Nonpegylated liposomal doxorubicin is highly active in patients with B and T/NK cell lymphomas with cardiac comorbidity or higher age

Efficacy of R-COMP in comparison to R-CHOP in patients with DLBCL: A systematic review and single-arm metanalysis

Doxorubicin represents the mainstay in the upfront treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients. However, its administration is sometimes hampered by the coexistence of former comorbidities/cardiac issues, especially in the elderly population. Liposome encapsulated drug delivery systems have been adopted to reduce the exposure of normal tissues to the drug, both in solid cancers and lymphomas. Despite claims for lower toxicity, the efficacy of non-pegylated liposome doxorubicin (NPLD) in DLBCL, as compared to standard doxorubicin, has never been established. We systematically reviewed relevant literature of NPLD in lymphoma treatment. Adjusting for age/comorbidities, our metanalysis revealed that the use of combinations including NPLD (R-COMP) were non-inferior in terms of response, overall and progression-free survival to the standard of care (R-CHOP) in overlapping series of DLBCL patients. R-COMP may represent a safe and active option for elderly patients with DLBCL, or for those with some extent of cardiac impairment at baseline.

Nonpegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin as a Component of R-CHOP Is an Effective and Safe Alternative to Conventional Doxorubicin in the Treatment of Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and Preexisting Cardiac Diseases

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this retrospective analysis was to investigate the efficacy and safety of nonpegylated liposomal doxorubicin (NPLD) as part of R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and preexisting cardiac diseases.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Twenty-five patients were evaluated, median age was 73 (range 24-85) years, 23 patients received NPLD as part of their first-line therapy. Most patients suffered from more than 1 cardiac disease and in 14 patients left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was reduced. One hundred nineteen cycles of NPLD were applied with a median of 5 (range 2-8) cycles per patient. Median dose per cycle was 95 mg (50 mg/m(2)).

RESULTS

The overall response rate was 96% (44% complete remission, 52% partial remission). After a median follow-up of 23 months, 4 patients had disease relapse. Seven patients died, translating to an estimated 3-year progression-free and overall survival of 66% and 73%, respectively. Reasons for death were progressive disease or infection in 2 patients each and cardiovascular disease in 3 patients. After chemotherapy, LVEF decreased significantly in 28% and improved in 12% of patients, whereas median LVEF did not change (51% vs. 50%). No higher frequencies of decreased LVEF was observed in the group of patients with preexisting reduced LVEF. Five adverse events induced therapy termination: 2 myocardial infarctions, 2 pneumonias, and 1 reduced condition. No hand-foot-syndrome was observed.

CONCLUSION

NPLD as a component of R-CHOP is an effective treatment in patients with DLBCL and preexisting cardiac diseases, whereas cardiac events were observed in 36% of patients in this cardiac high-risk group. However, these results need to be confirmed in a prospective randomized trial.

Non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in lymphoma: patterns of toxicity and outcome in a large observational trial

The anthracycline doxorubicin plays a major role in the treatment of lymphoproliferative disorders. However, its use is often limited due to cardiac toxicity, which seems to be much less in the liposomal non-pegylated formulation (Myocet®). The aim of this study was the evaluation of efficacy and toxicity of Myocet®-containing treatment regimens, with a focus on cardiotoxicity during treatment in lymphoma patients. A total of 326 consecutive patients, treated between March 2008 and December 2013 in 11 Austrian and 1 Italian cancer centers, were retrospectively assessed. Patients' baseline and treatment-related parameters were obtained by reviewing hospital records. Median age was 74 years (range 26-93). The most common histology was DLBCL (60 %), followed by FL (13 %) and MCL (8 %). At least one cardiovascular comorbidity was present in 72 % of patients. Most common grade 3/4 toxicities were hematologic, namely, leukopenia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and febrile neutropenia in 44, 40, 17, and 16 %. Overall, 43 patients suffered a cardiac event (any grade) with most patients developing congestive heart failure. Parameters significantly associated with severe cardiac events (grades 3-5) were the presence of cardiovascular comorbidities, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and elevated baseline NT-proBNP. Treatment response after first line Myocet®-containing therapy was ≥58 % among all entities (range 58-86 %) and therefore comparable to those of conventional therapeutic regimens. Herein, we provide a detailed toxicity profile of Myocet®-containing chemotherapy regimens. Despite the high rate of patients with preexisting comorbidities, the number of adverse events was encouraging. However, these results need to be confirmed in a prospective randomized trial.

Detection and prevention of cardiac complications of cancer chemotherapy

Despite continuous improvements in management of patients with cancer, cardiac side-effects still account for a substantial limitation of chemotherapy. Evaluation of cardiac toxicity in patients includes consideration of biomarkers such as cardiac troponins and B-type natriuretic peptides, together with non-invasive imaging in the form of 2D-, 3D-, or strain-echocardiography, multiple gated radionuclide angiography, quantitative gated blood-pool SPECT, (123)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy, or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. These approaches differ from each other with regards to availability, accuracy, sensitivity to detect early stages of cardiac injury, individual reliability, ease of use in a longitudinal follow-up perspective, and to related cost-effectiveness. Improving prevention of these cardiac side-effects depends on several, currently unresolved issues. Early detection and quantification of cardiac damage is required to adapt chemotherapy in progress for optimal management of patients. Whether increased availability of myocardial strain imaging and repeat blood biomarkers determinations will reliably and consistently achieve these goals remain to be confirmed. Also, protective approaches to reduce cardiac toxicity of anticancer drugs should be reconsidered according to the recently restricted approval for use of dexrazoxane. Anthracycline-based regimens, encapsulated anthracyclines and non-anthracycline regimens should be revisited with regards to antitumour efficacy and cardiac toxicity. Cardiovascular drugs that proved effective in prevention of anthracycline-induced cardiac toxicity in experimental models should be investigated in clinical trials. Finally, the efficacy of cardiovascular drugs that have already been tested in clinical settings should be confirmed and compared with each other in patients in increased numbers.

Replacement of conventional doxorubicin by pegylated liposomal doxorubicin is a safe and effective alternative in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients with cardiac risk factors

Anthracyclines are a major component in the therapy of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. However, due to their cardiac toxicity potential, curative and palliative treatment is often limited in patients with preexisting cardiac dysfunction. Liposomal doxorubicin formulations have been described to be less cardiotoxic than conventional doxorubicin. In the current study, we analyzed the efficacy and toxicity of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) as constituent of the cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) regimen replacing conventional doxorubicin in 21 patients with impaired cardiac left ventricular ejection fraction or preexisting cardiac risk factors and established diagnosis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (n = 15), mantle cell lymphoma (n = 3), follicular lymphoma (n = 1), and T cell lymphoma (n = 2). Overall and complete response rate were 85% and 40%, respectively. Event-free survival and overall survival after 2 years were 58%. One lethal event of acute cardiac death occurred during the first cycle in a patient with transposition of the big arteries, atrial flutter, and mitral valve regurgitation. In the remaining 20 patients, no deterioration of myocardial function was observed in echocardiography performed before and after treatment. Seven cases of grade III-IV hematological toxicity were observed as well as four episodes of neutropenic fever leading to hospitalization. No infection-related death occurred. However, 25% of patients developed a hand-foot syndrome (HFS) leading to discontinuation of treatment. Importantly, the incidence of HFS increased considerably when PLD doses of 15 mg/m(2)/week were exceeded. We conclude that replacing conventional doxorubicin with PLD in polychemotherapy regimens such as CHOP is an efficient alternative in the treatment of patients with preexisting cardiac dysfunction. However, we recommend that PLD dose should not exceed 15 mg/m(2)/week. The rationale for the use of non-pegylated liposomal doxorubicin formulations should be evaluated in further studies.

Routine use of bendamustine and rituximab combination therapy in consecutive patients with lymphoproliferative diseases: a survey from Tyrolean hospitals

BACKGROUND

The objective was to demonstrate feasibility and therapeutic efficacy of routine clinical use of the bendamustine/rituximab combination in lymphoproliferative diseases.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data were collected retrospectively from 71 patients treated with bendamustine/rituximab combination in Tyrol/Austria. Toxicities, therapeutic response, and survival outcome in the various lymphoma entities were analyzed.

RESULTS

There was considerable hematotoxicity, with neutropenia and thrombocytopenia of grade 3 or 4 in 33% and 18%, respectively. Interestingly, severe infection of grade 3 or 4 was observed in a remarkable percentage of patients with aggressive lymphoma and CLL (21% and 28%, respectively) but not in indolent lymphoma (p = 0.027). Overall, the therapeutic efficacy of bendamustine/rituximab was encouraging. In CLL, an overall response rate (ORR) of 65% was achieved. Notably, in the seven previously untreated CLL patients, ORR was 86%. The therapy was effective across all FISH-cytogenetic subgroups, except for the five patients harboring 17p deletion with unfavorable prognosis (PFS 2.7 months, OS 9.3 months). In indolent lymphoma (n = 25), the bendamustine-rituximab combination induced a remarkable therapeutic effect (ORR 96%, median PFS and OS not reached). In aggressive lymphoma (n = 20), ORR was 50%; in International Prognostic Index high-risk patients (4 or 5 risk factors, n = 10), ORR was only 20%, significantly inferior than in low/intermediate risk patients (ORR 70%; p = 0.025).

CONCLUSIONS

In the routine setting aside clinical studies, bendamustine/rituximab therapy resulted in marked clinical responses, especially in CLL and indolent lymphoma. In aggressive lymphoma, the combination of bendamustine and rituximab was effective in favorable risk patients.