B-Cell Lymphoma ICYMI

Back in 1997, a young Stanford (Calif.) University student named Christopher Flowers made his debut in the medical literature with a Nature Medicine report that called out the pharmaceutical industry for overlooking the crucial role of clinical investigators in drug development.

“My research uncovered a series of physicians who served as ‘clinical champions’ and dramatically sped the process of drug development,” Dr. Flowers recalled in an interview. “This early career research inspired me to become the type of clinical champion that I uncovered.”

MD Anderson Cancer Center

Over his career, hematologist-oncologist Dr. Flowers has developed lifesaving therapies for lymphoma, which has transformed into a highly treatable and even curable disease. He’s listed as a coauthor of hundreds of peer-reviewed cancer studies, reports, and medical society guidelines. And he’s revealed stark disparities in blood cancer care: His research shows that non-White patients suffer from worse outcomes, regardless of factors like income and insurance coverage.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, recently named physician-scientist Dr. Flowers as division head of cancer medicine, a position he’s held on an interim basis. As of Sept. 1, he will permanently oversee 300 faculty and more than 2,000 staff members.
 

A running start in Seattle

For Dr. Flowers, track and field is a sport that runs in the family. His grandfather was a top runner in both high school and college, and both Dr. Flowers and his brother ran competitively in Seattle, where they grew up. But Dr. Flowers chose a career in oncology, earning a medical degree at Stanford and master’s degrees at both Stanford and the University of Washington, Seattle.

The late Kenneth Melmon, MD, a groundbreaking pharmacologist, was a major influence. “He was one of the first people that I met when I began as an undergraduate at Stanford. We grew to be long-standing friends, and he demonstrated what outstanding mentorship looks like. In our research collaboration, we investigated the work of Dr. Gertrude Elion and Dr. George Hitchings involving the translation of pharmacological data from cellular and animal models to clinically useful drugs including 6-mercaptopurine, allopurinol, azathioprine, acyclovir, and zidovudine.”

The late Oliver Press, MD, a blood cancer specialist, inspired Dr. Flower’s interest in lymphoma. “I began work with him during an internship at the University of Washington. Ollie was a great inspiration and a key leader in the development of innovative therapies for lymphoma. He embodied the role of a clinical champion translating work in radioimmunotherapy to new therapeutics for patients with lymphomas. Working with him ultimately led me to pursue a career in hematology and oncology with a focus on the care for patients with lymphomas.”
 

Career blooms as lymphoma care advances

Dr. Flowers went on to Emory University, Atlanta, where he served as scientific director of the Research Informatics Shared Resource and a faculty member in the department of biomedical informatics. “I applied my training in informatics and my clinical expertise to support active grants from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund for Innovation in Regulatory Science and from the National Cancer Institute to develop informatics tools for pathology image analysis and prognostic modeling.”

For 13 years, he also served the Winship Cancer Institute as director of the Emory Healthcare lymphoma program (where his patients included Kansas City Chiefs football star Eric Berry), and for 4 years as scientific director of research informatics. Meanwhile, Dr. Flowers helped develop national practice guidelines for the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Cancer Society, and the American College of Radiology. He also chaired the ASCO guideline on management of febrile neutropenia.

In 2019, MD Anderson hired Dr. Flowers as chair of the department of lymphoma/myeloma. A year later, he was appointed division head ad interim for cancer medicine.

“Chris is a unique leader who expertly combines mentorship, sponsorship, and bidirectional open, honest communication,” said Sairah Ahmed, MD, associate professor of lymphoma at MD Anderson. “He doesn’t just empower his team to reach their goals. He also inspires those around him to turn vision into reality.”

As Dr. Flowers noted, many patients with lymphoma are now able to recover and live normal lives. He himself played a direct role himself in boosting lifespans.

“I have been fortunate to play a role in the development of several treatments that have led to advances in first-line therapy for patients with aggressive lymphomas. I partnered with others at MD Anderson, including Dr. Sattva Neelapu and Dr. Jason Westin, who have developed novel therapies like chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for patients with relapse lymphomas,” he said. “Leaders in the field at MD Anderson like Dr. Michael Wang have developed new oral treatments for patients with rare lymphoma subtypes like mantle cell lymphoma. Other colleagues such as Dr. Nathan Fowler and Dr. Loretta Nastoupil have focused on the care for patients with indolent lymphomas and developed less-toxic therapies that are now in common use.”
 

Exposing the disparities in blood cancer care

Dr. Flowers, who’s African American, has also been a leader in health disparity research. In 2016, for example, he was coauthor of a study into non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that revealed that Blacks in the United States have dramatically lower survival rates than Whites. The 10-year survival rate for Black women with chronic lymphocytic leukemia was just 47%, for example, compared with 66% for White females. “Although incidence rates of lymphoid neoplasms are generally higher among Whites, Black men tend to have poorer survival,” Dr. Flowers and colleagues wrote.

In a 2021 report for the ASCO Educational Book, Dr. Flowers and hematologist-oncologist Demetria Smith-Graziani, MD, now with Emory University, explored disparities across blood cancers and barriers to minority enrollment in clinical trials. “Some approaches that clinicians can apply to address these disparities include increasing systems-level awareness, improving access to care, and reducing biases in clinical setting,” the authors wrote.

Luis Malpica Castillo, MD, assistant professor of lymphoma at MD Anderson Cancer Center, lauded the work of Dr. Flowers in expanding opportunities for minority patients with the disease.

“During the past years, Dr. Flowers’ work has not only had a positive impact on the Texan community, but minority populations living with cancer in the United States and abroad,” he said. “Currently, we are implementing cancer care networks aimed to increase diversity in clinical trials by enrolling a larger number of Hispanic and African American patients, who otherwise may not have benefited from novel therapies. The ultimate goal is to provide high-quality care to all patients living with cancer.”

In addition to his research work, Dr. Flowers is an advocate for diversity within the hematology community. He’s a founding member and former chair of the American Society of Hematology’s Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (formerly the Committee on Promoting Diversity), and he helped develop the society’s Minority Recruitment Initiative.

What’s next for Dr. Flowers? For one, he plans to continue working as a mentor; he received the ASH Mentor Award in honor of his service in 2022. “I am strongly committed to increasing the number of tenure-track investigators trained in clinical and translational cancer research and to promote their career development.”

And he looks forward to helping develop MD Anderson’s recently announced $2.5 billion hospital in Austin. “This will extend the exceptional care that we provide as the No. 1 cancer center in the United States,” he said. “It will also create new opportunities for research and collaboration with experts at UT Austin.”

When he’s not in clinic, Dr. Flowers embraces his lifelong love of speeding through life on his own two feet. He’s even inspired his children to share his passion. “I run most days of the week,” he said. “Running provides a great opportunity to think and process new research ideas, work through leadership challenges, and sometimes just to relax and let go of the day.”

Back in 1997, a young Stanford (Calif.) University student named Christopher Flowers made his debut in the medical literature with a Nature Medicine report that called out the pharmaceutical industry for overlooking the crucial role of clinical investigators in drug development.

“My research uncovered a series of physicians who served as ‘clinical champions’ and dramatically sped the process of drug development,” Dr. Flowers recalled in an interview. “This early career research inspired me to become the type of clinical champion that I uncovered.”

MD Anderson Cancer Center

Over his career, hematologist-oncologist Dr. Flowers has developed lifesaving therapies for lymphoma, which has transformed into a highly treatable and even curable disease. He’s listed as a coauthor of hundreds of peer-reviewed cancer studies, reports, and medical society guidelines. And he’s revealed stark disparities in blood cancer care: His research shows that non-White patients suffer from worse outcomes, regardless of factors like income and insurance coverage.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, recently named physician-scientist Dr. Flowers as division head of cancer medicine, a position he’s held on an interim basis. As of Sept. 1, he will permanently oversee 300 faculty and more than 2,000 staff members.
 

A running start in Seattle

For Dr. Flowers, track and field is a sport that runs in the family. His grandfather was a top runner in both high school and college, and both Dr. Flowers and his brother ran competitively in Seattle, where they grew up. But Dr. Flowers chose a career in oncology, earning a medical degree at Stanford and master’s degrees at both Stanford and the University of Washington, Seattle.

The late Kenneth Melmon, MD, a groundbreaking pharmacologist, was a major influence. “He was one of the first people that I met when I began as an undergraduate at Stanford. We grew to be long-standing friends, and he demonstrated what outstanding mentorship looks like. In our research collaboration, we investigated the work of Dr. Gertrude Elion and Dr. George Hitchings involving the translation of pharmacological data from cellular and animal models to clinically useful drugs including 6-mercaptopurine, allopurinol, azathioprine, acyclovir, and zidovudine.”

The late Oliver Press, MD, a blood cancer specialist, inspired Dr. Flower’s interest in lymphoma. “I began work with him during an internship at the University of Washington. Ollie was a great inspiration and a key leader in the development of innovative therapies for lymphoma. He embodied the role of a clinical champion translating work in radioimmunotherapy to new therapeutics for patients with lymphomas. Working with him ultimately led me to pursue a career in hematology and oncology with a focus on the care for patients with lymphomas.”
 

Career blooms as lymphoma care advances

Dr. Flowers went on to Emory University, Atlanta, where he served as scientific director of the Research Informatics Shared Resource and a faculty member in the department of biomedical informatics. “I applied my training in informatics and my clinical expertise to support active grants from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund for Innovation in Regulatory Science and from the National Cancer Institute to develop informatics tools for pathology image analysis and prognostic modeling.”

For 13 years, he also served the Winship Cancer Institute as director of the Emory Healthcare lymphoma program (where his patients included Kansas City Chiefs football star Eric Berry), and for 4 years as scientific director of research informatics. Meanwhile, Dr. Flowers helped develop national practice guidelines for the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Cancer Society, and the American College of Radiology. He also chaired the ASCO guideline on management of febrile neutropenia.

In 2019, MD Anderson hired Dr. Flowers as chair of the department of lymphoma/myeloma. A year later, he was appointed division head ad interim for cancer medicine.

“Chris is a unique leader who expertly combines mentorship, sponsorship, and bidirectional open, honest communication,” said Sairah Ahmed, MD, associate professor of lymphoma at MD Anderson. “He doesn’t just empower his team to reach their goals. He also inspires those around him to turn vision into reality.”

As Dr. Flowers noted, many patients with lymphoma are now able to recover and live normal lives. He himself played a direct role himself in boosting lifespans.

“I have been fortunate to play a role in the development of several treatments that have led to advances in first-line therapy for patients with aggressive lymphomas. I partnered with others at MD Anderson, including Dr. Sattva Neelapu and Dr. Jason Westin, who have developed novel therapies like chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for patients with relapse lymphomas,” he said. “Leaders in the field at MD Anderson like Dr. Michael Wang have developed new oral treatments for patients with rare lymphoma subtypes like mantle cell lymphoma. Other colleagues such as Dr. Nathan Fowler and Dr. Loretta Nastoupil have focused on the care for patients with indolent lymphomas and developed less-toxic therapies that are now in common use.”
 

Exposing the disparities in blood cancer care

Dr. Flowers, who’s African American, has also been a leader in health disparity research. In 2016, for example, he was coauthor of a study into non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that revealed that Blacks in the United States have dramatically lower survival rates than Whites. The 10-year survival rate for Black women with chronic lymphocytic leukemia was just 47%, for example, compared with 66% for White females. “Although incidence rates of lymphoid neoplasms are generally higher among Whites, Black men tend to have poorer survival,” Dr. Flowers and colleagues wrote.

In a 2021 report for the ASCO Educational Book, Dr. Flowers and hematologist-oncologist Demetria Smith-Graziani, MD, now with Emory University, explored disparities across blood cancers and barriers to minority enrollment in clinical trials. “Some approaches that clinicians can apply to address these disparities include increasing systems-level awareness, improving access to care, and reducing biases in clinical setting,” the authors wrote.

Luis Malpica Castillo, MD, assistant professor of lymphoma at MD Anderson Cancer Center, lauded the work of Dr. Flowers in expanding opportunities for minority patients with the disease.

“During the past years, Dr. Flowers’ work has not only had a positive impact on the Texan community, but minority populations living with cancer in the United States and abroad,” he said. “Currently, we are implementing cancer care networks aimed to increase diversity in clinical trials by enrolling a larger number of Hispanic and African American patients, who otherwise may not have benefited from novel therapies. The ultimate goal is to provide high-quality care to all patients living with cancer.”

In addition to his research work, Dr. Flowers is an advocate for diversity within the hematology community. He’s a founding member and former chair of the American Society of Hematology’s Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (formerly the Committee on Promoting Diversity), and he helped develop the society’s Minority Recruitment Initiative.

What’s next for Dr. Flowers? For one, he plans to continue working as a mentor; he received the ASH Mentor Award in honor of his service in 2022. “I am strongly committed to increasing the number of tenure-track investigators trained in clinical and translational cancer research and to promote their career development.”

And he looks forward to helping develop MD Anderson’s recently announced $2.5 billion hospital in Austin. “This will extend the exceptional care that we provide as the No. 1 cancer center in the United States,” he said. “It will also create new opportunities for research and collaboration with experts at UT Austin.”

When he’s not in clinic, Dr. Flowers embraces his lifelong love of speeding through life on his own two feet. He’s even inspired his children to share his passion. “I run most days of the week,” he said. “Running provides a great opportunity to think and process new research ideas, work through leadership challenges, and sometimes just to relax and let go of the day.”

Back in 1997, a young Stanford (Calif.) University student named Christopher Flowers made his debut in the medical literature with a Nature Medicine report that called out the pharmaceutical industry for overlooking the crucial role of clinical investigators in drug development.

“My research uncovered a series of physicians who served as ‘clinical champions’ and dramatically sped the process of drug development,” Dr. Flowers recalled in an interview. “This early career research inspired me to become the type of clinical champion that I uncovered.”

MD Anderson Cancer Center

Over his career, hematologist-oncologist Dr. Flowers has developed lifesaving therapies for lymphoma, which has transformed into a highly treatable and even curable disease. He’s listed as a coauthor of hundreds of peer-reviewed cancer studies, reports, and medical society guidelines. And he’s revealed stark disparities in blood cancer care: His research shows that non-White patients suffer from worse outcomes, regardless of factors like income and insurance coverage.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, recently named physician-scientist Dr. Flowers as division head of cancer medicine, a position he’s held on an interim basis. As of Sept. 1, he will permanently oversee 300 faculty and more than 2,000 staff members.
 

A running start in Seattle

For Dr. Flowers, track and field is a sport that runs in the family. His grandfather was a top runner in both high school and college, and both Dr. Flowers and his brother ran competitively in Seattle, where they grew up. But Dr. Flowers chose a career in oncology, earning a medical degree at Stanford and master’s degrees at both Stanford and the University of Washington, Seattle.

The late Kenneth Melmon, MD, a groundbreaking pharmacologist, was a major influence. “He was one of the first people that I met when I began as an undergraduate at Stanford. We grew to be long-standing friends, and he demonstrated what outstanding mentorship looks like. In our research collaboration, we investigated the work of Dr. Gertrude Elion and Dr. George Hitchings involving the translation of pharmacological data from cellular and animal models to clinically useful drugs including 6-mercaptopurine, allopurinol, azathioprine, acyclovir, and zidovudine.”

The late Oliver Press, MD, a blood cancer specialist, inspired Dr. Flower’s interest in lymphoma. “I began work with him during an internship at the University of Washington. Ollie was a great inspiration and a key leader in the development of innovative therapies for lymphoma. He embodied the role of a clinical champion translating work in radioimmunotherapy to new therapeutics for patients with lymphomas. Working with him ultimately led me to pursue a career in hematology and oncology with a focus on the care for patients with lymphomas.”
 

Career blooms as lymphoma care advances

Dr. Flowers went on to Emory University, Atlanta, where he served as scientific director of the Research Informatics Shared Resource and a faculty member in the department of biomedical informatics. “I applied my training in informatics and my clinical expertise to support active grants from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund for Innovation in Regulatory Science and from the National Cancer Institute to develop informatics tools for pathology image analysis and prognostic modeling.”

For 13 years, he also served the Winship Cancer Institute as director of the Emory Healthcare lymphoma program (where his patients included Kansas City Chiefs football star Eric Berry), and for 4 years as scientific director of research informatics. Meanwhile, Dr. Flowers helped develop national practice guidelines for the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Cancer Society, and the American College of Radiology. He also chaired the ASCO guideline on management of febrile neutropenia.

In 2019, MD Anderson hired Dr. Flowers as chair of the department of lymphoma/myeloma. A year later, he was appointed division head ad interim for cancer medicine.

“Chris is a unique leader who expertly combines mentorship, sponsorship, and bidirectional open, honest communication,” said Sairah Ahmed, MD, associate professor of lymphoma at MD Anderson. “He doesn’t just empower his team to reach their goals. He also inspires those around him to turn vision into reality.”

As Dr. Flowers noted, many patients with lymphoma are now able to recover and live normal lives. He himself played a direct role himself in boosting lifespans.

“I have been fortunate to play a role in the development of several treatments that have led to advances in first-line therapy for patients with aggressive lymphomas. I partnered with others at MD Anderson, including Dr. Sattva Neelapu and Dr. Jason Westin, who have developed novel therapies like chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for patients with relapse lymphomas,” he said. “Leaders in the field at MD Anderson like Dr. Michael Wang have developed new oral treatments for patients with rare lymphoma subtypes like mantle cell lymphoma. Other colleagues such as Dr. Nathan Fowler and Dr. Loretta Nastoupil have focused on the care for patients with indolent lymphomas and developed less-toxic therapies that are now in common use.”
 

Exposing the disparities in blood cancer care

Dr. Flowers, who’s African American, has also been a leader in health disparity research. In 2016, for example, he was coauthor of a study into non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that revealed that Blacks in the United States have dramatically lower survival rates than Whites. The 10-year survival rate for Black women with chronic lymphocytic leukemia was just 47%, for example, compared with 66% for White females. “Although incidence rates of lymphoid neoplasms are generally higher among Whites, Black men tend to have poorer survival,” Dr. Flowers and colleagues wrote.

In a 2021 report for the ASCO Educational Book, Dr. Flowers and hematologist-oncologist Demetria Smith-Graziani, MD, now with Emory University, explored disparities across blood cancers and barriers to minority enrollment in clinical trials. “Some approaches that clinicians can apply to address these disparities include increasing systems-level awareness, improving access to care, and reducing biases in clinical setting,” the authors wrote.

Luis Malpica Castillo, MD, assistant professor of lymphoma at MD Anderson Cancer Center, lauded the work of Dr. Flowers in expanding opportunities for minority patients with the disease.

“During the past years, Dr. Flowers’ work has not only had a positive impact on the Texan community, but minority populations living with cancer in the United States and abroad,” he said. “Currently, we are implementing cancer care networks aimed to increase diversity in clinical trials by enrolling a larger number of Hispanic and African American patients, who otherwise may not have benefited from novel therapies. The ultimate goal is to provide high-quality care to all patients living with cancer.”

In addition to his research work, Dr. Flowers is an advocate for diversity within the hematology community. He’s a founding member and former chair of the American Society of Hematology’s Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (formerly the Committee on Promoting Diversity), and he helped develop the society’s Minority Recruitment Initiative.

What’s next for Dr. Flowers? For one, he plans to continue working as a mentor; he received the ASH Mentor Award in honor of his service in 2022. “I am strongly committed to increasing the number of tenure-track investigators trained in clinical and translational cancer research and to promote their career development.”

And he looks forward to helping develop MD Anderson’s recently announced $2.5 billion hospital in Austin. “This will extend the exceptional care that we provide as the No. 1 cancer center in the United States,” he said. “It will also create new opportunities for research and collaboration with experts at UT Austin.”

When he’s not in clinic, Dr. Flowers embraces his lifelong love of speeding through life on his own two feet. He’s even inspired his children to share his passion. “I run most days of the week,” he said. “Running provides a great opportunity to think and process new research ideas, work through leadership challenges, and sometimes just to relax and let go of the day.”

Key clinical point: A low (below cutoff) geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) score is significantly associated with worse prognosis in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Major finding: A low GNRI score was significantly associated with worse overall survival (pooled hazard ratio [pHR] 1.78; P < .01) and progression-free survival (pHR 2.31; P < .01).

Study details: This meta-analysis included seven retrospective cohort studies that provided a cutoff value for GNRI (between 92 and 104.24) and involved 2448 patients with DLBCL for whom a calculated GNRI score was available.

Disclosures: This study was supported by Key R&D Projects, Jiangxi. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Yan C et al. Prognostic value of geriatric nutritional risk index in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A meta-analysis. Clin Transl Oncol. 2023 (Jul 12). doi: 10.1007/s12094-023-03271-w

Key clinical point: A low (below cutoff) geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) score is significantly associated with worse prognosis in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Major finding: A low GNRI score was significantly associated with worse overall survival (pooled hazard ratio [pHR] 1.78; P < .01) and progression-free survival (pHR 2.31; P < .01).

Study details: This meta-analysis included seven retrospective cohort studies that provided a cutoff value for GNRI (between 92 and 104.24) and involved 2448 patients with DLBCL for whom a calculated GNRI score was available.

Disclosures: This study was supported by Key R&D Projects, Jiangxi. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Yan C et al. Prognostic value of geriatric nutritional risk index in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A meta-analysis. Clin Transl Oncol. 2023 (Jul 12). doi: 10.1007/s12094-023-03271-w

Key clinical point: A low (below cutoff) geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) score is significantly associated with worse prognosis in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Major finding: A low GNRI score was significantly associated with worse overall survival (pooled hazard ratio [pHR] 1.78; P < .01) and progression-free survival (pHR 2.31; P < .01).

Study details: This meta-analysis included seven retrospective cohort studies that provided a cutoff value for GNRI (between 92 and 104.24) and involved 2448 patients with DLBCL for whom a calculated GNRI score was available.

Disclosures: This study was supported by Key R&D Projects, Jiangxi. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Yan C et al. Prognostic value of geriatric nutritional risk index in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A meta-analysis. Clin Transl Oncol. 2023 (Jul 12). doi: 10.1007/s12094-023-03271-w

Key clinical point: Serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 at diagnosis may serve as predictors of treatment response and prognosis in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Major finding: Patients with partial or no rresponse vs complete response to treatment had significantly higher serum IL-6 (P = .009) and IL-10 (P < .001) levels. High serum IL-6 (≥ 4.5 pg/mL) and IL-10 (≥ 5.0 pg/mL) levels were independent prognostic factors for relapse (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.524; P = .003, and aHR 1.835; P = .007, respectively) and survival (aHR 2.012; P = .031, and aHR 5.312; P = .017, respectively).

Study details: This single-center retrospective study included 77 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL and 77 matched control individuals without DLBCL.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Bao C et al. Cytokine profiles in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: IL-6 and IL-10 levels are associated with adverse clinical features and poor outcomes. Cytokine. 2023;169:156289 (Jul 13). doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2023.156289

Key clinical point: Serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 at diagnosis may serve as predictors of treatment response and prognosis in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Major finding: Patients with partial or no rresponse vs complete response to treatment had significantly higher serum IL-6 (P = .009) and IL-10 (P < .001) levels. High serum IL-6 (≥ 4.5 pg/mL) and IL-10 (≥ 5.0 pg/mL) levels were independent prognostic factors for relapse (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.524; P = .003, and aHR 1.835; P = .007, respectively) and survival (aHR 2.012; P = .031, and aHR 5.312; P = .017, respectively).

Study details: This single-center retrospective study included 77 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL and 77 matched control individuals without DLBCL.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Bao C et al. Cytokine profiles in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: IL-6 and IL-10 levels are associated with adverse clinical features and poor outcomes. Cytokine. 2023;169:156289 (Jul 13). doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2023.156289

Key clinical point: Serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 at diagnosis may serve as predictors of treatment response and prognosis in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Major finding: Patients with partial or no rresponse vs complete response to treatment had significantly higher serum IL-6 (P = .009) and IL-10 (P < .001) levels. High serum IL-6 (≥ 4.5 pg/mL) and IL-10 (≥ 5.0 pg/mL) levels were independent prognostic factors for relapse (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.524; P = .003, and aHR 1.835; P = .007, respectively) and survival (aHR 2.012; P = .031, and aHR 5.312; P = .017, respectively).

Study details: This single-center retrospective study included 77 patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL and 77 matched control individuals without DLBCL.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Bao C et al. Cytokine profiles in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: IL-6 and IL-10 levels are associated with adverse clinical features and poor outcomes. Cytokine. 2023;169:156289 (Jul 13). doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2023.156289

Key clinical point: Compared with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CVP) or cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP), bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) improved survival but led to increased hospital admissions for infections in patients with indolent B-cell lymphoma (BCL).

Major finding: Patients receiving BR vs R-CVP or R-CHOP had a significantly higher 5-year overall survival (80% vs 75%; adjusted hazard ratio 0.79; P < .01) but increased hospital admissions for infections during the first 9 months (21.9% vs 17.3%) and 36 months (41.2% vs 33.6%)  (both P < .01).

Study details: This retrospective real-world cohort study propensity-score matched patients with indolent BCL (mostly follicular lymphoma with other subtypes being marginal zone, lymphoplasmacytic, and small lymphocytic lymphoma, and hairy cell leukemia) who received BR (n = 2032) and those who received R-CVP or R-CHOP (n = 2032).

Disclosures: This study was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Long-Term Care, Canada. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Suleman A et al. Outcomes of patients with indolent lymphoma treated with bendamustine plus rituximab compared to rituximab plus CVP or CHOP chemoimmunotherapy in Ontario. Br J Haematol. 2023 (Jul 20). doi: 10.1111/bjh.18972

Key clinical point: Compared with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CVP) or cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP), bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) improved survival but led to increased hospital admissions for infections in patients with indolent B-cell lymphoma (BCL).

Major finding: Patients receiving BR vs R-CVP or R-CHOP had a significantly higher 5-year overall survival (80% vs 75%; adjusted hazard ratio 0.79; P < .01) but increased hospital admissions for infections during the first 9 months (21.9% vs 17.3%) and 36 months (41.2% vs 33.6%)  (both P < .01).

Study details: This retrospective real-world cohort study propensity-score matched patients with indolent BCL (mostly follicular lymphoma with other subtypes being marginal zone, lymphoplasmacytic, and small lymphocytic lymphoma, and hairy cell leukemia) who received BR (n = 2032) and those who received R-CVP or R-CHOP (n = 2032).

Disclosures: This study was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Long-Term Care, Canada. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Suleman A et al. Outcomes of patients with indolent lymphoma treated with bendamustine plus rituximab compared to rituximab plus CVP or CHOP chemoimmunotherapy in Ontario. Br J Haematol. 2023 (Jul 20). doi: 10.1111/bjh.18972

Key clinical point: Compared with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CVP) or cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP), bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) improved survival but led to increased hospital admissions for infections in patients with indolent B-cell lymphoma (BCL).

Major finding: Patients receiving BR vs R-CVP or R-CHOP had a significantly higher 5-year overall survival (80% vs 75%; adjusted hazard ratio 0.79; P < .01) but increased hospital admissions for infections during the first 9 months (21.9% vs 17.3%) and 36 months (41.2% vs 33.6%)  (both P < .01).

Study details: This retrospective real-world cohort study propensity-score matched patients with indolent BCL (mostly follicular lymphoma with other subtypes being marginal zone, lymphoplasmacytic, and small lymphocytic lymphoma, and hairy cell leukemia) who received BR (n = 2032) and those who received R-CVP or R-CHOP (n = 2032).

Disclosures: This study was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Long-Term Care, Canada. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Suleman A et al. Outcomes of patients with indolent lymphoma treated with bendamustine plus rituximab compared to rituximab plus CVP or CHOP chemoimmunotherapy in Ontario. Br J Haematol. 2023 (Jul 20). doi: 10.1111/bjh.18972

Key clinical point: Lenalidomide combined with rituximab + etoposide, cytarabine, cisplatinum, and methylprednisolone (LR-ESHAP) shows promising efficacy and manageable toxicity and is a feasible salvage regimen before autologous stem-cell transplantation in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Major finding: The overall and complete response rates were 67% (95% CI 52%-81%) and 35% (95% CI 21%-50%), respectively. At a 41-month median follow-up, the median progression-free, overall, and event-free survival were 16 months (95% CI 4-28), 22 months (95% CI not estimable), and 7 months (95% CI 0-20), respectively. The most common grade ≥3 adverse events were thrombocytopenia (70%) and neutropenia (67%).

Study details: This phase 2 study included 46 adult patients with DLBCL who had relapsed after or were refractory to first-line therapy and received three cycles of LR-ESHAP.

Disclosures: This study was supported by the GELTAMO group (Spain) and Celgene Corporation. Some authors declared receiving consulting fees, research funding, travel support, or honoraria for lectures, presentations, or participation in speakers' bureaus or educational events from various sources, including Celgene. Fourteen authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Martín García-Sancho A et al. Lenalidomide in combination with R-ESHAP in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A phase 2 study from GELTAMO. Br J Haematol. 2023 (Jul 23). doi: 10.1111/bjh.18989

Key clinical point: Lenalidomide combined with rituximab + etoposide, cytarabine, cisplatinum, and methylprednisolone (LR-ESHAP) shows promising efficacy and manageable toxicity and is a feasible salvage regimen before autologous stem-cell transplantation in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Major finding: The overall and complete response rates were 67% (95% CI 52%-81%) and 35% (95% CI 21%-50%), respectively. At a 41-month median follow-up, the median progression-free, overall, and event-free survival were 16 months (95% CI 4-28), 22 months (95% CI not estimable), and 7 months (95% CI 0-20), respectively. The most common grade ≥3 adverse events were thrombocytopenia (70%) and neutropenia (67%).

Study details: This phase 2 study included 46 adult patients with DLBCL who had relapsed after or were refractory to first-line therapy and received three cycles of LR-ESHAP.

Disclosures: This study was supported by the GELTAMO group (Spain) and Celgene Corporation. Some authors declared receiving consulting fees, research funding, travel support, or honoraria for lectures, presentations, or participation in speakers' bureaus or educational events from various sources, including Celgene. Fourteen authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Martín García-Sancho A et al. Lenalidomide in combination with R-ESHAP in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A phase 2 study from GELTAMO. Br J Haematol. 2023 (Jul 23). doi: 10.1111/bjh.18989

Key clinical point: Lenalidomide combined with rituximab + etoposide, cytarabine, cisplatinum, and methylprednisolone (LR-ESHAP) shows promising efficacy and manageable toxicity and is a feasible salvage regimen before autologous stem-cell transplantation in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Major finding: The overall and complete response rates were 67% (95% CI 52%-81%) and 35% (95% CI 21%-50%), respectively. At a 41-month median follow-up, the median progression-free, overall, and event-free survival were 16 months (95% CI 4-28), 22 months (95% CI not estimable), and 7 months (95% CI 0-20), respectively. The most common grade ≥3 adverse events were thrombocytopenia (70%) and neutropenia (67%).

Study details: This phase 2 study included 46 adult patients with DLBCL who had relapsed after or were refractory to first-line therapy and received three cycles of LR-ESHAP.

Disclosures: This study was supported by the GELTAMO group (Spain) and Celgene Corporation. Some authors declared receiving consulting fees, research funding, travel support, or honoraria for lectures, presentations, or participation in speakers' bureaus or educational events from various sources, including Celgene. Fourteen authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Source: Martín García-Sancho A et al. Lenalidomide in combination with R-ESHAP in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A phase 2 study from GELTAMO. Br J Haematol. 2023 (Jul 23). doi: 10.1111/bjh.18989

Key clinical point: Idelalisib demonstrated long-term efficacy in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and despite having a relatively higher toxicity profile than other targeted therapeutics, can be used in such patients in the absence of alternative therapies.

Major finding: The overall response rate was 65%, with 1 patient achieving complete remission. At a median follow-up of 33.6 months, the median progression-free survival was 16.4 months (95% CI 10.4-26.3), whereas the median overall survival was not reached. Grade ≥ 3 adverse events occurred in 10 patients. The most common serious adverse event was grade ≥ 3 infection (65%).

Study details: This real-world observational retrospective study included 37 patients with CLL (for up to 2.5 years after idelalisib approval in 2014) who had relapsed after or were refractory to ≥ 1 prior lines of therapy and received idelalisib with or without concomitant rituximab.

Disclosures: This study was supported by grants from AFA Insurance (Australia), the Swedish Cancer Society, and others. Three authors declared receiving research grants or honoraria from various sources. The other authors did not have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

Source: Mattsson A et al. Idelalisib (PI3Kδ inhibitor) therapy for patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A Swedish nation-wide real-world report on consecutively identified patients. Eur J Haematol. 2023 (Jul 27). doi: 10.1111/ejh.14065

Key clinical point: Idelalisib demonstrated long-term efficacy in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and despite having a relatively higher toxicity profile than other targeted therapeutics, can be used in such patients in the absence of alternative therapies.

Major finding: The overall response rate was 65%, with 1 patient achieving complete remission. At a median follow-up of 33.6 months, the median progression-free survival was 16.4 months (95% CI 10.4-26.3), whereas the median overall survival was not reached. Grade ≥ 3 adverse events occurred in 10 patients. The most common serious adverse event was grade ≥ 3 infection (65%).

Study details: This real-world observational retrospective study included 37 patients with CLL (for up to 2.5 years after idelalisib approval in 2014) who had relapsed after or were refractory to ≥ 1 prior lines of therapy and received idelalisib with or without concomitant rituximab.

Disclosures: This study was supported by grants from AFA Insurance (Australia), the Swedish Cancer Society, and others. Three authors declared receiving research grants or honoraria from various sources. The other authors did not have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

Source: Mattsson A et al. Idelalisib (PI3Kδ inhibitor) therapy for patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A Swedish nation-wide real-world report on consecutively identified patients. Eur J Haematol. 2023 (Jul 27). doi: 10.1111/ejh.14065

Key clinical point: Idelalisib demonstrated long-term efficacy in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and despite having a relatively higher toxicity profile than other targeted therapeutics, can be used in such patients in the absence of alternative therapies.

Major finding: The overall response rate was 65%, with 1 patient achieving complete remission. At a median follow-up of 33.6 months, the median progression-free survival was 16.4 months (95% CI 10.4-26.3), whereas the median overall survival was not reached. Grade ≥ 3 adverse events occurred in 10 patients. The most common serious adverse event was grade ≥ 3 infection (65%).

Study details: This real-world observational retrospective study included 37 patients with CLL (for up to 2.5 years after idelalisib approval in 2014) who had relapsed after or were refractory to ≥ 1 prior lines of therapy and received idelalisib with or without concomitant rituximab.

Disclosures: This study was supported by grants from AFA Insurance (Australia), the Swedish Cancer Society, and others. Three authors declared receiving research grants or honoraria from various sources. The other authors did not have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

Source: Mattsson A et al. Idelalisib (PI3Kδ inhibitor) therapy for patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A Swedish nation-wide real-world report on consecutively identified patients. Eur J Haematol. 2023 (Jul 27). doi: 10.1111/ejh.14065

Key clinical point: Compared with obinutuzumab alone, obinutuzumab combined with zanubrutinib significantly improved outcomes in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) without causing safety concerns.

Major finding: At a median follow-up of 20.2 months, patients receiving zanubrutinib + obinutuzumab vs single-agent obinutuzumab had a significantly higher overall response rate (69% vs 46%; P = .001) and longer median progression-free survival (28.0 vs 10.4 months; hazard ratio 0.50; P < .001). The safety profile of zanubrutinib + obinutuzumab was consistent with the known safety profile of the individual drugs.

Study details: Findings are from the phase 2 ROSEWOOD study including 217 patients with FL who were refractory to or had relapsed after ≥ 2 prior systemic treatments, including an anti-CD20 antibody and alkylating agent, and were randomly assigned to receive zanubrutinib + obinutuzumab (n = 145) or Obinutuzumab alone (n = 72).

Disclosures: This study was sponsored by BeiGene. No information on conflicts of interest was provided.

Source: Zinzani PL et al. ROSEWOOD: A phase II randomized study of zanubrutinib plus obinutuzumab versus obinutuzumab monotherapy in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma. J Clin Oncol. 2023 (Jul 28). doi: 10.1200/JCO.23.00775

Key clinical point: Compared with obinutuzumab alone, obinutuzumab combined with zanubrutinib significantly improved outcomes in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) without causing safety concerns.

Major finding: At a median follow-up of 20.2 months, patients receiving zanubrutinib + obinutuzumab vs single-agent obinutuzumab had a significantly higher overall response rate (69% vs 46%; P = .001) and longer median progression-free survival (28.0 vs 10.4 months; hazard ratio 0.50; P < .001). The safety profile of zanubrutinib + obinutuzumab was consistent with the known safety profile of the individual drugs.

Study details: Findings are from the phase 2 ROSEWOOD study including 217 patients with FL who were refractory to or had relapsed after ≥ 2 prior systemic treatments, including an anti-CD20 antibody and alkylating agent, and were randomly assigned to receive zanubrutinib + obinutuzumab (n = 145) or Obinutuzumab alone (n = 72).

Disclosures: This study was sponsored by BeiGene. No information on conflicts of interest was provided.

Source: Zinzani PL et al. ROSEWOOD: A phase II randomized study of zanubrutinib plus obinutuzumab versus obinutuzumab monotherapy in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma. J Clin Oncol. 2023 (Jul 28). doi: 10.1200/JCO.23.00775

Key clinical point: Compared with obinutuzumab alone, obinutuzumab combined with zanubrutinib significantly improved outcomes in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) without causing safety concerns.

Major finding: At a median follow-up of 20.2 months, patients receiving zanubrutinib + obinutuzumab vs single-agent obinutuzumab had a significantly higher overall response rate (69% vs 46%; P = .001) and longer median progression-free survival (28.0 vs 10.4 months; hazard ratio 0.50; P < .001). The safety profile of zanubrutinib + obinutuzumab was consistent with the known safety profile of the individual drugs.

Study details: Findings are from the phase 2 ROSEWOOD study including 217 patients with FL who were refractory to or had relapsed after ≥ 2 prior systemic treatments, including an anti-CD20 antibody and alkylating agent, and were randomly assigned to receive zanubrutinib + obinutuzumab (n = 145) or Obinutuzumab alone (n = 72).

Disclosures: This study was sponsored by BeiGene. No information on conflicts of interest was provided.

Source: Zinzani PL et al. ROSEWOOD: A phase II randomized study of zanubrutinib plus obinutuzumab versus obinutuzumab monotherapy in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma. J Clin Oncol. 2023 (Jul 28). doi: 10.1200/JCO.23.00775

Key clinical point: The addition of rituximab (R) to standard cyclophosphamide, doxorubicine, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) first-line therapy significantly prolongs failure-free survival (FFS), overall survival (OS), and the duration of response (DOR) in patients with previously untreated, advanced-stage mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Major finding: At a median follow-up of 13.4 years, the R-CHOP vs CHOP group had significantly longer median FFS (2.07 vs 1.36 years; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.62; P < .0001), OS (5.81 vs 4.84 years; aHR 0.78; P = .039), and DOR (2.08 vs 1.48 years; aHR 0.67; P = .0012). No clinically meaningful differences in late toxicities were observed between the groups.

Study details: This long-term pooled trials analysis of two prospective randomized trials included 385 adult patients with untreated advanced-stage MCL who were randomly assigned to receive CHOP (n = 201) or R-CHOP (n = 184).

Disclosures: This study did not receive any specific funding. Some authors declared serving as advisors, consultants, or board members for or receiving research funding, travel support, or honoraria from various sources.

Source: Fischer L et al on behalf of the German Lymphoma Alliance (GLA) and the German Low-Grade Lymphoma Study Group (GLSG). The addition of rituximab to chemotherapy improves overall survival in mantle cell lymphoma-A pooled trials analysis. Ann Hematol. 2023 (Aug 8). doi: 10.1007/s00277-023-05385-1

Key clinical point: The addition of rituximab (R) to standard cyclophosphamide, doxorubicine, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) first-line therapy significantly prolongs failure-free survival (FFS), overall survival (OS), and the duration of response (DOR) in patients with previously untreated, advanced-stage mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Major finding: At a median follow-up of 13.4 years, the R-CHOP vs CHOP group had significantly longer median FFS (2.07 vs 1.36 years; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.62; P < .0001), OS (5.81 vs 4.84 years; aHR 0.78; P = .039), and DOR (2.08 vs 1.48 years; aHR 0.67; P = .0012). No clinically meaningful differences in late toxicities were observed between the groups.

Study details: This long-term pooled trials analysis of two prospective randomized trials included 385 adult patients with untreated advanced-stage MCL who were randomly assigned to receive CHOP (n = 201) or R-CHOP (n = 184).

Disclosures: This study did not receive any specific funding. Some authors declared serving as advisors, consultants, or board members for or receiving research funding, travel support, or honoraria from various sources.

Source: Fischer L et al on behalf of the German Lymphoma Alliance (GLA) and the German Low-Grade Lymphoma Study Group (GLSG). The addition of rituximab to chemotherapy improves overall survival in mantle cell lymphoma-A pooled trials analysis. Ann Hematol. 2023 (Aug 8). doi: 10.1007/s00277-023-05385-1

Key clinical point: The addition of rituximab (R) to standard cyclophosphamide, doxorubicine, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) first-line therapy significantly prolongs failure-free survival (FFS), overall survival (OS), and the duration of response (DOR) in patients with previously untreated, advanced-stage mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Major finding: At a median follow-up of 13.4 years, the R-CHOP vs CHOP group had significantly longer median FFS (2.07 vs 1.36 years; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.62; P < .0001), OS (5.81 vs 4.84 years; aHR 0.78; P = .039), and DOR (2.08 vs 1.48 years; aHR 0.67; P = .0012). No clinically meaningful differences in late toxicities were observed between the groups.

Study details: This long-term pooled trials analysis of two prospective randomized trials included 385 adult patients with untreated advanced-stage MCL who were randomly assigned to receive CHOP (n = 201) or R-CHOP (n = 184).

Disclosures: This study did not receive any specific funding. Some authors declared serving as advisors, consultants, or board members for or receiving research funding, travel support, or honoraria from various sources.

Source: Fischer L et al on behalf of the German Lymphoma Alliance (GLA) and the German Low-Grade Lymphoma Study Group (GLSG). The addition of rituximab to chemotherapy improves overall survival in mantle cell lymphoma-A pooled trials analysis. Ann Hematol. 2023 (Aug 8). doi: 10.1007/s00277-023-05385-1

Key clinical point: Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) results in long-term disease control in patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), including those with TP53-mutated disease, and should be considered for earlier use in these high-risk patients who are unresponsive to conventional chemoimmunotherapy.

Major finding: The estimated overall survival rates were 56% (95% CI 36%-72%) at 10 years for the overall cohort and 59% (95% CI 21%-75%) at 4 years for patients with TP53-mutated disease at median follow-ups of 10.8 and 4.2 years, respectively. No relapses were observed in the TP53-mutated subset beyond 6 months after transplantation.

Study details: This retrospective study included 36 patients who underwent alloSCT for MCL, including 13 patients with TP53-mutated disease.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. Some authors declared serving as advisory board members for or receiving honoraria, research funding, or speaker fees from various sources.

Source: Lew TE et al. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation achieves long-term remissions in mantle cell lymphoma, including in TP53-mutated disease. Leuk Lymphoma. 2023 (Aug 2). doi: 10.1080/10428194.2023.2241095

Key clinical point: Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) results in long-term disease control in patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), including those with TP53-mutated disease, and should be considered for earlier use in these high-risk patients who are unresponsive to conventional chemoimmunotherapy.

Major finding: The estimated overall survival rates were 56% (95% CI 36%-72%) at 10 years for the overall cohort and 59% (95% CI 21%-75%) at 4 years for patients with TP53-mutated disease at median follow-ups of 10.8 and 4.2 years, respectively. No relapses were observed in the TP53-mutated subset beyond 6 months after transplantation.

Study details: This retrospective study included 36 patients who underwent alloSCT for MCL, including 13 patients with TP53-mutated disease.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. Some authors declared serving as advisory board members for or receiving honoraria, research funding, or speaker fees from various sources.

Source: Lew TE et al. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation achieves long-term remissions in mantle cell lymphoma, including in TP53-mutated disease. Leuk Lymphoma. 2023 (Aug 2). doi: 10.1080/10428194.2023.2241095

Key clinical point: Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) results in long-term disease control in patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), including those with TP53-mutated disease, and should be considered for earlier use in these high-risk patients who are unresponsive to conventional chemoimmunotherapy.

Major finding: The estimated overall survival rates were 56% (95% CI 36%-72%) at 10 years for the overall cohort and 59% (95% CI 21%-75%) at 4 years for patients with TP53-mutated disease at median follow-ups of 10.8 and 4.2 years, respectively. No relapses were observed in the TP53-mutated subset beyond 6 months after transplantation.

Study details: This retrospective study included 36 patients who underwent alloSCT for MCL, including 13 patients with TP53-mutated disease.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. Some authors declared serving as advisory board members for or receiving honoraria, research funding, or speaker fees from various sources.

Source: Lew TE et al. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation achieves long-term remissions in mantle cell lymphoma, including in TP53-mutated disease. Leuk Lymphoma. 2023 (Aug 2). doi: 10.1080/10428194.2023.2241095

Key clinical point: The combination of the prognostic mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) International Prognostic Index (MIPI) with biological risk factors Ki-67 and p53 expression identifies a subset of patients with MCL having poor prognosis.

Major finding: Patients with high combined MIPI (MIPI-c) or p53 expression > 50% (high-risk disease) vs low, low-intermediate, or high-intermediate MIPI-c and p53 expression ≤ 50% (low-risk disease) had significantly shorter median failure-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] 2.97) and overall survival (HR 3.69) at median follow-ups of 9.6 and 9.4 years, respectively (both P < .0001). The results were confirmed in validation cohorts.

Study details: The training cohort included 684 patients with MCL from the MCL-Younger and MCL-Elderly trials with evaluable data for Ki-67 or p53; patients were classified as having high-risk or low-risk disease. The validation cohorts included 230 and 44 patients from the MCL0208 and Nordic-MCL4 trials, respectively.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. Some authors declared serving on advisory boards or speakers’ bureaus of or receiving research funding, consultancy fees, or honoraria from various sources.

Source: Scheubeck G et al. Clinical outcome of mantle cell lymphoma patients with high-risk disease (high-risk MIPI-c or high p53 expression). Leukemia. 2023;37(9):1887-1894 (Jul 26). doi: 10.1038/s41375-023-01977-y

Key clinical point: The combination of the prognostic mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) International Prognostic Index (MIPI) with biological risk factors Ki-67 and p53 expression identifies a subset of patients with MCL having poor prognosis.

Major finding: Patients with high combined MIPI (MIPI-c) or p53 expression > 50% (high-risk disease) vs low, low-intermediate, or high-intermediate MIPI-c and p53 expression ≤ 50% (low-risk disease) had significantly shorter median failure-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] 2.97) and overall survival (HR 3.69) at median follow-ups of 9.6 and 9.4 years, respectively (both P < .0001). The results were confirmed in validation cohorts.

Study details: The training cohort included 684 patients with MCL from the MCL-Younger and MCL-Elderly trials with evaluable data for Ki-67 or p53; patients were classified as having high-risk or low-risk disease. The validation cohorts included 230 and 44 patients from the MCL0208 and Nordic-MCL4 trials, respectively.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. Some authors declared serving on advisory boards or speakers’ bureaus of or receiving research funding, consultancy fees, or honoraria from various sources.

Source: Scheubeck G et al. Clinical outcome of mantle cell lymphoma patients with high-risk disease (high-risk MIPI-c or high p53 expression). Leukemia. 2023;37(9):1887-1894 (Jul 26). doi: 10.1038/s41375-023-01977-y

Key clinical point: The combination of the prognostic mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) International Prognostic Index (MIPI) with biological risk factors Ki-67 and p53 expression identifies a subset of patients with MCL having poor prognosis.

Major finding: Patients with high combined MIPI (MIPI-c) or p53 expression > 50% (high-risk disease) vs low, low-intermediate, or high-intermediate MIPI-c and p53 expression ≤ 50% (low-risk disease) had significantly shorter median failure-free survival (hazard ratio [HR] 2.97) and overall survival (HR 3.69) at median follow-ups of 9.6 and 9.4 years, respectively (both P < .0001). The results were confirmed in validation cohorts.

Study details: The training cohort included 684 patients with MCL from the MCL-Younger and MCL-Elderly trials with evaluable data for Ki-67 or p53; patients were classified as having high-risk or low-risk disease. The validation cohorts included 230 and 44 patients from the MCL0208 and Nordic-MCL4 trials, respectively.

Disclosures: This study did not receive any funding. Some authors declared serving on advisory boards or speakers’ bureaus of or receiving research funding, consultancy fees, or honoraria from various sources.

Source: Scheubeck G et al. Clinical outcome of mantle cell lymphoma patients with high-risk disease (high-risk MIPI-c or high p53 expression). Leukemia. 2023;37(9):1887-1894 (Jul 26). doi: 10.1038/s41375-023-01977-y