International Prognostic Score for Nodular Lymphocyte-Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma

PURPOSE

Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) is a rare cancer, and large international cooperative efforts are needed to evaluate the significance of clinical risk factors and immunoarchitectural patterns (IAPs) for all stages of pediatric and adult patients with NLPHL.

METHODS

Thirty-eight institutions participated in the Global nLPHL One Working Group retrospective study of NLPHL cases from 1992 to 2021. We measured progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), transformation rate, and lymphoma-specific death rate. We performed uni- and multivariable (MVA) Cox regression stratified by management to select factors for the lymphocyte-predominant international prognostic score (LP-IPS) validated by five-fold cross-validation.

RESULTS

We identified 2,243 patients with a median age of 37 years (IQR, 23-51). The median follow-up was 6.3 years (IQR, 3.4-10.8). Most had stage I to II (72.9%) and few B symptoms (9.9%) or splenic involvement (5.4%). IAP was scored for 916 (40.8%). Frontline management included chemotherapy alone (32.4%), combined modality therapy (30.5%), radiotherapy alone (24.0%), observation after excision (4.6%), rituximab alone (4.0%), active surveillance (3.4%), and rituximab and radiotherapy (1.1%). The PFS, OS, transformation, and lymphoma-specific death rates at 10 years were 70.8%, 91.6%, 4.8%, and 3.3%, respectively. On MVA, IAPs were not associated with PFS or OS, but IAP E had higher risk of transformation (hazard ratio [HR], 1.81; P < .05). We developed the LP-IPS with 1 point each for age ≥45 years, stage III-IV, hemoglobin <10.5 g/dL, and splenic involvement. Increasing LP-IPS was significantly associated with worse PFS (HR, 1.52) and OS (HR, 2.31) and increased risk of lymphoma-specific death (HR, 2.63) and transformation (HR, 1.41).

CONCLUSION

In this comprehensive study of all ages of patients with NLPHL, we develop the LP-IPS to identify high-risk patients and inform upcoming prospective clinical trials evaluating de-escalation of therapy for patients with low LP-IPS scores (<2).

Impact of Race and Social Determinants of Health on Outcomes in Patients with Aggressive B-cell nHL Treated with CAR-T

Healthcare disparities driven by multiple social, economic, and/or environmental factors lead to inequalities in health outcomes. CAR-T cell immunotherapy is an effective therapy for relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r B-NHL). However, data are limited on the impact of the convergence of race and social determinants of health on outcomes for patients treated with CAR-T therapy. We examined the impact of interactions between race and insurance type on health care utilization and outcomes in patients treated with CAR-T for aggressive B-NHL. Adult patients with r/r B-NHL treated with CD19 CAR-T were identified between 2015 and 2021 across 13 US academic centers. Insurance type, demographic and clinical data were collected and analyzed via Chi-squared and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Cox multivariable regression (MVA) was used to determine the impact of race/ethnicity and other variables on survival. 466 adult patients were included in our analysis. Median follow-up after CAR-T was 12.7 months. Median progression free survival (mPFS) was longer for Caucasians (11.5 months) than for African Americans (3.5 months, HR 1.56 [1.03-2.4], p=0.04) or Asians (2.7 months, HR 1.7 [1.02-2.67], p=0.04). Differences in median overall survival (mOS) were not significant. For Medicare (n=206) vs Medicaid (n=33) vs private insurance (n=219) vs self-pay (n=7): mPFS was 15.9 vs 4.2 vs 6.0 vs 0.9 months (p<0.001) and mOS was 31.2 vs 12.8 vs 21.5 vs 3.2 months (p<0.001), respectively. Collectively, our multi-center retrospective analysis showed that race and insurance status can impact outcomes for patients treated with CAR-T cell therapy.

Impact of cumulative dose of brentuximab vedotin on outcomes of frontline therapy for advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma

In the pivotal study ECHELON-1, brentuximab vedotin (BV), doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (A + AVD) demonstrated superior efficacy compared with bleomycin + AVD for the treatment of advanced-stage classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). However, there are minimal available data regarding the frequency of dose reductions or omission of BV during curative therapy and the potential impact on patient outcomes. In a real-world analysis, we retrospectively reviewed the characteristics and outcomes of 179 patients with stage III or IV cHL treated with frontline A + AVD from January 2010 to April 2022. Treatment consisted of up to 1.2 mg/kg of BV and standard dose AVD IV on days 1 and 15 of each 28-day cycle for up to 6 cycles. At the time of treatment, the median patient age was 37 years, and a high-risk International Prognostic Score was observed in 46% of patients. Overall, 91% of patients received 6 cycles of AVD; 55% of patients did not receive the intended cumulative dose of BV (CDB); 28% of patients received two-thirds or less than the planned CDB. At a median follow-up time of 27.4 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 24.8-29), the median progression-free survival (PFS) was not reached, and the 12-month PFS was 90.3% (95% CI, 85.9-95.0). The impact of CDB on PFS was not significant (P = .15), nor was high CDB significantly associated with increased adverse events. In real-world experience, A + AVD is a highly effective treatment for patients with advanced-stage cHL, including for patients with prominent dose reductions of BV.

Integrative analysis of clinicopathological features defines novel prognostic models for mantle cell lymphoma in the immunochemotherapy era: a report from The North American Mantle Cell Lymphoma Consortium

BACKGROUND

Patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) exhibit a wide variation in clinical presentation and outcome. However, the commonly used prognostic models are outdated and inadequate to address the needs of the current multidisciplinary management of this disease. This study aims to investigate the clinical and pathological features of MCL in the immunochemotherapy era and improve the prognostic models for a more accurate prediction of patient outcomes.

METHODS

The North American Mantle Cell Lymphoma Project is a multi-institutional collaboration of 23 institutions across North America to evaluate and refine prognosticators for front-line therapy. A total of 586 MCL cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2012 are included in this study. A comprehensive retrospective analysis was performed on the clinicopathological features, treatment approaches, and outcomes of these cases. The establishment of novel prognostic models was based on in-depth examination of baseline parameters, and subsequent validation in an independent cohort of MCL cases.

RESULTS

In front-line strategies, the use of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was the most significant parameter affecting outcomes, for both overall survival (OS, p < 0.0001) and progression-free survival (PFS, p < 0.0001). P53 positive expression was the most significant pathological parameter correlating with inferior outcomes (p < 0.0001 for OS and p = 0.0021 for PFS). Based on the baseline risk factor profile, we developed a set of prognostic models incorporating clinical, laboratory, and pathological parameters that are specifically tailored for various applications. These models, when tested in the validation cohort, exhibited strong predictive power for survival and showed a stratification resembling the training cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

The outcome of patients with MCL has markedly improved over the past two decades, and further enhancement is anticipated with the evolution of clinical management. The innovative prognostic models developed in this study would serve as a valuable tool to guide the selection of more suitable treatment strategies for patients with MCL.

High-grade B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified: a multi-institutional retrospective study

In this multi-institutional retrospective study, we examined the characteristics and outcomes of 160 patients with high-grade B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (HGBL-NOS)-a rare category defined by high-grade morphologic features and lack of MYC rearrangements with BCL2 and/or BCL6 rearrangements ("double hit"). Our results show that HGBL-NOS tumors are heterogeneous: 83% of patients had a germinal center B-cell immunophenotype, 37% a dual-expressor immunophenotype (MYC and BCL2 expression), 28% MYC rearrangement, 13% BCL2 rearrangement, and 11% BCL6 rearrangement. Most patients presented with stage IV disease, a high serum lactate dehydrogenase, and other high-risk clinical factors. Most frequent first-line regimens included dose-adjusted cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and etoposide, with rituximab and prednisone (DA-EPOCH-R; 43%); rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP; 33%); or other intensive chemotherapy programs. We found no significant differences in the rates of complete response (CR), progression-free survival (PFS), or overall survival (OS) between these chemotherapy regimens. CR was attained by 69% of patients. PFS at 2 years was 55.2% and OS was 68.1%. In a multivariable model, the main prognostic factors for PFS and OS were poor performance status, lactate dehydrogenase >3 × upper limit of normal, and a dual-expressor immunophenotype. Age >60 years or presence of MYC rearrangement were not prognostic, but patients with TP53 alterations had a dismal PFS. Presence of MYC rearrangement was not predictive of better PFS in patients treated with DA-EPOCH-R vs R-CHOP. Improvements in the diagnostic criteria and therapeutic approaches beyond dose-intense chemotherapy are needed to overcome the unfavorable prognosis of patients with HGBL-NOS.

Outcomes of patients with secondary central nervous system lymphoma following CAR T-cell therapy: a multicenter cohort study

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) has been successful in treating relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphomas. However, its role in the treatment of diseases involving the central nervous system (CNS) is not well studied. We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study to evaluate the outcomes of patients with secondary CNS lymphoma (SCNSL) who received CAR-T. Eligibility required active CNSL at the time of apheresis. The objectives included evaluation of overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), identification of predictors of complete response (CR) post-CAR-T, and assessment of risk factors for cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). Sixty-one patients were included in the analysis. The overall response rate was 68% with a CR rate of 57%. In the multivariable analysis, patients who experienced any grade CRS had higher odds of achieving CR (OR = 3.9, 95% CI = 1.01-15.39, p = 0.047). The median PFS was 3.3 months (95% CI = 2.6-6.0 months) with 6- and 12-month PFS rates of 35% and 16%, respectively. The median OS was 7.6 months (95% CI = 5.0-13.5 months) with 6- and 12-month OS rates of 59% and 41%, respectively. Any grade CRS and ICANS were 70% (n = 43) and 57% (n = 34), respectively with grade ≥ 3 CRS and ICANS rates of 16% and 44%. Factors associated with increased risk of CRS and ICANS included receiving axi-cel or having leptomeningeal ± parenchymal + CNS involvement, respectively. Despite achieving high response rates, most patients experience early relapse or death following CAR-T in SCNSL. The current study provides a benchmark for future trials exploring novel therapeutic options in SCNSL.

Effect of cumulative dose of brentuximab vedotin maintenance in relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma after autologous stem cell transplant: an analysis of real-world outcomes

Sixteen cycles of Brentuximab vedotin (BV) after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) in high-risk relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma demonstrated an improved 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) over placebo. However, most patients are unable to complete all 16 cycles at full dose due to toxicity. This retrospective, multicenter study investigated the effect of cumulative maintenance BV dose on 2-year PFS. Data were collected from patients who received at least one cycle of BV maintenance after ASCT with one of the following high-risk features: primary refractory disease (PRD), extra-nodal disease (END), or relapse <12 months (RL<12) from the end of frontline therapy. Cohort 1 had patients with >75% of the planned total cumulative dose, cohort 2 with 51-75% of dose, and cohort 3 with ≤50% of dose. The primary outcome was 2-year PFS. A total of 118 patients were included. Fifty percent had PRD, 29% had RL<12, and 39% had END. Forty-four percent of patients had prior exposure to BV and 65% were in complete remission before ASCT. Only 14% of patients received the full planned BV dose. Sixty-one percent of patients discontinued maintenance early and majority of those (72%) were due to toxicity. The 2-year PFS for the entire population was 80.7%. The 2-year PFS was 89.2% for cohort 1 (n=39), 86.2% for cohort 2 (n=33), and 77.9% for cohort 3 (n=46) (P=0.70). These data are reassuring for patients who require dose reductions or discontinuation to manage toxicity.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery as an Effective and Safe Treatment Modality in Central Nervous System Lymphoma, a Single Institution Experience

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

CNS lymphoma (CNSL) is an aggressive liquid cancer with the potential for rapid progression. Standard treatment regimens for CNSL have included chemotherapy and whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT). WBRT carries a high risk of leukoencephalopathy (LE) manifesting as cognitive decline and is identifiable on brain MRI as fluid attenuation inversion recovery (FLAIR) changes. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) can precisely deliver higher biologically effective doses of radiation, while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy brain tissue. SRS offers enhanced local control in CNSL with minimal risk of LE.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Patients undergoing SRS at an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center from 2000 to 2022 were prospectively enrolled into a database. Twenty-nine consecutive patients diagnosed with relapsed primary CNSL (59%) or secondary CNSL (41%) were included in this study. Median age at diagnosis was 70 (range 23-91) years and 14 were female. Follow up MRI imaging was obtained at 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-months post-procedure. Measurement of tumor volumes was performed at treatment and each subsequent follow-up by image co-registration and tumor segmentation. Pre and post SRS brain MRIs were independently reviewed by a neuro-radiologist to score the grade of LE for each patient. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analyses and Log-rank tests using statistical software.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine patients treated for 50 tumors were studied. Twenty-four patients were treated for a single tumor, and 5 for multiple tumors. Six patients underwent repeat SRS treatment for 10 out-of-field recurrences and 1 patient for an in-field recurrence. Of the 35 SRS procedures performed, 32 (88%) were single session delivery and 3 were hypofractionated. Stereotactic immobilization was achieved with frame (57%) or thermoplastic mask (43%). Median prescribed dose was 14 Gy (range 10-21) to the 50% isodose line (range 40-100). Median coverage, selectivity and gradient index were 0.97, 0.69, and 2.9 respectively. Median follow-up time was 4.5 months (range 0.5-64). Twenty-six (52%) tumors completely responded to treatment with no residual enhancement, while the rest decreased in volume. No tumor failed to respond to treatment. Median time to best volumetric response was achieved in 2.9 months (range 1-6.1) and median volume of best response was zero cc (range 0-1.19). The median OS of the cohort was 7.0 months (95% CI 5.1-8.9), while the median PFS was 5.0 months (95% CI 1.2-8.8). Median score of LE was zero, and only one patient experienced grade 3 MRI FLAIR changes.

CONCLUSION

With a median time to response of 2.9 months, a 100% initial response rate and a single in-field failure, our analysis demonstrates a rapid and effective response of CNSL to SRS. Distant failures were controlled with repeat SRS. The absence of LE in the treated patients provides further evidence for safety and tolerability of SRS in CNSL.

Impact of detectable monoclonal protein at diagnosis on outcomes in marginal zone lymphoma: a multicenter cohort study

Given the paucity of data surrounding the prognostic relevance of monoclonal paraprotein (M-protein) in marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), we sought to evaluate the impact of detecting M-protein at diagnosis on outcomes in patients with MZL in a large retrospective cohort. The study included 547 patients receiving first-line therapy for MZL. M-protein was detectable at diagnosis in 173 (32%) patients. There was no significant difference in the time from diagnosis to initiation of any therapy (systemic and local) between the M-protein and no M-protein groups. Patients with M-protein at diagnosis had significantly inferior progression-free survival (PFS) compared with those without M-protein at diagnosis. After adjusting for factors associated with inferior PFS in univariate models, presence of M-protein remained significantly associated with inferior PFS (hazard ratio, 1.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-2.54; P = .004). We observed no significant difference in the PFS based on the type or quantity of M-protein at diagnosis. There were differential outcomes in PFS based on the first-line therapy in patients with M-protein at diagnosis, in that, those receiving immunochemotherapy had better outcomes compared with those receiving rituximab monotherapy. The cumulative incidence of relapse in stage 1 disease among the recipients of local therapy was higher in the presence of M-protein; however, this did not reach statistical significance. We found that M-protein at diagnosis was associated with a higher risk of histologic transformation. Because the PFS difference related to presence of M-protein was not observed in patients receiving bendamustine and rituximab, immunochemotherapy may be a preferred approach over rituximab monotherapy in this group and needs to be explored further.

Population Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Carfilzomib in Combination with Rituximab, Ifosfamide, Carboplatin, and Etoposide in Adult Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma

BACKGROUND

In patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), salvage chemotherapy regimens (e.g., rituximab, ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide, R-ICE) yield poor outcomes. Carfilzomib, an irreversible proteasome inhibitor, can overcome acquired rituximab-chemotherapy resistance and, when combined with R-ICE, improves outcomes in patients with R/R DLBCL.

OBJECTIVE

This analysis aimed to develop a population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model for carfilzomib in R/R DLBCL patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In a single-center, open-label, prospective phase 1 study, patients received carfilzomib (10, 15, or 20 mg/m2) on days 1, 2, 8, and 9, and standard doses of R-ICE on days 3-6 every 21 days (maximum of three cycles). Carfilzomib plasma concentrations up to 24 h postinfusion were measured by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Proteasome activity (PD biomarker) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was assessed on days 1-2 with sparse sampling. PK/PD models were developed using NONMEM v7.4.1 interfaced with Finch Studio v1.1.0 and PsN v4.7.0. Model selection was guided by objective function value, goodness-of-fit, and visual predictive checks. Stepwise covariate modeling was used for covariate selection.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight patients were enrolled in the PK/PD analysis, from whom 217 PK samples and 127 PD samples were included. Carfilzomib PK was best described by a two-compartment model with linear disposition (typical total clearance of 133 L/h). Proteasome activity was best characterized using a turnover model with irreversible inactivation. All parameters were estimated with good precision. No statistically significant covariates were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

A validated population-based PK/PD model of carfilzomib was developed successfully. Further research is needed to identify sources of variability in response to treatment with carfilzomib in combination with R-ICE.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier number NCT01959698.

A multicenter analysis of the outcomes with venetoclax in patients with relapsed mantle cell lymphoma

To report the activity of venetoclax in patients with relapsed mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), we identified 81 patients treated with venetoclax monotherapy (n = 50, 62%) or in combination with a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) (n = 16, 20%), an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (n = 11, 14%), or other active agents at 12 US academic medical centers. Patients had high-risk disease features including Ki67 >30% (61%), blastoid/pleomorphic histology (29%), complex karyotype (34%), and TP53 alterations (49%), and received a median of 3 prior treatments including BTKis in 91%. Venetoclax alone or in combination resulted in an overall response rate (ORR) of 40% and median progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of 3.7 and 12.5 months, respectively. The receipt of ≤3 prior treatments was associated with higher odds of response to venetoclax in a univariable analysis. In a multivariable analysis, having a high-risk Mantle Cell Lymphoma International Prognostic Index score before receiving venetoclax and disease relapse or progression within 24 months of diagnosis were associated with inferior OS whereas the use of venetoclax in combination was associated with superior OS. Although most patients (61%) had low risk for tumor lysis syndrome (TLS), 12.3% of patients developed TLS despite the implementation of several mitigation strategies. In conclusion, venetoclax resulted in good ORR but short PFS in patients with MCL who are at high risk, and may have a better role in earlier lines of treatment and/or in conation with other active agents. TLS remains an important risk in patients with MCL who initiate treatment with venetoclax.

Peri-CAR-T practice patterns and survival predictors for all CAR-T patients and post-CAR-T failure in aggressive B-NHL

Most patients receiving chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy (CAR-T) for aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) do not experience a durable remission. Several novel agents are approved to treat relapsed, refractory aggressive B-NHL; however, it remains unclear how to sequence these therapies pre- and post-CAR-T. We conducted a multicenter retrospective analysis to describe peri-CAR-T practice patterns and survival predictors for patients receiving CD19-directed CAR-T. Patients (n = 514) from 13 centers treated with CAR-T for B-NHL between 2015-2021 were included in the study. Survival curves were constructed using Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to determine the impact of the variables on survival outcomes. For all patients receiving CAR-T, a greater number of lines of therapy pre-CAR-T apheresis and bridging therapy were predictive of inferior progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The median PFS and OS from the time of CAR-T cell infusion were 7.6 and 25.6 months, respectively. From the time of progression post-CAR-T, the median OS was 5.5 months. The median PFS of treatments administered in the first-line post-CAR-T failure was 2.8 months. Patients with refractory disease on day 30 had inferior OS and were less likely to receive subsequent treatment(s) than other patients with CAR-T failure. Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for selected patients at any time following CAR-T failure led to durable responses in over half of patients at 1 year. These data provide a benchmark for future clinical trials in patients with post-CAR-T cell progression, which remains an unmet clinical need.

Older patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma: Survival and prognostication across 20 U.S. cancer centers

There is a paucity of large-scale data delineating outcomes and prognostication of older patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). We retrospectively analyzed 539 newly-diagnosed PCNSL patients ages ≥60 years across 20 U.S. academic centers. The median age was 70 years (range 60-88); at least one geriatric syndrome was present in 46%; the median Cumulative Index Ratings Scale-Geriatrics (CIRS-G) score was 6 (range, 0-27); and 36% had impairment in activities of daily living (ADL). The most common induction regimens were high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) ± rituximab; methotrexate, temozolomide, rituximab (MTR); and rituximab, methotrexate, procarbazine, vincristine (R-MPV). Overall, 70% of patients achieved remission, with 14% undergoing consolidative autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) and 24% receiving maintenance. With 58-month median follow-up, median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 17 months (95% CI 13-22 months) and 43 months (95% CI 31-56 months), respectively. Three-year PFS and OS were highest with MTR (55% and 74%, respectively). With single-agent methotrexate ± rituximab, 3-year PFS and OS were 30% (p = .0002) and 47% (p = .0072). On multivariate analysis, increasing age at diagnosis and Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) was associated with inferior PFS; age, hypoalbuminemia, higher CIRS-G score, and ECOG PS adversely affected OS. Among patients receiving maintenance, 3-year PFS was 65% versus 45% without maintenance (p = 0.02), with 3-year OS of 84% versus 61%, respectively (p = .0003). Altogether, outcomes in older PCNSL patients appeared optimized with HD-MTX combination induction regimens and maintenance therapy. Furthermore, several prognostic factors, including geriatric measures, were associated with inferior outcomes.

Pharmacologic targeting of Nedd8-activating enzyme reinvigorates T-cell responses in lymphoid neoplasia

Neddylation is a sequential enzyme-based process which regulates the function of E3 Cullin-RING ligase (CRL) and thus degradation of substrate proteins. Here we show that CD8+ T cells are a direct target for therapeutically relevant anti-lymphoma activity of pevonedistat, a Nedd8-activating enzyme (NAE) inhibitor. Pevonedistat-treated patient-derived CD8+ T cells upregulated TNFα and IFNγ and exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity. Pevonedistat induced CD8+ T-cell inflamed microenvironment and delayed tumor progression in A20 syngeneic lymphoma model. This anti-tumor effect lessened when CD8+ T cells lost the ability to engage tumors through MHC class I interactions, achieved either through CD8+ T-cell depletion or genetic knockout of B2M. Meanwhile, loss of UBE2M in tumor did not alter efficacy of pevonedistat. Concurrent blockade of NAE and PD-1 led to enhanced tumor immune infiltration, T-cell activation and chemokine expression and synergistically restricted tumor growth. shRNA-mediated knockdown of HIF-1α, a CRL substrate, abrogated the in vitro effects of pevonedistat, suggesting that NAE inhibition modulates T-cell function in HIF-1α-dependent manner. scRNA-Seq-based clinical analyses in lymphoma patients receiving pevonedistat therapy demonstrated upregulation of interferon response signatures in immune cells. Thus, targeting NAE enhances the inflammatory T-cell state, providing rationale for checkpoint blockade-based combination therapy.

Impact of early relapse within 24 months after first-line systemic therapy (POD24) on outcomes in patients with marginal zone lymphoma: A US multisite study

Progression of disease within 24 months (POD24) from diagnosis in marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) was shown to portend poor outcomes in prior studies. However, many patients with MZL do not require immediate therapy, and the time from diagnosis-to-treatment interval can be highly variable with no universal criteria to initiate systemic therapy. Hence, we sought to evaluate the prognostic relevance of early relapse or progression within 24 months from systemic therapy initiation in a large US cohort. The primary objective was to evaluate the overall survival (OS) in the two groups. The secondary objective included the evaluation of factors predictive of POD24 and the assessment of cumulative incidence of histologic transformation (HT) in POD24 versus non-POD24 groups. The study included 524 patients with 143 (27%) in POD24 and 381 (73%) in non-POD24 groups. Patients with POD24 had inferior OS compared to those without POD24, regardless of the type of systemic therapy received (rituximab monotherapy or immunochemotherapy) at diagnosis. After adjusting for factors associated with inferior OS in the univariate Cox model, POD24 remained associated with significantly inferior OS (HR = 2.50, 95% CI = 1.53-4.09, p = 0.0003) in multivariable analysis. The presence of monoclonal protein at diagnosis and those who received first-line rituximab monotherapy had higher odds of POD24 on logistic regression analysis. Patients with POD24 had a significantly higher risk for HT compared to those without POD24. POD24 in MZL might be associated with adverse biology and could be used as an additional information point in clinical trials and investigated as a marker for worse prognosis.

AMG176, an MCL-1 inhibitor, is active in pre-clinical models of aggressive B-cell lymphomas

Upregulation of the anti-apoptotic protein MCL-1 has been implicated in chemotherapy resistance and poor clinical outcomes in B-cell lymphoma (BCL). We report the activity of AMG176, a direct, selective MCL-1 inhibitor, in preclinical models of BCL. A panel of cell lines representing diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), double-hit lymphoma (DHL) and Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) was selected. AMG176 induced apoptotic cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner in all BCL cell lines. Baseline MCL-1 expression was not predictive of response. AMG176 exhibited impressive synergy with venetoclax and chemotherapeutic agents, less so with proteasomal inhibitors, and antagonism with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies. The activity of AMG176 could not be confirmed in murine models of BCL. Combination therapy targeting MCL-1 and BCL-2 may provide an alternative therapeutic approach in BCL, however optimal patient selection will remain the key to obtaining high response rates and tolerability.

Is local review of positron emission tomography scans sufficient in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma clinical trials? A CALGB 50303 analysis

BACKGROUND

Quantitative methods of Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) interpretation, including the percent change in FDG uptake from baseline (ΔSUV), are under investigation in lymphoma to overcome challenges associated with visual scoring systems (VSS) such as the Deauville 5-point scale (5-PS).

METHODS

In CALGB 50303, patients with DLBCL received frontline R-CHOP or DA-EPOCH-R, and although there were no significant associations between interim PET responses assessed centrally after cycle 2 (iPET) using 5-PS with progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS), there were significant associations between central determinations of iPET ∆SUV with PFS/OS. In this patient cohort, we retrospectively compared local vs central iPET readings and evaluated associations between local imaging data and survival outcomes.

RESULTS

Agreement between local and central review was moderate (kappa = 0.53) for VSS and high (kappa = 0.81) for ∆SUV categories (<66% vs. ≥66%). ∆SUV ≥66% at iPET was significantly associated with PFS (p = 0.03) and OS (p = 0.002), but VSS was not. Associations with PFS/OS when applying local review vs central review were comparable.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that local PET interpretation for response determination may be acceptable in clinical trials. Our findings also highlight limitations of VSS and call for incorporation of more objective measures of response assessment in clinical trials.

EBV-positive PCNSL in older patients: incidence, characteristics, tumor pathology, and outcomes across a large multicenter cohort

The objective of this multicenter retrospective study was to examine the incidence, patient characteristics, pathology, and outcomes associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related CNS lymphoma (CNSL) in older patients. Among 309 CNSL patients aged ≥60, 11.7% had EBV + tumors of which 72.2% were solid organ transplant (SOT)-related post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD). Younger age, SOT or autoimmune disease, and immunosuppressive treatment correlated highly with EBV-positivity. EBV + tumors were associated with absent C-MYC and BCL6 expression. EBV + PTLD was more likely to be associated with the absence of CD5 expression. EBV + non-PTLD had better median OS (not reached) compared to EBV + PTLD (10.8 months) and EBV-negative patients (43 months). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that age, performance status, and PTLD were negative predictors of OS. EBV status and immunosuppressive treatment were not correlated with OS. Our findings merit further investigation of EBV + PCNSL tumors and EBV-directed therapies.

Pevonedistat, a Nedd8-activating enzyme inhibitor, in combination with ibrutinib in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Pevonedistat (TAK924) is a Nedd8-activating enzyme inhibitor with preclinical activity in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). This open-label, Phase I, multicenter, investigator-sponsored study enrolled patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) NHL and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The primary objective was safety. Pevonedistat was given intravenously on days 1, 3, 5 of a 21-day cycle for 8 cycles at five dose levels (15 to 50 mg/m2); ibrutinib was administered at 420 or 560 mg orally daily continuously. Eighteen patients with NHL were enrolled, including 8 patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and 4 patients with CLL. One dose-limiting toxicity (mediastinal hemorrhage) occurred at 50 mg/m2 of pevonedistat which is the estimated maximum tolerated dose. Bruising and diarrhea were the most common adverse events (56% and 44%). Atrial fibrillation occurred in 3 patients (17%). Grade ≥3 toxicities included arthralgia, atrial fibrillation, bone pain, diarrhea, hypertension, and mediastinal hemorrhage (one patient each). The overall response rate (ORR) was 65% (100% ORR in MCL). Pevonedistat disposition was not modified by ibrutinib. scRNA-Seq analysis showed that pevonedistat downregulated NFκB signaling in malignant B-cells in vivo. Thus, pevonedistat combined with ibrutinib demonstrated safety and promising early efficacy in NHL and CLL. NAE inhibition downregulated NFκB signaling in vivo.

Abstract A20: Treatment of elderly patients with Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma (PTCL): A single institution experience

Introduction: While standard treatment for younger patients with PTCL is chemotherapy and HD consolidation with stem cell rescue, treatment of o lder patients with PTCL is less defined, due to lack of clinical trial data and comorbidities due to ageing. Here we detail our single center outcomes of patients who were 70 years of age or older. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical characteristics, treatment used and outcomes of patients 70 years of age or older who were treated at Roswell Park Cancer Center for PTCL between 1/1/2001 to 12/31/2021. The patients were divided into three groups, group 1 received single agent therapy, group 2 received multiagent chemotherapy and group 3 received palliative radiation or no therapy. The baseline characteristics were described using descriptive statistics and survival were compared using Kaplan Meier method. Results: Forty elderly T cell lymphoma patients were treated at our center. The median age of whole cohort was 77 years, with 24 males and 16 females. Thirty patients had stage 3/4 disease at the time of diagnosis. The most common diagnosis were ALK -ve ALCL (n=14) and AITL (n=14), while ten patients had PTCL-NOS, and one patient had ALK +ve ALCL and PTCL-TFH each. Seven patients received single agent treatment (G1, n=7), of which six received brentuximab while one received lenalidomide. Twenty nine patients received multiagent treatment (G2, n=29), of which 22 patients received CHOP/CHOEP based therapy, 4 reveived HyperCVAD, and 3 received other chemotherapy treatments. Four patients received no treatment or palliative radiation only (G3,n=4). The patients in G1 were older (median age 85 years), compared to G2 (median age 74 years) and G3 (median age 75 years). The median ECOG of G1, G2 and G3 were 2, 0 and 1 respectively. The ORR of patients in G1 and G2 was 6/7 and 18/29 with CR of 4/7 and 14/24 respectively. Three patients in G2 died due to complications related to induction chemotherapy. Only two patients received autologous transplant after multiagent therapy, none of patients in G1 received an autologous transplant. The median overall survival of patients in G1, G2, and G3 was 25 months, 31 months and 2 months respectively, with no statistically significant difference between G1 and G2 (p=0.63). The median progression free survival of G1 and G2 was 27 months and 14 months (p=0.7). Conclusions: Older patients with T-cell lymphoma can be treated with personalized treatment based on comorbidities and performance status. We found that single agent treatment in selected group of patients produced statistically similar PFS and OS as multiagent treatment.

Citation Format: Muhammad Salman Faisal, Gabrielle Hartman, Francisco Hernandez-Ilizaliturri, Sucharita Sundaram, Pallawi Torka, Paola Ghione. Treatment of elderly patients with Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma (PTCL): A single institution experience [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Third AACR International Meeting: Advances in Malignant Lymphoma: Maximizing the Basic-Translational Interface for Clinical Application; 2022 Jun 23-26; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Blood Cancer Discov 2022;3(5_Suppl):Abstract nr A20.

Predictive factors and outcomes for ibrutinib in relapsed/refractory marginal zone lymphoma: a multicenter cohort study

Ibrutinib is effective in the treatment of relapsed/refractory (R/R) marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) with an overall response rate (ORR) of 48%. However, factors associated with response (or lack thereof) to ibrutinib in R/R MZL in clinical practice are largely unknown. To answer this question, we performed a multicenter (25 US centers) cohort study and divided the study population into three groups: "ibrutinib responders"-patients who achieved complete or partial response (CR/PR) to ibrutinib; "stable disease (SD)"; and "primary progressors (PP)"-patients with progression of disease as their best response to ibrutinib. One hundred and nineteen patients met the eligibility criteria with 58%/17% ORR/CR, 29% with SD, and 13% with PP. The median PFS and OS were 29 and 71.4 months, respectively, with no difference in PFS or OS based on the ibrutinib line of therapy or type of therapy before ibrutinib. Patients with complex cytogenetics had an inferior PFS (HR = 3.08, 95% CI 1.23-7.67, p = 0.02), while those with both complex cytogenetics (HR = 3.00, 95% CI 1.03-8.68, p = 0.04) and PP (HR = 13.94, 95% CI 5.17-37.62, p < 0.001) had inferior OS. Only primary refractory disease to first-line therapy predicted a higher probability of PP to ibrutinib (RR = 3.77, 95% CI 1.15-12.33, p = 0.03). In this largest study to date evaluating outcomes of R/R MZL treated with ibrutinib, we show that patients with primary refractory disease and those with PP on ibrutinib are very high-risk subsets and need to be prioritized for experimental therapies.

Triplet Therapy, Transplantation, and Maintenance until Progression in Myeloma

BACKGROUND

In patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, the effect of adding autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) to triplet therapy (lenalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone [RVD]), followed by lenalidomide maintenance therapy until disease progression, is unknown.

METHODS

In this phase 3 trial, adults (18 to 65 years of age) with symptomatic myeloma received one cycle of RVD. We randomly assigned these patients, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive two additional RVD cycles plus stem-cell mobilization, followed by either five additional RVD cycles (the RVD-alone group) or high-dose melphalan plus ASCT followed by two additional RVD cycles (the transplantation group). Both groups received lenalidomide until disease progression, unacceptable side effects, or both. The primary end point was progression-free survival.

RESULTS

Among 357 patients in the RVD-alone group and 365 in the transplantation group, at a median follow-up of 76.0 months, 328 events of disease progression or death occurred; the risk was 53% higher in the RVD-alone group than in the transplantation group (hazard ratio, 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23 to 1.91; P<0.001); median progression-free survival was 46.2 months and 67.5 months. The percentage of patients with a partial response or better was 95.0% in the RVD-alone group and 97.5% in the transplantation group (P = 0.55); 42.0% and 46.8%, respectively, had a complete response or better (P = 0.99). Treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or higher occurred in 78.2% and 94.2%, respectively; 5-year survival was 79.2% and 80.7% (hazard ratio for death, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.73 to 1.65).

CONCLUSIONS

Among adults with multiple myeloma, RVD plus ASCT was associated with longer progression-free survival than RVD alone. No overall survival benefit was observed. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and others; DETERMINATION ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01208662.).

Abstract 2661: Novel pharmacological approaches of inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in T-cell lymphoma (TCL)

Introduction: T-cell lymphoma (TCL) accounts for 15% of all non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cases with most patients developing relapsed/refractory (R/R) disease. The management of R/R TCL is challenging and responses to second and beyond-line therapy are generally poor. Pre-clinical and clinical studies have identified the relevance of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in TCL biology. The combination of PI3K inhibitor (PI3Ki) Duvelisib and the HDACi Romidepsin improved the overall response rate (ORR) of R/R TCL to 50-55% in a phase I/II study (Horwitz et. al. ASH 2018, Lugano 2021). Evaluation of PI3Ki and HDACi combinations in TCL pre-clinical models is needed to guide the design of future clinical trials.

Methods: A panel of TCL cells lines were chosen representing T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, T-lymphoblastic lymphoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. A panel of PI3Ki (Omipalisib, Umbralisib and Duvelisib) and HDACi (Entinostat and Romidepsin) were selected to determine which combination would be most synergistic. Entinostat, an oral HDACi, was chosen for its remarkable preclinical and clinical activity in other lymphoma subtypes. Umbralisib is a new PI3Kδ inhibitor which was recently approved for treatment of follicular lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma. Cells were exposed to Omipalisib (3.125-100nM), Umbralisib (1-320uM), or Duvelisib (1-100uM) alone or in combination with Entinostat (0.08-10uM) or Romidepsin (0.25-6) for 24, 48 and 72 hrs. Cell viability was measured using the CellTiter-Glo viability assay. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) at 72hrs was determined for each drug and coefficient of synergy was calculated using Calcusyn Software. Changes in cellular metabolism and cell cycle distribution after exposure to PI3Ki were determined using DiOC6 staining and Propidium Iodide staining respectively. Epigenetic changes following exposure to Entinostat or Romidepsin were investigated for possible mechanisms.

Results: In vitro exposure of TCL cell lines to PI3Ki or HDACi resulted in dose-dependent cell death. The IC50 at 72 hrs was 30-500nM for Omipalisib, 9-35uM for Umbralisib, 1-35uM for Duvelisib, 0.2-2uM for Entinostat and for 1-4nM Romidepsin. All HDACi and Pi3Ki combinations demonstrated additive and/or synergistic activity. Duvelisib combined with Entinostat or Romidepsin exhibited the most synergy. Methylation profiling demonstrated genomic wide hypomethylation, specifically DNMT3A, in Romidepsin treated samples compared to Entinostat.

Conclusions: PI3Ki and HDACi combinations show significant synergy in TCL preclinical models. DNMT3A hypomethylation following Romidepsin exposure is being explored as the basis of PI3Ki and HDACi synergy. If confirmed in clinical trials, these results may refine the tolerability of the regimen for patients treated with this very promising PI3Ki/HDACi combination.

Citation Format: Gabrielle Hartman, Cory Mavis, Juan J. Gu, Amber White, Taylor Mandeville, Pallawi Torka, Paola Ghione, Francisco J. Hernandez-Ilizaliturri. Novel pharmacological approaches of inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in T-cell lymphoma (TCL) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 2661.

Longitudinal trends of real-world evidence (RWE) reporting in oncology conferences: An 11-year ASCO Annual Meeting analysis

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Background: Randomized-controlled trials are the gold-standard of clinical research. However, majority of patients with cancer (> 95%) are ineligible/unable to participate in these studies. Retrospective studies using real-world evidence (RWE) help fill the knowledge gap by reporting outcomes in under-represented populations such as patients with rare diseases, comorbidities or those at extremes of age. There is limited data on the pattern and quality of RWE reporting at oncology meetings or in the literature. In this study, we examine longitudinal trends in RWE reporting at ASCO annual meetings over an 11-year period. Methods: We used the search items “retrospective”, “real world” and “observational” to identify all retrospective observational studies reported between 2011 and 2021 at ASCO annual meetings. Population size, number of centers and topics represented were recorded. For studies selected as oral presentations, details about subsequent publication of the full manuscripts was also collected. The statistical significance of reporting trends was tested using the Cochran-Armitage trend test, and the Pearson chi-square test was used to study associations between categorical variables. Results: A total of 49,190 abstracts were reviewed and 6742 (13.7%) studies reporting RWE were identified. There was an increase in the relative frequency of studies reporting RWE, from 13.8% of all abstracts in 2011 to 16.2% in 2021, p < .0001. There was also an increase in the proportion of real-world studies with patient populations of ≥1000 over time (14.6% in 2011 to 19.9% in 2021, p= .0001), with fewer studies including ≤100 patients over the same period (41.4% to 32.3%, p= .0181). Overall, a majority of these studies (70.1%, 4785/6742) were accepted for publication only with a decrease in proportion of studies accepted as posters (43.9% in 2011 to 30.5% in 2021, p < .0001). There was no significant trend in proportion of studies accepted as oral presentations over the same period (.19% to 1.96%, p= .134). There was an association between number of institutions involved, population size and acceptance category (publication only vs poster or oral), p< .001). Only 27.2% of single-center studies were accepted for poster/oral presentation in comparison to 43.6% of studies involving multiple centers. Out of 54 studies that were accepted for oral presentations, 59.3% (32/54) involved ≥1000 patients ( p< .001); 28/54 were published in Pubmed-indexed journals (highest impact factor, 32.98). Conclusions: There has been a significant increase in the relative frequency of studies reporting RWE at the ASCO Annual Meetings. Involvement of multiple institutions and larger patient populations allow for collection of higher quality data, and are associated with increased acceptance as oral/poster presentations versus publication only, underscoring the importance of multi-center collaboration.

Is health-related quality of life (HRQoL) reporting keeping pace with new drug approvals in hematology and oncology: A five-year analysis of 245 drug approvals

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Background: HRQoL data in cancer clinical trials can inform tolerability of new drugs, facilitate informed decision-making, and influence health care and policy decisions, but are frequently underreported. We reviewed all registration trials that informed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval between 2015-2020 for latency and quality of HRQoL reporting. Methods: HRQoL data for each clinical trial associated with FDA drug approval between 7/2015-5/2020 was collected retrospectively from multiple sources including the FDA and clinicaltrials.gov website, conference abstracts, and journal manuscripts. The aim of the study was to analyze the proportion of trials reporting HRQoL, quality of HRQoL data, latency between FDA approval and first reporting of HRQoL data, and association between changes in HRQOL and overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) outcomes. Results: Of the 259 trials involving 245 drug approvals, majority involved solid tumors (61.4%), were phase III (59.1%), and led to approval based on a non-PFS/OS endpoint (52.9%). HRQoL was a pre-specified endpoint in 55.2% and reported in 49.8% trials. HRQoL data was published by the time of FDA approval in only 41.8% cases, 24.8% reported HRQoL data > 12 mo after approval. Further, among trials reporting HRQoL (n = 129), HRQoL data was first reported in the primary paper in only 34.1%, and either in an ancillary paper in 41.9% or an ancillary abstract in 24% trials. Of the 129 trials with HRQoL data, an improvement in HRQoL was seen in 44.2%, no significant change in 41.9%, mixed results in 11.6%, and worsening in 2.3% of trials. Overall, by the time of FDA approval, OS and PFS data were reported in 59% (152/259) and 65% (168/259) trials respectively with an OS benefit seen in 23.9% (62/259) trials, and PFS benefit in 38.6% (100/259) trials. Of the 84 trials that led to FDA approvals based solely on response rate, HRQoL was reported in only 23.8% (n = 24) with a HRQoL benefit seen in only 9.5% (n = 8) trials. Trials reporting either no significant impact on HRQoL or a mixed impact on HRQoL reported median OS benefit of 4.6 months and 4.2 months respectively. In trials reporting HRQoL data > 6 mo from FDA approval, OS benefit of < 3 mo was seen in 17.8% (8/45) trials. No significant time trends were noted during the study period. Conclusions: There was significant underreporting of HRQoL outcomes in trials ( < 50%) associated with FDA drug approvals between 2015-2020 with majority of trials reporting HRQoL data in an ancillary paper/abstract, and at a much later time than the FDA approval. While it is widely accepted that timely dissemination of HRQoL data from cancer drug trials are vital for clinical and regulatory decisions, no improvement in reporting rates were noted over past 5 years. Only 10% of drugs approved on the basis of response rates showed improvement in HRQoL in the registration trials.

Real-world outcomes of brentuximab vedotin maintenance after autologous stem cell transplant in relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma: Is less enough?

7514

Background: The AETHERA trial demonstrated improvement in PFS with 16 cycles of brentuximab vedotin (BV) after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) in BV-naive patients with high-risk relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r cHL). However, in real world, patients are rarely able to complete all 16 cycles of BV at full dose. We performed a multicenter retrospective study to assess the impact of cumulative dose on toxicity and 2-year PFS. Methods: Patients from 11 institutions across the US who had received at least one cycle of BV maintenance after ASCT for r/r cHL with one of these features were included: primary refractory disease (PRD), extra-nodal disease (END), or relapse < 12 months of diagnosis (RL<12). PFS was compared between the three cohorts based on a total cumulative dose of 28.8 mg/kg (1.8 mg/kg x 16 cycles): C1, those that received >75% (21.7 to 28.8 mg/kg) cumulative dose of BV, C2, those that received between 51% -75% (14.5 to 21.6 mg/kg) dose and C3, those that received ≤ 50% (≤ 14.4 mg/kg) dose. Results: Between July 2015-June 2019, 100 patients with a median age of 34 years (19-70) underwent ASCT for r/r cHL. At relapse, 44% had PRD, 47% had RL<12, 39% had END and 45% had received BV as initial (1%) or salvage (44%) therapy. 71% had CR before ASCT and 23% received >1 line of salvage (>1 SLT). There was no difference in baseline characteristics between the cohorts. Thirty-six patients were in C1, 27 in C2, and 37 in C3. Only 14% of patients received full cumulative dose of BV. The median number of cycles completed was 12. Fifty-seven patients discontinued early: 39 for toxicity, 7 for progression, 5 for patient preference, 2 for cost and 4 for other reasons. Six of the patients who stopped early for progression were in C3. Grade ≥3 adverse events for neuropathy, neutropenia, and infections were 16%, 7%, and 5% respectively. There was no difference in severity of neuropathy in patients who had received BV prior to ASCT (p=.37). The median follow up was 3.37 years (.4–6.35). The 2-year PFS was 85% for all subjects, 94% for C1, 84% for C2, and 72% for C3 (p=.079) (Table). Patients in C3 had worse PFS compared to C1 (p=.035); this difference remained significant after adjusting for five other factors. There was no difference in PFS between C1 and C2 (p=.29). Conclusions: The majority of patients discontinued BV maintenance early due to toxicity. 2-year PFS was robust regardless of cumulative dose of BV. We conclude that total cumulative dose of 28.8 mg/kg of BV maintenance is not necessary and 51%-75% of total BV dose may still attain a similar PFS advantage. [Table: see text]

An international analysis evaluating frontline bendamustine with rituximab in extranodal marginal zone lymphoma

Extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (EMZL) is a heterogeneous non-Hodgkin lymphoma. No consensus exists regarding the standard-of-care in patients with advanced-stage disease. Current recommendations are largely adapted from follicular lymphoma, for which bendamustine with rituximab (BR) is an established approach. We analyzed the safety and efficacy of frontline BR in EMZL using a large international consortium. We included 237 patients with a median age of 63 years (range, 21-85). Most patients presented with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 to 1 (n = 228; 96.2%), stage III/IV (n = 179; 75.5%), and intermediate (49.8%) or high (33.3%) Mucosa Associated Lymphoid Tissue International Prognosis Index (MALT-IPI). Patients received a median of 6 (range, 1-8) cycles of BR, and 20.3% (n = 48) received rituximab maintenance. Thirteen percent experienced infectious complications during BR therapy; herpes zoster (4%) was the most common. Overall response rate was 93.2% with 81% complete responses. Estimated 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 80.5% (95% CI, 73.1% to 86%) and 89.6% (95% CI, 83.1% to 93.6%), respectively. MALT-IPI failed to predict outcomes. In the multivariable model, the presence of B symptoms was associated with shorter PFS. Rituximab maintenance was associated with longer PFS (hazard ratio = 0.16; 95% CI, 0.04-0.71; P = .016) but did not impact OS. BR is a highly effective upfront regimen in EMZL, providing durable remissions and overcoming known adverse prognosis factors. This regimen is associated with occurrence of herpes zoster; thus, prophylactic treatment may be considered.

NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Hodgkin Lymphoma, Version 2.2022

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is an uncommon malignancy of B-cell origin. Classical HL (cHL) and nodular lymphocyte-predominant HL are the 2 main types of HL. The cure rates for HL have increased so markedly with the advent of modern treatment options that overriding treatment considerations often relate to long-term toxicity. These NCCN Guidelines Insights discuss the recent updates to the NCCN Guidelines for HL focusing on (1) radiation therapy dose constraints in the management of patients with HL, and (2) the management of advanced-stage and relapsed or refractory cHL.

Patients recently treated for B-lymphoid malignancies show increased risk of severe COVID-19: a CCC19 registry analysis

Patients with B-lymphoid malignancies have been consistently identified as a population at high risk of severe COVID-19. Whether this is exclusively due to cancer-related deficits in humoral and cellular immunity, or whether risk of severe COVID-19 is increased by anti-cancer therapy, is uncertain. Using data derived from the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19), we show that patients treated for B-lymphoid malignancies have an increased risk of severe COVID-19 compared to control populations of patients with non-B-lymphoid hematologic malignancies. Among patients with B-lymphoid malignancies, those who received anti-cancer therapy within 12 months of COVID-19 diagnosis experienced increased COVID-19 severity compared to patients with B-lymphoid malignancies off therapy, after adjustment for cancer status and several other prognostic factors. Our findings suggest that patients recently treated for a B-lymphoid malignancy are at uniquely high risk for severe COVID-19.

Treatment Strategies for Advanced Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma in the Times of Dacarbazine Shortage

The shortage of dacarbazine (DTIC) has created an acute and unprecedented crisis in the management of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma, with DTIC being an essential component of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and DTIC (ABVD) and prior attempts at omitting DTIC from ABVD leading to substantial loss of efficacy. In this review, we discuss the strategies to manage classical Hodgkin lymphoma during the DTIC shortage and propose a treatment algorithm on the basis of fitness and ability to receive anthracyclines safely.

Geriatric assessment in older adults with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma: A Young International Society of Geriatric Oncology (YSIOG) review paper

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a disease of older adults, with a median age at diagnosis of 67 years. Treatment in older adults with NHL is challenging. The aging process is associated with a decline in functional reserve that varies among individuals, and results in an increasing risk of treatment-related toxicity and mortality. Chronological age and performance status fail to capture the multidimensional and heterogeneous nature of the aging process. A geriatric assessment (GA) screens multiple geriatric domains and provides a more accurate assessment of functional reserve. Several abbreviated GA tools have been developed for use in oncology clinics and help identify patients at high risk for chemotherapy-related toxicity and mortality. In this review, we explore GA tools validated for use in patients with NHL. We discuss the evidence behind GA-guided treatment in NHL and present a suggested approach to assessing frailty in this patient population.

Ofatumumab plus HyperCVAD/HD-MA induction leads to high rates of minimal residual disease negativity in patients with newly diagnosed mantle cell lymphoma, results of a phase 2 study

BACKGROUND

Ofatumumab is a humanized type 1 anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. Preclinical studies show improved complement-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) compared to rituximab in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). This study evaluates the safety and efficacy of combining ofatumumab with HyperCVAD/MA (O-HyperCVAD) in newly diagnosed MCL.

METHODS

In this single-arm phase 2 study, 37 patients were treated with the combination of O-HyperCVAD for 4 or 6 cycles, followed by high dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplant. Primary objectives were overall response rate (ORR) and complete response (CR) rate at the end of therapy. Secondary objectives included minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Median age was 60 years; ORR was 86% and 73% achieved a CR by modified Cheson criteria. The MRD negativity rate was 78% after 2 cycles of therapy, increasing to 96% at the end of induction; median PFS and OS were 45.5 months and 56 months, respectively. Achieving a post-induction CR by both imaging and flow cytometry was associated with improved PFS and OS. Early MRD negativity (post-2 cycles) was also associated with an improved PFS but not OS. There were 3 deaths while on therapy, and grades 3 and 4 adverse events (AEs) were observed in 22% and 68% of the patients.

CONCLUSION

The addition of ofatumumab to HyperCVAD/HD-MA led to high rates of MRD negativity by flow cytometry in patients with newly diagnosed MCL. Achieving a CR post-induction by both imaging and flow cytometry is associated with improved overall survival.

NCCN Guidelines Insights: Primary Cutaneous Lymphomas, Version 2.2020

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common subtype of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), and Sézary syndrome (SS) is a rare erythrodermic and leukemic subtype of CTCL characterized by significant blood involvement. Although early-stage disease can be effectively treated predominantly with skin-directed therapies, systemic therapy is often necessary for the treatment of advanced-stage disease. Systemic therapy options have evolved in recent years with the approval of novel agents such as romidepsin, brentuximab vedotin, and mogamulizumab. These NCCN Guidelines Insights discuss the diagnosis and management of MF and SS (with a focus on systemic therapy).

Evaluating the role of baseline geriatric assessment in predicting adherence to oral targeted therapies and outcomes in older adults with non-Hodgkin lymphoma

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Background: Oral targeted therapies (OTT) have transformed the treatment landscape of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). However, measuring, defining and optimizing adherence to OTT remains a challenge. Prior studies have reported variable adherence rates (12-100%) to OTT in cancer patients (pts), with suboptimal adherence associated with inferior outcomes. In older adults (OA), geriatric syndromes (GS) such as polypharmacy and cognitive impairment can impact adherence. While geriatric assessment (GA) can predict chemotherapy-related toxicity in OA, its utility in NHL pts on OTT is unknown. In this pilot study, we evaluate the role of GA in predicting adherence and outcomes in NHL pts on OTT. We also report the feasibility of using MEMS Cap, an electronic event monitoring system, to measure adherence in this population. Methods: Pts ≥70 years (yrs) with NHL, initiating/receiving OTT were included. A GA was performed at baseline; pt, disease, and OTT characteristics were recorded. Pts were followed monthly for the first 3 months (mos), then every 3 mos for 1 year. Primary endpoint was treatment adherence rate, measured using both subjective [brief adherence rating scale (BARS)] and objective (pill counts and MEMS cap) methods. Progression free survival (PFS) was measured from time of therapy initiation to disease progression or death. Results: Of the 54 pts screened, 25 were enrolled. Median age was 77 yrs (71-93 yrs), 21 pts had chronic lymphocytic leukemia, 3 had mantle cell lymphoma and 1 had marginal zone lymphoma. Most frequently used OTT were ibrutinib (n = 17) and venetoclax (n = 5). Most pts (72%) were on OTT at study entry. Median time on therapy was 16.4 mos (1.9-44.6 mos). GS included cognitive impairment (28%), depression (24%), polypharmacy (92%) and recent falls (12%); 48% pts had ≥2 GS. Nine pts (36%) had impaired 4-meter gait speed and/or timed-up-and-go; 20 pts (80%) had an adjusted CIRS-G score of ≥6. So far, pts have completed a median follow up of 3.3 mos. BARS was the most consistent measure of adherence used (63/63 visits, 100%). MEMS Cap and pill counts were used at 13% and 8% visits respectively. Only 5 pts used the MEMS Cap, mostly due to packaging incompatibility (44%-pill box, 32%-blister packs). Median adherence was 100% (range, 70%-100%) with no pts missing > 7 days of prescribed doses. Five pts (20%) required dose interruptions, mostly due to adverse events. Six pts discontinued therapy and 2 pts died of unrelated causes. Median PFS was not reached. Chronological age and presence of a GS were not associated with adherence rate or outcomes. Conclusions: Despite presence of ≥2 geriatric syndromes in 48% of older adults with NHL on OTT, self-reported adherence remains high ( > 99%) in this group. The MEMS Cap device has poor applicability in measuring adherence to OTT due to pill package incompatibility and increasing use of virtual/tele visits.

NCCN Guidelines Insights: T-Cell Lymphomas, Version 1.2021

Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL) is a rare subtype of T-cell lymphoma associated with an aggressive clinical course and a worse prognosis. HSTCL develops in the setting of chronic immune suppression or immune dysregulation in up to 20% of cases and is most often characterized by spleen, liver, and bone marrow involvement. Diagnosis and management of HSTCL pose significant challenges given the rarity of the disease along with the absence of lymphadenopathy and poor outcome with conventional chemotherapy regimens. These Guidelines Insights focus on the diagnosis and treatment of HSTCL as outlined in the NCCN Guidelines for T-Cell Lymphomas.

Pevonedistat, a NEDD8-Activating Enzyme Inhibitor, Induces Apoptosis and Augments Efficacy of Chemotherapy and Small Molecule Inhibitors in Pre-clinical Models of Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma

We studied the biological activity of pevonedistat, a first‐in‐class NEDD8‐activating enzyme (NAE) inhibitor, in combination with various cytotoxic chemotherapy agents and small molecule inhibitors in lymphoma preclinical models. Pevonedistat induced cell death in activated B‐cell (ABC) diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cell lines and to a lesser degree in germinal center B‐cell (GCB) DLBCL cell lines. In pevonedistat sensitive cells, we observed inhibition of NF‐κB activity by p65 co‐localization studies, decreased expression of BCL‐2/Bcl‐XL, and upregulation of BAK levels. Pevonedistat enhanced the activity of cytarabine, cisplatin, doxorubicin, and etoposide in ABC‐, but not in the GCB‐DLBCL cell lines. It also exhibited synergy with ibrutinib, selinexor, venetoclax, and A‐1331852 (a novel BCL‐XL inhibitor). In vivo, the combination of pevonedistat and ibrutinib or pevonedistat and cytarabine prolonged survival in SCID mice xenograft models when compared with monotherapy controls. Our data suggest that targeting the neddylation pathway in DLBCL is a viable therapeutic strategy and support further clinical studies of pevonedistat as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy or novel targeted agents.

Checkpoint Blockade Treatment May Sensitize Hodgkin Lymphoma to Subsequent Therapy

BACKGROUND

Targeted therapies and checkpoint blockade therapy (CBT) have shown efficacy for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in the relapsed and refractory (R/R) setting, but once discontinued owing to progression or side effects, it is unclear how successful further therapies will be. Moreover, there are no data on optimal sequencing of these treatments with standard therapies and other novel agents. In a multicenter, retrospective analysis, we investigated whether exposure to CBT could sensitize HL to subsequent therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seventeen centers across the U.S. and Canada retrospectively queried medical records for eligible patients. The primary aim was to evaluate the overall response rate (ORR) to post-CBT treatment using the Lugano criteria. Secondary aims included progression-free survival (PFS), duration of response, and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Eighty-one patients were included. Seventy-two percent had stage III-IV disease, and the population was heavily pretreated with a median of four therapies before CBT. Most patients (65%) discontinued CBT owing to progression. The ORR to post-CBT therapy was 62%, with a median PFS of 6.3 months and median OS of 21 months. Post-CBT treatment regimens consisted of chemotherapy (44%), targeted agents (19%), immunotherapy (15%), transplant conditioning (14%), chemotherapy/targeted combination (7%), and clinical trials (1%). No significant difference in OS was found when stratified by post-CBT regimen.

CONCLUSION

In a heavily pretreated R/R HL population, CBT may sensitize patients to subsequent treatment, even after progression on CBT. Post-CBT regimen category did not impact OS. This may be a novel treatment strategy, which warrants further investigation in prospective clinical trials.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Novel, life-prolonging treatment strategies in relapsed and refractory (R/R) Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) are greatly desired. The results of this multicenter analysis concur with a smaller, earlier report that checkpoint blockade therapy (CBT) use in R/R HL may sensitize patients to their subsequent treatment. This approach may potentially enhance therapeutic options or to bridge patients to transplant. Prospective data are warranted prior to practice implementation. As more work is done in this area, we may also be able to optimize sequencing of CBT and novel agents in the treatment paradigm to minimize treatment-related toxicity and thus improve patient quality of life.

Utility of bone marrow aspirate and biopsy in staging of patients with T-cell lymphoma in the PET-Era - tissue remains the issue

The role of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography combined with computerized tomography (PET-CT) in evaluation of bone marrow involvement (BMI) in patients with T-cell lymphoma (TCL) is poorly understood. We investigated whether PET-CT could replace bone marrow aspiration and biopsy (BMAB) in TCL. Sixty patients with newly diagnosed TCL who underwent both diagnostic PET-CT and BMAB were identified. BMI was tissue-confirmed in 15 (25%) cases, however only 8 of these 15 showed BMI on PET-CT (sensitivity of 53.3%, specificity of 100%). BMI by BMAB was associated with lower progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.038) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.003) while PET-CT BMI was associated only with OS (p = 0.02). BMI detected by BMAB in the setting of a negative PET-CT had similar inferior prognosis as BMI identified on PET-CT. Thus, PET-CT in TCL misses BMI in almost half of the cases detected by BMAB and hence cannot substitute BMAB in evaluation of TCL.

Mechanisms of Resistance to Monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs) in Lymphoid Malignancies

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Passive immunotherapy with therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has revolutionized the treatment of cancer, especially hematological malignancies over the last 20 years. While use of mAbs has improved outcomes, development of resistance is inevitable in most cases, hindering the long-term survival of cancer patients. This review focuses on the available data on mechanisms of resistance to rituximab and includes some additional information for other mAbs currently in use in hematological malignancies.

RECENT FINDINGS

Mechanisms of resistance have been identified that target all described mechanisms of mAb activity including altered antigen expression or binding, impaired complement-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) or antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), altered intracellular signaling effects, and inhibition of direct induction of cell death. Numerous approaches to circumvent identified mechanisms of resistance continue to be investigated, but a thorough understanding of which resistance mechanisms are most clinically relevant is still elusive. In recent years, a deeper understanding of the tumor microenvironment and targeting the apoptotic pathway has led to promising breakthroughs. Resistance may be driven by unique patient-, disease-, and antibody-related factors. Understanding the mechanisms of resistance to mAbs will guide the development of strategies to overcome resistance and re-sensitize cancer cells to these biological agents.