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Rituximab is an effective treatment for CD20+B-cell malignancies and autoimmune disorders. However, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) may occur after rituximab infusion, causing, in rare cases, its discontinuation. In this multicenter, retrospective study, among 374 patients treated with rituximab i.v., 23.5% experienced ADRs. Mean follow-up was 20.6 months (range 8–135). Overall, ADRs were significantly more frequent in non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemias (25–35.9%), than in autoimmune diseases (9.4–17.5%) (p<.0001). Grade 3–4 toxicity was observed in eight patients (2.1%), and in four of them (1% of all patients) definitive drug discontinuation was necessary. Interestingly, three groups of patients with different risk of developing ADR were identified, according to a predictive heat-map developed combining four parameters (splenomegaly, history of allergy, hemoglobin levels and gender) selected by multivariate analysis. This model may be useful in identifying patients at higher risk of ADRs, needing appropriate preventing therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is common in patients with cancer and its use is steadily increasing over time. We performed a multicenter survey in which the use of CAM in 442 Italian patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the commonest form of leukemia in Western countries, was assessed. Data were collected by means of a face-to-face standardized questionnaire with several items. Mean age was 69 years; 258 patients (58%) were male and 184 (42%) female. Seventy-three patients (16.5%) were found to be CAM users. The most common CAM therapies were green tea, aloe formulations and high dose vitamins. Predictors of CAM use were female gender, younger age, higher education level, internet availability and newspaper reading. The reasons for CAM popularity among these patients are complex. Given the number of patients combining therapy with CAM and its possible drug interactions, doctor interest as well as patient education about CAM should be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current treatments for non-Hodgkin lymphomas are not optimally effective. Among new agents, bortezomib seems to play a pivotal role in the regulation of several cell pathways involved in the development of lymphomas. After results were obtained with clinical trials, we aimed to observe treatment with bortezomib in everyday clinical practice. We performed a multicenter retrospective analysis to assess the efficacy of bortezomib in heavily pretreated (median number of previous therapies 4, range 2-6) lymphoma patients in an off-label setting. Bortezomib therapy was scheduled for 4-6 cycles (1.3 mg/m2 biweekly). Data from 50 patients were collected: 22% had a complete remission, 26% obtained a partial response and the remaining 52% was non-responder. According to histotype, we observed an overall response rate (ORR) of 51.6% in mantle cell lymphomas, an ORR of 60% among follicular lymphoma patients, and an ORR of 50% in the indolent nonfollicular lymphomas. None of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients obtained a response. Extra-hematological toxicity was really mild, and peripheral neuropathy occurred in only 5 patients; hematological toxicity was grades 3-4 thrombocytopenia in nine patients and grades 3-4 neutropenia in only three patients. In conclusion, treatment with bortezomib as single agent resulted safe and effective in a subset of heavily pretreated lymphoma patients with usually poor outcome. New future hypotheses of investigation are indicated. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report four patients (mean age 65 yr; range 40–77 yr) affected by acquired pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) complicating chronic lymphoid disorders and treated with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab. Three out of four patients were given packed red cell transfusion. Steroids and recombinant erythropoietin (r-Epo) were also administered as first-line therapy without response. After a mean time of 57 d (range 23–62 d) from PRCA diagnosis, all patients received rituximab at a dosage of 375 mg/m2/wk for four consecutive weeks. First injection side effects of rituximab were minimal. All patients showed an increase in hemoglobin levels in response to rituximab, in one patient just after the first dose, in another patient after the second and in two other patients after the third dose. Three patients (75%) were considered in complete remission (CR) and one patient (25%) in partial remission 4 wk after the last rituximab infusion, despite a CR was obtained later (16 wk following the beginning of the therapy). Finally, at the last follow-up (mean 18.5 months, range 2–60 months), all patients were alive and in continue CR. Despite very limited in number, these results suggest that rituximab is very effective in the treatment of PRCA complicating B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with aggressive NHL who fail initial treatment or subsequently relapse have a very poor outcome and less than 20–25% achieve a prolonged disease-free interval with salvage therapies. To improve the outcome of patients with refractory aggressive NHL not suitable for High Dose Therapy (HDT) and Autologous Stem Cell Transplant (ASCT), the efficacy of a combination of gemcitabine, vinorelbine, procarbazine and prednisone (ViGePP) were tested. Between November 1999 and September 2002, 69 patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive NHL were treated with ViGePP regimen, every 4 weeks up to six courses. At the end of planned chemotherapy patients could receive additional radiotherapy on residual masses or on sites of previously bulky disease. Sixty-six patients were available for evaluation of study end-points. Thirty patients were refractory to therapy and 36 patients had relapsed after remission obtained with previous therapy. At the end of therapy, complete remission (CR) rate was 23%, 3-year relapse free survival rate was 40% and 3-year overall survival rate was 25% for the whole series (29% and 20% for relapsed and refractory patients, respectively). Patients achieving CR with ViGePP had a significantly better survival as compared with the remaining ones ( p = 0.0003). ViGePP as used in the present setting has demonstrated a promising activity, comparable to other conventional dose regimens. Although CR was achieved only in a minority of patients, this was durable in a significant proportion of them. This regimen should be tested in less heavily pre-treated patients and probably in combination with new active agents such Rituximab. Further developments of this combination are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES:The aim of our study was to evaluate the nature of focal liver lesions detected during the ultrasound follow-up of a population (prevalently anti-hepatitis C virus [anti-HCV] positive) with chronic liver disease.METHODS:The study population consisted of 1827 consecutive newly diagnosed chronic liver disease cases without liver nodules at enrollment. Patients were screened at 4-month intervals by ultrasound and serum α-fetoprotein assessment. All lesions detected on imaging studies (except those accompanied by diagnostic α-fetoprotein levels) were subjected to biopsy (histology and cytology).RESULTS:During the 7-yr follow-up period (mean = 43.1 months), one or more solid focal lesions were found in 287 patients. α-Fetoprotein was diagnostic for hepatocellular carcinoma in 51 patients. Ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy was performed in the remaining 236 patients, yielding a diagnosis in 214: 198 hepatocellular carcinomas, 11 dysplastic nodules, and five B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (all confined to the liver and all in patients with chronic HCV infection). Twenty-two patients with nondiagnostic biopsies received diagnoses of hepatocellular carcinoma (20) or dysplastic nodules (two) based on arteriography or surgical biopsy.CONCLUSIONS:Focal lesions arising in patients with HCV-related chronic liver disease can be other than hepatocellular carcinoma, and ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy plays an important role in their diagnosis. The prevalence of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in this selected population was 0.31%. The fact that all five lymphoma patients had cirrhosis related to hepatitis C strengthens the hypothesis of an etiological correlation between the latter infection and B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents a letter to the editor of the periodical 'Leukemia & Lymphoma; concerning the management of primary gastric lymphoma (PGL). Survival of patients with PGL; Clinical features; Types of treatment.

Presents a letter to the editor of the periodical 'Leukemia & Lymphoma' concerning the evaluation of CD52 expression in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Functions of CD52; Antigenic density of CD52 on B- and T-lymphocytes; Detection of peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Doxorubicin is the most effective single agent in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Its use is limited because of the cardiac toxicity primarily in elderly patients (pts) and in pts with history of cardiac disease. Liposomal doxorubicin has been proven to reduce cardiotoxicity. The aim of this retrospective study was the use of nonpeghylated liposomal doxorubicin (NPLD) in term of efficacy, response rate and incidence of cardiac events. We retrospectively collected the experience of 33 Hematological Italian Centers in using NPLD. Nine hundred and forty-six consecutive pts treated with R-COMP (doxorubicin was substituted with NPLD, Myocet) were collected. Median age was 74 years, the reasons for use of NPLD were: age (466 pts), cardiac disease (298 pts), uncontrolled hypertension (126 pts), other reasons (56 pts). According to clinicians' evaluation, 49.9% of pts would not have used standard doxorubicin for different situations (age, cardiomyopathy, previous use of doxorubicin, and uncontrolled hypertension). Overall 687 pts (72.6%) obtained a complete remission (CR). About 5% (n = 51) of subjects developed major cardiotoxic events including heart failure (N = 31), ischemic heart disease (N = 16), acute heart attack (N = 3), and acute pulmonary oedema (N = 1). After a median follow-up of 32 months, 651 pts were alive and the overall survival (OS) was 72%. After a median observation period of 23 months disease free survival (DFS) was 58%. Either in univariate or in multivariate analysis OS and DFS were not significantly affected by age or cardiac disease. Our findings strongly support that including R-COMP is effective and safe when the population is at high risk of cardiac events and negatively selected. Moreover, the use of this NPLD permitted that about half of our population had the opportunity to receive the best available treatment., (© 2020 The Authors. Hematological Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)