagnosed during 1973-1995, 1996-2000, 2001-2005, and 2006-2009, respectively (P = .001). Thus, the current study confirms the recent survival improvement in pPCL within a large US population that may be associated with the use of better therapeutic strategies., (© 2014 by The American Society of Hematology.)

Secondary monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a special phenomenon that occurs during the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). The incidence, biological characteristics, and prognostic value of secondary MGUS in patients with MM remain undefined. We proceed with a retrospective systematic review of serum immunofixation electrophoresis studies performed in 438 cases of patients with plasma cell dyscrasias, including 409 cases of newly diagnosed MM and 29 cases of primary plasma cell leukemia. Secondary MGUS was more common in patients with myeloma who had undergone stem cell transplantation than in those who had not (17 [29.8%] of 57 versus 5 [1.4%] of 352, P < .001). The clinical parameters and cytogenetic characteristics in patients with or without secondary MGUS were comparable. The complete response rates in patients with or without secondary MGUS were 81.8% and 21.8% respectively (P < .01). For the cohort as a whole, secondary MGUS was associated with significantly prolonged progression-free survival (median, 52.0 months versus 22.5 months; P = .002) and overall survival (median, not reached versus 35.0 months; P < .001). The presence of secondary MGUS retained independent prognostic value with a moderate impact on overall survival (hazard ratio .128 [95% confidence interval .018 to .922]; P = .041) in the multivariate Cox regression model. However, when analysis was restricted to patients undergoing stem cell transplantation, no statistical differences in progression-free survival and overall survival were found. In conclusion, we observe that secondary MGUS was frequently observed in MM patients after transplantation and conferred a survival prolongation. The favorable survival in patients with secondary MGUS may be explained by beneficial effect from myeloablative therapy., (Copyright © 2014 American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. All rights reserved.)

Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a rare and aggressive plasma cell disorder, with poor outcome. Bortezomib-based regimens (BBR) are highly effective in myeloma, but there is limited information about their efficacy and safety in PCL. Thus, we retrospectively collected data from 42 consecutive PCL patients (25 with primary PCL-pPCL and 17 with secondary PCL-sPCL) to explore the role of BBR in this entity. BBR were administered in 29 of 42 patients, while 6 of 25 patients with pPCL underwent autologous transplantation. Objective response (≥partial response) was significantly higher in patients treated with BBR versus conventional therapies (69% vs. 30.8%, P = 0.04); 27.5% of patients treated with BBR achieved at least very good partial response (vgPR). The highest ORR was observed in pPCL patients treated with BBR (88.9%; ≥vgPR: 33.3%). In BBR-group, grade 3 of 4 hematological, neurological and renal toxicity and neutropenic infections were observed in 41.4%, 7%, 3.4%, and 31%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 51 months, median overall survival (OS) for patients treated with BBR versus conventional therapies was 13 versus 2 months (P < 0.007). Median OS of patients with pPCL and sPCL treated with BBR was 18 and 7 months, respectively (P < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis normal PLTs, treatment with BBR and high quality response were the only powerful predictors for survival. Our study carrying the longest reported median follow-up, demonstrated that treatment of PCL with BBR induces high response rates and prolongs survival over conventional therapies, regardless of additional autologous transplantation rescue or established high risk features, with manageable toxicity., (Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: The best therapeutic approach for primary plasma cell leukemia (PPCL) remains unknown so far. In very limited studies, the poor clinical outcome of this aggressive variant of multiple myeloma seemed to be ameliorated by the use of the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib. Aiming to provide more consolidated data, this multicenter retrospective survey focused on unselected and previously untreated PPCL patients who had received bortezomib as frontline therapy., Patients and Methods: Twenty-nine patients with PPCL were collected. Bortezomib was given at standard doses and schedules, in various combinations with dexamethasone, thalidomide, doxorubicin, melphalan, prednisone, vincristine, and cyclophosphamide., Results: An overall response rate of 79% was observed, with 38% of at least very good partial remission. Grade 3-4 hematological, neurological, infectious, and renal toxic effects occurred in 20%, 21%, 16%, and 4% of patients, respectively. After a median follow-up of 24 months, 16 patients were alive (55%), 12 of whom were in remission phase and 4 relapsed. The best long-term results were achieved in patients who received stem-cell transplantation after bortezomib induction., Conclusion: Bortezomib, used as initial therapy, is able to increase the percentage and the quality of responses in PPCL patients, producing a significant improvement of survival.

Background: There has been insufficient examination of the factors affecting long-term survival of more than 5 years in patients with leukemia that is not in remission at transplantation., Method: We retrospectively analyzed leukemia not in remission at allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) performed at our institution between January 1999 and July 2009. Forty-two patients with a median age of 39 years received intensified conditioning (n = 9), standard (n = 12) or reduced-intensity conditioning (n = 21) for allo-HCT. Fourteen patients received individual chemotherapy for cytoreduction during the three weeks prior to reduced-intensity conditioning. Diagnoses comprised acute leukemia (n = 29), chronic myeloid leukemia-accelerated phase (n = 2), myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukemia (MDS/AML) (n = 10) and plasma cell leukemia (n = 1). In those with acute leukemia, cytogenetic abnormalities were intermediate (44%) or poor (56%). The median number of blast cells in bone marrow (BM) was 26.0% (range; 0.2-100) before the start of chemotherapy for allo-HCT. Six patients had leukemic involvement of the central nervous system. Stem cell sources were related BM (7%), related peripheral blood (31%), unrelated BM (48%) and unrelated cord blood (CB) (14%)., Results: Engraftment was achieved in 33 (79%) of 42 patients. Median time to engraftment was 17 days (range: 9-32). At five years, the cumulative probabilities of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and chronic GVHD were 63% and 37%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 85 months for surviving patients, the five-year Kaplan-Meier estimates of leukemia-free survival rate and overall survival (OS) were 17% and 19%, respectively. At five years, the cumulative probability of non-relapse mortality was 38%. In the univariable analyses of the influence of pre-transplant variables on OS, poor-risk cytogenetics, number of BM blasts (>26%), MDS overt AML and CB as stem cell source were significantly associated with worse prognosis (p = .03, p = .01, p = .02 and p < .001, respectively). In addition, based on a landmark analysis at 6 months post-transplant, the five-year Kaplan-Meier estimates of OS in patients with and without prior history of chronic GVHD were 64% and 17% (p = .022), respectively., Conclusion: Graft-versus-leukemia effects possibly mediated by chronic GVHD may have played a crucial role in long-term survival in, or cure of active leukemia.

Background: Reduced-intensity conditioning allogeneic transplantation for myeloma is associated with lower non-relapse mortality and higher relapse rates in comparison with myeloablative conditioning transplants., Patients and Methods: We have retrospectively audited 19 patients with myeloma or primary plasma cell leukemia who received allogeneic transplantation with a uniform alemtuzumab-based reduced-intensity conditioning protocol. These patients had not been treated with bortezomib or lenalidomide before transplantation., Results: The treatment-related mortality at 1 year was (4/19) 21% with low incidence of graft-versus-host disease (6%) and 2-year progression-free survival and overall survival rates of 35% and 42%, respectively., Conclusion: Progression-free survival in this cohort of patients is comparable to previously published data of reduced-intensity conditioning allogeneic transplantation in myeloma. However, there is no plateau observed on the survival curves with a significant transplant-related mortality of 21%. Therefore, alemtuzumab-based allogeneic transplantation cannot be recommended as standard practice outside of clinical trials for treatment of myeloma., (2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a rare and aggressive plasma cell dyscrasia. Patients with PCL have a very poor prognosis with median survival measured in months. PCL can present de novo or following a prodrome of plasma cell myeloma. Patients with PCL tend to present with aggressive clinical features, such as extramedullary disease, bone marrow failure, advanced stage disease and expression of distinct immunophenotypic markers, such as lack of CD56 and presence of CD20. Historically, the treatment of PCL has primarily been palliative, with only a small minority of patients achieving a durable remission. The impact of newer agents, such as bortezomib and lenalidomide, in conjunction with autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation is uncertain, but emerging data suggest that use of these modalities may help improve the poor prognosis of patients with PCL.

Background: Primary plasma cell leukemia is a rare disorder accounting for less than 5% of malignant plasma cell diseases. It has a poor prognosis compared to multiple myeloma, with a median survival of 8-12 months. The results of conventional therapy are disappointing though autologous stem cell transplantation may improve survival., Design and Methods: A retrospective analysis was undertaken of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation experience of 272 patients with plasma cell leukemia and 20844 with multiple myeloma undergoing first autologous transplantation between 1980 and 2006. All patients were reported to the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation registry using MED-A (limited data) or MED-B (extensive data) forms. All patients were included regardless of availability of complete data., Results: There was no difference in type of graft or use of total body irradiation between patients with plasma cell leukemia and multiple myeloma, but the group with plasma cell leukemia was transplanted earlier after diagnosis (6.0 versus 7.7 months, P=0.000). Patients with plasma cell leukemia were more likely to enter complete remission after transplantation but their overall survival (25.7 months, 95% confidence interval 19.5-31.9 months) was inferior to that of patients with multiple myeloma (62.3 months, 95% confidence interval 60.4-64.3 months) (P=0.000), due to the short duration of their post-transplant response and increased non-relapse-related mortality., Conclusions: This largest study ever reported on plasma cell leukemia suggests that autologous transplantation can improve outcome, although results are markedly inferior to those achieved in patients with multiple myeloma, highlighting the need for novel approaches to this aggressive disorder.

Background: Primary plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a rare plasma cell disorder, and current knowledge regarding survival in this disease is limited to small series of patients. Although there has been significant improvement in the survival of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) over the past few decades, it is not known whether there has been a similar trend for PCL., Methods: The authors analyzed the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to evaluate the characteristics and survival of patients who had PCL compared with those of patients who had MM., Results: Among 291 patients with PCL, the median age was 67 years (range, 19-98 years), the distribution of men and women was nearly equal, and the majority of patients were white (79.4%). The median overall survival (OS) was 4 months and the median disease-specific survival (DSS) was 6 months for patients with PCL; the 1-year, 2-year, and 5-year OS rates were 27.8%, 14.1%, and 6.4%, respectively. There were no survival differences noted according to sex or race. Patients aged<60 years were found to have a better median OS compared with patients aged>or=60 years (median OS, 7 months vs 3 months; P=.007), although the 5-year OS was equally poor in both groups (6.3% vs 6.4%, respectively). During the same period, 49,106 patients with MM were identified. Unlike MM, in which there has been a modest but statistically significant improvement in OS and DSS noted over time, no significant improvement was evident for PCL., Conclusions: The poor long-term outcome and the lack of survival improvement in PCL suggest the need for better therapeutic options for these patients., (Copyright (c) 2009 American Cancer Society.)

We analysed the clinical impact of epigenetic dysregulation of the Wnt pathway in malignant plasma cell disorders. In multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines, aberrant promoter hypermethylation of the secreted Frizzled-related protein (SFRP) genes was a common event, and hypermethylation of SFRP1,-2 and -5 was associated with transcriptional silencing. Among 76 primary patient samples, the frequency of aberrant methylation was 35.5% for SFRP1, 52.6% for SFRP2, 1.3% for SFRP4 and 6.9% for SFRP5. Hypermethylation of SFRP1 and -2 genes was detected in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and all MM stages including plasma cell leukaemia (PCL), while SFRP5 methylation was restricted to advanced MM stages and PCL. Our data indicate that epigenetic silencing of Wnt antagonists is an early event in MM pathogenesis and that SFRP5 hypermethylation may play a role in disease progression.

Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a rare form of plasma cell malignancy, few large series reported underlying genetic abnormalities. We systematically evaluated the genomic aberrations in 41 PCL patients by combining fluorescence in situ hybridization with cytoplasmic light chain immunofluorescence and correlated with their clinical outcome. The genomic aberrations in the 15 primary PCL (pPCL) and 26 secondary PCL (sPCL) were compared with 220 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of genetic abnormalities in pPCL and sPCL but del(13q), t(4;14), 1q21 amplification and del(1p21) were more common in PCL than MM. Patients with pPCL had higher creatinine and beta(2)-microglobulin levels and tended to have a longer overall survival than patients with sPCL. In univariant analysis, PCL patients with t(4;14) (p=0.006) and del(1p21) (p=0.003) had shorter overall survivals. In multivariant analysis adjusting for all tested genetic factors as well as clinico-biologically relevant factors including C-reactive protein, calcium and beta(2)-microglobulin, t(4;14) remained a significant predictor for adverse overall survival in PCL (p=0.008).

Background/aims: The study was undertaken to understand the characteristic of plasma cell leukemia (PCL) in China., Methods: We reviewed and compared medical data of 22 primary PCL, 9 secondary PCL and 461 multiple myeloma (MM) diagnosed at our institute from January 2000 to January 2008., Results: The median onset ages of primary and secondary PCL patients were 49.5 and 56 years, respectively. PCL patients presented with a low peripheral blood plasmacytosis, extensive involvement of visceral organs and poor residual bone marrow function, without severe renal insufficiency. Seventeen of twenty-one PCL patients had abnormal karyotypes, mostly complex and hypodiploid or pseudodiploid. The deletion of 13q was frequent in primary and secondary PCL (57.1 and 42.9%, respectively). There was a significant difference in survival among primary PCL, secondary PCL and MM (median 14, 2 and 37 months, respectively, p = 0.0000)., Conclusion: Overall, primary and secondary PCL are different disorders with distinct natural histories and survival., ((c) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is an aggressive and rare hematological malignancy that originates either as primary disease (pPCL) or as a secondary leukemic transformation (sPCL) of multiple myeloma (MM). We report here the genetic aberrations and survival of 80 patients with pPCL or sPCL and make comparisons with 439 cases of MM. pPCL presents a decade earlier than sPCL (54.7 vs 65.3 years) and is associated with longer median overall survival (11.1 vs 1.3 months; P<0.001). 14q32 (IgH) translocations are highly prevalent in both sPCL and pPCL (82-87%); in pPCL IgH translocations almost exclusively involve 11q13 (CCND1), supporting a central etiological role, while in sPCL multiple partner oncogenes are involved, including 11q13, 4p16 (FGFR3/MMSET) and 16q23 (MAF), recapitulating MM. Both show ubiquitous inactivation of TP53 (pPCL 56%; sPCL 83%) by coding mutation or 17p13 deletion; complemented by p14ARF epigenetic silencing in sPCL (29%). Both show frequent N-RAS or K-RAS mutation. Poor survival in pPCL was predicted by MYC translocation (P=0.006). Survival in sPCL was consistently short. Overall pPCL and sPCL are different disorders with distinct natural histories, genetics and survival.

The primary plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a rare aggressive plasma cell dyscrasia. We investigated its clinical and laboratory aspects in a large series of patients. Among 934 consecutive patients with multiple myeloma (MM), registered between 1978 and 2004 in a single institution, 30 patients [M/F: 22/8; median age (yr): 60, range: 36-79] with PCL (3.1%) were diagnosed. Retrospective analysis of the clinical, immunophenotypic, and cytogenetic aspects was performed. All patients had anemia, thrombocytopenia, circulating plasma cells (median count 4 x 10(9)/l), and in 18/30 patients hypercalcemia was found. Extramedullar involvement was present in 18/30 (60%) patients. The plasma cells were CD138+ and CD38+ (9/9), CD20+ (1/9), and CD10+ (1/9) with cytoplasmic positivity for light chains (9/9). The cytogenetic studies, evaluable in 21/30 patients, showed normal karyotype (6/21), complex hypodiploidy (6/15), pseudodiploidy (5/15), and hyperdiploidy (4/15). Treatment modalities had no impact on survival (median 4.5 months). Seven patients achieved remission. The performance status (ECOG >or= 2), platelet count or= 460 U/l were independent prognostic parameters of survival. The immunologic and cytogenetic presentation of patients with PCL bears little significance on prognosis, which is heavily compromised by advanced age at diagnosis and the poor performance status.

Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a rare variant of multiple myeloma (MM). Patients may either present de novo (primary PCL), or PCL may occur during the course of MM (secondary PCL). We compared the laboratory and clinical findings of both primary and secondary PCL and MM to elucidate their natural history and the relationship among these entities. Ten cases of PCL (7 cases of primary PCL and 3 cases of secondary PCL) and 20 sex- and age-matched cases of MM were compared. The patients with primary PCL showed significantly lower platelet and neutrophil counts in peripheral blood and higher cellularity in bone marrow than patients with MM (p = 0.002, < 0.001 and 0.027, respectively). Immunophenotypic studies showed a different expression of HLA-DR and CD117 antigens among the 3 groups. There was a significant difference in survival between the 3 groups (median survival of primary PCL, secondary PCL and MM = 22.2, 1.3 and 36.4 months, respectively; p = 0.048). The patients with primary PCL showed better prognosis than those with secondary PCL. Primary PCL might be a differently developed disease from MM. In diagnosing PCL, it is important to differentiate primary PCL from secondary PCL for the prediction of prognosis., (2007 S. Karger AG, Basel)

Primary plasma cell leukemia is a rare variant of malignant monoclonal gammapathies with de novo presentation in the leukemic phase. Only few series enrolling more than 20 patients have been reported in the literature. The authors deal with a patient who had a fulminant presentation of primary plasma cell leukemia with fatal outcome. Diagnosis of primary plasma cell leukemia was established based on Kyle's criteria, which include an absolute plasma cell count greater than 2 x 10(9)/L or a relative plasma cell number comprising greater than 20% of peripheral blood cells. The patient died within three days of diagnosis because of Streptococcus pneumoniae septic shock and multiple organ failure. This case report is worth of note due to the rarity of primary plasma cell leukemia and also because fulminant presentation is not commonly recognized among patients with malignant gammapathies.

Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a rare aggressive variant of multiple myeloma (MM) characterized by a fulminant course and poor prognosis. The median survival is measured in months. Therapy and prognosis partially depend on whether the disease presents de novo or as a secondary process involving the leukemic transformation of a previously diagnosed MM. Secondary PCL represents a terminal event for refractory/relapsed MM and is usually not responsive to any treatment modality. The optimal regimens for the treatment of primary PCL have not been firmly established. Induction with combination chemotherapy, followed by high-dose chemotherapy (preferably within the setting of a clinical trial), is the current recommended approach for eligible patients.

Primary plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a rare plasma cell malignancy. Consequently, few large reports have been published. Presented is a cytogenetic analysis of 40 patients with primary PCL compared with 247 newly diagnosed patients with stage III multiple myeloma (MM). Cytogenetic abnormalities were observed in 23 of 34 patients, with usually complex hypodiploid or pseudodiploid karyotypes. Analysis of rearrangements of the 14q32 region revealed significant differences with high cell mass MM-a higher incidence of t(11;14) (33% vs 16%; P <.025) and of t(14;16) (13% vs 1%; P <.002) though incidences of t(4;14) were identical and a higher incidence of monosomy 13 (68% vs 42%; P =.005). Hypodiploid karyotypes and monosomy 13 may explain, at least in part, the poorer prognosis of primary PCL. In contrast, significantly longer survival was observed in patients displaying t(11;14) in comparison with those lacking this translocation (P =.001).

Nonsecretory myeloma, which accounts for 1% to 5% of all myelomas, is characterized by the absence of detectable M-protein in serum and urine. The presenting features of nonsecretory myeloma are similar to those in patients with a detectable M-protein, except for the absence of renal function impairment. The response to therapy and survival of patients with nonsecretory myeloma are similar to those of patients with measurable M-protein. Immunoglobulin D myeloma represents 2% of all myelomas. Patients with IgD myeloma usually present with a small band or no evident M-spike on serum electrophoresis and heavy light-chain proteinuria. Thus, IgD myeloma can be considered a variant of Bence Jones myeloma; the presence of the IgD M-protein and the predominance of the lambda light chain are the only distinctive features. The median survival of patients with IgD myeloma is almost 2 years, with one fifth of them surviving for more than 5 years. Plasma cell leukemia is also a rare form of plasma cell dyscrasia (2% to 4% of all myelomas). The primary form accounts for 60% of the cases. In primary PCL, the constellation of adverse biologic prognostic factors in patients with advanced aggressive myeloma is already present at diagnosis. In fact, primary PCL has a more aggressive clinical presentation than MM, with a higher frequency of extramedullary involvement, anemia, thrombocytopenia, hypercalcemia, and renal failure. Treatment with a single alkylating agent plus prednisone is not appropriate. Combination chemotherapy with VAD, cyclophosphamide and etoposide, or VCMP/VBAP is a better initial option. Given the poor prognosis of primary PCL, intensification with high-dose therapy followed by stem cell rescue should be offered to affected patients.

The most common chromosomal translocation in multiple myeloma (MM) is t(11;14)(q13;q32). Here, we describe the clinical characteristics of patients with MM who have this translocation. We have identified 24 patients at our institution who had t(11;14)(q13;q32) as determined by standard cytogenetic analysis (CC). Seven patients had the translocation detected at the time of original diagnosis and 17 at the time of relapse. Median survival in all patients after original diagnosis was 43 months; median survival after the translocation was detected was 11.9 months. Four patients had a clinical diagnosis of plasma cell leukemia. Most patients had an elevated beta2-microglobulin (13/20 had >4 microg/ml). The bone marrow (BM) labeling index (LI) of patients, at the time of translocation detection, was elevated in most (median 1.4%, 17/23 patients had BMLI > or = 1%). Of the 24 patients, 19 (79%) died of disease progression and 5 (21%) were alive with disease at last follow-up. Lytic lesions, bone pain, or compression fractures eventually developed in all patients. Patients with MM who have t(11;14)(q13;q32) detected by standard cytogenetics seem to have an aggressive clinical course.

We report on a series of 26 patients diagnosed with primary (de novo) plasma cell (PC) leukemia (PCL) in whom we analyzed the clinicobiologic characteristics of the disease together with the immunophenotype, DNA cell content, proliferative index, and numeric chromosomal aberrations of the neoplastic PC, and compared them with 664 multiple myeloma (MM) patients at diagnosis. The median age, sex ratio, and bone lesion extension were similar, but PCL cases displayed a higher prevalence of clinical stage III, extramedullary involvement, and Bence Jones cases, with fewer IgA cases than for MM patients. In addition, according to several prognostic indicators (beta2-microglobulin serum level, proportion of S-phase PCs, proteinuria, calcium serum level, lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] and renal function), the incidence of adverse prognostic factors was significantly higher in PCL versus MM. Immunophenotypic expression was similar for CD38, CD138, CD2, CD3, CD16, CD10, CD13, and CD15, but PCL differed from MM in the expression of CD56, CD9 HLA-DR, CD117, and CD20 antigens. Twenty-two PCL cases were diploid and one was hypodiploid, while most MM cases (57%) showed DNA hyperdiploidy. With the fluorescent in situ hydridization (FISH) technique, 12 of 13 PCL cases displayed the numeric aberrations, -13 (86%), +/-1 (57%), +18 (43%), and -X in women (25%), but they lacked several numeric aberrations usually found in MM such as +3, +6, +9, +11, and +15. PCL cases had a lower overall response to therapy than MM cases (38% v 63%, P =.01332). Among PCL patients, a trend for a worse response was observed in cases treated with melphalan and prednisone (MP) versus polychemotherapy. Overall survival was significantly worse in PCL versus MM patients (8 v 36 months, P <.0001), but it was significantly better in PCL patients treated with polychemotherapy versus MP (18 v 3 months, P =.0137). By contrast, MM patients did not show significant differences in overall survival according to the treatment used, MP or polychemotherapy. Ten variables seemed to predict survival in PCL patients, but only the beta2-microglobulin level and S-phase PCs retained an independent value in multivariate analysis. In summary, our study illustrates that PCs from PCL display singular phenotypic, DNA cell content, and cytogenetic characteristics that lead to a different disease evolution versus MM.