Hematopoietic cell transplantation specific comorbidity index as an outcome predictor for patients with acute myeloid leukemia in first remission: combined FHCRC and MDACC experiences

Exploring Outcomes by Ethnicity in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

BACKGROUND

Clinical outcome disparities among racial and ethnic groups have been described following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). This study investigated the impact of race and ethnicity on HCT outcomes in a multi-ethnic single-center population.

METHODS

We analyzed outcomes of 709 allogeneic HCT patients, stratified by racial and ethnic groups, who underwent allogeneic HCT between January 2018 and April 2022. Outcomes examined included overall survival (OS), cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), non-relapse mortality (NRM), and graft-versus-host disease/relapse-free survival (GRFS).

RESULTS

No significant differences in OS, CIR, NRM, GRFS, acute GVHD (aGVHD), or chronic GVHD (cGVHD) were observed. Significant differences in age, use of human leukocyte antigen-mismatched donors (HLA-MM), and HCT-CI comorbidity scores ≥ 3 across racial and ethnic groups were observed. Overall mean age was 58 years, with Black patients having the youngest mean age of 43 (range 22-73) and White patients the highest mean age of 59 (range 18-76) (p < 0.001). HCT-CI score ≥ 3 was seen in 35.9% of the entire cohort, varying by race and ethnicity: 60.5% in Black, 41.4% in South Asian, 31.5% in White, and 29.0% in East Asian patients (p < 0.001). Utilization of HLA-MM donors (including haploidentical) was 29.2% overall, with highest frequencies in Black (65.1%) and East Asian (45%) patients, and lowest in White patients (20.4%) (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Statistically significant differences were observed across self-identified racial and ethnic groups regarding age, HCT-CI ≥ 3, and the use of HLA-MM donors. However, post-allogeneic HCT outcomes did not differ significantly by race or ethnicity. Larger prospective trials are warranted to validate our findings.

Outcome of donor lymphocyte infusion after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in relapsed myelodysplastic syndrome

BACKGROUND AIMS

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) improves outcomes for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients, but relapse rates remain high, and postrelapse treatment options are limited. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the factors contributing to the response to donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) in relapsed MDS patients post-HSCT.

METHODS

This study included 107 patients with relapsed and DLI-treated MDS who underwent their first HSCT between 2002 and 2022 and were registered in the Transplant Registry Unified Program. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were conducted using log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards models. Overall survival (OS) and response rates to DLI were also analyzed.

RESULTS

The 1-year OS was 30.0% and univariate analysis identified poor prognostic factors: age ≥58 years (P = 0.003), complex karyotype (P = 0.026), hematologic relapse (P = 0.026) and early relapse (P = 0.004). Azacitidine plus DLI also improved prognosis (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed age ≥58 years, hematologic relapse, and early relapse as poor prognostic factors. The adjusted OS for patients aged ≥58 years who relapsed <110 days post-transplant showed that the 1-year OS in patients with cytogenetic/molecular relapse was 43.6%, compared to 9.4% for those with hematologic relapse. Acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurred in 62.3% of patients, and chronic GVHD in 30.8%, with manageable outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

DLI may improve OS in younger patients, those with cytogenetic/molecular relapse, and those with late relapse. Despite the risk of GVHD, its impact on prognosis is minimal. Given the limited treatment options, DLI should be considered for relapsed MDS patients post-HSCT.

Risk Stratification in Older Intensively Treated Patients With AML

PURPOSE

AML is a genetically heterogeneous disease, particularly in older patients. In patients older than 60 years, survival rates are variable after the most important curative approach, intensive chemotherapy followed by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). Thus, there is an urgent need in clinical practice for a prognostic model to identify older patients with AML who benefit from curative treatment.

METHODS

We studied 1,910 intensively treated patients older than 60 years with AML and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (HR-MDS) from two cohorts (NCRI-AML18 and HOVON-SAKK). The median patient age was 67 years. Using a random survival forest, clinical, molecular, and cytogenetic variables were evaluated in an AML development cohort (n = 1,204) for association with overall survival (OS). Relative weights of selected variables determined the prognostic model, which was validated in AML (n = 491) and HR-MDS cohorts (n = 215).

RESULTS

The complete cohort had a high frequency of poor-risk features, including 2022 European LeukemiaNet adverse-risk (57.3%), mutated TP53 (14.4%), and myelodysplasia-related genetic features (65.1%). Nine variables were used to construct four groups with highly distinct 4-year OS in the (1) AML development, (2) AML validation, and (3) HR-MDS test cohorts ([1] favorable: 54% ± 4%, intermediate: 38% ± 2%, poor: 21% ± 2%, very poor: 4% ± 1%; [2] 54% ± 9%, 43% ± 4%, 27% ± 4%, 4% ± 3%; and [3] 54% ± 10%, 33% ± 6%, 14% ± 5%, 0% ± 3%, respectively). This new AML60+ classification improves current prognostic classifications. Importantly, patients within the AML60+ intermediate- and very poor-risk group significantly benefited from allo-HCT, whereas the poor-risk patients showed an indication, albeit nonsignificant, for improved outcome after allo-HCT.

CONCLUSION

The new AML60+ classification provides prognostic information for intensively treated patients 60 years and older with AML and HR-MDS and identifies patients who benefit from intensive chemotherapy and allo-HCT.

Influence of comorbidities on outcome in 1102 patients with an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

The hematopoietic comorbidity risk index (HCT-CI) is a pre-transplant risk assessment tool used to qualify comorbidities to predict non-relapse mortality (NRM) of patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). HSCT procedures continue to improve. Therefore, the predictive value of HCT-CI needs to be re-evaluated. Our study is a retrospective analysis of pre-existing comorbidities assessing the relevance of the HCT-CI on the outcome of consecutive patients (n = 1102) undergoing allo-HSCT from 2006-2021. HCT-CI was classified as low (HCT-CI 0), intermediate (HCT-CI 1-2) and high-risk (HCT-CI ≥ 3). At 10 years, NRM for low, intermediate, and high-risk HCT-CI group was 21.0%, 26.0%, and 25.8% (p = 0.04). NRM difference was significant between low to intermediate (p < 0.001), but not between intermediate to high-risk HCT-CI (p = 0.22). Overall survival (OS) at 10 years differed significantly with 49.9%, 39.8%, and 31.1%, respectively (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis of HCT-CI organ subgroups, cardiac disease was most strongly associated with NRM (HR = 1.73, p = 0.02) and OS (HR = 1.77, p < 0.001). All other individual organ comorbidities influenced NRM to a lesser extent. Further, donor (HR = 2.20, p < 0.001 for unrelated and HR = 2.17, p = 0.004 for mismatched related donor), disease status (HR = 1.41, p = 0.03 for advanced disease) and previous HSCT (HR = 1.55, p = 0.009) were associated with NRM. Improvement in transplant techniques and supportive care may have improved outcome with respect to comorbidities.

Breaking down frailty: Assessing vulnerability in acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a disease primarily affecting older adults. However, not all patients at older ages are suitable for curative treatment with intensive chemotherapy due to "frailty" demonstrated by their functional status, physiologic reserve, and vulnerability to disease and treatment morbidity. Lack of consensus exists on how to select older, less fit patients most appropriate for standard intensive chemotherapy (IC), hypomethylating agents (HMA) with venetoclax, or less intensive regimens. A total of 37 studies of frailty assessments and composite indices in AML show heterogeneous results regarding the ability of frailty and Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) measures to predict treatment outcomes. CGA, Geriatric 8 (G8) risk score, and hematopoietic cell transplant comorbidity index (HCT-CI) show association with prognosis, and should be validated in larger therapeutic trials. Studies of biomarkers, like albumin and C-reactive protein, and patient-reported outcomes demonstrate the potential to enhance information gained from rigorous geriatric assessment.

Pulmonary complications of bone marrow transplantation

Bone marrow transplantation, now often known as haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), is a complex choreographed procedure used to treat both acquired and inherited disorders of the bone marrow. It has proven invaluable as therapy for haematological and immunological disorders, and more recently in the treatment of metabolic and enzyme disorders. As the number of performed transplants grows annually, and with patients enjoying improved survival, a knowledge of both early and late complications of HSCT is essential for respiratory trainees and physicians in practice. This article highlights the spectrum of respiratory complications, both infectious and non-infectious, the timeline of their likely occurrence, and the approaches used for diagnosis and treatment, keeping in mind that more than one entity may occur simultaneously. As respiratory issues are often a leading cause of short- and long-term morbidity, consideration of a combined haematology/respiratory clinic may prove useful in this patient population.

Lower Weight-Based Mycophenolate Mofetil Dosing is Associated with Superior Outcomes after Haploidentical Hematopoietic Cell Transplant with Post-transplant Cyclophosphamide

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is commonly included in post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) based graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis after haploidentical (haplo) hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). In the non-PTCy setting, higher MMF dose/kg has been shown to reduce rates of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). When used in conjunction with PTCy, MMF is dosed at 15 mg/kg three times daily up to a maximum dose of 3 g/day. Thus, patients who weigh ≥67 kg receive 3 g/day and a variable dose/kg of MMF. We investigated the impact of MMF dose/kg on clinical outcomes following haploidentical PBSCT with PTCy-based GVHD prophylaxis. All consecutive adult patients with hematologic malignancies receiving haploidentical T cell replete peripheral blood stem cell transplant (PBSCT) with PTCy/MMF and either tacrolimus or sirolimus at the Moffitt Cancer Center or City of Hope between April 2014-August 2020 were included. For analyses, MMF dose relative to patient actual body weight (mg/kg/day), was stratified into categories of low (<29 mg/kg/day), low intermediate (29-34 mg/kg/day), high intermediate (35-41 mg/kg/day), and high (>41 mg/kg/day). Three hundred eighty-six patients were included. Of these, 54 patients received low dose, 73 low intermediate, 137 high intermediate and 122 high dose MMF by relative weight exposure. In multivariate analysis, low MMF dose exposure was associated with reduced rates of relapse in comparison to the high dose group (HR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.21 to 0.94, P = .03). This led to superior PFS among patients with low compared to high MMF dose exposure (HR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.34 to 0.99, P = .045). MMF relative dose exposure was not associated with engraftment, GVHD, nonrelapse mortality, or OS. In this study of patients receiving haploidentical PBSCT with PTCy based GVHD prophylaxis, low MMF dose/kg was associated with improved rates of relapse and PFS. Future prospective studies should investigate optimal dosing strategies of MMF when given with the PTCy regimen.

Allogeneic stem cell transplant with TBI-based myeloablative conditioning in adolescents and young adults with Philadelphia chromosome-negative ALL treated with pediatric protocols

To investigate the safety of total body irradiation-based myeloablative conditioning (TBI-MAC) in adolescent and young adult (AYA) Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients treated with pediatric protocols, treatment outcomes of 106 AYA patients aged 16-39 years old undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplant (allo-SCT) with TBI-MAC in the first remission were compared according to chemotherapy types before transplant. Pediatric and adult protocols were used in 56 and 50 of the patients, respectively. The cumulative incidence (CI) of non-relapse mortality (NRM) and the overall survival (OS) rates were not significantly different between the pediatric-protocol and adult-protocol group (NRM: 4 % vs. 14 % at five years post-transplant, respectively, p = 0.26; OS: 81 % vs. 66 %, respectively, p = 0.14). Multivariate analysis for NRM revealed that a performance status >0 (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.8) and transplant due to chemotherapy toxicities (HR = 3.5) were independent risk factors, but a pediatric protocol was not (HR = 0.48). The CI of NRM and the OS rates were also similar among patients aged over 24 years old. These findings suggested that conventional allo-SCT with TBI-MAC can be performed without increasing NRM in AYA patients with Ph-negative ALL even after pediatric protocols.

Dose reduction and toxicity of lenalidomide-dexamethasone in multiple myeloma: A machine-learning prediction model

PURPOSE

Lenalidomide remains an effective drug for multiple myeloma, but it is often associated with adverse events and requires dose adjustments. The objective of this study was to propose a model for predicting whether a patient would require dose adjustment.

METHODS

This retrospective observational study included patients treated with lenalidomide and dexamethasone from June 2014 to September 2018 at a tertiary hospital. Demographic variables, patient functional status, disease, analytical data specific to myeloma, and treatment-related variables were collected. Univariate and machine learning (logistic regression and classification and regression trees model) analyses were also performed. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to determine the time of toxicity onset. Only lenalidomide (and not dexamethasone) related dose reductions are included.

RESULTS

A total of 64 patients received lenalidomide-dexamethasone. 69% (44) required dose reduction or discontinuation of treatment due to lenalidomide-related adverse events. The median time between treatment beginning and lenalidomide dose reduction or discontinuation was 8.0 months (95% CI: 6.0-17.0). Age, platelet count, and neutrophil count were related to dose reduction in the univariate model. In the multivariate models, age and neutrophil count were significant in the logistic regression model, renal clearance, and neutrophil count in the classification and regression trees model.

CONCLUSION

Elderly patients and those with low bone marrow reserves are prone to dose-limiting adverse events. This study can aid in making follow-up, prophylaxis, and dosing decisions to achieve better pharmacotherapeutic results.

Outcomes of Patients with Myeloid Malignancies and Cardiovascular Disease Undergoing Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND

Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) and nonmyeloablative (NMA) regimens have enabled patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) to undergo allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). However, little is known about long-term outcomes, including cardiovascular (CV) complications.

METHODS

We retrospectively studied 99 consecutive patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) who underwent allo-HSCT between September 1, 2013, and November 30, 2020. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), nonrelapse mortality (NRM), cumulative incidence of relapse, and cumulative incidence of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) were compared in patients with and without CV risk factors or disease.

RESULTS

Preexisting CVD was present in 34 of 99 patients (34%). CVD patients more commonly had reduced-intensity conditioning (91% vs. 60%, p = 0.001) and unrelated donors (56% vs. 35%, p = 0.04). Early adverse cardiac events occurred more frequently in the CVD versus no-CVD group (38% vs. 14%), particularly arrhythmias (21% vs. 5%; p = 0.04). CVD patients tended to have poorer OS and PFS outcomes (HR = 1.98, [1.00, 3.92]; HR = 1.89, [0.96-3.72], respectively). OS rate at 1, 2, and 3 years for CVD versus no-CVD patients was 66% versus 72%, 55% versus 64%, and 46% versus 62%, respectively. Causes of death in the CVD and no-CVD groups were infections (53% vs. 28%), relapsed disease (32% vs. 52%), and CV events (10% vs. 3%).

CONCLUSION

Based on these data, predictive models to identify patients with CVD with higher risk of post-allo-HSCT complications and mortality and strategies to mitigate these risks should be developed.

The health risk of social disadvantage is transplantable into a new host

Low socioeconomic status (SES) is a risk factor for mortality and immune dysfunction across a wide range of diseases, including cancer. However, cancer is distinct in the use of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) as a treatment for hematologic malignancies to transfer healthy hematopoietic cells from one person to another. This raises the question of whether social disadvantage of an HCT cell donor, as assessed by low SES, might impact the subsequent health outcomes of the HCT recipient. To evaluate the cellular transplantability of SES-associated health risk, we analyzed the health outcomes of 2,005 HCT recipients who were transplanted for hematologic malignancy at 125 United States transplant centers and tested whether their outcomes differed as a function of their cell donor's SES (controlling for other known HCT-related risk factors). Recipients transplanted with cells from donors in the lowest quartile of SES experienced a 9.7% reduction in overall survival (P = 0.001) and 6.6% increase in treatment-related mortality within 3 y (P = 0.008) compared to those transplanted from donors in the highest SES quartile. These results are consistent with previous research linking socioeconomic disadvantage to altered immune cell function and hematopoiesis, and they reveal an unanticipated persistence of those effects after cells are transferred into a new host environment. These SES-related disparities in health outcomes underscore the need to map the biological mechanisms involved in the social determinants of health and develop interventions to block those effects and enhance the health of both HCT donors and recipients.

Haploidentical stem cell donor choice for patients with acute myeloid leukemia: a study from the ALWP of the EBMT

ABSTRACT

There is a paucity of information to guide the selection of the most suitable donor in haploidentical (Haplo) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). For this reason, from the Acute Leukemia Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, we conducted a retrospective analysis to evaluate the impact of Haplo donor characteristics on outcomes in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who received graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis with posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy). The primary end point was graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)-free and relapse-free survival (GRFS). Overall, 2200 patients were included. The median age of donors was 37 years (range, 8-71); 820 (37%) were females, including 458 (21%) who were used for male recipients. In addition, 1631 donors (74%) donated peripheral blood (PB). Multivariable analysis identified certain donor-related risk factors with a detrimental impact on transplant outcomes. The use of PB, older donors' ages (>37 years), and female donors to male recipients negatively affected GRFS. Donor's age and female donor-to-male recipient combination also affected nonrelapse mortality, leukemia-free survival, and overall survival. In conclusion, donor-related variables significantly influence outcomes in patients with AML after Haplo-HSCT with PTCy. When possible, younger donors and male donors for male recipients should be prioritized. The use of bone marrow can additionally prevent GVHD.

Transplant Eligible and Ineligible Elderly Patients with AML-A Genomic Approach and Next Generation Questions

The management of elderly patients diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is complicated by high relapse risk and comorbidities that often preclude access to allogeneic hematopoietic cellular transplantation (allo-HCT). In recent years, fast-paced FDA drug approval has reshaped the therapeutic landscape, with modest, albeit promising improvement in survival. Still, AML outcomes in elderly patients remain unacceptably unfavorable highlighting the need for better understanding of disease biology and tailored strategies. In this review, we discuss recent modifications suggested by European Leukemia Network 2022 (ELN-2022) risk stratification and review recent aging cell biology advances with the discussion of four AML cases. While an older age, >60 years, does not constitute an absolute contraindication for allo-HCT, the careful patient selection based on a detailed and multidisciplinary risk stratification cannot be overemphasized.

Sirolimus Is an Acceptable Alternative to Tacrolimus for Graft-versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis after Haploidentical Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation with Post-Transplantation Cyclophosphamide

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis with post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PTCy), tacrolimus (Tac), and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) for allogeneic haploidentical donor (haplo) hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) results in comparable outcomes to matched unrelated donor HCT. A phase II study from the Moffitt Cancer Center substituting sirolimus (Siro) for Tac in this prophylactic regimen reported comparable rates of grade II-IV acute GVHD (aGVHD). Many centers have substituted Siro for Tac in this setting based on a preferable side effect profile, although comparative data are limited. In this study, we retrospectively compared outcomes in haplo-HCT with PTCy/Siro/MMF versus haplo-HCT with PTCy/Tac/MMF. The study cohort included all consecutive patients receiving haploidentical donor T cell-replete peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) HCT for hematologic malignancies at Moffitt Cancer Center or the City of Hope National Medical Center between 2014 and 2019. A total of 423 patients were included, of whom 84 (20%) received PTCy/Siro/MMF and 339 (80%) received PTCy/Tac/MMF. The median age for the entire cohort was 54 years (range, 18 to 78 years), and the median follow-up was 30 months. The Siro group had a higher proportion of patients age ≥60 years (58% versus 34%; P < .01), and the groups also differed in diagnosis type, conditioning regimen, and cytomegalovirus serostatus. There were no significant differences in the rates of grade II-IV aGVHD (45% versus 47%; P = .6) at day +100 or chronic GVHD (cGVHD) (47% versus 54%; P = .79) at 2 years post-HCT. In multivariate analysis, neutrophil engraftment at day +30 was significantly better in the Tac group (odds ratio, .30; 95% confidence interval, .1 to .83; P = .02), with a median time to engraftment of 17 days versus 18 days in the Siro group, but platelet engraftment was similar in the 2 groups. Otherwise, in multivariate analysis, GVHD prophylaxis type had no significant influence on aGVHD or cGVHD, nonrelapse mortality, relapse, GVHD-free relapse-free survival, disease-free survival, or overall survival after PBSC haplo-HCT. These findings suggest that Siro is a comparable alternative to Tac in combination with PTCy/MMF for GVHD prophylaxis, with overall similar clinical outcomes despite delayed engraftment after peripheral blood stem cell haplo-HCT. Although Tac remains the standard of care, Siro may be substituted based on the side effect profile of these medications, with consideration of patient medical comorbidities at HCT.

How I treat transplant-eligible patients with myelofibrosis

Despite the approval of Janus kinase inhibitors and novel agents for patients with myelofibrosis (MF), disease-modifying responses remain limited, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains the only potentially curative treatment option. The number of HSCTs for MF continues to increase worldwide, but its inherent therapy-related morbidity and mortality limit its use for many patients. Furthermore, patients with MF often present at an older age, with cytopenia, splenomegaly, and severe bone marrow fibrosis, posing challenges in managing them throughout the HSCT procedure. Although implementation of molecular analyses enabled improved understanding of disease mechanisms and subsequently sparked development of novel drugs with promising activity, prospective trials in the HSCT setting are often lacking, making an evidence-based decision process particularly difficult. To illustrate how we approach patients with MF with respect to HSCT, we present 3 different clinical scenarios to capture relevant aspects that influence our decision making regarding indication for, or against, HSCT. We describe how we perform HSCT according to different risk categories and, furthermore, discuss our up-to-date approach to reduce transplant-related complications. Last, we show how to harness graft-versus-MF effects, particularly in the posttransplant period to achieve the best possible outcomes for patients.

What Influences the Decision to Proceed to Transplant for Patients With AML in First Remission?

Although allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) remains the backbone of curative treatment for the majority of fit adults diagnosed with AML, there is indeed a subset of patients for whom long-term remission may be achieved without transplantation. Remarkable changes in our knowledge of AML biology in recent years has transformed the landscape of diagnosis, management, and treatment of AML. Specifically, markedly increased understanding of molecular characteristics of AML, the expanded application of minimal/measurable residual diseases testing, and an increased armamentarium of leukemia-directed therapeutic agents have created a new paradigm for the medical care of patients with AML. An attempt is herein made to decipher the decision to proceed to transplant for patients with AML in first complete remission on the basis of the current best available evidence. The focus is on factors affecting the biology and treatment of AML itself, rather than on variables related to allo-HCT, an area characterized by significant advancements that have reduced overall therapy-related complications. This review seeks to focus on areas of particular complexity, while simultaneously providing clarity on how our current knowledge and treatment strategies may, or may not, influence the decision to pursue allo-HCT in patients with AML.

Impact of age on hospitalization and outcomes post allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation outcome, a single center experience

The outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in older patients are not well defined. We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 332 patients, with the median age of 65 years (range, 60-76), between 2014 and 2019. We categorized them to 3 age groups (G): G1, 60-65 years (n = 175); G2, > 65-70 years (n = 127); and G3, > 70 years (n = 30). The median length of hospitalization during the initial HCT period was 30 days, with a significant difference when stratified by age (p = 0.049). Overall, 183 (58.7%) patients were re-hospitalized within the first 6 months post HCT, and 60 (21.6%) in the second 6-month period. The 2-year OS was 56% in G1, 53% in G2, and 34% in G3 (p = 0.05). The 2-year event-free survival (EFS) was 54% for G1, 49% for G2, and 31% for G3 (p = 0.04). Non-relapse mortality (NRM) at 2 years was 25% in G1, 36% in G2, and 52% in G3 (p = 0.008). In multivariable analysis, patients aged 60-65 years had significantly better EFS (p = 0.04) and had a trend toward lower NRM (p = 0.05) than those aged > 70 years. Re-admission in the first 6 months post HCT had a significant impact on OS, EFS, and NRM. HCT-specific comorbidity index > 3 had significantly affected NRM. Finally, age had a significant influence on length of hospitalization during HCT. In conclusion, patients aged > 70 years have an inferior EFS and higher NRM. This likely related to higher rate of re-admissions due to infectious complications (84%).

An Updated Overview of the Role of CYP450 during Xenobiotic Metabolization in Regulating the Acute Myeloid Leukemia Microenvironment

Oxidative stress is associated with several acute and chronic disorders, including hematological malignancies such as acute myeloid leukemia, the most prevalent acute leukemia in adults. Xenobiotics are usually harmless compounds that may be detrimental, such as pharmaceuticals, environmental pollutants, cosmetics, and even food additives. The storage of xenobiotics can serve as a defense mechanism or a means of bioaccumulation, leading to adverse effects. During the absorption, metabolism, and cellular excretion of xenobiotics, three steps may be distinguished: (i) inflow by transporter enzymes, (ii) phases I and II, and (iii) phase III. Phase I enzymes, such as those in the cytochrome P450 superfamily, catalyze the conversion of xenobiotics into more polar compounds, contributing to an elevated acute myeloid leukemia risk. Furthermore, genetic polymorphism influences the variability and susceptibility of related myeloid neoplasms, infant leukemias associated with mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL) gene rearrangements, and a subset of de novo acute myeloid leukemia. Recent research has shown a sustained interest in determining the regulators of cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily E, member 1 (CYP2E1) expression and activity as an emerging field that requires further investigation in acute myeloid leukemia evolution. Therefore, this review suggests that CYP2E1 and its mutations can be a therapeutic or diagnostic target in acute myeloid leukemia.

Unique Reduced-Intensity Conditioning Haploidentical Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation Protocol for Patients with Hematologic Malignancy

Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) haploidentical (haplo-) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) requires more hematopoietic progenitor and stem cells (HPSCs) to promote engraftment and immune reconstitution and needs a stronger graft-versus-leukemia effect. Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) offer advantages over bone marrow; however, the use of higher-dose non-T cell-depleted (non-TCD) in vitro PBSCs may increase the occurrence of severe graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This prospective, single-arm clinical study was performed to investigate using high-dose non-TCD in vitro PBSCs as the graft source, using fludarabine/Ara-C/busulfan (FAB) as the conditioning regimen, using rabbit antithymocyte globulin to remove T cells in vivo, and enhancing GVHD prophylaxis with an IL-2 receptor antagonist in RIC-haplo-HSCT in patients with hematologic malignancies age 50 to 70 years or <50 years with comorbidities (Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Comorbidity Index score ≥2) classified as intermediate to high risk. The primary endpoint was day 100 acute GVHD (aGVHD). A total of 47 patients were enrolled; the median age was 52 years (range, 30 to 68 years), the median duration of follow-up was 34 months (range, 2 to 99 months), and the medium-infused doses of mononuclear cells, CD34⁺ cells, and CD3⁺ cells were 15.93 × 10⁸/kg, 8.68 × 10⁶/kg, and 5.57 × 10⁸/kg, respectively. The cumulative incidence of grade II-IV aGVHD at day 100 was 30.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.9% to 44.8%), and that of grade III-IV aGVHD was 10.2% (95% CI, .6% to 19.8%). The 2-year cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD (cGVHD) was 34.9% (95% CI, 19.0% to 50.8%). The 2-year cumulative incidences of localized and extensive cGVHD were 26.1% (95% CI, 11.80% to 40.40%) and 8.7% (95% CI, 3.26% to 20.65%), respectively. The 2-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 17.3% (95% CI, 5.1% to 29.5%), the 2-year overall survival rate was 71.2% (95% CI, 57.9% to 84.5%), and the 2-year disease-free survival rate was 66.2% (95% CI, 52.1% to 80.3%). The incidence of aGVHD was not high, and the overall efficacy was good. This study demonstrates that this unique RIC-haplo-PBSC transplantation protocol was effective in treating hematologic malignancies. Nonetheless, larger prospective multicenter clinical trials and experimental studies should be performed to further confirm our findings.

An 8-year pragmatic observation evaluation of the benefits of allogeneic HCT in older and medically infirm patients with AML

We designed a prospective, observational study enrolling patients presenting for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at 13 institutions to analyze associations between hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) and survival, quality of life (QOL), and function in: the entire cohort, those aged ≥65 years, those with high comorbidity burden, intermediate cytogenetic risk, adverse cytogenetic risk, and first complete remission with or without measurable residual disease. Patient were assessed 8 times over 2 years. Time-dependent regression models were used. Among 692 patients that were evaluable, 46% received HCT with a 2-year survival of 58%. In unadjusted models, HCT was associated with reduced risks of mortality most of the subgroups. However, after accounting for covariates associated with increased mortality (age, comorbidity burden, disease risks, frailty, impaired QOL, depression, and impaired function), the associations between HCT and longer survival disappeared in most subgroups. Although function, social life, performance status, and depressive symptoms were better for those selected for HCT, these health advantages were lost after receiving HCT. Recipients and nonrecipients of HCT similarly ranked and expected cure as main goal of therapy, whereas physicians had greater expectations for cure than the former. Accounting for health impairments negates survival benefits from HCT for AML, suggesting that the unadjusted observed benefit is mostly owing to selection of the healthier candidates. Considering patients' overall expectations of cure but also the QOL burdens of HCT motivate the need for randomized trials to identify the best candidates for HCT. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01929408.

Prognostic prediction of novel risk scores (AML-DRG and AML-HCT-CR) in acute myeloid leukemia patients with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

We aimed to validate and prove the novel risk score models of acute myeloid leukemia (AML)-specific disease risk group (AML-DRG) and AML-Hematopoietic Cell Transplant-composite risk (AML-HCT-CR) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHCT). Among the 172 AML patients analysed, 48.3% (n = 83) were females. Median age was 31.5 years (range 14 to 62 years), two patients was more than 60 years old (1.2%). Median follow-up was 44 months (range 1 to 94 months). According to the AML-DRG model, 109, 49 and 14 patients were in low-, intermediate- and high-risk group, respectively. According to the AML-HCT-CR model, 108, 30, 20 and 14 patients were in low-, intermediate-, high- and very high-risk group, respectively. Our results showed that the AML-DRG and AML-HCT-CR models significantly predicted cumulative incidence of relapse (p < 0.001; p < 0.001). But AML-DRG model was not associated with NRM (p = 0.072). Univariate analysis showed that the AML-DRG model could better stratify AML patients into different risk groups compared to the AML-HCT-CR model. Multivariate analysis confirmed that prognostic impact of AML-DRG and AML-HCT-CR models on post-transplant OS was independent to age, sex, conditioning type, transplant modality, and stem cell source (p < 0.001; p < 0.001). AML-DRG and AML-HCT-CR models can be used to effectively predict post-transplant survival in patients with AML receiving AHCT. Compared to AML-HCT-CR score, the AML-DRG score allows better stratification and improved survival prediction of AML patients post-transplant.

Treatment options for acute myeloid leukemia patients aged <60 years

Treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has changed over the last few years, after the discovery of new drugs selectively targeting AML blasts. Although 3/7 remains the standard of care for most AML patients, several new targeted agents (such as FLT3 inhibitors, CPX-351, gemtuzumab ozogamicin, BCL-2 inhibitor, and oral azacitidine), either as single agents or combined with standard chemotherapy, are approaching clinical practice, starting a new era in AML management. Moreover, emerging evidence has demonstrated that high-risk AML patients might benefit from both allogeneic stem cell transplant and maintenance therapy, providing new opportunities, as well as new challenges, for treating clinicians. In this review, we summarize available data on first-line therapy in young AML patients focusing on targeted therapies, integrating established practice with new evidence, in the effort to outline the contours of a new therapeutic paradigm, that of a “total therapy”, which goes beyond obtaining complete remission.

Comparable survival outcomes with haploidentical stem cell transplantation and unrelated bone marrow transplantation

We retrospectively compared outcomes of unrelated donor bone marrow transplant (UBMT) and HLA-haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation using post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy-haploPBSCT) using the Japanese registry data. Recipients of first HCT for acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes between 2012 and 2015 were included. The analyzed subjects comprised UBMT recipients with 8/8 matched HLA alleles (n = 1470), 7/8 matched alleles (n = 859), 6/8 matched alleles (n = 186), and recipients of PTCy-haploPBSCT (n = 133). In multivariate analyses with 8/8 matched UBMT as the reference, PTCy-haploPBSCT showed similar overall mortality, decreased risk of non-relapse mortality (NRM), increased risk of relapse, and decreased risk of grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and chronic GVHD. Adjusted probabilities for 8/8 matched UBMT, PTCy-haploPBSCT, and 7/8 and 6/8 matched UBMT groups at 2 years post-transplant were 61%, 60%, 58%, and 52% for overall survival, 23%, 28%, 21%, and 19% for relapse, and 20%, 7%, 24%, and 33% for NRM. PTCy-haploPBSCT was associated with remarkably low NRM, contributing to survival outcomes that were comparable to 8/8 matched UBMT. The higher relapse rate in the PTCy-haploPBSCT group might be associated with the higher proportion of high-risk patients. PTCy-haploPBSCT may be a viable alternative when HLA-matched related donors are not available.

Patient age and donor HLA matching can stratify allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation patients into prognostic groups

BACKGROUND

Mixed results surround the accuracy of commonly used prognostic risk scores to predict overall survival (OS) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HCT) recipients. We hypothesize that a simple prognostic score performs better than conventional scoring systems.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

OS risk factors, HCT-CI, age-HCT-CI, and augmented-HCT-CI were studied in 299 patients who underwent allo-HCT for myeloid and lymphoid malignancies. A scoring system was developed based on results and validated in a different cohort of 455 patient.

RESULTS

2-year OS was 51% (95%CI 0.45-0.56). 2-year NRM was 34% (95%CI 0.29-0.39). HCT-CI and associated scores were grouped into 0-2 and ≥3. Age and HLA mismatch status were the only risk factors to affect OS in multivariate analysis (p = 0.02 and 0.05, respectively). HCT-CI and associated scores were not informative for OS prediction. The weighted scoring system assigned 0 to 2 points for age <50, 50 to 64, or ≥65, respectively, and 0 to 1 points for no HLA mismatch versus any mismatch (except HLA-DQ). Distinct 2-year OS [62%, 53%, and 38% (p = <0.001)] and NRM [24%, 34%, and 43% (p = 0.02)] groups were characterized. The scoring system was validated in a second independent cohort with similar results on OS and NRM (p <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

A simple scoring system based on recipient's age and mismatch status accurately predicts OS and NRM in two distinct cohorts of allo-HCT patients. Its simplicity makes it a helpful tool to aid clinicians and patients in clinical decision making. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Utility of the Treatment-Related Mortality (TRM) score to predict outcomes of adults with acute myeloid leukemia undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

There is long-standing interest in estimating non-relapse mortality (NRM) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for AML, but existing tools have limited discriminative capacity. Using single-institution data from 861 adults with AML, we retrospectively examined the Treatment-Related Mortality (TRM) score, originally developed to predict early mortality following induction chemotherapy, as a predictor of post-HCT outcome. NRM risks increased stepwise across the four TRM score quartiles (at 3 years: 9% [95% confidence interval: 5-13%] in Q1 vs. 28% [22-34%] in Q4). The 3-year risk of relapse was lower in patients with lower TRM score (26% [20-32%] in Q1 vs. 37% [30-43%] in Q4). Consequently, relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) estimates progressively decreased (RFS at 3 years: 66% [59-72%] in Q1 vs. 36% [29-42%] in Q4; OS at 3 years: 72% [66-78%] in Q1 vs. 39% [33-46%] in Q4). With a C-statistic of 0.661 (continuous variable) or 0.642 (categorized by quartile), the TRM score predicted NRM better than the Pretransplantation Assessment of Mortality (PAM) score (0.603) or the HCT-CI/age composite score (0.576). While post-HCT outcome prediction remains challenging, these findings suggest that the TRM score may be useful for risk stratification for adults with AML undergoing allogeneic HCT.

Geriatric assessment for older adults receiving less intensive therapy for acute myeloid leukemia: Report of CALGB 361101

Baseline geriatric assessment measures are associated with survival among older AML patients treated with nonintensive chemotherapy.

Baseline global quality of life is associated with survival among older AML patients treated with nonintensive chemotherapy.

Geriatric assessment (GA) predicts survival among older adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated intensively. We evaluated the predictive utility of GA among older adults treated with low-intensity therapy on a multisite trial. We conducted a companion study (CALGB 361101) to a randomized phase 2 trial (CALGB 11002) of adults ≥60 years and considered “unfit” for intensive therapy, testing the efficacy of adding bortezomib to decitabine therapy. On 361101, GA and quality of life (QOL) assessment was administered prior to treatment and every other subsequent cycle. Relationships between baseline GA and QOL measures with survival were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier estimation and Cox proportional hazards models. One-hundred sixty-five patients enrolled in CALGB 11002, and 96 (52%) of them also enrolled in 361101 (median age, 73.9 years). Among participants, 85.4% completed ≥1 baseline assessment. In multivariate analyses, greater comorbidity (hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index >3), worse cognition (Blessed Orientation-Memory-Concentration score >4), and lower European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer global QOL scores at baseline were significantly associated with shorter overall survival (P < .05 each) after adjustment for Karnofsky Performance Status, age, and treatment arm. Dependence in instrumental activities of daily living and cognitive impairment were associated with 6-month mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 3.5; confidence interval [CI], 1.2-10.4; and HR, 3.1; CI, 1.1-8.6, respectively). GA measures evaluating comorbidity, cognition, and self-reported function were associated with survival and represent candidate measures for screening older adults planned to receive lower-intensity AML therapies. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01420926 (CALGB 11002).

The Simplified Comorbidity Index: a new tool for prediction of nonrelapse mortality in allo-HCT

Individual comorbidities have distinct contributions to nonrelapse mortality (NRM) following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). We studied the impact of comorbidities individually and in combination in a single-center cohort of 573 adult patients who underwent CD34-selected allo-HCT following myeloablative conditioning. Pulmonary disease, moderate to severe hepatic comorbidity, cardiac disease of any type, and renal dysfunction were associated with increased NRM in multivariable Cox regression models. A Simplified Comorbidity Index (SCI) composed of the 4 comorbidities predictive of NRM, as well as age >60 years, stratified patients into 5 groups with a stepwise increase in NRM. NRM rates ranged from 11.4% to 49.9% by stratum, with adjusted hazard ratios of 1.84, 2.59, 3.57, and 5.38. The SCI was also applicable in an external cohort of 230 patients who underwent allo-HCT with unmanipulated grafts following intermediate-intensity conditioning. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the SCI for 1-year NRM was 70.3 and 72.0 over the development and external-validation cohorts, respectively; corresponding AUCs of the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-specific Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI) were 61.7 and 65.7. In summary, a small set of comorbidities, aggregated into the SCI, is highly predictive of NRM. The new index stratifies patients into distinct risk groups, was validated in an external cohort, and provides higher discrimination than does the HCT-CI.

Risk and predictive factors for candidemia after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation: JSTCT Transplant Complications Working Group

BACKGROUND

Although antifungal prophylaxis that covers Candida species is a standard of care in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), candidemia mainly caused by non-albicans Candida species still occurs and is associated with a high mortality rate.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for candidemia after allogeneic HCT. Particularly, we evaluated the impact of patient factors such as hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index (HCT-CI) and performance status (PS) in addition to well-recognized risk factors including donor type, delayed engraftment and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).

STUDY DESIGN

By using data from a Japanese transplant registry database, we analyzed 26,236 pediatric and adult patients with hematological malignancies who underwent their first allogeneic HCT. The posttransplant period was divided into early (days 0-40), late (days 41-100) and very late (days 101-365) phases RESULTS: The 1-year cumulative incidence of candidemia was 1.8%. When we analyzed pretransplant factors, age ≥ 40 years (hazard ratio [HR] 1.85), male (HR 1.34), HCT-CI (HCT-CI 1-2, HR 1.56; HCT-CI ≥ 3, HR 2.21), PS ≥ 2 (HR 2.01), high-risk disease (HR 1.78) and donor type including HLA-mismatched related donor (MMRD) (HR 1.96), HLA-mismatched unrelated donor (HR 2.05) and cord blood (CB) (HR 2.85) were significantly associated with an increased incidence of candidemia. Focusing on the early phase (days 0-40), HCT-CI, PS, high-risk disease and CB transplantation together with engraftment and severe acute GVHD significantly affected the development of candidemia. In the late phase (days 41-100), higher HCT-CI, male, and donor type including MMRD, and CB were associated with the occurrence of candidemia together with acute GVHD and disease relapse. In the very late phase (days 101-365), HCT-CI ≥ 3 and high-risk disease significantly affected the occurrence of candidemia together with acute and chronic GVHD, and disease relapse.

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to well-recognized risk factors including donor type, engraftment and GVHD, patient factors such as HCT-CI and PS were associated with the development of candidemia, which suggests that severely ill patients with transplantation-associated complications are more likely to develop candidemia.

Toward a pathophysiology inspired treatment of VEXAS syndrome

VEXAS syndrome has an unmet need for therapeutic interventions. Even if few data exist regarding the treatment of this newly described syndrome, different options can be proposed given the unique pathophysiological consequences of the clonal dominance of UBA1 mutated hematopoietic stem cells. To date, allogeneic transplantation is the only curative option, but many questions remain regarding the selection of eligible patients, the conditioning regimen or management of toxicities that may be unique to VEXAS patients. Alternatively, drugs used in myelodysplastic syndrome such as hypomethylating agents or lenalidomide are interesting candidates, which could theoretically have also an effect on the clone. Another strategy is to target the inflammatory cascade, by inhibiting proinflammatory cytokines (such as TNFα, IL1, IL6) or effector cells, for example with JAK inhibitors. Whatever the choice of treatment for VEXAS patients, supportive care is always needed to be considered to manage frequent complications such as cytopenia, thrombosis and infections. Finally, we discuss the challenges of the design of clinical trials for VEXAS patients, from inclusion criteria to clinical and biological endpoints of activity.

Development and validation of a comorbidity index for predicting survival outcomes after allogeneic stem cell transplantation in adult patients with acute leukemia: a Korean nationwide cohort study

Background

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) is a potentially curative treatment option for acute leukemia. We aimed to identify the comorbidity factors affecting survival outcomes after alloSCT and develop a new comorbidity index tool for predicting overall survival (OS).

Methods

A Korean nationwide cohort of 3,809 adults with acute leukemia treated with alloSCT between January 2002 and December 2018 was analyzed as the development cohort. A retrospective cohort comprising 313 consecutive adults with acute leukemia who underwent alloSCT between January 2019 and April 2020 was analyzed as the validation cohort.

Results

In the development cohort, advanced age, male sex, and comorbidities such as previous non-hematologic malignancy, hypertension, and coronary or cerebral vascular disease were significantly related to poor OS. Subsequently, a new comorbidity scoring system was developed, and risk groups were created, which included the low-risk (score ≤0.17), intermediate-risk (0.17< score ≤0.4), high-risk (0.4< score ≤0.55), and very high-risk (score >0.55) groups. The 1-year OS rates were discriminatively estimated at 73.5%, 66.2%, 61.9%, and 50.9% in the low-risk, intermediate-risk, high-risk, and very high-risk groups in the development cohort, respectively (P<0.001). The developed scoring system yielded discriminatively different 1-year OS rates and 1-year incidence of non-relapse mortality according to the risk group (P=0.085 and P=0.018, respectively). Furthermore, the developed model showed an acceptable performance for predicting 1-year non-relapse mortality with an area under the curve of 0.715.

Conclusion

The newly developed predictive scoring system could be a simple and reliable tool helping clinicians to assess risk of alloSCT in adults with acute leukemia.

Low-dose antithymocyte globulin inhibits chronic graft-versus-host disease in peripheral blood stem cell transplantation from unrelated donors

Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) has been shown to reduce chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) particularly in allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) from unrelated donors; however, anti-GVHD effects of lower doses of ATG remains to be elucidated. We conducted a nationwide retrospective study to compare the outcomes of unrelated PBSCT with or without rabbit ATG (thymoglobulin) in 287 patients. A median ATG dose was 2.0 mg/kg. The primary endpoint, the cumulative incidence of moderate-severe chronic GVHD at 2 years was 22.1% in the ATG group, which was significantly less than that in the non-ATG group (36.3%, P = 0.025). The ATG group had a higher incidence of immunosuppressant discontinuation, GVHD-free, relapse-free survival, and moderate-severe chronic GVHD-free, relapse-free survival at 2 years compared to the non-ATG group. The incidences of grade III-IV aGVHD and moderate-severe chronic GVHD were significantly higher in patients with high absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) before the administration of ATG, whereas relapse rate was significantly higher in patients with low ALC before ATG. In conclusion, low-dose ATG effectively suppresses chronic GVHD in unrelated PBSCT, and ALC before ATG may be a potential predictor for GVHD and relapse.

Are hematopoietic cell transplant recipients with Gram-negative bacteremia spending more time outpatient while on intravenous antibiotics? Addressing trends over 10 years at a single center

Introduction

The increasing proportion of outpatient allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplants (HCTs) coupled with increased access of once‐daily broad‐spectrum antibiotics and evidence that outpatient antibiotic treatment may be safer and less costly than inpatient treatment, suggest that allogeneic HCT recipients with Gram‐negative rod bacteremia (GNRBs) are increasingly being treated in ambulatory care settings.

Methods

Using data from the first GNRB event that occurred within the first 100 days posttransplantation among allogeneic HCT recipients transplanted at a single center between 2007 and 2016, we estimated the temporal trends in GNRB incidence and treatment management of GNRBs and identified if patient or infection characteristics impacted observed trends.

Results

A total of 11% (238/2165) of the observed allogeneic HCT recipients experienced ≥1 GNRB with available resistance data and contributed antibiotic treatment time. Patients, on average, received 55.1% of their antibiotic treatment in an outpatient setting and we observed a significant decline in the proportion of treatment time spent outpatient (crude: −3.3% [95% confidence interval: −5.0, −1.6%]). We observed similar declines in the proportion of treatment time spent outpatient among patients with similar GNRB and pretransplant complexity factors but not among patients with similar posttransplant complications (p value: .165).

Conclusion

These results suggest that, despite increased availability of outpatient suitable treatment options, allogeneic HCT recipients with GNRBs received less treatment in outpatient settings. However, among patients with similar posttransplant complications, the lack of significant decline suggests that treatment location decisions remained consistent for patients with similar posttransplant complications. These findings suggest the need for additional interventions targeting outpatient antibiotic treatment among allogeneic HCT recipients with GNRBs.

Comparison Between 5-Azacytidine Treatment and Allogeneic Stem-Cell Transplantation in Elderly Patients With Advanced MDS According to Donor Availability (VidazaAllo Study)

PURPOSE

In contrast to 5-azacytidine (5-aza), allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) represents a curative treatment strategy for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), but therapy-related mortality (TRM) limits its broader use in elderly patients with MDS. The present prospective multicenter study compared HSCT following 5-aza pretreatment with continuous 5-aza treatment in patients with higher-risk MDS age 55-70 years.

METHODS

One hundred ninety patients with a median age of 63 years were enrolled. Patients received 4-6 cycles of 5-aza followed by HLA-compatible HSCT after reduced-intensity conditioning or by continuous 5-aza if no donor was identified.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight patients did not fulfill inclusion criteria (n = 20), died (n = 2) withdrew informed consent (n = 5), or were excluded for an unknown reason (n = 1). 5-aza induction started in 162 patients, but only 108 (67%) were eligible for subsequent allocation to HSCT (n = 81) or continuation of 5-aza (n = 27) because of disease progression (n = 26), death (n = 12), or other reasons (n = 16). Seven percent died during 5-aza before treatment allocation. The cumulative incidence of TRM after HSCT at 1 year was 19%. The event-free survival and overall survival after 5-aza pretreatment and treatment allocation at 3 years were 34% (95% CI, 22 to 47) and 50% (95% CI, 39 to 61) after allograft and 0% and 32% (95% CI, 14 to 52) after continuous 5-aza treatment (P < .0001 and P = .12), respectively. Fourteen patients progressing after continuous 5-aza received a salvage allograft from an alternative donor, and 43% were alive at last follow-up.

CONCLUSION

In older patients with MDS, reduced-intensity conditioning HSCT resulted in a significantly improved event-free survival in comparison with continuous 5-aza therapy. Bridging with 5-aza to HSCT before is associated with a considerable rate of dropouts because of progression, mortality, and adverse events.

A randomised evaluation of low-dose cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) plus tosedostat versus low-dose ara-C in older patients with acute myeloid leukaemia: results of the LI-1 trial

Older patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) account for nearly half of those with the disease. Because they are perceived to be unfit for, unwilling to receive, or unlikely to benefit from conventional chemotherapy they represent an important unmet need. Tosedostat is a selective oral aminopeptidase inhibitor, which in phase I/II trials showed acceptable toxicity and encouraging efficacy. We report the only randomised study of low-dose cytosine arabinoside (LDAC) combined with tosedostat (LDAC-T) versus LDAC in untreated older patients not suitable for intensive treatment. A total of 243 patients were randomised 1:1 as part of the 'Pick-a-Winner' LI-1 trial. There was a statistically non-significant increase in the complete remission (CR) rate with the addition of tosedostat, LDAC-T 19% versus LDAC 12% [odds ratio (OR) 0·61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·30-1·23; P = 0·17]. For overall response (CR+CR with incomplete recovery of counts), there was little evidence of a benefit to the addition of tosedostat (25% vs. 18%; OR 0·68, 95% CI 0·37-1·27; P = 0·22). However, overall survival (OS) showed no difference (2-year OS 16% vs. 12%, hazard ratio 0·97, 95% CI 0·73-1·28; P = 0·8). Exploratory analyses failed to identify any subgroup benefitting from tosedostat. Despite promising pre-clinical, early non-randomised clinical data with acceptable toxicity and an improvement in response, we did not find evidence that the addition of tosedostat to LDAC produced a survival benefit in this group of patients with AML. International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number: ISRCTN40571019.

Myeloablative versus Reduced-Intensity Conditioning for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Acute Myelogenous Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndromes-Long-Term Follow-Up of the BMT CTN 0901 Clinical Trial

Several prospective randomized trials comparing conditioning intensity before allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) have been performed, with conflicting results. Although reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) leads to lower treatment-related mortality (TRM), this is offset by higher rates of relapse. Long-term follow-up of randomized comparative trials are limited. Here we present long-term follow-up of a randomized comparison of myeloablative conditioning (MAC) compared with RIC before HCT for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) or myelodysplasia (MDS). Long-term comparative analyses of overall survival, relapse, and relapse-free survival were performed. Patients age 18 to 65 years with <5% marrow myeloblasts were randomized to receive MAC (n = 135) or RIC (n = 137), followed by HCT from an HLA-matched donor. The primary endpoint of the trial was an 18-month pointwise comparison of overall survival. The analyses were performed using a proportional hazards model. The median follow-up of the entire cohort was 51 months. At 4 years, the transplant-related mortality (TRM) was 25.1% for MAC, compared with 9.9% for RIC (P < .001). Patients who received RIC had a significantly higher risk of relapse compared to those who received MAC (hazard ratio [HR], 4.06; 95% CI, 2.59 to 6.35; P < 0.001). Among the patients who relapsed after HCT, postrelapse survival was similar at 3 years (24% for MAC and 26% for RIC). Overall survival was superior for patients who received MAC compared to those who received RIC (HR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.07 to 2.2; P = .03). Our data show that patients who received MAC were at higher risk of late TRM compared with those who received RIC; however, because of the exceedingly high rates of relapse in the RIC arm, overall survival remained significantly better for patients who received MAC. Among patients with MDS or AML eligible for either MAC or RIC regimens, long-term follow up demonstrates a survival advantage for patients who received MAC.

Added prognostic value of secondary AML-like gene mutations in ELN intermediate-risk older AML: ALFA-1200 study results

In this study, we aimed to refine prognostication of older with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after intensive chemotherapy. Five hundred and nine patients aged 60 years or older (median age, 68 years) were prospectively enrolled in the intensive Acute Leukemia French Association (ALFA)-1200 trial between 2012 and 2016, and 471 patient samples were submitted to multigene analysis. Mutations in any of 8 genes frequently altered in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), including ASXL1, SRSF2, STAG2, BCOR, U2AF1, EZH2, SF3B1, and ZRSR2, defined a secondary AML (sAML)-like disease, as reported. Of the samples analyzed, 48% included sAML-like gene mutations. These mutations were associated with a shorter event-free survival, both overall (hazard ratio, 1.46; 95% confidence interval, 1.19-1.79; P < .001) and within the European LeukemiaNet (ELN)-2017 intermediate-risk subgroup (hazard ratio, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-2.28; P = .044), which excludes ASXL1-mutated cases by definition. We therefore included patients with intermediate-risk AML carrying sAML-like mutations in a single high-risk patients group together with adverse-risk patients with AML, whereas other intermediate-risk patients were included in a standard-risk group together with favorable-risk patients (high-risk/standard-risk patient ratio, 1.00). Using this 2-class risk assessment, we observed that transplantation prolonged overall survival from remission in patients with high-risk AML only, not in patients with standard-risk AML. Routine analysis of sAML-like gene mutations may thus improve the definition of high-risk older patients with AML, and better identify the half of older patients who clearly derive survival benefit from allogeneic transplantation in first remission. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01966497.

Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Who, When, and How?

Although the majority of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with intensive chemotherapy achieve a complete remission (CR), many are destined to relapse if treated with intensive chemotherapy alone. Allogeneic stem cell transplant (allo-SCT) represents a pivotally important treatment strategy in fit adults with AML because of its augmented anti-leukemic activity consequent upon dose intensification and the genesis of a potent graft-versus-leukemia effect. Increased donor availability coupled with the advent of reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens has dramatically increased transplant access and consequently allo-SCT is now a key component of the treatment algorithm in both patients with AML in first CR (CR1) and advanced disease. Although transplant related mortality has fallen steadily over recent decades there has been no real progress in reducing the risk of disease relapse which remains the major cause of transplant failure and represents a major area of unmet need. A number of therapeutic approaches with the potential to reduce disease relapse, including advances in induction chemotherapy, the development of novel conditioning regimens and the emergence of the concept of post-transplant maintenance, are currently under development. Furthermore, the use of genetics and measurable residual disease technology in disease assessment has improved the identification of patients who are likely to benefit from an allo-SCT which now represents an increasingly personalized therapy. Future progress in optimizing transplant outcome will be dependent on the successful delivery by the international transplant community of randomized prospective clinical trials which permit examination of current and future transplant therapies with the same degree of rigor as is routinely adopted for non-transplant therapies.

Optimizing Transplant Approaches and Post-Transplant Strategies for Patients With Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is the commonest indication for allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) worldwide. The increasingly important role of allo-SCT in the management of AML has been underpinned by two important advances. Firstly, improvements in disease risk stratification utilizing genetic and Measurable Residual Disease (MRD) technologies permit ever more accurate identification of allo-mandatory patients who are at high risk of relapse if treated by chemotherapy alone. Secondly, increased donor availability coupled with the advent of reduced intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens has substantially expanded transplant access for patients with high risk AML In patients allografted for AML disease relapse continues to represent the commonest cause of transplant failure and the development of novel strategies with the potential to reduce disease recurrence represents a major unmet need.

Prospective Randomized Study of Advance Directives in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Recipients

Patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) are at risk for high morbidity and mortality. Advance directives (AD) allow patients to express wishes regarding their care at the end of life, but these are not completed in the majority of patients undergoing HCT, with only 44% of deceased allogeneic HCT recipients at this institution completing an AD in the past decade. Increasing the AD completion rate can improve the quality of care for allogeneic HCT recipients. Our objective was to evaluate whether an alternative AD instrument can increase AD completion rate and patient satisfaction. We conducted a prospective, randomized controlled study of the traditional California AD versus a novel Letter AD, the Stanford What Matters Most Letter, in adult allogeneic HCT recipients. Patients age ≥18 years undergoing first allogeneic HCT at Stanford University were eligible. Prior to HCT conditioning, enrolled patients were assigned at random to complete either the traditional AD or the Letter AD. The primary endpoint was AD completion. The chi-square test was used to compare the AD completion rate between arms. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare uncertainty, satisfaction with decision making, and satisfaction with the AD. Of the 212 patients who were eligible, 126 (59.4%) were enrolled and randomized. The mean age was 53.7 years, 57 (45.2%) were female, and 74 (58.7%) were non-Hispanic white. The overall AD completion rate was 71.4% and did not differ between the traditional and Letter AD arms (70.3% versus 72.6%; P = .78). Of those who completed the Letter AD, 66.7%, 42.2%, and 46.7% of patients wished to die gently/naturally, at home, and/or with hospice, respectively. In the traditional AD arm, 60.0% wished to not prolong life if recovery was unlikely. Opinion surveys did not find differences in levels of satisfaction between the traditional AD and Letter AD. Completion rates of AD on this study were high (71.4%) compared with historically reported completion rates and did not significantly differ based on AD version.

Effect of donor type on volume of blood transfusions required after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

We reviewed blood product use in 729 consecutive allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) recipients at our center to assess the volume of red blood cells (RBCs) and platelets required after allo-HCT. The median number of bags required by day 30 was 4 for RBCs (range 0-22) and 9.5 for platelets (0-53). Multivariate analysis showed that related peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) required a significantly lower RBC transfusion volume by day 30 compared to unrelated bone marrow transplantation (UBMT). PBSCT from haplo-identical related donors and cord blood transplantation (CBT) required a significantly greater RBC transfusion volume. For platelet transfusion, related and unrelated PBSCT required a significantly lower volume than UBMT, and CBT a greater volume. Other factors independently associated with greater RBC transfusion volume were male sex, disease status other than complete remission, and major ABO mismatch. For platelet transfusion, these were male sex, disease status, and HCT-specific comorbidity index of 1. Although the burden of blood transfusions may not be the most important factor when choosing a donor type, our findings may provide a foundation for nationwide strategies to prepare blood products and inform aspects of national healthcare expenditures.

High lymphocyte counts before antithymocyte globulin administration predict acute graft-versus-host disease

Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) reduces severe acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). However, risk factors for severe acute GVHD in PBSCT using ATG remain to be determined. We conducted a single-center, retrospective study to analyze the association of acute GVHD requiring systemic corticosteroid (SC-aGVHD) with absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC) before the administration of ATG or conditioning in 53 patients with HLA-matched PBSCT using low-dose thymoglobulin (2 mg/kg) after myeloablative conditioning. The cumulative incidence of SC-aGVHD was 17.0% and ALC before ATG were significantly higher in patients with SC-aGVHD compared to that in patients without it (median, 0.15 × 10⁹/L vs 0.06 × 10⁹/L, P = 0.047). The cumulative incidence of SC-aGVHD was significantly higher in patients with high ALC before ATG (≥ 0.15 × 10⁹/L) than in those with low ALC (38.5% vs 10.0%, P = 0.016). Non-relapse mortality (NRM) was also significantly higher in the high ALC before ATG group than the low ALC before ATG group (2-year NRM: 23.9% vs 6.0%, P = 0.048), leading to worse survival (2-year overall survival: 69.2% vs 83.5%, P = 0.039). Our study suggested that high ALC before ATG is a risk factor for SC-aGVHD.

Onco-Cardiology: Consensus Paper of the German Cardiac Society, the German Society for Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Defects and the German Society for Hematology and Medical Oncology

The acute and long-lasting side effects of modern multimodal tumour therapy significantly impair quality of life and survival of patients afflicted with malignancies. The key components of this therapy include radiotherapy, conventional chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapies. In addition to established tumour therapy strategies, up to 30 new therapies are approved each year with only incompletely characterised side effects. This consensus paper discusses the risk factors that contribute to the development of a potentially adverse reaction to tumour therapy and, in addition, defines specific side effect profiles for different treatment groups. The focus is on novel therapeutics and recommendations for the surveillance and treatment of specific patient groups.

Evaluation of Disease Risk Comorbidity Index after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in a Cohort with Patients Undergoing Transplantation with In Vitro Partially T Cell Depleted Grafts

Outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are influenced by comorbidities, disease type, and status at transplantation. Several prognostic scores can be used, such as the disease risk index (DRI) or the hematopoietic cell transplantation-specific comorbidity index (HCT-CI). Recently, a new prognostic tool, the disease risk comorbidity index (DRCI), combining the DRI and the HCT-CI, was published. The DRCI determines 6 patient groups (very low risk [VLR], low risk [LR], intermediate risk 1 [IR-1], intermediate risk 2 [IR-2], high risk [HiR], and very high risk [VHR]) with a significant predictive value for overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), relapse incidence (RI), and graft-versus-host disease-free/relapse-free survival (GRFS). However, the DRCI has not been evaluated for patients allografted with partially in vitro T cell depleted (pTDEP) grafts. In our center, we offer pTDEP to reduce graft-versus-host disease for patients in complete remission at transplant time. In this retrospective study, we investigated the DRCI in 404 adult patients (including 37.6% pTDEP) undergoing a first HSCT for hematological malignancies from 2008 to 2018. Because of the small number of patients in LR, VLR and LR were combined for analysis. In the entire cohort, 2-year OS was 84.4% (95% CI, 71.6% to 97.2%) for LR, 61.6% (54.8% to 68.4%) for IR-1, 45.7% (33.3% to 58.1%) for IR-2, 31% (19.4% to 42.6%) for HiR, and 30.9% (14.5% to 47.3%) for VHR (P < .001). In addition, the DRCI was predictive of DFS, RI, and GRFS but not of nonrelapsed mortality and graft-versus-host disease. Our study confirms similar results with the original publication but gives less accurate prognosis information than the DRI and HCT-CI when used separately. In conclusion, the DRCI does not seem to offer more relevant information than the DRI and HCT-CI to help physicians and patients for the HSCT decision.

The Implementation of Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics Workflows in Clinical Routines of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Applicability and Perspectives

With the current reproducibility of proteome preparation workflows along with the speed and sensitivity of the mass spectrometers, the transition of the mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics technology from biomarker discovery to clinical implementation is under appraisal in the biomedicine community. Therefore, this technology might be implemented soon to detect well-known biomarkers in cancers and other diseases. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive heterogeneous malignancy that requires intensive treatment to cure the patient. Leukemia relapse is still a major challenge even for patients who have favorable genetic abnormalities. MS-based proteomics could be of great help to both describe the proteome changes of individual patients and identify biomarkers that might encourage specific treatments or clinical strategies. Herein, we will review the advances and availability of the MS-based proteomics strategies that could already be used in clinical proteomics. However, the heterogeneity of complex diseases as AML requires consensus to recognize AML biomarkers and to establish MS-based workflows that allow their unbiased identification and quantification. Although our literature review appears promising towards the utilization of MS-based proteomics in clinical AML in a near future, major efforts are required to validate AML biomarkers and agree on clinically approved workflows.

Post-transplant multimorbidity index and quality of life in patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease-results from a joint evaluation of a prospective German multicenter validation trial and a cohort from the National Institutes of Health

Comorbidity after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) impairs quality of life (QoL), physical functioning, and survival. We developed a new standardized measure to capture comorbidity after transplantation, the Post-transplant Multimorbidity Index (PTMI) in a cohort of 50 long term survivors. We subsequently evaluated the content validity and impact on survival and QoL within a multicenter trial, including 208 patients (pts) after alloHSCT, who were prospectively evaluated applying the FACT-BMT, the Human Activity Profile (HAP), the SF-36 v.2, PTMI and the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation-Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI). The most prevalent comorbidities were compensated arterial hypertension (28.4%), ambulatory infections (25.5%), iron overload (23%), mild renal function impairment (20%), and osteoporosis (13%). Applying the PTMI 13% of patients had no comorbidity, while 37.1% had 1–3 comorbidities, 27.4% had 4–6 comorbidities, and 13.5% had > 6 comorbidities. Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) was significantly associated with the PTMI, while age and prior acute GvHD were not. In contrast, the HCT-CI was not associated with the presence of cGvHD. cGvHD was significantly associated with depression (r = 0.16), neurological disease (r = 0.21), osteoporosis (r = 0.18) and nonmelanoma skin cancer (r = 0.26). The PTMI demonstrated strong measurement properties and compared to the HCT-CI captured a wider range of comorbidities associated with cGvHD.

Predominant low Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Specific Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI) score in a Mexican referral center: a selection bias caused by limited-resources?

INTRODUCTION

To date, many studies have validated the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Specific Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI) scoring system in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), but studies from developing countries remain scarce.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate and categorize Mexican patients using the HCT-CI at a referral center.

METHODS

One hundred and nineteen consecutive patients undergoing allo-HSCT at the National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition in Mexico City were included. Patients were classified according to the HCT-CI scores.

RESULTS

The median age was 31 years and most were males (56%). Most patients had hematological malignancies (73%) and a low HCT-CI score (72%). The non-relapse mortality and survival were predicted according to the score.

CONCLUSIONS

This is one of the few studies to evaluate the HCT-CI in adults with HLA-matched donors in a developing country and our findings suggest that the high percentage of patients with a low HCT-CI scores, contrary to international reports, could be explained by different comorbidities and demographics, but mainly due to stricter filters applied to HSCT candidates and consequently, a potential selection bias caused by limited resources.

Quality of Life following Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation for Patients Age >60 Years with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

This study of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) age ≥60 years analyzed the association between patients' performance indices-Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI), Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS), and European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) risk score-before undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and quality of life (QoL), quantified using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant Scale (FACT-BMT), in the first year after allo-HSCT. Over a period of 7 years, 48 evaluable patients underwent reduced-intensity conditioning allo-HSCT. The median patient age was 65 years (range, 60 to 74 years), with 2-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) of 65.8% and 52.3%, respectively. A significant improvement across all QoL scores was observed over the 12 months post-HSCT. An HCT-CI of 0 was associated with improved general QoL (FACT-G) score at 6 months compared with patients with an HCT-CI of 1 to 2 (P= .032). At 12 months post-HSCT, a pretransplantation HCT-CI ≥3 was correlated with lower QoL scores across the domains (symptom-related QoL [FACT-TOI], P= .036; FACT-G, P= .05; BMT-related QoL [FACT-BMT], P= .036). A pretransplantation KPS score of 100 versus 80 to 90 was predictive of improved QoL at 6 months post-HSCT (FACT-TOI, P = .009; FACT-G, P= .001; FACT-BMT, P= .002) but not at 1 year post-HSCT. We demonstrate that KPS and HCT-CI can predict QoL in the early post-transplantation period, with a favorable overall survival in a selected cohort of AML patients age ≥60 years.