Clinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical Trial Updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported.SEQUOIA (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03336333) is a phase III, randomized, open-label trial that compared the oral Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor zanubrutinib to bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) in treatment-naïve patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). The initial prespecified analysis (median follow-up, 26.2 months) and subsequent analysis (43.7 months) found superior progression-free survival (PFS; the primary end point) in patients who received zanubrutinib compared with BR. At a median follow-up of 61.2 months, median PFS was not reached in zanubrutinib-treated patients; median PFS was 44.1 months in BR-treated patients (hazard ratio [HR], 0.29; one-sided P = .0001). Prolonged PFS was seen with zanubrutinib versus BR in patients with mutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region (IGHV) genes (HR, 0.40; one-sided P = .0003) and unmutated IGHV genes (HR, 0.21 [95% CI, 0.14 to 0.33]; one-sided P < .0001). Median overall survival (OS) was not reached in either treatment arm; estimated 60-month OS rates were 85.8% and 85.0% in zanubrutinib- and BR-treated patients, respectively. No new safety signals were detected. Adverse events were as expected with zanubrutinib; rate of atrial fibrillation was 7.1%. At a median follow-up of 61.2 months, the results supported the initial SEQUOIA findings and suggested that zanubrutinib was a favorable treatment option for untreated patients with CLL/SLL.
- MeSH
- Bendamustine Hydrochloride * administration & dosage therapeutic use MeSH
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell * drug therapy mortality MeSH
- Progression-Free Survival MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Follow-Up Studies MeSH
- Piperidines therapeutic use administration & dosage adverse effects MeSH
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols * therapeutic use adverse effects MeSH
- Pyrazoles * therapeutic use administration & dosage adverse effects MeSH
- Pyrimidines * therapeutic use administration & dosage adverse effects MeSH
- Rituximab * administration & dosage therapeutic use adverse effects MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Clinical Trial, Phase III MeSH
- Multicenter Study MeSH
- Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
- Comparative Study MeSH
Autologous hematopoietic cell transplants (auto-HCTs) remain the standard of care for transplant-eligible MM patients. The general practice has been to undergo upfront apheresis following induction to collect sufficient number of CD34+ cells to facilitate two auto-HCTs. However, 5-30% of MM patients do not initially mobilise a sufficient number of hematopoietic stem cells and are classified as poor mobilizers (PM). We compared the baseline characteristics and outcomes of 61 PMs and 816 non-PM patients who underwent a second auto-HCT and who were enrolled in the non-interventional CALM study (NCT01362972). Only patients who collected CD34+ prior to auto-HCT1 were included. Auto-HCT2 comprised both tandem and salvage transplants. PMs were re-mobilized with plerixafor (n = 24, 39.3%) or non-plerixafor-based regimens (n = 37, 60.7%). There were no significant differences in engraftment, progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS) after the second auto-HCT between PM and non-PM patients. There was a trend to shorter PFS in PM patients undergoing salvage auto-HCT (median 9.6 vs. 12.9 months; p = 0.08) but no significant difference in OS. The median OS was 41.1 months for PM and 41.2 months for non-PM patients (p = 0.86). These data suggest that salvage mobilization is effective and does not affect overall outcomes after a second auto-HCT.
- MeSH
- Transplantation, Autologous * methods MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Multiple Myeloma * therapy mortality MeSH
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization * methods MeSH
- Retrospective Studies MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation * methods MeSH
- Treatment Outcome MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Multicenter Study MeSH
PURPOSE: Patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) have a poor prognosis. The phase I/II NP30179 study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03075696) evaluated glofitamab monotherapy in patients with R/R B-cell lymphomas, with obinutuzumab pretreatment (Gpt) to mitigate the risk of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) with glofitamab. We present data for patients with R/R MCL. METHODS: Eligible patients with R/R MCL (at least one previous therapy) received Gpt (1,000 or 2,000 mg) 7 days before the first glofitamab dose (single dose or split over 2 days if required). Glofitamab step-up dosing was administered once a day on days 8 (2.5 mg) and 15 (10 mg) of cycle 1, with a target dose of 16 or 30 mg once every 3 weeks from cycle 2 day 1 onward, for 12 cycles. Efficacy end points included investigator-assessed complete response (CR) rate, overall response rate (ORR), and duration of CR. RESULTS: Of 61 enrolled patients, 60 were evaluable for safety and efficacy. Patients had received a median of two previous therapies (range, 1-5). CR rate and ORR were 78.3% (95% CI, 65.8 to 87.9) and 85.0% (95% CI, 73.4 to 92.9), respectively. In patients who had received previous treatment with a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (n = 31), CR rate was 71.0% (95% CI, 52.0 to 85.8) and ORR was 74.2% (95% CI, 55.4 to 88.1). CRS after glofitamab administration occurred in 70.0% of patients, with a lower incidence in the 2,000 mg (63.6% [grade ≥2, 22.7%]) versus 1,000 mg (87.5%; grade ≥2, 62.5%) Gpt cohort. Four adverse events led to glofitamab withdrawal (all infections). CONCLUSION: Fixed-duration glofitamab induced high CR rates in heavily pretreated patients with R/R MCL; the safety profile was manageable with appropriate support.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized administration & dosage therapeutic use adverse effects MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local drug therapy MeSH
- Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell * drug therapy pathology MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Clinical Trial, Phase I MeSH
- Clinical Trial, Phase II MeSH
- Multicenter Study MeSH
The characteristics at diagnosis and clinical course of primary extranodal follicular lymphoma (EFL) have not been extensively described. The International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group (IELSG) conducted an international retrospective survey aimed to describe the clinical features at diagnosis and the outcomes of FL cases with a clinically dominant extranodal component. The dataset included 605 pathologically reviewed cases from 19 different countries, and their outcomes were compared to those of nodal follicular lymphomas. The two most common presentation sites for EFL were the skin (n = 334) and the gastrointestinal tract (n = 72), with 22 cases having primary duodenal localization. These subsets exhibited unique features at diagnosis and significantly different overall survival (OS) patterns. After a median follow-up of 5.5 years, primary cutaneous lymphomas showed a superior outcome [10-year OS: 89% (95% CI, 83%-93%)], while primary gastrointestinal lymphomas had an intermediate outcome [10-year OS: 79% (95% CI, 59%-90%)]. Among the gastrointestinal lymphomas, primary duodenal lymphomas tended toward the best outcome [10-year OS: 95% (95% CI, 69%-99%)]. Other primary extranodal sites had inferior outcomes [10-year OS: 59% (95% CI, 48%-68%)], similar to primary nodal lymphomas [10-year OS: 57% (95% CI, 49%-64%)]. These findings support the identification of specific primary FL localizations as distinct entities with particular clinical and biological characteristics.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Lymphoma, Follicular * mortality therapy diagnosis pathology epidemiology MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Survival Rate MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Follow-Up Studies MeSH
- Prognosis MeSH
- Retrospective Studies MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Multicenter Study MeSH
INTRODUCTION: Pathogenesis of large B-cell lymphomas (LBCL) and follicular lymphomas (FL) is a multistep process associated with the development of diverse DNA alterations and consequent deregulation of critical cellular processes. Detection of tumor-associated mutations within non-tumor compartments (mainly plasma) is the basis of the 'liquid biopsy' concept. Apart from tumor mutational profiling, quantitative analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) allows longitudinal assessment of tumor burden. ctDNA-based technologies provide a new tool for tumor diagnostics and treatment personalization. AREAS COVERED: Our review provides a comprehensive overview and summary of available ctDNA studies in LBCL and FL. The accuracy of ctDNA-based detection of lymphoma-associated DNA alterations is correlated to known LBCL and FL molecular landscape. Additionally, we summarized available evidence that supports and justifies the clinical use of ctDNA for lymphoma risk stratification, treatment response evaluation, and treatment response-adapted therapy. Lastly, we discuss other clinically important ctDNA applications: monitoring of lymphoma clonal evolution within resistance and/or relapse development and utilization of ctDNA for diagnostics in non-blood fluids and compartments (e.g. cerebrospinal fluid in primary CNS lymphomas). EXPERT OPINION: Despite certain challenges, including methodological standardization, ctDNA holds promise to soon become an integral part of lymphoma diagnostics and treatment management.
- MeSH
- Circulating Tumor DNA * blood genetics MeSH
- Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse * diagnosis genetics therapy blood MeSH
- Lymphoma, Follicular * diagnosis genetics therapy blood MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Mutation MeSH
- Biomarkers, Tumor * blood genetics MeSH
- Prognosis MeSH
- Liquid Biopsy methods MeSH
- Treatment Outcome MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Review MeSH
Consensus panel 2 from the 12th International Workshop on Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia was tasked with updating the guidelines on the diagnosis and management of patients with Bing-Neel syndrome (BNS). In this panel we have summarized the clinical symptoms that may be present with BNS, discussed the criteria required for diagnosis of BNS, made recommendations for follow-up imaging, and proposed revised guidelines for response assessment in BNS. The key recommendations from the 12th International Workshop on WM (IWWM-12) Consensus panel 2 include: (1) the establishment of zanubrutinib as a standard therapy for treatment of BNS; (2) recommendations on imaging and CSF evaluation during treatment and follow-up of BNS; and (3) revised response criteria in view of new data showing that malignant cells can persist in the CSF of many patients treated with BTK-inhibitors. New categorical response categories proposed include that for a Clinical Complete Response and Progressive Disease.
- MeSH
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors therapeutic use MeSH
- Consensus MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Disease Management MeSH
- Piperidines therapeutic use MeSH
- Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase antagonists & inhibitors MeSH
- Pyrazoles therapeutic use MeSH
- Pyrimidines therapeutic use MeSH
- Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia * diagnosis therapy drug therapy MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Consensus Development Conference MeSH
BACKGROUND: The combination of ibrutinib and venetoclax leverages complementary mechanisms of action and has shown promising clinical activity in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of ibrutinib-venetoclax compared with ibrutinib-placebo in patients with relapsed or refractory MCL. METHODS: SYMPATICO is a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study performed at 84 hospitals in Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific. Eligible patients were adults (aged ≥18 years) with pathologically confirmed relapsed or refractory MCL after one to five previous lines of therapy and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0-2. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive oral ibrutinib 560 mg once daily concurrently with oral venetoclax (5-week ramp-up to 400 mg once daily) or placebo for 2 years, then single-agent ibrutinib 560 mg once daily until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Randomisation and treatment assignment occurred via interactive response technology using a stratified permuted block scheme (block sizes of 2 and 4) with stratification by ECOG performance status, previous lines of therapy, and tumour lysis syndrome risk category. Patients and investigators were masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population. Safety was assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of study treatment. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03112174, and is closed to enrolment. FINDINGS: Between April 26, 2018, and Aug 28, 2019, 267 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned; 134 to the ibrutinib-venetoclax group and 133 to the ibrutinib-placebo group. 211 (79%) of 267 patients were male and 56 (21%) were female. With a median follow-up of 51·2 months (IQR 48·2-55·3), median progression-free survival was 31·9 months (95% CI 22·8-47·0) in the ibrutinib-venetoclax group and 22·1 months (16·5-29·5) in the ibrutinib-placebo group (hazard ratio 0·65 [95% CI 0·47-0·88]; p=0·0052). The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were neutropenia (42 [31%] of 134 patients in the ibrutinib-venetoclax group vs 14 [11%] of 132 patients in the ibrutinib-placebo group), thrombocytopenia (17 [13%] vs ten [8%]), and pneumonia (16 [12%] vs 14 [11%]). Serious adverse events occurred in 81 (60%) of 134 patients in the ibrutinib-venetoclax group and in 79 (60%) of 132 patients in the ibrutinib-placebo group. Treatment-related deaths occurred in three (2%) of 134 patients in the ibrutinib-venetoclax group (n=1 COVID-19 infection, n=1 cardiac arrest, and n=1 respiratory failure) and in two (2%) of 132 patients in the ibrutinib-placebo group (n=1 cardiac failure and n=1 COVID-19-related pneumonia). INTERPRETATION: The combination of ibrutinib-venetoclax significantly improved progression-free survival compared with ibrutinib-placebo in patients with relapsed or refractory MCL. The safety profile was consistent with known safety profiles of the individual drugs. These findings suggest a positive benefit-risk profile for ibrutinib-venetoclax treatment. FUNDING: Pharmacyclics (an AbbVie Company) and Janssen Research and Development.
- MeSH
- Adenine * analogs & derivatives MeSH
- Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic * administration & dosage therapeutic use adverse effects MeSH
- Progression-Free Survival MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Double-Blind Method MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Neoplasm Recurrence, Local drug therapy pathology MeSH
- Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell * drug therapy pathology mortality MeSH
- Piperidines * administration & dosage MeSH
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols * therapeutic use adverse effects MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Sulfonamides * administration & dosage therapeutic use adverse effects MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Clinical Trial, Phase III MeSH
- Multicenter Study MeSH
- Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
Patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have poor outcomes (complete response [CR] rates with standard salvage therapy gemcitabine plus oxaliplatin [GemOx], ∼30%; median overall survival [OS], 10 to 13 months). Patients with refractory disease fare worse (CR rate with salvage therapy, 7%; median OS, 6 months). Epcoritamab, a CD3×CD20 bispecific antibody approved for R/R DLBCL after ≥2 therapy lines, has shown promising safety and efficacy in various combinations. We report results from the phase 1b/2 EPCORE NHL-2 trial evaluating epcoritamab plus GemOx in autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT)-ineligible R/R DLBCL. Patients received 48 mg subcutaneous epcoritamab after 2 step-up doses until progression or unacceptable toxicity; GemOx was given once every 2 weeks for 8 doses. The primary end point was overall response rate (ORR). As of 15 December 2023, 103 patients were enrolled (median follow-up, 13.2 months; median age, 72 years). Patients had challenging-to-treat disease: ≥2 prior therapy lines, 62%; prior chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, 28%; primary refractory disease, 52%; refractory to last therapy, 70%. ORR and CR rate were 85% and 61%, respectively. Median duration of CR and OS were 23.6 and 21.6 months, respectively. Common treatment-emergent adverse events were cytopenias and cytokine release syndrome (CRS). CRS events had predictable timing, were primarily low grade (52% overall, 1% grade 3), and resolved without leading to discontinuation. Epcoritamab plus GemOx yielded deep, durable responses and favorable long-term outcomes in ASCT-ineligible R/R DLBCL. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT04663347.
- MeSH
- Deoxycytidine * analogs & derivatives administration & dosage adverse effects therapeutic use MeSH
- Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse * drug therapy mortality pathology MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Oxaliplatin administration & dosage adverse effects MeSH
- Antibodies, Bispecific * administration & dosage adverse effects therapeutic use MeSH
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols * therapeutic use adverse effects administration & dosage MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Salvage Therapy MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged, 80 and over MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Clinical Trial, Phase I MeSH
- Clinical Trial, Phase II MeSH
- Multicenter Study MeSH
Histological transformation (HT) in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare complication and despite growing literature in the last years, no consensus recommendations exist. Consensus Panel 6 (CP6) of the 12th International Workshop on Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia (IWWM-12) was convened to review the current data on transformed WM and make recommendations on its diagnosis and management. The key recommendations from IWWM-12 CP6 included: (1) in case of suspected HT, tissue biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosis; (2) the initial work-up should comprise 18FDG-PET/CT for the evaluation of disease extent and, for patients with clinical suspicion or for high-risk patients (CNS-IPI, multiple and/or specific extranodal involvements), cerebrospinal fluid examination and brain MRI; (3) standard dose chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) such as R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicine, vincristine and prednisone) or R-CHP + polatuzumab vedotin are the preferred front-line regimen; (4) CNS prophylaxis and consolidation with autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT) can be considered according to de novo diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) guidelines; (5) T-cell-engaging therapies (CAR T-cells, bispecific antibodies) should be used in the relapse/refractory setting according to international guidelines for DLBCL and local access to these therapies. Key unanswered questions include the role of TP53 abnormalities and CXCR4 mutations on the risk of HT, the prognostic role of clonal relationship between WM and HT, the optimal front-line therapy (addition of novel agents to CIT, dose-intensive CIT, consolidation with autologous SCT), and the sequence of T-cell-engaging therapies. International collaboration and consideration of and inclusion in clinical trials is critical to address these issues in a rare patient population.
A large body of evidence suggests that hypoxia drives aggressive molecular features of malignant cells irrespective of cancer type. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) are the most common hematologic malignancies characterized by frequent involvement of diverse hypoxic microenvironments. We studied the impact of long-term deep hypoxia (1% O2) on the biology of lymphoma cells. Only 2 out of 6 tested cell lines (Ramos, and HBL2) survived ≥ 4 weeks under hypoxia. The hypoxia-adapted (HA)b Ramos and HBL2 cells had a decreased proliferation rate accompanied by significant suppression of both oxidative phosphorylation and glycolytic pathways. Transcriptome and proteome analyses revealed marked downregulation of genes and proteins of the mitochondrial respiration complexes I and IV, and mitochondrial ribosomal proteins. Despite the observed suppression of glycolysis, the proteome analysis of both HA cell lines showed upregulation of several proteins involved in the regulation of glucose utilization including the active catalytic component of prolyl-4-hydroxylase P4HA1, an important druggable oncogene. HA cell lines demonstrated increased transcription of key regulators of auto-/mitophagy, e.g., neuritin, BCL2 interacting protein 3 (BNIP3), BNIP3-like protein, and BNIP3 pseudogene. Adaptation to hypoxia was further associated with deregulation of apoptosis, namely upregulation of BCL2L1/BCL-XL, overexpression of BCL2L11/BIM, increased binding of BIM to BCL-XL, and significantly increased sensitivity of both HA cell lines to A1155463, a BCL-XL inhibitor. Finally, in both HA cell lines AKT kinase was hyperphosphorylated and the cells showed increased sensitivity to copanlisib, a pan-PI3K inhibitor. In conclusion, our data report on several shared mechanisms of lymphoma cell adaptation to long-term hypoxia including: 1. Upregulation of proteins responsible for glucose utilization, 2. Degradation of mitochondrial proteins for potential mitochondrial recycling (by mitophagy), and 3. Increased dependence on BCL-XL and PI3K-AKT signaling for survival. In translation, inhibition of glycolysis, BCL-XL, or PI3K-AKT cascade may result in targeted elimination of HA lymphoma cells.
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
