Event-free survival at 24 months is a robust end point for disease-related outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with immunochemotherapy

Epcoritamab in relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma: 2-year follow-up from the pivotal EPCORE NHL-1 trial

Primary results (median follow-up, 10.7 months) from the pivotal EPCORE® NHL-1 study in relapsed or refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) demonstrated deep, durable responses with epcoritamab, a CD3xCD20 bispecific antibody, when used as monotherapy. We report long-term efficacy and safety results in patients with LBCL (N = 157; 25.1-month median follow-up). As of April 21, 2023, overall response rate was 63.1% and complete response (CR) rate was 40.1%. Estimated 24-month progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 27.8% and 44.6%, respectively. An estimated 64.2% of complete responders remained in CR at 24 months. Estimated 24-month PFS and OS rates among complete responders were 65.1% and 78.2%, respectively. Of 119 minimal residual disease (MRD)-evaluable patients, 45.4% had MRD negativity, which correlated with longer PFS and OS. CR rates were generally consistent across predefined subgroups: 36% prior chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, 32% primary refractory disease, and 37% International Prognostic Index ≥3. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events were cytokine release syndrome (51.0%), pyrexia (24.8%), fatigue (24.2%), and neutropenia (23.6%). These results underscore the long-term benefit of epcoritamab for treating R/R LBCL with deep responses across subgroups, including patients with hard-to-treat disease and expected poor prognosis (ClinicalTrials.gov Registration: NCT03625037).

A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Axicabtagene Ciloleucel versus Tisagenlecleucel in the Treatment of Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma Based on a Real-World French Registry

INTRODUCTION

Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) and tisagenlecleucel (tisa-cel) are chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies that were evaluated in third and later line (3L+) relapsed or refractory (r/r) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in the ZUMA-1 and JULIET trials, respectively. As of October 2021, the DESCAR-T registry included 729 French patients with 3L+ r/r DLBCL who received axi-cel or tisa-cel. Using these data, propensity score matching was used to conduct an adjusted comparison between axi-cel and tisa-cel. Axi-cel was associated with statistically significant improvements in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and significantly more frequent Grade ≥ 3 immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), compared with tisa-cel. There was no significant difference in Grade ≥ 3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS). The current analysis assessed the cost-effectiveness of axi-cel versus tisa-cel in the treatment of 3L+ r/r DLBCL using propensity score-matched data from the DESCAR-T registry.

METHODS

A partitioned survival model was used to extrapolate costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) over a lifetime. Survival curves for PFS and OS were based on independent mixture cure models fitted to digitized Kaplan-Meier data for the propensity score-matched DESCAR-T populations. Average duration of intensive care unit stays for each of axi-cel and tisa-cel in DESCAR-T were used to inform adverse event costs. Selected parametric survival distributions were based on clinical expert validation. Utility values were derived from ZUMA-1, and costs were obtained from French registries and published sources. List prices were used for both axi-cel and tisa-cel. Costs and outcomes were discounted at an annual rate of 2.5%.

RESULTS

Axi-cel is associated with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €15,520 per QALY compared with tisa-cel.

CONCLUSION

Based on explicit willingness-to-pay thresholds applied in Europe, axi-cel is expected to be a cost-effective use of healthcare resources in real-world clinical settings compared with tisa-cel in 3L+ r/r DLBCL.

Circulating tumor DNA in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: analysis of response assessment, correlation with PET/CT and clone evolution

INTRODUCTION

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can be obtained from cell-free DNA (cfDNA) andis a new technique for genotyping, response assessment and prognosis in lymphoma.

METHODS

Eighteen patients with samples at diagnosis (ctDNA1), after treatment (ctDNA2) and extracted from diagnostic tissue (FFPE) were evaluated.

RESULTS

In all patients, at least one mutation in cfDNA was detected at diagnosis. CREBBP was the most frequent mutated gene (67 %). In 12 of the 15 patients with complete remission, the mutation attributed to the disease found at diagnosis cleared with treatment. A reduction in the ctDNA was observed after treatment in 14 patients, 12 of whom achieved complete remission. Correlations were found between the ctDNA at diagnosis and total metabolic tumor volume (r = 0.51; p-value = 0.014) and total lesion glycolysis 2.5 (r = 0.47; p-value = 0.024) by PET at diagnosis and between ctDNA at diagnosis and radiomic features of the lesions with the largest standardized uptake value. There was a strong inverse correlation between ΔctDNA1 and ΔSUVmax by PET/CT (r = -0.8788; p-value = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

Analysis of ctDNA and PET/CT in large B-cell lymphoma are complementary data for evaluating tumor burden and tumor clearance after treatment. Analysis of radiomic data might help to identify tumor characteristics and their changes after treatment.

Association of overall survival benefit of radiotherapy with progression-free survival after chemotherapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

To evaluate whether improved progression-free survival (PFS) from radiotherapy (RT) translates into an overall survival (OS) benefit for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Methods

A systematic literature search identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective studies that compared combined-modality therapy (CMT) with chemotherapy (CT) alone. Weighted regression analyses were used to estimate the correlation between OS and PFS benefits. Cohen's kappa statistic assessed the consistency between DLBCL risk-models and PFS patterns. Furthermore, the benefit trend of RT was analyzed by fitting a linear regression model to the pooled hazard ratio (HR) according to the PFS patterns.

Results

For both 7 RCTs and 52 retrospective studies, correlations were found between PFS HR (HRPFS) and OS HR (HROS) at trial level (r = 0.639-0.876), and between PFS and OS rates at treatment-arm level, regardless of CT regimens (r = 0.882-0.964). Incorporating RT into CT increased about 18% of PFS, and revealed a different OS benefit profile. Patients were stratified into four CT-generated PFS patterns (>80%, >60-80%, >40-60%, and ≤40%), which was consistent with risk-stratified subgroups (kappa > 0.6). Absolute gain in OS from RT ranged from ≤5% at PFS >80% to about 21% at PFS ≤40%, with pooled HROS from 0.70 (95% CI, 0.51-0.97) to 0.48 (95% CI, 0.36-0.63) after rituximab-based CT. The OS benefit of RT was predominant in intermediate- and high-risk patients with PFS ≤ 80%.

Conclusion

We demonstrated a varied OS benefit profile of RT to inform treatment decisions and clinical trial design.

Evaluating the impact of laboratory-based eligibility criteria by race/ethnicity in first-line clinical trials of DLBCL

ABSTRACT

Underrepresentation of racial and ethnic subgroups in cancer clinical trials remains a persistent challenge. Restrictive clinical trial eligibility criteria have been shown to exacerbate this problem. We previously identified that up to 24% of patients treated with standard immunochemotherapy would have been excluded from recent first-line trials in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) based on 5 laboratory-based criteria. These ineligible patients had worse clinical outcomes and increased deaths related to lymphoma progression, suggesting the potential exclusion of patients who could have benefited most from the novel therapies being evaluated. Using data from the prospectively enrolled Lymphoma Epidemiology Outcomes cohort study, with demographics broadly similar to the US patients diagnosed with lymphoma, we evaluated the impact of laboratory eligibility criteria from recent first-line DLBCL trials across various racial and ethnic backgrounds. There were significant differences in the baseline laboratory values by race/ethnicity with Black/African American (AA) patients having the lowest mean hemoglobin and highest creatinine clearance. Based on recent clinical trial eligibility criteria, AA and Hispanic patients had higher rates of laboratory-based ineligibility than non-Hispanic White patients. The largest gap in the clinical outcomes between eligible and noneligible patients was noted within AA patients with an overall survival hazard ratio based on POLARIX clinical trial criteria of 4.09 (95% confidence interval, 1.83-9.14). A thoughtful approach to the utility of each criterion and cutoffs for eligibility needs to be evaluated in the context of its differential impact across various racial/ethnic groups.

Re-examining the role of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in relapsed large B-cell lymphoma in the era of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy

Historically, salvage chemoimmunotherapy with consolidative autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) was the only potentially curative therapeutic option for patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). Treatment options were few and outcomes poor for patients whose lymphoma failed to respond to salvage chemotherapy/ASCT and for patients not eligible for ASCT. The approval of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for relapsed/refractory LBCL revolutionized the treatment landscape with unprecedented response rates and durability of responses. As a result, earlier intervention with CAR T-cell therapy has been explored, and the enthusiasm for CAR T-cell therapy has overshadowed ASCT. In this article, we will review the data available for ASCT and CAR T-cell therapy in relapsed LBCL and will examine the role for ASCT in relapsed/refractory LBCL in the era of CAR T-cell therapy.

Transcriptomic classification of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma identifies a high-risk activated B-cell-like subpopulation with targetable MYC dysregulation

Immunochemotherapy has been the mainstay of treatment for newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (ndDLBCL) yet is inadequate for many patients. In this work, we perform unsupervised clustering on transcriptomic features from a large cohort of ndDLBCL patients and identify seven clusters, one called A7 with poor prognosis, and develop a classifier to identify these clusters in independent ndDLBCL cohorts. This high-risk cluster is enriched for activated B-cell cell-of-origin, low immune infiltration, high MYC expression, and copy number aberrations. We compare and contrast our methodology with recent DLBCL classifiers to contextualize our clusters and show improved prognostic utility. Finally, using pre-clinical models, we demonstrate a mechanistic rationale for IKZF1/3 degraders such as lenalidomide to overcome the low immune infiltration phenotype of A7 by inducing T-cell trafficking into tumors and upregulating MHC I and II on tumor cells, and demonstrate that TCF4 is an important regulator of MYC-related biology in A7.

Hypercalcemia as a rare manifestation of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in a person living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) with disseminated nontuberculous mycobacteriosis

INTRODUCTION

Granulomatosis due to immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) and disseminated Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (M. avium) infection may trigger hypercalcemia. Here, we report a rare case of hypercalcemia and acute kidney damage related to IRIS in a person living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

CASE PRESENTATION

A 39-year-old male person living with HIV presented with muscle weakness and unwanted weight loss of 8 kg within the last 2 weeks. Laboratory findings included serum hypercalcemia of 3.27 mmol/mL associated with elevated calcitriol and acute kidney damage. Since the first diagnosis of HIV and concomitant disseminated M. avium infection, the patient received antiretroviral therapy (ART), rifabutin, clarithromycin, and ethambutol. 18Fluoro-D-glucose positron emission computed tomography (18FDG-PET/CT) showed progressive multilocular lymphadenopathy. Biopsy specimen from the duodenum as well as retroperitoneal and mediastinal lymph nodes revealed granulomatous inflammation consistent with IRIS. Treatment with forced diuresis, bisphosphonates, and calcitonin normalized serum calcium and kidney function recovered.

CONCLUSION

Hypercalcemia due to IRIS is a rare differential diagnosis in persons living with HIV and may lead to acute kidney damage, despite sufficient ART and antimycobacterial treatment.

Loncastuximab Tesirine in the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Currently, a significant percentage of patients with DLBCL are refractory or relapse after a first line of immunochemotherapy. Second relapses after autologous stem cell transplantation or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies present few treatment options and do not yield good results. New molecules have entered the immunotherapy arsenal. Loncastuximab tesirine comprises a humanized anti-CD19 monoclonal conjugated antibody, which consists of an anti-CD19 antibody and cytotoxic alkylating agent, SG3199. Several studies have proven its efficacy in the treatment of refractory cases of DLBCL with a good safety profile, with the main adverse effects being neutropenia, thrombopenia, and liver enzyme involvement. In this review, we explain the mechanism of action of this molecule, the clinical data that have led to its acceptance by the FDA, and the new therapeutic options that are proposed in association with this drug.

Autologous stem cell transplant in fit patients with refractory or early relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that responded to salvage chemotherapy

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy is the new standard of care in fit patients with refractory or early relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, there may still be a role for salvage chemotherapy (ST) and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) in certain circumstances (e.g., lack of resources for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, chemosensitive relapses). We retrospectively studied 230 patients with refractory or early relapsed DLBCL who underwent ST and ASCT. The median line of ST was one (range, 1-3). Best response before ASCT was complete response in 106 (46%) and partial response in 124 (54%) patients. The median follow-up after ASCT was 89.4 months. The median progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 16.1 and 43.3 months, respectively. Patients relapsing between 6 to 12 months after frontline therapy had a numerically better median PFS (29.6 months) and OS (88.5 months). Patients who required one line of ST, compared to those requiring more than one line, had a better median PFS (37.9 vs. 3.9 months; P=0.0005) and OS (68.3 vs. 12.0 months; P=0.0005). Patients who achieved complete response had a better median PFS (71.1 vs. 6.3 months; P<0.0001) and OS (110.3 vs. 18.9 months; P<0.0001) than those in partial response. Patients who achieved complete response after one line of ST had the most favorable median PFS (88.5 months) and OS (117.2 months). Post-ASCT survival outcomes of patients with refractory or early relapsed DLBCL appeared reasonable and were particularly favorable in those who required only one line of ST to achieve complete response before ASCT, highlighting the role of this procedure in select patients with chemosensitive disease.

Long-term outcome of peripheral T-cell lymphomas: Ten-year follow-up of the International Prospective T-cell Project

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are a heterogeneous group of haematological cancers with generally poor clinical outcomes. However, a subset of patients experience durable disease control, and little is known regarding long-term outcomes. The International T-cell Lymphoma Project (ITCLP) is the largest prospectively collected cohort of patients with PTCLs, providing insight into clinical outcomes at academic medical centres globally. We performed a long-term outcome analysis on patients from the ITCLP with available 10-year follow-up data (n = 735). The overall response rate to first-line therapy was 68%, while 5- and 10-year overall survival estimates were 49% and 40% respectively. Most deaths occurred prior to 5 years, and for patients alive at 5 years, the chance of surviving to 10 years was 84%. However, lymphoma remained the leading cause of death in the 5- to 10-year period (67%). Low-risk International Prognostic Index and Prognostic Index for T-cell lymphoma scores both identified patients with improved survival, while in multivariate analysis, age >60 years and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 2-4 were associated with inferior outcomes. The favourable survival seen in patients achieving durable initial disease control emphasizes the unmet need for optimal front-line therapeutic approaches in PTCLs.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Axicabtagene Ciloleucel vs. Standard of Care in Second-Line Treatment for Relapsed/Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphoma in Spain

PURPOSE

To estimate the cost-effectiveness of axi-cel vs. salvage immunochemotherapy followed by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem-cell transplantation (HDT+ASCT) for responders to second-line treatment for relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL).

METHODS

A partitioned survival mixture-cure model comprising three health states was used to estimate the costs, life years gained (LYG), and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) accumulated over a lifetime horizon. Overall survival, event-free survival, and time to the next treatment with axi-cel and HDT+ASCT were derived from the ZUMA-7 study. The total costs (EUR, 2022) included drug acquisition and administration, ASCT, subsequent treatment, disease and adverse event management, and palliative care. The unitary costs were derived from local databases and the literature. A 3% discount rate was applied to the costs and outcomes.

RESULTS

Compared with HDT+ASCT, axi-cel provided higher LYG per patient (10.00 vs. 8.28 LYG/patient) and greater QALYs gained per patient (7.85 vs. 6.04 QALY/patient). The lifetime total costs were 343,581 EUR/patient with axi-cel vs. 257,994 EUR/patient with IQT+ASCT. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of axi-cel vs. HDT+ASCT was 49,627 EUR/LYG, and the incremental cost-utility ratio was 47,309 EUR/QALY. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the model.

CONCLUSION

Axi-cel is a potentially cost-effective alternative to HDT+ASCT for the treatment of R/R DLBCL in Spain.

Aligning outcomes: DLBCL prognosis at a 4th Level University Hospital in Bogotá is comparable to high-income nations, identification of additional prognostic markers for overall survival and relapse

Introduction

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a prevalent non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtype, displays diverse clinical outcomes with persistently high mortality and relapse rates, despite treatment advancements. Notably, the Hispanic demographic lacks consideration in existing prognostic indices for DLBCL.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study encompassing 112 DLBCL patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2020 was conducted at our institution. Patient data, including overall survival (OS), treatment response, and relapse, were analysed.

Results

With a median age of 65 years and a predominant male population (60.7%), both the International Prognostic Index (IPI) and revised IPI correlated with OS. In multivariate analysis, patients with ki-67 ≥ 60% exhibited higher mortality risk (Hazard Ratio: 2.35, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.05-5.27, p = 0.039), even when controlled by IPI category and B2-microglobulin levels. The absence of B symptoms served as a protective factor for relapse (p < 0.01, OR: 0.147, 95% CI 0.058-0.376) when controlling for ki-67, CD5, and IPI.

Conclusion

Our cohort demonstrated a 5-year OS rate comparable to high-income countries, highlighting the need for tailored prognostic models for Hispanic DLBCL patients. This study identifies easily accessible parameters aligning with regional resource constraints, providing insights into additional prognostic factors for DLBCL in the Hispanic population.

Multiomic analysis identifies a high-risk signature that predicts early clinical failure in DLBCL

Recent genetic and molecular classification of DLBCL has advanced our knowledge of disease biology, yet were not designed to predict early events and guide anticipatory selection of novel therapies. To address this unmet need, we used an integrative multiomic approach to identify a signature at diagnosis that will identify DLBCL at high risk of early clinical failure. Tumor biopsies from 444 newly diagnosed DLBCL were analyzed by WES and RNAseq. A combination of weighted gene correlation network analysis and differential gene expression analysis was used to identify a signature associated with high risk of early clinical failure independent of IPI and COO. Further analysis revealed the signature was associated with metabolic reprogramming and identified cases with a depleted immune microenvironment. Finally, WES data was integrated into the signature and we found that inclusion of ARID1A mutations resulted in identification of 45% of cases with an early clinical failure which was validated in external DLBCL cohorts. This novel and integrative approach is the first to identify a signature at diagnosis, in a real-world cohort of DLBCL, that identifies patients at high risk for early clinical failure and may have significant implications for design of therapeutic options.

Cardiovascular mortality among patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a population-based study

We aim to investigate cardiovascular mortality risk among diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients and explore cardiovascular mortality trends in the past decades in United States. We extracted data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database for adult patients diagnosed with DLBCL between 1975 and 2019. Standardized mortality ratio, joinpoint regression analysis, and competing risk model were analyzed. Overall, 49,918 patients were enrolled, of whom 4167 (8.3%) cardiovascular deaths were observed, which was 1.22 times the number expected (95%CI, 1.19-1.26). During 1985-2019, the incidence-based cardiovascular mortality rate increased by 0.98% per year (95%CI, 0.58-1.39%), with statistically significant increases in age groups younger than 75 years. The cumulative mortality from cardiovascular disease increased by age but never exceeded that from DLBCL. Older age, male sex, earlier year of diagnosis, lower tumor stage at diagnosis, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery were all poor prognostic factors for cardiovascular mortality.

Molecular Subtypes and the Role of TP53 in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma and Richter Syndrome

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common lymphoid malignancy and a heterogeneous entity comprised of several biologically distinct subtypes. Recently, novel genetic classifications of DLBCL have been resolved based on common mutational patterns indicative of distinct pathways of transformation. However, the complicated and costly nature of the novel classifiers has precluded their inclusion into routine practice. In view of this, the status of the TP53 gene, which is mutated or deleted in 20-30% of the cases, has emerged as an important prognostic factor for DLBCL patients, setting itself apart from other predictors. TP53 genetic lesions are particularly enriched in a genetic subtype of DLBCL that shares genomic features with Richter Syndrome, highlighting the possibility of a subset of DLBCL arising from the transformation of an occult chronic lymphocytic leukemia-like malignancy, such as monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis. Patients with TP53-mutated DLBCL, including those with Richter Syndrome, have a particularly poor prognosis and display inferior responses to standard chemoimmunotherapy regimens. The data presented in this manuscript argue for the need for improved and more practical risk-stratification models for patients with DLBCL and show the potential for the use of TP53 mutational status for prognostication and, in prospect, treatment stratification in DLBCL.

Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics reveal a high glycolysis B cell and tumor-associated macrophages cluster correlated with poor prognosis and exhausted immune microenvironment in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a heterogeneous malignancy characterized by varied responses to treatment and prognoses. Understanding the metabolic characteristics driving DLBCL progression is crucial for developing personalized therapies.

METHODS

This study utilized multiple omics technologies including single-cell transcriptomics (n = 5), bulk transcriptomics (n = 966), spatial transcriptomics (n = 10), immunohistochemistry (n = 34), multiple immunofluorescence (n = 20) and to elucidate the metabolic features of highly malignant DLBCL cells and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), along with their associated tumor microenvironment. Metabolic pathway analysis facilitated by scMetabolism, and integrated analysis via hdWGCNA, identified glycolysis genes correlating with malignancy, and the prognostic value of glycolysis genes (STMN1, ENO1, PKM, and CDK1) and TAMs were verified.

RESULTS

High-glycolysis malignant DLBCL tissues exhibited an immunosuppressive microenvironment characterized by abundant IFN_TAMs (CD68+CXCL10+PD-L1+) and diminished CD8+ T cell infiltration. Glycolysis genes were positively correlated with malignancy degree. IFN_TAMs exhibited high glycolysis activity and closely communicating with high-malignancy DLBCL cells identified within datasets. The glycolysis score, evaluated by seven genes, emerged as an independent prognostic factor (HR = 1.796, 95% CI: 1.077-2.995, p = 0.025 and HR = 2.631, 95% CI: 1.207-5.735, p = 0.015) along with IFN_TAMs were positively correlated with poor survival (p < 0.05) in DLBCL. Immunohistochemical validation of glycolysis markers (STMN1, ENO1, PKM, and CDK1) and multiple immunofluorescence validation of IFN_TAMs underscored their prognostic value (p < 0.05) in DLBCL.

CONCLUSIONS

This study underscores the significance of glycolysis in tumor progression and modulation of the immune microenvironment. The identified glycolysis genes and IFN_TAMs represent potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets in DLBCL.

Prognostic model for relapsed/refractory transplant-ineligible diffuse large B-cell lymphoma utilizing the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio

We conducted a multi-institutional retrospective study in 100 transplant-ineligible (TI) patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) that relapsed or progressed after first-line R-CHOP (or -like) therapy to develop a robust predictive model for TI relapsed/refractory (r/r) DLBCL, which has a heterogeneous but poor prognosis by currently available treatment modalities other than chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy or bispecific antibodies. The median age at relapse or progression was 76 years. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) from the first progression were 11.5 months and 21.9 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified low lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), elevated high lactate dehydrogenase, and elevated C-reactive protein at progression as independent predictors of OS. A predictive model based on these three factors, here designated as the Kyoto Prognostic Index for r/r DLBCL (KPI-R), successfully stratified their OS and PFS with statistical significance. In addition, event-free survival less than 24 months for R-CHOP and low LMR were identified as significant predictive factors for non-response in any sequence of salvage therapy. We concluded that LMR is a bonafide predictor of treatment response and prognosis in patients with TI r/r DLBCL, and may be helpful in treatment decision-making.

Cost-effectiveness of treating relapsed or refractory 3L+ follicular lymphoma with axicabtagene ciloleucel vs mosunetuzumab in the United States

Introduction

Novel therapies for 3L+ relapsed/refractory (r/r) follicular lymphoma (FL) have been approved recently by the US Food and Drug Administration including anti-CD19 CAR-T therapies such as axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) and CD20 × CD3 T-cell-engaging bispecific monoclonal antibodies such as mosunetuzumab (mosun). The objective of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of axi-cel compared to mosun in 3L+ r/r FL patients from a US third-party payer perspective.

Methods

A three-state (progression-free, progressed disease, and death) partitioned-survival model was used to compare two treatments over a lifetime horizon in a hypothetical cohort of US adults (age ≥18) receiving 3L+ treatment for r/r FL. ZUMA-5 and GO29781 trial data were used to inform progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Mosun survival was modeled via hazard ratios (HRs) applied to axi-cel survival curves. The PFS HR value was estimated via a matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) based on mosun pseudo-individual patient data and adjusted axi-cel data to account for trial populations differences. One-way sensitivity analysis (OWSA) and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA) were conducted. Scenario analyses included: 1) the mosun HRs were applied to the weighted (adjusted) ZUMA-5 24-month data to most exactly reflect the MAIC, 2) mosun HR values were applied to axi-cel 48-month follow-up data, and 3) recent axi-cel health state utility values in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients.

Results

The analysis estimated increases of 1.82 LY and 1.89 QALY for axi-cel compared to mosun. PFS for axi-cel patients was 6.42 LY vs. 1.60 LY for mosun. Increase of $257,113 in the progression-free state was driven by one-time axi-cel treatment costs. Total incremental costs for axi-cel were $204,377, resulting in an ICER of $108,307/QALY gained. The OWSA led to ICERs ranging from $240,255 to $75,624, with all but two parameters falling below $150,000/QALY. In the PSA, axi-cel had an 64% probability of being cost-effective across 5,000 iterations using a $150,000 willingness-to-pay threshold. Scenarios one and two resulted in ICERs of $105,353 and $102,695, respectively.

Discussion

This study finds that axi-cel is cost-effective compared to mosun at the commonly cited $150,000/QALY US willingness-to-pay threshold, with robust results across a range of sensitivity analyses accounting for parameter uncertainty.

Artificial intelligence-based prognostic model accurately predicts the survival of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphomas: analysis of a large cohort in China

BACKGROUND

Diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) display high molecular heterogeneity, but the International Prognostic Index (IPI) considers only clinical indicators and has not been updated to include molecular data. Therefore, we developed a widely applicable novel scoring system with molecular indicators screened by artificial intelligence (AI) that achieves accurate prognostic stratification and promotes individualized treatments.

METHODS

We retrospectively enrolled a cohort of 401 patients with DLBCL from our hospital, covering the period from January 2015 to January 2019. We included 22 variables in our analysis and assigned them weights using the random survival forest method to establish a new predictive model combining bidirectional long-short term memory (Bi-LSTM) and logistic hazard techniques. We compared the predictive performance of our "molecular-contained prognostic model" (McPM) and the IPI. In addition, we developed a simplified version of the McPM (sMcPM) to enhance its practical applicability in clinical settings. We also demonstrated the improved risk stratification capabilities of the sMcPM.

RESULTS

Our McPM showed superior predictive accuracy, as indicated by its high C-index and low integrated Brier score (IBS), for both overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The overall performance of the McPM was also better than that of the IPI based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve fitting. We selected five key indicators, including extranodal involvement sites, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), MYC gene status, absolute monocyte count (AMC), and platelet count (PLT) to establish the sMcPM, which is more suitable for clinical applications. The sMcPM showed similar OS results (P < 0.0001 for both) to the IPI and significantly better PFS stratification results (P < 0.0001 for sMcPM vs. P = 0.44 for IPI).

CONCLUSIONS

Our new McPM, including both clinical and molecular variables, showed superior overall stratification performance to the IPI, rendering it more suitable for the molecular era. Moreover, our sMcPM may become a widely used and effective stratification tool to guide individual precision treatments and drive new drug development.

Cancer Surveillance in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients With a Pretransplant History of Malignancy: Multidisciplinary Collaborative Expert Opinion

With improved medical treatments, the prognosis for many malignancies has improved, and more patients are presenting for transplant evaluation with a history of treated cancer. Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients with a prior malignancy are at higher risk of posttransplant recurrence or de novo malignancy, and they may require a cancer surveillance program that is individualized to their specific needs. There is a dearth of literature on optimal surveillance strategies specific to SOT recipients. A working group of transplant physicians and cancer-specific specialists met to provide expert opinion recommendations on optimal cancer surveillance after transplantation for patients with a history of malignancy. Surveillance strategies provided are mainly based on general population recurrence risk data, immunosuppression effects, and limited transplant-specific data and should be considered expert opinion based on current knowledge. Prospective studies of cancer-specific surveillance models in SOT recipients should be supported to inform posttransplant management of this high-risk population.

B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas

B-cell lymphomas occur with an incidence of 20 new cases per 100 000 people per year in high-income countries. They can affect any organ and are characterised by heterogeneous clinical presentations and courses, varying from asymptomatic, to indolent, to very aggressive cases. Since the topic of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas was last reviewed in The Lancet in 2017, a deeper understanding of the biological background of this heterogeneous group of malignancies, the availability of new diagnostic methods, and the development and implementation of new targeted and immunotherapeutic approaches have improved our ability to treat patients. This Seminar provides an overview of the pathobiology, classification, and prognostication of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas and summarises the current knowledge and standard of care regarding biology and clinical management of the most common subtypes of mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas. It also highlights new findings in deciphering the molecular background of disease development and the implementation of new therapeutic approaches, particularly those targeting the immune system.

Identification of novel prognostic autoantibodies in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone via a high-throughput antigen microarray

BACKGROUND

R-CHOP (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) is a standard first-line treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, 20%-40% of patients survive less than 5 years. Novel prognostic biomarkers remain in demand.

METHODS

Baseline plasma autoantibodies (AAbs) were assessed in 336 DLBCLs. In the discovery phase (n = 20), a high-density antigen microarray (∼21,000 proteins) was used to expound AAb profiles. In the verification phase (n = 181), with a DLBCL-focused microarray, comparative results based on event-free survival at 24 months (EFS24) and lasso Cox regression models of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were integrated to identify potential biomarkers. They were further validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in validation phase 1 (n = 135) and a dynamic cohort (n = 12). In validation phase 2, a two-AAb-based risk score was established. They were further validated in an immunohistochemistry cohort (n = 55) and four independent Gene Expression Omnibus datasets (n = 1598).

RESULTS

Four AAbs (CREB1, N4BP1, UBAP2, and DEAF1) were identified that showed associations with EFS24 status (p < .05) and superior PFS and OS (p < .05). A novel risk score model based on CREB1 and N4BP1 AAbs was developed to predict PFS with areas under the curve of 0.72, 0.71, 0.76, and 0.82 at 1, 3, 5, and 7 years, respectively, in DLBCL treated with R-CHOP independent of the International Prognostic Index (IPI) and provided significant additional recurrence risk discrimination (p < .05) for the IPI. CREB1 and N4BP1 proteins and messenger RNAs were also associated with better PFS and OS (p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified a novel prognostic panel of CREB1, N4BP1, DEAF1, and UBAP2 AAbs that is independent of the IPI in DLBCL.

Loncastuximab tesirine in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: long-term efficacy and safety from the phase II LOTIS-2 study

Therapies that demonstrate durable, long-term responses with manageable safety and tolerability are needed for patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL). Loncastuximab tesirine (loncastuximab tesirine-lpyl [Lonca]), an anti-CD19 antibody conjugated to a potent pyrrolobenzodiazepine dimer, demonstrated single-agent antitumor activity in the pivotal phase II LOTIS-2 study in heavily pretreated patients with R/R DLBCL. Here we present updated efficacy and safety analyses from LOTIS-2, performed for all patients and in subsets of patients with a complete response (CR), including patients with CR who were event-free (no progressive disease or death) for ≥1 year and ≥2 years from cycle 1, day 1 of treatment. Lonca was administered every 3 weeks (0.15 mg/kg for 2 cycles; 0.075 mg/kg for subsequent cycles). As of the final data cutoff (September 15, 2022; median follow-up: 7.8 months [range, 0.3-42.6]), 70 of 145 (48.3%) patients achieved an overall response. Thirty-six (24.8%) patients achieved CR, of which 16 (44%) and 11 (31%) were event-free for ≥1 year and ≥2 years, respectively. In the all-treated population, the median overall survival was 9.5 months; the median progression-free survival was 4.9 months. Among patients with CR, median overall survival and progression-free survival were not reached, with 24-month overall and progression-free survival rates of 68.2% (95% CI: 50.0-81.0) and 72.5% (95% CI: 48.2-86.8), respectively. No new safety concerns were detected. With additional follow-up, Lonca continued to demonstrate durable, long-term responses with manageable safety and tolerability in patients with CR (clinicaltrials gov. Identifier: NCT03589469).

Patterns of follow-up care in adult blood cancer survivors-Prospective evaluation of health-related outcomes, resource use, and quality of life

BACKGROUND

Information about follow-up care in blood cancer survivors is limited. The questionnaire-based "Aftercare in Blood Cancer Survivors" (ABC) study aimed to identify patterns of follow-up care in Germany and compare different types of follow-up institutions.

METHODS

The study's 18-month prospective part compared the follow-up institutions identified in the preceding retrospective part (academic oncologists, community oncologists, primary care physicians). The questionnaires were completed by the follow-up physicians.

RESULTS

Of 1070 physicians named by 1479 blood-cancer survivors, 478 (44.7%) consented to participate. For provision of care, most oncologists relied on published guidelines, while most primary care physicians depended on information from other physicians. Survivors with a history of allogeneic transplantation or indolent lymphoma were mainly seen by academic oncologists, whereas survivors with monoclonal gammopathy, multiple myeloma, or myeloproliferative disorders were often seen by community oncologists, and survivors with a history of aggressive lymphoma or acute leukemia by primary care physicians. Detection of relapse and secondary diseases was consistently viewed as the most important follow-up goal. Follow-up visits were most extensively documented by academic oncologists (574 of 1045 survivors cared for, 54.9%), followed by community oncologists (90/231, 39.0%) and primary care physicians (51/203, 25.1%). Relapse and secondary disease detection rates and the patients' quality of life were similar at the three institutions. Laboratory tests were most often ordered by academic oncologists, and imaging by primary care physicians. Psychosocial issues and preventive care were more often addressed by primary care physicians than by oncologists.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients at high risk of relapse or late complications were preferentially treated by academic oncologists, while patients in stable condition requiring continuous monitoring were also seen by community oncologists, and patients with curable diseases in long-term remission by primary care physicians. For the latter, transfer of follow-up care from oncologists to well-informed primary care providers appears feasible.

CAR T-cell Therapy for Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma in Canada: A Cost-Utility Analysis

BACKGROUND

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a novel cell therapy for treating non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The development of CAR T-cell therapy has transformed oncology treatment by offering a potential cure. However, due to the high cost of these therapies, and the large number of eligible patients, decision makers are faced with difficult funding decisions. Our objective was to assess the cost-effectiveness of tisagenlecleucel for adults with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in Canada using updated survival data from the recent JULIET trial.

METHODS

We developed an individual-simulated discrete event simulation model to assess the costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) of tisagenlecleucel compared with salvage chemotherapy. Survival estimates were obtained from a published clinical trial and retrospective analysis. If patients remained progression free for 5 y, they were assumed to be in long-term remission. Costing and utility data were obtained from reports and published sources. A Canadian health care payer perspective was used, and outcomes were modeled over a lifetime horizon. Costs and outcomes were discounted at 1.5% annually, with costs reported in 2021 Canadian dollars. A probabilistic analysis was used, and model parameters were varied in 1-way sensitivity analyses and scenario analyses.

RESULTS

After we incorporated the latest clinical evidence, tisagenlecleucel led to an additional cost of $503,417 and additional effectiveness of 2.48 QALYs, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $202,991 compared with salvage chemotherapy. At a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000/QALY, tisagenlecleucel had a 0% likelihood of being cost-effective.

CONCLUSIONS

At the current drug price, tisagenlecleucel was not found to be a cost-effective option. These results heavily depend on assumptions regarding long-term survival and the price of CAR T. Real-world evidence is needed to reduce uncertainty.

HIGHLIGHTS

For patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who failed 2 or more lines of systemic therapy, CAR T was not found to be a cost-effective treatment option at a willingness-to-pay threshold of $100,000.These results heavily depend on the expected long-term survival. The uncertainty in the model may be improved using real-world evidence reported in the future.

Prognostic value of POD18 combined with improved IELSG in primary central nervous system lymphoma

PURPOSE

The International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group (IELSG) score is widely used in clinical practice to stratify the risk of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) patients. Our study aims to confirm and improve the IELSG score in PCNSL patients based on Chinese populations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 79 PCNSL patients were retrospectively analyzed. All patients treated with high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX)-based therapy collected clinical data. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the optimal cut-off values for the factors in IELSG score. Progression of disease (POD) at the most landmark time point was determine by Epanechnikov kernel and the area under the ROC curve (AUROC). Kaplan-Meier and multivariable regression methods were used to analyze survival data. Nomogram was generated for calculating the weight of each selected factor.

RESULTS

The traditional IELSG score had no significant difference on OS and PFS except ECOG ≥ 2 and could not stratify the risk groups in PCNSL. The improved IELSG scoring system was established, which incorporated age ≥ 54 years, ECOG ≥ 2, deep brain structure, elevated CSF protein, and LDH/ULN > 0.75. On the other hand, POD18 was identified as a new powerful prognostic factor for PCNSL. In multivariate analysis, POD18 and the improved IELSG scoring system were independent prognostic factors for OS. Nomogram including the two significant variables showed the best performance (C-index = 0.828).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, the IELSG score was improved and a new prognostic indicator POD18 was incorporated to construct a nomogram prognostic model, thereby further improving the predictive ability of the model.

Real-world outcomes following third or subsequent lines of therapy: A Danish population-based study on 189 patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphomas

Outcome data of patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) beyond the second line are scarce outside of clinical trials. Novel therapies in the R/R setting have been approved based on single-arm trials, but results need to be contextualized by real-world outcomes. Medical records from 3753 Danish adults diagnosed with DLBCL were reviewed. Patients previously treated with rituximab and anthracycline-based chemotherapy who received the third or later line (3 L+) of treatment after 1 January 2015, were included. Only 189 patients with a median age of 71 years were eligible. The median time since the last line of therapy was 6 months. Patients were treated with either best supportive care (22%), platinum-based salvage therapy (13%), low-intensity chemotherapy (22%), in clinical trial (14%) or various combination treatments (32%). The 2-year OS-/PFS estimates were 25% and 12% for all patients and 49% and 17% for those treated with platinum-based salvage therapy. Age ≥70, CNS involvement, elevated LDH and ECOG ≥2 predicted poor outcomes, and patients with 0-1 of these risk factors had a 2-year OS estimate of 65%. Only a very small fraction of DLBCL patients received third-line treatment and were eligible for inclusion. Outcomes were generally poor, but better in intensively treated, fit young patients with limited disease.

Genetic and transcriptomic analyses of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients with poor outcomes within two years of diagnosis

Despite the improvements in clinical outcomes for DLBCL, a significant proportion of patients still face challenges with refractory/relapsed (R/R) disease after receiving first-line R-CHOP treatment. To further elucidate the underlying mechanism of R/R disease and to develop methods for identifying patients at risk of early disease progression, we integrated clinical, genetic and transcriptomic data derived from 2805 R-CHOP-treated patients from seven independent cohorts. Among these, 887 patients exhibited R/R disease within two years (poor outcome), and 1918 patients remained in remission at two years (good outcome). Our analysis identified four preferentially mutated genes (TP53, MYD88, SPEN, MYC) in the untreated (diagnostic) tumor samples from patients with poor outcomes. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis revealed a distinct gene expression pattern linked to poor outcomes, affecting pathways involved in cell adhesion/migration, T-cell activation/regulation, PI3K, and NF-κB signaling. Moreover, we developed and validated a 24-gene expression score as an independent prognostic predictor for treatment outcomes. This score also demonstrated efficacy in further stratifying high-risk patients when integrated with existing genetic or cell-of-origin subtypes, including the unclassified cases in these models. Finally, based on these findings, we developed an online analysis tool ( https://lymphprog.serve.scilifelab.se/app/lymphprog ) that can be used for prognostic prediction for DLBCL patients.

A Systematic Literature Review of Health-Related Quality of Life Outcomes and Associated Utility Values in Relapsed and/or Refractory Large B Cell Lymphoma

BACKGROUND

In this ever-expanding treatment landscape, there is a lack of consolidated health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes and utility reports in relapsed or refractory (R/R) large B cell lymphoma (LBCL) to inform health care policy and decision-maker assessments for both old and new products. These assessments can have a direct effect on what treatment options are available to patients and physicians.

OBJECTIVE

A systematic literature review (SLR) was performed to understand the HRQOL evidence for treatments in R/R LBCL and identify associated health utility values.

METHODS

The SLR searched and screened literature published from 1 January 2003 to 2 May 2022. Studies were screened based on Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome, Study design criteria established a priori and were assessed by two independent reviewers; quality assessments of the evidence were performed in accordance with health technology assessment recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Several types of therapies were included, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell products (lisocabtagene maraleucel, axicabtagene ciloleucel, tisagenlecleucel), novel therapies (selinexor, nivolumab, polatuzumab vedotin, and bendamustine), salvage therapies, and rituximab.

RESULTS

The review identified 33 unique studies reporting HRQOL, including 15 economic studies that reported health state utility values, 9 clinical trials, 7 health technology assessment reports, and 1 each of a vignette-based study and a point-in-time survey. Improvements in general and/or lymphoma-specific HRQOL measures were observed with CAR T cell therapy in both the second-line and third-line or later settings. On-treatment utility values for CAR T cell therapies ranged from 0.50 to 0.74. Values for remission/progression-free survival (0.70-0.90) and for disease progression (0.39-0.59) were similar across studies. For novel therapies, utility values were 0.83 for progression-free survival and ranged from 0.39 to 0.71 for disease progression. On-treatment utility values for salvage chemotherapy ranged from 0.63 to 0.67.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the evidence synthesized in this SLR provides a comprehensive understanding of the HRQOL evidence in R/R LBCL. This article identified several sources for utility values in the published literature showing variation in the HRQOL outcomes for patients across a variety of therapeutics. Treatment of R/R LBCL with CAR T cell therapies was associated with improvement in health utility values. Mixed results were found for novel therapies and salvage therapies. More data are needed as new therapies are used in this patient population to inform treatment decision-making.

Clinical significance and predictive risk factors for event-free survival at 24 months in patients with PTCL, NOS

Peripheral T cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL, NOS), is a heterogeneous and aggressive type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with a bleak prognosis. This study was designed to assess the value of EFS24 as an alternative clinical endpoint and identify prognosis-related factors in PTCL, NOS. Patients diagnosed with PTCL, NOS were retrospectively collected and slides were reviewed by two hematopathologists. EFS was defined as the time from diagnosis to the occurrence of disease progression after initial treatment, retreatment, or death. Subsequent overall survival (OS) was defined from EFS24 or time of progression, if it occurred within 24 months, to the last follow-up or death. 97 cases with complete follow-up were selected. Approximately 66 patients (68.04%) failed to achieve ES24, with the median OS of 12.17 months, and 5-year OS rate of 15.17%. While patients who reached EFS24 had a median OS of 60.57 months and a 5-year OS rate of 68.77%. Multivariate Cox analysis indicated that bone marrow involvement and elevated β2 Microglobulin (β2-MG) were associated with a poor prognosis. B symptoms, extranodal involvement more than one site, and a high Ki67 index were significant factors in predicting the failure of EFS24. EFS24 can help stratify the subsequent outcomes of PTCL, NOS. Patients who achieve EFS24 have a favorable prognosis, although it does not reach that of the general population. On the other hand, patients who do not achieve EFS24 have an extremely poor prognosis. Therefore, EFS24 can be used for patient risk stratification, patient counseling, and study design.

Cost-effectiveness of second-line lisocabtagene maraleucel in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

ABSTRACT

Lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel), a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, received the US Food and Drug Administration approval in 2022 for second-line treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) for patients with refractory disease or early relapse after first-line chemoimmunotherapy. This decision was based on the TRANSFORM study demonstrating improvements in event-free survival with liso-cel compared with standard care. Given the high costs of CAR T-cell therapies, particularly as they transition to second-line treatment, a cost-effectiveness analysis is essential to determine their economic viability. The study used a partitioned survival model with standard parametric functions to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of liso-cel aganist platinum-based chemotherapy followed by high-dose chemotherapy and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation over a lifetime horizon The analysis relied on data from the TRANSFORM and TRANSCEND trials, established literature, and public data sets to calculate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). For a representative cohort of US adults aged 60 years, ICER of liso-cel was $99 669 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) from a health care sector perspective and $68 212 per QALY from a societal perspective, confirming its cost-effectiveness at the $100 000 per QALY threshold. Nonetheless, under certain scenarios, liso-cel surpasses this benchmark but remains within the US acceptable range of $150 000 per QALY. A key finding underlines the importance of incorporating productivity losses into such analyses to capture the broader societal values of novel therapies. Although these therapies offer substantial clinical benefits, their high acquisition costs and limited long-term data critically challenge their economic sustainability.

Challenges for quality and utilization of real-world data for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in REALYSA, a LYSA cohort

ABSTRACT

Real-world data (RWD) are essential to complement clinical trial (CT) data, but major challenges remain, such as data quality. REal world dAta in LYmphoma and Survival in Adults (REALYSA) is a prospective noninterventional multicentric cohort started in 2018 that included patients newly diagnosed with lymphoma in France. Herein is a proof-of-concept analysis on patients with first-line diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) to (1) evaluate the capacity of the cohort to provide robust data through a multistep validation process; (2) assess the consistency of the results; and (3) conduct an exploratory transportability assessment of 2 recent phase 3 CTs (POLARIX and SENIOR). The analysis population comprised 645 patients with DLBCL included before 31 March 2021 who received immunochemotherapy and for whom 3589 queries were generated, resulting in high data completeness (<4% missing data). Median age was 66 years, with mostly advanced-stage disease and high international prognostic index (IPI) score. Treatments were mostly rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP 75%) and reduced dose R-CHOP (13%). Estimated 1-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival rates were 77.9% and 90.0%, respectively (median follow-up, 9.9 months). Regarding transportability, when applying the CT's main inclusion criteria (age, performance status, and IPI), outcomes seemed comparable between patients in REALYSA and standard arms of POLARIX (1-year progression-free survival 79.8% vs 79.8%) and SENIOR (1-year EFS, 64.5% vs 60.0%). With its rigorous data validation process, REALYSA provides high-quality RWD, thus constituting a platform for numerous scientific purposes. The REALYSA study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03869619.

Hepatitis B surface antigen positivity is associated with poor short- and long-term outcomes in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who received CHOP or R-CHOP

Objective

The development of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is closely related to the host infection status. China is a highly endemic area for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. It is not clear whether HBV infection has a consistent effect on the prognostic implications of patients with DLBCL in different treatment settings.

Materials and methods

We conducted a cohort study of 692 patients with DLBCL receiving three or more cycles of treatment with a CHOP or R-CHOP regimen from the First Hospital of Jilin University between July 2011 and July 2022. The patients were divided into two groups based on their hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) status: HBsAg-positive (n = 84, 12.1%) and HBsAg-negative (n = 608, 87.9%) groups. Tumor specimens from 180 patients with primary DLBCL were collected for next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Results

The HBsAg-positive group had more frequent abnormal liver function (P = 0.003), hypoalbuminemia (P < 0.001), incidence of > 2 extranodal organs (P = 0.011), and spleen involvement (P < 0.001) than the HBsAg-negative group. HBsAg-positive patients had lower complete response (CR) and overall response rates (ORR) rates (all the p values < 0.05), in either the CHOP group or R-CHOP group. Among patients receiving R-CHOP, the rates of disease progression within 12 and 24 months were higher in the HBsAg-positive group than in the HBsAg-negative group (P=0.018, P=0.029). However, no significant difference in disease progression was observed between HBsAg-positive and HBsAg-negative patients in the CHOP group(P > 0.05). HBsAg positivity (OS: HR [95% CI] = 2.511 [1.214-5.192], P = 0.013) was only associated with poorer OS in the CHOP group. Whereas in the R-CHOP group, HBsAg positivity was associated with both poorer OS and PFS (OS: HR [95% CI] = 1.672 [1.050-2.665], P = 0.030; PFS: HR [95% CI] = 1.536 [1.013-2.331], P = 0.043). Additionally, HBsAg-positive patients with DLBCL also had a higher prevalence of mutations in MYC, ATM, PTPN6, and epigenetically regulated genes.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that HBsAg-positive DLBCL patients may represent a distinct subgroup with a poorer prognosis. The standard therapies may be insufficient and new therapeutic strategies should be developed based on a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of chemoresistance.

Health-Related Complications during Follow-Up and Their Impact on Blood Cancer Survivors: Results from the "Aftercare in Blood Cancer Survivors" (ABC) Study

INTRODUCTION

Blood cancer survivors are at increased risk for medical complications.

METHODS

Our questionnaire-based study involved 1,551 blood cancer survivors with a ≥3-year interval since the last intense treatment. Its goal was to quantify health-related complications during follow-up and assess their impact on the patients' lives.

RESULTS

A total of 20.4% of the responding survivors reported a disease relapse, most often in indolent lymphomas. Second primary malignancies occurred in 14.1%, primarily in lymphoma and allogeneic transplantation survivors. The most frequent malignancy was basal cell carcinoma of the skin, but myeloid malignancies, melanoma, bladder, head-and-neck, and thyroid cancer also appeared disproportionately frequent. An increased infection rate was reported by 43.7%, most often after allogeneic transplantation. New cardiovascular diseases were reported by 30.2%, with a high rate of thromboembolic events in multiple myeloma (MM) and myeloproliferative diseases. Polyneuropathies were reported by 39.1%, most often by survivors with a history of MM or aggressive lymphoma. Disease relapse was perceived as the highest burden, followed by second primary malignancy, increased infection frequency, and polyneuropathy. In each area investigated, the range of perceived severities was wide.

CONCLUSIONS

Health-related complications are frequent during blood cancer follow-up, with significant repercussions on the patients' lives.

An updated cost-effectiveness analysis of axicabtagene ciloleucel in second-line large B-cell lymphoma patients in the United States

AIMS

This economic evaluation of axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) versus previous standard of care (SOC; salvage chemotherapy followed by high-dose therapy with autologous stem cell rescue) in the second line (2L) large B-cell lymphoma population is an update of previous economic models that contained immature survival data.

METHODS

This analysis is based on primary overall survival (OS) ZUMA-7 clinical trial data (median follow-up of 47.2 months), from a United States (US) payer perspective, with a model time horizon of 50 years. Mixture cure models were used to extrapolate updated survival data; subsequent treatment data and costs were updated. Patients who remained in the event-free survival state by 5 years were assumed to have achieved long-term remission and not require subsequent treatment.

RESULTS

Substantial survival and quality of life benefits were observed despite 57% of patients in the SOC arm receiving subsequent cellular therapy: median model-projected (ZUMA-7 trial Kaplan-Meier estimated) OS was 78 months (median not reached) for axi-cel versus 25 months (31 months) for SOC, resulting in incremental quality-adjusted life year (QALY) difference of 1.63 in favor of axi-cel. Incrementally higher subsequent treatment costs were observed in the SOC arm due to substantial crossover to cellular therapies, thus, when considering the generally accepted willingness to pay threshold of $150,000 per QALY in the US, axi-cel was cost-effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $98,040 per QALY.

CONCLUSIONS

Results remained consistent across a wide range of sensitivity and scenario analysis, including a crossover adjusted analysis, suggesting that the mature OS data has significantly reduced the uncertainty of axi-cel's cost-effectiveness in the 2L setting in the US. Deferring treatment with CAR T therapies after attempting a path to transplant may result in excess mortality, lower quality of life and would be an inefficient use of resources relative to 2L axi-cel.

Tumor-derived Exosomal ENO2 Modulates Polarization of Tumor-associated Macrophages through Reprogramming Glycolysis to Promote Progression of Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma

Macrophages can be polarized into functional classically activated (M1) or alternatively activated (M2) phenotype. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) mainly exhibit M2 phenotype. Previous works determined that up-regulation of enolase 2 (ENO2) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) cells can promote macrophages to an M2-like phenotype, thereby consequently promoting the progression of DLBCL. Exosomes are a subset of extracellular vesicles, carrying various bioactive molecules, mediate signals transduction and regulate immune cells. In our study, we investigated the role and related mechanisms of DLBCL-derived exosomal ENO2 in regulating macrophage polarization during DLBCL progression via bioinformatics analysis and a series of experiments. The results of bioinformatics analysis indicated that high expression of ENO2 was positively correlated with DLBCL progression and macrophages M2/M1 ratio. ENO2 protein levels were increased in the exosomes of the sera of DLBCL patients and DLBCL cells. Moreover, the DLBCL-derived exosomes were assimilated by macrophages and then regulated macrophage polarization. The results of in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that DLBCL-derived exosomal ENO2 modulated macrophages polarization (increased M2 phenotype and decreased M1 phenotype), thereby promoting DLBCL proliferation, migration, and invasion. We then revealed that the modulation of macrophages polarization by DLBCL-derived exosomal ENO2 depended on glycolysis and was promoted through GSK3β/β-catenin/c-Myc signaling pathway. These findings suggested that DLBCL-derived exosomal ENO2 accelerated glycolysis via GSK3β/β-catenin/c-Myc signaling pathway to ultimately promote macrophages to an M2-like phenotype, which can promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of DLBCL, suggesting that exosomal ENO2 may be a promising therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker for DLBCL.

Prediction of 5-year overall survival of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma on the pola-R-CHP regimen based on 2-year event-free survival and progression-free survival

This study aimed to predict the 5-year overall survival (OS) benefit of pola-R-CHP versus R-CHOP in the POLARIX trial based on the 2-year event-free survival (EFS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We identified randomized controlled trials (RCT) published before 31 May 2023. The correlation between the logarithmic (log) hazard ratio (HR) for EFS (HREFS) or PFS (HRPFS) and the HR for OS (HROS) was estimated at the trial-level. Correlation analysis was performed between 2-year PFS or EFS and 5-year OS rates at the treatment arm-level. Linear regression models were used to calculate the 5-year OS of pola-R-CHP and R-CHOP. In the included 20 RCTs, a linear correlation between HREFS (r = 0.765) or HRPFS (r = 0.534) and HROS was observed at the trial- level. Two-year EFS (r = 0.918) or 2-year PFS (r = 0.865) correlated linearly with 5-year OS. Linear regression analysis between 2-year EFS/PFS and 5-year OS gave estimated 5-year OS rates between pola-R-CHP and R-CHOP of 6.4% and 6.3%, respectively. Two-year EFS and PFS are feasible early endpoints in patients with DLBCL treated primarily with immunochemotherapy. The pola-R-CHP regimen is expected to improve 5-year OS.

Integrative analyses reveal outcome-associated and targetable molecular partnerships between TP53, BRD4, TNFRSF10B, and CDKN1A in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a common, genomically heterogenous disease that presents a clinical challenge despite the success of frontline regimens and second-line chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. Recently, genomic alterations and tumor microenvironment features associated with poor CAR-T response have been identified, namely those to the TP53 tumor suppressor gene. This retrospective analysis aimed to integrate various data to identify genomic partnerships capable of providing further clarity and actionable treatment targets within this population. Publicly available data were analyzed for differential expression based on TP53 and 24-month event-free survival (EFS24) status, revealing enrichments of the BRD4 bromodomain oncogene (p < 0.0001, p = 0.001). High-BRD4 and TP53 alterations were significantly associated with lower CDKN1A (p21) and TNFRSF10B (TRAIL-R2), a key tumor suppressor and CAR-T modulator, respectively. Significant loss of CD8 T-cell presence within low-TNFRSF0B (p = 0.0042) and altered-TP53 (p = 0.0424) patients showcased relevant outcome-associated tumor microenvironment features. Furthermore, reduced expression of CDKN1A was associated with low TNFRSF10B (FDR < 0.0001) and increased BRD4 interactant genes (FDR < 0.0001). Promisingly, in vitro MDM2 inhibition with Idasnutlin and TP53 reactivation via Eprenetapopt was able to renew TNFRSF10B protein expression. Additionally, applying the BRD4-degrading PROTAC ARV-825 and the CDK4/6 inhibitor Abemaciclib as single-agents and in synergistic combination significantly reduced TP53-altered DLBCL cell line viability. Our analysis presents key associations within a genomic network of actionable targets capable of providing clarity within the evolving precision CAR-T treatment landscape.

Real-world total cost of care by line of therapy in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

AIMS

There are multiple recently approved treatments and a lack of clear standard-of-care therapies for relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). While total cost of care (TCC) by the number of lines of therapy (LoTs) has been evaluated, more recent cost estimates using real-world data are needed. This analysis assessed real-world TCC of R/R DLBCL therapies by LoT using the IQVIA PharMetrics Plus database (1 January 2015-31 December 2021), in US patients aged ≥18 years treated with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) or an R-CHOP-like regimen as first-line therapy.

METHODS

Treatment costs and resources in the R/R setting were assessed by LoT. A sensitivity analysis identified any potential confounding of the results caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare utilization and costs. Overall, 310 patients receiving a second- or later-line treatment were included; baseline characteristics were similar across LoTs. Inpatient costs represented the highest percentage of total costs, followed by outpatient and pharmacy costs.

RESULTS

Mean TCC per-patient-per-month generally increased by LoT ($40,604, $48,630, and $59,499 for second-, third- and fourth-line treatments, respectively). Costs were highest for fourth-line treatment for all healthcare resource utilization categories. Sensitivity analysis findings were consistent with the overall analysis, indicating results were not confounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

LIMITATIONS

There was potential misclassification of LoT; claims data were processed through an algorithm, possibly introducing errors. A low number of patients met the inclusion criteria. Patients who switched insurance plans, had insurance terminated, or whose enrollment period met the end of data availability may have had truncated follow-up, potentially resulting in underestimated costs.

CONCLUSION

Total healthcare costs increased with each additional LoT in the R/R DLBCL setting. Further improvements of first-line treatments that reduce the need for subsequent LoTs would potentially lessen the economic burden of DLBCL.

New Frontiers in Monoclonal Antibodies for Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common aggressive lymphoma. Approximately 60% of patients are cured with R-CHOP as a frontline treatment, while the remaining patients experience primary refractory or relapsed disease (R/R). The prognosis for R/R DLBCL patients who are neither eligible for autologous stem-cell transplantations nor CAR-T-cell treatment is poor, representing an important unmet need. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have dramatically improved therapeutic options in anti-cancer strategies, offering new opportunities to overcome chemo-refractoriness in this challenging disease, even in cases of primary non-responder DLBCL. Several novel mAbs, characterized by different mechanisms of action and targets, are now available for R/R DLBCL. Unbound mAbs induce an immune response against cancer cells, triggering different mechanisms, including antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), activation of antibody-dependent cell-mediated phagocytosis (ADCP) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and radioimmunotherapy (RIT), respectively, deliver a cytotoxic payload or a beta-emitter radionuclide to the targeted cells and nearby bystanders. Bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTes) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) redirect and enhance the immune response against tumor cells. Here, we review therapeutic strategies based on monoclonal antibodies for R/R DLBCL.

Impairment of vocational activities and financial problems are frequent among German blood cancer survivors

Little is known about changes in the personal living conditions of long-term blood cancer survivors in Germany. To gather information about social relationships, work life, overall well-being, and religion, we performed a questionnaire-based retrospective study on 1551 survivors who had been on follow-up for ≥ 3 years (median, 9 years). Most survivors reported that marital status and relationships with relatives and friends remained constant before and after blood cancer. Vocational activities were temporarily impaired for 47.5%, with a median time of 11 months to return to work. More than a third of the patients (35.6%) discontinued work permanently, with disability and retirement pension rates of 7.9% and 38.1%, respectively, at the time of the survey. Financial problems due to reduced income were reported by 26.2%, in particular after relapse or allogeneic transplantation. Patient reports addressing their quality of life showed large variations. It was best in acute leukemia survivors without a history of allogeneic transplantation and worst in patients with myeloproliferative disorders. Religion tended to become more important after blood cancer. In conclusion, vocational impairment and financial problems are frequent among German blood cancer survivors. Efforts should be made at an early stage to reestablish the patients' ability to work.

Past, present and future therapeutic approaches in nodal peripheral T-cell lymphomas

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) encompass over 30 different entities and although they share post-thymic T- or NK-cell derivation, the disease biology and genomic landscape are very diverse across subtypes. In Western populations, nodal PTCL are the most frequently encountered entities in clinical practice and although important achievements have been made in deciphering the underlying biology and in therapeutic advances, there are still large gaps in disease understanding and clinical scenarios in which controversy over best practice continues. CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone)- based chemotherapy continues to be the 'standard' treatment, with the addition of brentuximab vedotin (BV) in the combination CHP (cyclosphosphamide, doxorubicin, prednisone)-BV representing a new treatment paradigm in CD30+ PTCL although its benefit is less certain in the non-anaplastic large cell lymphoma subtypes. Given the high risk of relapse, consolidative autologous stem cell transplant is considered in nodal PTCL, outside of ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma; however, in the absence of a randomized controlled trials, practices vary. Beyond CHP-BV, most study activity has focused on adding a novel agent to CHOP (i.e., CHOP + drug X). However, with high complete remission rates observed with some novel therapy combinations, these regimens are being tested in the front-line setting, with a particular rationale in follicular helper T-cell lymphomas which have a clear sensitivity to epigenetic modifying therapies. This is well exemplified in the relapsed/refractory setting in which rational combination therapies are being developed for specific subtypes or guided by underlying biology. Taken together, we have finally moved into an era of a more personalized approach to the management of nodal PTCL.

Second-line treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: Evolution of options

In the era of immunochemotherapy, approximately 60%-70% of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients achieve remission with first-line rituximab-based chemoimmunotherapy. However, 30%-40% relapse after initial response to first-line therapy and, out of them, 20%-50% are refractory or experience early relapse. The second-line therapy algorithm for DLBCL has recently evolved, thanks to the recent approval of new therapeutic agents or their combinations. The new guidelines suggest a stratification of relapsed/refractory (R/R) DLBCL based on the time to relapse. For transplant-eligible patients, autologous stem cell transplant remains the preferred option when the patient relapses after 12 months from diagnosis, while anti-CD19 CART-cell therapy is the current preferred choice for high-risk DLBCL, defined as primary refractory or relapse ≤12 months. For transplant-ineligible or CAR T-cell therapy-ineligible patients, the therapeutic arsenal historically lacked effective options. However, new therapeutic options, including polatuzumab vedotin combined with bendamustine-rituximab and tafasitamab with lenalidomide, have been recently approved, and novel agents such as loncastuximab tesirine, selinexor, anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, and bispecific antibodies have shown promising efficacy and manageable safety in this setting offering new hope to patients in this challenging scenario.

Retrospective Comparison of Survival Projections for CAR T-Cell Therapies in Large B-Cell Lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Durable remission has been observed in patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) treated with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy. Consequently, hazard functions for overall survival (OS) are often complex, requiring the use of flexible methods for extrapolations.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to retrospectively compare the predictive accuracy of different survival extrapolation methods and evaluate the validity of goodness-of-fit (GOF) criteria-based model selection for CAR T-cell therapies in R/R LBCL.

METHODS

OS data were sourced from JULIET, ZUMA-1, and TRANSCEND NHL 001. Standard parametric, mixture cure, cubic spline, and mixture models were fit to multiple database locks (DBLs), with varying follow-up durations. GOF was assessed using the Akaike information criterion and Bayesian information criterion. Predictive accuracy was calculated as the mean absolute error (MAE) relative to OS observed in the most mature DBL.

RESULTS

For all studies, mixture cure and cubic spline models provided the best predictive accuracy for the least mature DBL (MAE 0.013‒0.085 and 0.014‒0.128, respectively). The predictive accuracy of the standard parametric and mixture models showed larger variation (MAE 0.024‒0.162 and 0.013‒0.176, respectively). With increasing data maturity, the predictive accuracy of standard parametric models remained poor. Correlation between GOF criteria and predictive accuracy was low, particularly for the least mature DBL.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analyses demonstrated that mixture cure and cubic spline models provide the most accurate survival extrapolations of CAR T-cell therapies in LBCL. Furthermore, GOF should not be the only criteria used when selecting the optimal survival model.

Decreased lymphoma-related deaths and improved long-term relative survival with radiotherapy for early-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the rituximab era

BACKGROUND

We aimed to investigate the incidence of lymphoma-related death (LRD) and the long-term net survival benefit of radiotherapy (RT) for early-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in the rituximab era.

METHODS

10,841 adults diagnosed with early-stage DLBCL between 2002-2015 were retrospectively analyzed using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Primary therapy was categorized into combined-modality treatment (CMT, n = 3,631) and chemotherapy alone (n = 7,210). Competing risk analysis was used to evaluate the cumulative incidence of mortality. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to balance groups. The net survival benefit of RT was estimated through relative survival (RS), standardized mortality ratio (SMR), and transformed Cox regression, while controlling for background mortality.

RESULTS

Patients initially treated with CMT had a lower cumulative incidence of LRD compared to those who received chemotherapy alone (HR 0.63, 95%CI: 0.57-0.69; P < 0.001). The 10-year overall survival (OS), RS, and SMR for CMT were 66.1%, 85.0%, and 1.71 respectively, which were significantly better than those for chemotherapy alone (53.0%; 69.8%; 2.62; all P < 0.001). IPTW and multivariable analysis revealed that the addition of RT led to better OS (HR 0.67, 95%CI: 0.62-0.71; P < 0.001) and RS (HR 0.69, 95%CI: 0.65-0.74; P < 0.001). Moreover, compared with chemotherapy alone, the benefit of OS and RS for CMT increased over time within 10 years of diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

RT reduced LRD and improved the long-term net survival in early-stage DLBCL in the rituximab era. Further prospective studies are warranted to assess the specific patient population that would benefit the most from consolidative RT in early-stage DLBCL.

Clinicopathological analysis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma using molecular biomarkers: a retrospective analysis from 7 Hungarian centers

Background

The clinical and genetic heterogeneity of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) presents distinct challenges in predicting response to therapy and overall prognosis. The main objective of this study was to assess the application of the immunohistochemistry- and interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-based molecular markers in the diagnosis of DLBCL and its prognostic value in patients treated with rituximab-based immunochemotherapy.

Methods

This is a multicenter, retrospective study, which analyzed data from 7 Hungarian hematology centers. Eligible patients were adults, had a histologically confirmed diagnosis of DLBCL, were treated with rituximab-based immunochemotherapy in the first line, and had available clinicopathological data including International Prognostic Index (IPI). On the specimens, immunohistochemistry and FISH methods were performed. Germinal center B-cell like (GCB) and non-GCB subtypes were classified by the Hans algorithm. Outcomes included overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and EFS at 2 years (EFS24). For survival analysis, we used Kaplan-Meier curves with the log-rank test and multivariate Cox regression.

Results

A total of 247 DLBCL cases were included. Cases were positive for MYC, BCL2, BCL6, and MUM1 expression in 52.1%, 66.2%, 72.6%, and 77.8%, respectively. BCL6 translocation, BCL2 gene copy number (GCN) gain, IGH::MYC translocation, MYC GCN gain, IGH::BCL2 translocation, and BCL6 GCN gain were detected in 21.4%, 14.1%, 7.3%, 1.8%, 7.3%, and 0.9%, respectively. At a median follow-up of 52 months, 140 patients (56.7%) had disease progression or relapse. The Kaplan-Meier estimate for EFS24 was 56.2% (CI: 50.4-62.8%). In univariate analysis, only IPI and BCL6 expression were significant predictors of both OS and EFS, whereas MUM1 predicted EFS only. In multivariate analysis, the IPI score was a significant independent negative, whereas MIB-1 and BCL6 protein expressions were significant independent positive predictors of both OS and EFS.

Conclusion

In our study, we found that only IPI, BCL6 protein expression and MIB-1 protein expression are independent predictors of survival outcomes in DLBCL. We did not find any difference in survival by GCB vs. non-GCB subtypes. These findings may improve prognostication in DLBCL and can contribute to designing further research in the area.

Relapse Timing Is Associated With Distinct Evolutionary Dynamics in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

PURPOSE

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is cured in more than 60% of patients, but outcomes remain poor for patients experiencing disease progression or relapse (refractory or relapsed DLBCL [rrDLBCL]), particularly if these events occur early. Although previous studies examining cohorts of rrDLBCL have identified features that are enriched at relapse, few have directly compared serial biopsies to uncover biological and evolutionary dynamics driving rrDLBCL. Here, we sought to confirm the relationship between relapse timing and outcomes after second-line (immuno)chemotherapy and determine the evolutionary dynamics that underpin that relationship.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Outcomes were examined in a population-based cohort of 221 patients with DLBCL who experienced progression/relapse after frontline treatment and were treated with second-line (immuno)chemotherapy with an intention-to-treat with autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT). Serial DLBCL biopsies from a partially overlapping cohort of 129 patients underwent molecular characterization, including whole-genome or whole-exome sequencing in 73 patients.

RESULTS

Outcomes to second-line therapy and ASCT are superior for late relapse (>2 years postdiagnosis) versus primary refractory (<9 months) or early relapse (9-24 months). Diagnostic and relapse biopsies were mostly concordant for cell-of-origin classification and genetics-based subgroup. Despite this concordance, the number of mutations exclusive to each biopsy increased with time since diagnosis, and late relapses shared few mutations with their diagnostic counterpart, demonstrating a branching evolution pattern. In patients with highly divergent tumors, many of the same genes acquired new mutations independently in each tumor, suggesting that the earliest mutations in a shared precursor cell constrain tumor evolution toward the same genetics-based subgroups at both diagnosis and relapse.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that late relapses commonly represent genetically distinct and chemotherapy-naïve disease and have implications for optimal patient management.