How we treat mature B-cell neoplasms (indolent B-cell lymphomas)

Increased risk of haematological malignancy in adults over age 60 with thrombocytopenia compared with matched controls: Time for an upfront bone marrow evaluation?

International societies have conflicting recommendations on whether bone marrow aspirate/biopsy (BMB) is needed during workup for isolated thrombocytopenia. Our objective was to determine if thrombocytopenia in patients aged ≥60 years is associated with an increased incidence of haematological malignancy. We performed a retrospective population-based cohort study in patients aged ≥60 years between January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2019. Exposed patients had specialist consultation for thrombocytopenia, with platelet count <100 × 109/L, but normal haemoglobin and white blood cell count. Unexposed patients were those who never had specialist consultation for thrombocytopenia and whose platelets were ≥100 × 109/L. The primary outcome was the diagnosis of haematological malignancy using a competing risk of death model. During 4.0 years (IQR 2.2-6.7) of follow-up, 378/4930 exposed (19.1/1000PY, 95% CI 17.1-21.0), and 204/17556 unexposed patients (2.5/1000PY, 95% CI 2.2-2.8) were diagnosed with haematological malignancy (HR 15.5 (95% CI 11.3-21.4, p < 0.0001) in year 1, and 5.3 (95% CI 4.4-6.6, p < 0.0001) in years 2+). This finding persisted in analyses stratified by sex, age, severity, or duration of thrombocytopenia, and treatment with corticosteroids within 2 weeks of consultation. This study found a strong association between isolated thrombocytopenia and haematological malignancy in patients ≥60 years, supporting consideration of diagnostic testing including BMB during outpatient specialist consultation.

Parsaclisib, a PI3Kδ inhibitor, in relapsed and refractory follicular lymphoma (CITADEL-203): a phase 2 study

Background

Parsaclisib, a potent and highly selective PI3Kδ inhibitor, has shown clinical benefit in patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) B-cell malignancies. This phase 2 study (CITADEL-203; NCT03126019, EudraCT 2017-001624-22) assessed efficacy and safety of parsaclisib monotherapy in patients with R/R follicular lymphoma (FL).

Methods

Patients ≥18 years of age with histologically confirmed R/R FL (grade 1-3a) and prior treatment with ≥2 systemic therapies received parsaclisib 20 mg once daily (QD) for 8 weeks then parsaclisib 20 mg once weekly (weekly dosing group [WG]) or parsaclisib 20 mg QD for 8 weeks then parsaclisib 2.5 mg QD (daily dosing group [DG]); DG was selected for further assessment. Primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR).

Findings

At data cut-off (January 15, 2021), 126 patients had been treated (WG: n = 23; DG: n = 103). ORR (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 77.7% (68.4-85.3) with a complete response rate (95% CI) of 19.4% (12.3-28.4) in DG; median (95% CI) duration of response was 14.7 months (10.4-not estimable [NE]), median progression-free survival was 15.8 months (11.0-NE), and median overall survival was not reached. The most common any-grade treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) among all treated patients included diarrhoea (n = 48, 38.1%), nausea (n = 31, 24.6%), and cough (n = 28, 22.2%); the most common grade ≥3 TEAEs were diarrhoea (n = 15, 11.9%), neutropenia (n = 13, 10.3%), and colitis (n = 7, 5.6%). Dose interruption, reduction, and discontinuation from TEAEs occurred in 46.8% (n = 59), 17.5% (n = 22), and 23.8% (n = 30) of patients, respectively.

Interpretation

Treatment with parsaclisib demonstrated rapid and durable responses, and a manageable safety profile in patients with R/R FL.

Funding

Incyte Corporation.

The utility of CONUT score in indolent lymphoma patients

Background and Aim

Similar to the uncertainties in the treatment criteria for indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL), the prognostic criteria have not been fully clarified. The Controlled Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is not only used as a predictor of malnutrition but also indicates prognosis in many chronic or malignant diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the predictive and prognostic significance of the CONUT score in patients with iNHL.

Patients and Methods

A retrospective evaluation was made of 109 patients with iNHL. The CONUT scores of the patients were compared between those with an indication for treatment and those followed without treatment. The same analysis was performed between patients who developed relapse after treatment. Survival analysis was performed on all patients, and associations between survival and the CONUT score were examined.

Results

The median CONUT score was found to be higher in those who had treatment indications compared to those who did not (2 vs 1; P = 0.014). In the regression model, a CONUT absolute value above 5 was found as an independent risk factor predicting relapse. In the whole study population, a CONUT absolute value >2 predicted the risk of mortality with 53.9% sensitivity and 68.7% specificity (AUC ± SE = 0.639 ± 0.07; +PV = 35%; -PV = 82.6%; P = 0.034).

Conclusion

CONUT score is a predictive and prognostic factor for patients with iNHL. The development of simple, low-budget prognostic and predictive biomarkers is critical not only for determining the course of the disease but also for follow-up and treatment management.

Machine learning models-based on integration of next-generation sequencing testing and tumor cell sizes improve subtype classification of mature B-cell neoplasms

Background

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels for mature B-cell neoplasms (MBNs) are widely applied clinically but have yet to be routinely used in a manner that is suitable for subtype differential diagnosis. This study retrospectively investigated newly diagnosed cases of MBNs from our laboratory to investigate mutation landscapes in Chinese patients with MBNs and to combine mutational information and machine learning (ML) into clinical applications for MBNs, especially for subtype classification.

Methods

Samples from the Catalogue Of Somatic Mutations In Cancer (COSMIC) database were collected for ML model construction and cases from our laboratory were used for ML model validation. Five repeats of 10-fold cross-validation Random Forest algorithm was used for ML model construction. Mutation detection was performed by NGS and tumor cell size was confirmed by cell morphology and/or flow cytometry in our laboratory.

Results

Totally 849 newly diagnosed MBN cases from our laboratory were retrospectively identified and included in mutational landscape analyses. Patterns of gene mutations in a variety of MBN subtypes were found, important to investigate tumorigenesis in MBNs. A long list of novel mutations was revealed, valuable to both functional studies and clinical applications. By combining gene mutation information revealed by NGS and ML, we established ML models that provide valuable information for MBN subtype classification. In total, 8895 cases of 8 subtypes of MBNs in the COSMIC database were collected and utilized for ML model construction, and the models were validated on the 849 MBN cases from our laboratory. A series of ML models was constructed in this study, and the most efficient model, with an accuracy of 0.87, was based on integration of NGS testing and tumor cell sizes.

Conclusions

The ML models were of great significance in the differential diagnosis of all cases and different MBN subtypes. Additionally, using NGS results to assist in subtype classification of MBNs by method of ML has positive clinical potential.

Risk of a second cancer and infection in patients with indolent B-cell lymphoma exposed to first-line bendamustine plus rituximab: A retrospective analysis of an administrative claims database

Bendamustine has a potent immunosuppressive effect because it causes T-cell lymphopenia, which might lead to a second primary malignancy (SPM) and would increase the risk of infection. Using the Medical Data Vision administrative claims database, we compared the cumulative incidence of SPM, infections within 6 months, and overall survival (OS) among untreated patients with indolent B-cell lymphomas (iBCL) who received rituximab-based chemotherapy between 2009 and 2020. Patients with grade 3b follicular lymphoma or a previous history of malignancy were excluded. Eligible 5234 patients were assigned to three cohorts: rituximab monotherapy (N = 780), RCHOP/RCVP/RTHPCOP (doxorubicin replaced with pirarubicin) (N = 2298), or bendamustine/rituximab (BR) (N = 2156). There were 589 recorded SPMs, of which myelodysplastic syndromes were the most common (1.7%). The cumulative incidence of SPM was significantly higher in patients treated with BR than in those treated with rituximab monotherapy (p < 0.01) or RCHOP/RCVP/RTHPCOP (p < 0.0001): the 5-year cumulative incidence function was 18.1%, 12.5%, and 12.9%, respectively. In the Fine-Gray subdistribution hazards model, BR showed a significantly higher cumulative incidence of SPM than RCHOP/RCVP/RTHPCOP (subhazard ratio, 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-1.61). Furthermore, in sensitivity analysis, a nested case-control study using an entire cohort showed consistent results: the SPM odds ratios (95% CI) of first-line bendamustine, bendamustine after first-line, and any-line bendamustine were 1.43 (1.14-1.78), 1.26 (0.96-1.64), and 1.33 (1.09-1.62), respectively. Regarding infections, adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) of BR compared to RCHOP/RCVP/RTHPCOP were as follows: cytomegalovirus infection, 13.7 (4.88-38.4); bacterial pneumonia, 0.63 (0.50-0.78); and pneumocystis pneumonia, 0.24 (0.11-0.53). There was no significant difference in OS between RCHOP/RCVP/RTHPCOP and BR in patients with follicular, mantle cell, marginal zone, or lymphoplasmacytic lymphomas. In conclusion, treatment strategies that consider the risk of SPM and infections after chemotherapy are warranted in patients with iBCL.

The epidemiological patterns of non-Hodgkin lymphoma: global estimates of disease burden, risk factors, and temporal trends

Background

The incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has increased steadily over the past few decades. Elucidating its global burden will facilitate more effective disease management and improve patient outcomes. We explored the disease burden, risk factors, and trends in incidence and mortality in NHL globally.

Methods

The up-to-date data on age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of NHL were retrieved from the GLOBOCAN 2020, CI5 volumes I-XI, WHO mortality database, and Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019, focusing on geographic disparities worldwide. We reported incidence and mortality by sex and age, along with corresponding age-standardized rates (ASRs), the average annual percentage change (AAPC), and future burden estimates to 2040.

Results

In 2020, there were an estimated 545,000 new cases and 260,000 deaths of NHL globally. In addition, NHL resulted in 8,650,352 age-standardized DALYs in 2019 worldwide. The age-specific incidence rates varied drastically across world areas, at least 10-fold in both sexes, with the most pronounced increase trend found in Australia and New Zealand. By contrast, North African countries faced a more significant mortality burden (ASR, 3.7 per 100,000) than highly developed countries. In the past decades, the pace of increase in incidence and mortality accelerated, with the highest AAPC of 4.9 (95%CI: 3.6-6.2) and 6.8 (95%CI: 4.3-9.2) in the elderly population, respectively. Considering risk factors, obesity was positively correlated with age-standardized incidence rates (P< 0.001). And North America was the high-risk region for DALYs due to the high body mass index in 2019. Regarding demographic change, NHL incident cases are projected to rise to approximately 778,000 by 2040.

Conclusion

In this pooled analysis, we provided evidence for the growing incidence trends in NHL, particularly among women, older adults, obese populations, and HIV-infected people. And the marked increase in the older population is still a public health issue that requires more attention. Future efforts should be directed at cultivating health awareness and formulating effective and locally tailored cancer prevention strategies, especially in most developing countries.

Safety and efficacy of dual PI3K-δ, γ inhibitor, duvelisib in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoid neoplasms: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective clinical trials

Background

Duvelisib is the first FDA-approved oral dual inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase PI3K-delta (PI3K-δ) and PI3K-gamma (PI3K-γ). Although many clinical studies support the efficacy of duvelisib, the safety of duvelisib remains with great attention. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of duvelisib in treating different relapsed or refractory (RR) lymphoid neoplasm types.

Methods

We searched prospective clinical trials from PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov. For efficacy analysis, Overall response rate (ORR), complete response rate (CR), partial response rate (PR), rate of stable disease (SDR), rate of progressive disease (PDR), median progression-free survival (mPFS), 12-/24-month PFS, and 12-month overall survival (OS) were assessed. For safety analysis, the incidences of any grade and grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs), serious AEs, and treatment-related discontinuation and death were evaluated. Subgroup analysis based on the disease type was performed.

Results

We included 11 studies and 683 patients, including 305 chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), 187 B-cell indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL), 39 B-cell aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (aNHL), and 152 T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (T-NHL) patients. The pooled ORR in CLL/SLL, iNHL, aNHL and T-NHL was 70%, 70%, 28% and 47%, respectively. Additionally, the pooled ORR in CLL/SLL patients with or without TP53 mutation/17p-deletion (62% vs. 74%, p=0.45) and in follicular lymphoma (FL) or other iNHL (69% vs. 57%, p=0.38) had no significant differences. Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patients had higher pooled ORR than other aNHL (68% vs. 17%, p=0.04). Angioimmunoblastic TCL (AITL) patients had higher pooled ORR than other PTCL patients (67% vs. 42%, p=0.01). The pooled incidence of any grade, grade ≥3, serious AEs, treatment-related discontinuation and death was 99%, 79%, 63%, 33% and 3%, respectively. The most frequent any-grade AEs were diarrhea (47%), ALT/AST increase (39%), and neutropenia (38%). The most frequent grade ≥3 AEs were neutropenia (25%), ALT/AST increased (16%), diarrhea (12%), and anemia (12%).

Conclusion

Generally, duvelisib could offer favorable efficacy in patients with RR CLL/SLL, iNHL, MCL, and AITL. Risk and severity in duvelisib treatment may be mitigated through proper identification and management.

[Bendamustine monotherapy for Chinese patient treatment with relapsed or refractory B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a phase Ⅱ, prospective, multicenter, single-arm study]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of bendamustine monotherapy in Chinese patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) . Methods: This prospective, multicenter, open label, single-arm, phase Ⅱ study investigated bendamustine's efficacy and safety in Chinese patients with R/R B-NHL. A total of 78 patients with B-NHL in 11 hospitals in China from March 2012 to December 2016 were included, and their clinical characteristics, efficacy, and survival were analyzed. Results: The median age of all patients was 58 (range, 24-76) years old, and 69 (88.4% ) patients had stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ disease. 61 (78.2% ) patients were refractory to previous treatments. Patients received a median of 4 (range, 1-10) cycles of bendamustine treatment. The overall response rate was 61.5 (95% CI 49.8-72.3) % , the median response duration was 8.3 (95% CI 5.5-14.0) months, and the complete remission (CR) rate was 5.1 (95% CI 1.4-12.6) % . In the full analysis set, median progression-free survival (PFS) and median OS were 8.7 (95% CI 6.7-13.2) months and 25.5 months (95% CI 14.2 months to not reached) , respectively, after a median follow-up of 33.6 (95% CI 17.4-38.8) months. Lymphopenia (74.4% ) , neutropenia (52.6% ) , and leukopenia (39.7% ) , thrombocytopenia (29.5% ) and anemia (15.4% ) were the most common grade 3-4 hematologic adverse events (AE) . The most frequent non-hematologic AEs included nausea (43.6% ) , vomiting (33.3% ) , and anorexia (29.5% ) . Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that <4 cycles of bendamustine treatment was a poor prognostic factor for PFS (P=0.003) , and failure to accept fludarabine containing regimen was a poor prognostic factor for OS (P=0.009) . Conclusion: Bendamustine monotherapy has good efficacy and safety in the treatment of patient with R/R B-NHL.

Treosulfan plus fludarabine versus TEAM as conditioning treatment before autologous stem cell transplantation for B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Conditioning with treosulfan and fludarabine (Treo/Flu) has been proven to be feasible and efficient in several types of malignancies before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Given its favorable reduced toxicity profile, we introduced Treo/Flu as conditioning before autologous HSCT (auto-HSCT) in patients with B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Treo/Flu in comparison to TEAM. Fifty-seven patients with NHL received auto-HSCT after conditioning with either Treo/Flu (n = 22) or TEAM (n = 35). All patients achieved sustained engraftment. PFS, EFS and OS were not significant in both groups. Of note is that patients in the Treo/Flu group were less dependent on thrombocyte transfusions (p = 0.0082), significantly older (in median 11 years, p < 0.0001) and suffered less frequently from infectious complications (p = 0.0105), mucositis and stomatitis (p < 0.0001). This study is the first to present efficacy, feasibility, and safety of conditioning with Treo/Flu preceding auto-HSCT in patients with NHL. Since it demonstrated a lack of significant difference in comparison to TEAM conditioning it might be a valuable alternative especially in elderly patients with B-cell NHL and comorbidities. Further evaluation by prospective clinical trials is warranted.

Routine Pathologic Examination of Femoral Head Specimens from Total Hip Arthroplasty May Not Be Indicated or Cost-effective: A Systematic Review

Background

There is considerable disparity in institutional practices surrounding routine pathologic examination of femoral heads removed during total hip arthroplasty (THA). Multiple groups have studied the merits of routine femoral head pathology in THA, without clear consensus. We sought to further investigate the existing evidence on routine pathologic examination of femoral heads retrieved during THA to determine if this practice provides additional clinical value and is cost-effective.

Material and methods

To conduct a systematic review of the literature, a medical librarian was consulted to develop and perform comprehensive searches in PubMed (1809-present), Embase (embase.com 1974-present), CINAHL (EBSCO, 1937-present), and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Wiley). Final searches resulted in 727 references. Through multiple reviewer screenings and assessments of eligible full-text articles, we included 14 articles for review.

Results

Our systematic review yielded pathologic examination results from 17,388 femoral head specimens collected during THA. In 0.85% of cases, the pathologic diagnosis differed in a meaningful way from the preoperative clinical diagnosis. Routine pathology changed patient management in approximately 0.0058% of cases. The average cost for pathologic examination of each specimen was $126.38.

Conclusion

Routine pathologic examination of femoral heads retrieved during THA has limited impact on patient management. With an estimated 500,000 THAs performed in 2019, the economic feasibility of routine femoral head pathology is limited at an annual cost of up to $63,000,000 and cost per quality-adjusted life-year approaching infinity. However, surgeon discretion on a patient-specific or practice-specific basis should be used to make the final determination on the need for femoral head pathology.

CD5-Negative, CD10-Negative Low-Grade B-Cell Lymphoproliferative Disorders of the Spleen

CD5-negative, CD10-negative low-grade B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders (CD5-CD10-LPD) of the spleen comprise a fascinating group of indolent, neoplastic, mature B-cell proliferations that are essential to accurately identify but can be difficult to diagnose. They comprise the majority of B-cell LPDs primary to the spleen, commonly presenting with splenomegaly and co-involvement of peripheral blood and bone marrow, but with little to no involvement of lymph nodes. Splenic marginal zone lymphoma is one of the prototypical, best studied, and most frequently encountered CD5-CD10-LPD of the spleen and typically involves white pulp. In contrast, hairy cell leukemia, another well-studied CD5-CD10-LPD of the spleen, involves red pulp, as do the two less common entities comprising so-called splenic B-cell lymphoma/leukemia unclassifiable: splenic diffuse red pulp small B-cell lymphoma and hairy cell leukemia variant. Although not always encountered in the spleen, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, a B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder consisting of a dual population of both clonal B-cells and plasma cells and the frequent presence of the MYD88 L265P mutation, is another CD5-CD10-LPD that can be seen in the spleen. Distinction of these different entities is possible through careful evaluation of morphologic, immunophenotypic, cytogenetic, and molecular features, as well as peripheral blood and bone marrow specimens. A firm understanding of this group of low-grade B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders is necessary for accurate diagnosis leading to optimal patient management.