Classical Hodgkin's lymphoma in adults: guidelines of the Italian Society of Hematology, the Italian Society of Experimental Hematology, and the Italian Group for Bone Marrow Transplantation on initial work-up, management, and follow-up

18F-FDG PET/CT versus bone marrow biopsy in detecting bone marrow infiltration in initial staging of pediatric lymphoma

BACKGROUND

To evaluate the efficacy of PET/CT using18F-FDG (18F-fluorodeoxyglucose) as a radiotracer compared to conventional bone marrow biopsy (BMB) in detecting infiltration to bone marrow (BM) in pediatric patients with lymphoma at the time of initial diagnosis.

METHODS

66 pediatric patients with lymphoma (47Hodgkin's and 19non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) were referred for initial staging by18F-FDG PET/CT study. All patients underwent bilateral iliac BMB and 18F-FDG PET/CT scan with no more than 2 weeks interval in-between. Follow-up for at least 6 months was used as a reference standard to compare diagnostic performance between two modalities in detecting bone marrow infiltration (BMI).

RESULTS

Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, as well as positive and negative predictive values of 18F-FDG PET/CT in detecting BMI were (80%, 86%, 85%, 63%, and 94%) in contrast to BMB (80%, 53%, 59%, 33%, and 90%) respectively. 18F-FDG PET/CT was concordant to BMB in 39/66 patients (59%).

CONCLUSION

18F-FDG PET/CT was more accurate and specific, with higher predictive values than BMB in detecting BMI during initial staging of pediatric lymphoma. In most pediatric lymphoma patients, 18F-FDG PET/CT can be used instead of BMB to determine BMI during their initial staging process.

Rituximab-Containing Risk-Adapted Treatment Strategy in Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma: 7-Years Follow-Up

BACKGROUND

Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) is a rare variant of HL that accounts for 5% of all HL cases. The expression of CD20 on neoplastic lymphocytes provides a suitable target for novel treatments based on Rituximab. Due to its rarity, consolidated and widely accepted treatment guidelines are still lacking for this disease.

METHODS

Between 1 December 2007 and 28 February 2018, sixteen consecutive newly diagnosed adult patients with NLPHL received Rituximab (induction ± maintenance)-based therapy, according to the baseline risk of German Hodgkin Study Group prognostic score system. The treatment efficacy and safety of the Rituximab-group were compared to those of a historical cohort of 12 patients with NLPHL who received Doxorubicin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, Dacarbazine (ABVD) chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy (RT), if needed, according to a similar baseline risk. The primary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS) and secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and side-effects (according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, v4.03).

RESULTS

After a 7-year follow-up (range, 1-11 years), PFS was 100% for patients treated with the Rituximab-containing regimen versus 66% for patients of the historical cohort (p = 0.036). Four patients in the latter group showed insufficient response to therapy. The PFS for early favorable and early unfavorable NLPHLs was similar between treatment groups, while a better PFS was recorded for advanced-stages treated with the Rituximab-containing regimen. The OS was similar for the two treatment groups. Short- and long-term side-effects were more frequently observed in the historical cohort. Grade ≥3 neutropenia was more frequent in the historical cohort compared with the Rituximab-group (58.3% vs. 18.7%, respectively; p = 0.03). Long-term non-hematological toxicities were observed more frequently in the historical cohort.

CONCLUSION

Our results confirm the value of Rituximab in NLPHL therapy and show that Rituximab (single-agent) induction and maintenance in a limited-stage, or Rituximab with ABVD only in the presence of risk factors, give excellent results while sparing cytotoxic agent- and/or RT-related damage. Furthermore, Rituximab inclusion in advanced-stage therapeutic strategy seems to improve PFS compared to conventional chemo-radiotherapy.

Diagnostic performance of F-18 FDG PET/CT in the detection of bone marrow involvement in paediatric hodgkin lymphoma: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

The present study aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the detection of bone marrow involvement (BMI) in paediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

PubMed, Cochrane, and EMBASE databases were searched from the earliest available date of indexing till March 31, 2020 for studies evaluating the diagnostic performance of F-18 FDG PET/CT in the detection of BMI in paediatric HL.

RESULTS

Across seven studies (1265 patients), the pooled sensitivity of F-18 FDG PET or PET/CT was 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.87-0.98) with heterogeneity (I² = 86.2, p < 0.001), and the pooled specificity was 0.97 (95% CI: 0.84-1.00) with heterogeneity (I² = 97.2, p < 0.001). Likelihood ratio syntheses provided an overall positive likelihood ratio of 37.8 (95% CI: 5.2-274.9) and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.05 (95% CI: 0.02-0.14). The pooled diagnostic odds ratio was 732 (95% CI: 55-9806). The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.98 (95% CI: 0.97-0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

The present meta-analysis revealed high sensitivity and specificity of F-18 FDG PET/CT for the detection of BMI in paediatric HL. Currently, the literature regarding the use of F-18 FDG PET/CT for the detection of BMI in paediatric HL is limited. Large multicentre studies are necessary to substantiate the diagnostic accuracy of F-18 FDG PET/CT in the detection of BMI in paediatric HL.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

Through a meta-analysis, this study provided a more reliable assessment of the diagnostic utility of F-18 FDG PET/CT, which exhibited good diagnostic accuracy in the detection of BMI in paediatric HL.

Diagnostic performance of 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose PET/computerized tomography in identifying bone marrow infiltration in new patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma

OBJECTIVE

To compare between F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose PET/computerized tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) and routine iliac bone marrow biopsy (BMB) in assessment of bone marrow infiltration (BMI) in Hodgkin lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients at initial presentation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 138 patients (50 Hodgkin lymphomas, 88 DLBCLs). The study included 70 males and 68 females with median age of 43 years. All patients underwent F-FDG PET/CT and iliac crest BMB before treatment. Any focal or patchy FDG uptake in the bone marrow, superior-to hepatic uptake was interpreted as abnormal with or without corresponding CT changes. Treatment response was evaluated clinically with each cycle of chemotherapy, radiologically after three cycles and at the end of treatment.

RESULTS

The overall diagnostic performance showed significant higher sensitivity of F-FDG PET/CT than that of BMB (73.9 versus 62.5%, P = 0.046), while the specificity was higher in BMB than in F-FDG PET/CT (100% in BMB versus 93.5% in F-FDG PET/CT). In Hodgkin lymphoma, sensitivity, negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy were significantly higher in F-FDG PET/CT compared with BMB, being 87.5, 94.4 and 96% versus 50, 81 and 84% (P = 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, respectively). However, for DLBCL patients, almost comparable results were found between both tests in terms of sensitivity, NPV and accuracy (66.7, 83.9 and 81.8% versus 68.8, 84.9 and 88.6%, respectively). After PET/CT scan, 12 patients (8.6%) were upstaged to stage IV, eight of them were negative by BMB.

CONCLUSION

F-FDG PET/CT seemed to be an excellent diagnostic test in assessment of BMI at initial assessment and staging of Hodgkin lymphoma and DLBCL patients.

Key recommendations for high-quality female oncofertility care based on international clinical practice guidelines

RESEARCH QUESTION

Which guideline-based key recommendations can be selected for high-quality female oncofertility care?

DESIGN

The Delphi method was used to select a set of key recommendations for female oncofertility care. First, recommendations from (inter)national clinical practice guidelines were selected in four domains: risk communication, referral, counselling and decision-making. Thereafter, they were scored, per domain, on their importance for high-quality oncofertility care by a multidisciplinary, oncofertility expert panel, consisting of patients, referrers and counsellors, in two Delphi rounds. Finally, the selected key recommendations were presented for approval in a third round. Differences in perspectives between subgroups of the expert panel were analysed.

RESULTS

A panel of 86 experts was asked to select key recommendations for high-quality oncofertility care. Eleven key recommendations were selected. Key recommendations in the domains risk communication and referral focused on information provision and offering referral to a reproductive specialist to female cancer patients. With the counselling domain, key recommendations focused on all aspects of counselling, including different methods, safety, pros and cons. In the decision-making domain, key recommendations focused on shared decision-making and supporting the decision with written information. The final set of key recommendations was approved by 91% of the experts. Differences in perspectives were found between subgroups. Patients found recommendations on decision-making and information provision more important.

CONCLUSION

A set of 11 key recommendations for high-quality female oncofertility care was selected by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The involvement of the perspectives of patients, referrers and counsellors led to this valid, acceptable and credible set of key recommendations.

Clinical practice guidelines for fertility preservation in young women undergoing gonadotoxic treatment: an overview and critical appraisal of methodological quality and content

RESEARCH QUESTION

What is the methodological quality and content of internationally available clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) on fertility preservation (FP) care in adult women?

DESIGN

Internationally available CPGs on FP care in adult women were identified after conducting an extensive literature search and consulting (inter)national key experts. The methodological quality of the CPGs was appraised by an (inter)national panel of experts using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument. The content of the best CPGs, scoring ≥60% for the domain 'Rigour of development' of the AGREE II instrument, was extracted and categorized according to their topic.

RESULTS

Thirty of the 1808 documents found were included. After consulting (inter)national key experts, 30 CPGs were included, six of which scored ≥60% for their 'Rigour of development'. The number of FP-related topics discussed by these six CPGs ranged from 4 to 12. The number of recommendations provided by the CPGs on these topics varied. The number of topics to which ≥5 recommendations were dedicated ranged from 0 to 4 between CPGs.

CONCLUSION

CPGs on the subject of FP care are available, but there is room for improvement in quality and content. Although written for use in daily practice, the CPGs can also be used to develop quality indicators to monitor the quality of current FP care or to evaluate future improvement initiatives.

Cardiogenic Shock during First Infusion of Anthracycline Chemotherapy in a Patient with Hodgkin Lymphoma: An Unusual Event

INTRODUCTION

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is one of the most common types of cancers of the lymphatic system. The currently available therapies enable a cure in approximately 80-85% of treated patients. However, the cardiotoxicity of HL treatment has become a major cause of morbidity and mortality in survivors mainly related to the use of anthracycline.

CASE REPORT

An HL, staged IIIB, was diagnosed in a 60-year-old man with no cardiovascular disease. During the first cycle of ABVD chemotherapy (Adriamycin; bleomycin; vinblastine; dacarbazine), near the end of the dacarbazine infusion, the patient presented a sudden cardiogenic shock characterized by a severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Laboratory and instrumental examinations performed did not suggest any specific etiology. After 15 days of medical support, the patient presented a complete cardiac function and clinical recovery. Subsequently bendamustine chemotherapy was started because of its limited extrahematological toxicity, but after 4 cycles the patient had progressive disease and died of septic shock. We concluded that a very rare hyperacute anthracycline cardiotoxicity was the most likely reason for this critical scenario.

CONCLUSIONS

This rare event stresses our inability to correctly predict the risk of a patient developing cardiotoxicity and also highlights the need to improve the knowledge of underlying pathophysiological mechanisms; in fact, it suggests a possible genetic predisposition to develop cardiotoxicity due to a relatively limited dosage.

Efficacy of 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computerized Tomography for Bone Marrow Infiltration Assessment in the Initial Staging of Lymphoma

Objective:

Currently ¹⁸F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (PET/CT) is being successfully used for staging and follow-up of Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). Various studies have demonstrated that PET/CT effectively detects bone marrow involvement (BMI) and is concordant with bone marrow biopsy (BMB) findings, thus it is deemed as a complementary method. This study was aimed to evaluate ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT efficiency for detection of BMI in HL and NHL.

Methods:

The study included 172 lymphoma cases who were admitted to Akdeniz University Medical School Department of Nuclear Medicine for initial staging with PET/CT. Visual and semiquantitative assessments were performed for PET/CT scan findings of the cases. The maximum standard uptake (SUV_max) value was the quantitative parameter used for ¹⁸F-FDG-PET scan. In visual assessment, bone marrow metabolic activity that is greater than the liver was considered as pathologic. For semiquantitative assessment, regions of interest were drawn for SUV_max estimation, which included iliac crest in cases with diffusely increased metabolic activity and the highest activity area in cases with focal involvement. BMB was considered as the reference test.

Results:

On visual assessment of all the cases, PET/CT was found to yield 31% sensitivity and 85% specificity rate for detection of BMI. On visual assessment of HL cases, sensitivity rate was determined as 80%, and specificity as 78%, while in NHL cases the corresponding values were 24% and 90%, respectively. On semiquantitative assessment of HL cases, considering SUV_max≥4, sensitivity was found as 80% and specificity as 68%. In NHL patients, considering SUV_max≥3.2, sensitivity rate was detected as 65% and specificity as 58%.

Conclusion:

In this study, a moderately high concordance was observed between PET/CT and BMB findings. PET/CT appears to be a significant method for detecting BMI. Although PET/CT is not a substitute for BMB, we suggest it can be used as a guide to biopsy site and a complementary imaging technique for BMB.

Hodgkin's Lymphoma in a Man with Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Paraneoplastic Ataxia: A Therapeutical Challenge

Hodgkin's lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system. We report the case of a man with Hodgkin's lymphoma and cardiomyopathy, for which the dilemma was whether to use the standard protocol - putting the patient at risk of worsening of heart failure, but giving him a good chance of full recovery - or not. The standard protocol was given and the patient made a full recovery without cardiac complications.

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma - evaluation of patients submitted to Autologous transplantation of hematopoietic cells in the Hematology Service of the Hospital Walter Cantídio – Fortaleza, Brazil

SUMMARY The Autologous HSCT is an important alternative for refractory or recurrent HL patients in terms of survival and improved quality of life. This study analyzes the results of autologous BMT performed in HL patients in the Transplant Unit of the HUWC/ HEMOCE (Fortaleza - CE, Brazil). Fifty-two transplanted patients were studied from January 2009 to October 2015, among them, 30 men and 22 women, mean age of 28.2 years. All of them received GCS-F during the mobilization, in some cases associated with Vinorelbine or Plerixafor, with CD34 collection averaging 4.8 CD34/kg. The conditioning was performed with BEAC, NEAM or BEAM and the grafting with an average of 10 days. The evaluation on D + 100 showed: CR - 42 (82.7%), PR - 08 (13.5%) and 02 (3.8%) deaths, three and six days after cell infusion. After the D+100, 08 patients in CR showed HL recurrence from 06 to 36 months; 03 died and 05 are being treated with brentuximab; among the 08 patients in PR, 01 died due to HL activity, 04 months after BMT and 07 patients are undergoing treatment. The final evaluation of HL transplant patients showed an OS of 88.5% and a DFS of 61.5% in 6 years, with OS of the chemosensitive patients of 81% and of the chemoresistant ones, of 72.6%. It is possible to conclude that the Autologous HSCT has shown to be an excellent rescue therapy regarding tolerance, as well as the overall survival.

Evaluation of the prognostic role of tumour-associated macrophages in newly diagnosed classical Hodgkin lymphoma and correlation with early FDG-PET assessment

In Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL), about 20% of patients still have relapsed/refractory disease and late toxic effects rate continue to rise with time. 'Early FDG-PET' and tissue macrophage infiltration (TAM) emerged as powerful prognostic predictors. The primary endpoint was to investigate the prognostic role of both early FDG-PET and TAM; the secondary endpoint was to test if early FDG-PET positivity could correlate with high TAM score. A cohort of 200 HL patients was analysed. Induction treatment plan consisted of two to six courses of ABVD and, if indicated, involved field radiation therapy. All patients repeated CT scan and FDG-PET after two cycles and after the completion of therapy. TAM in diagnostic specimens was determined by immunohistochemistry with a monoclonal antibody (anti-CD68 KP1). Overall, early FDG-PET was negative in 163 patients (81.5%) and positive in 37 patients (18.5%), showing a significant correlation with the achievement of CR (p < 0.0001). After a median follow-up of 40 months, progression free survival (PFS) was significantly better for PET negative patients (p < 0.0001). CD68 expression was low, intermediate or high in 26 (13%), 100 (50%) and 74 (37%) cases, without difference in the distribution between responders and non-responders. PFS analysis showed no significant difference in any score group. TAM score did not show any correlation with early FDG-PET result. This study confirms that early FDG-PET has a high prognostic power, while TAM score does not seem to influence the outcome; in contrast to our original hypothesis, it does not correlate with FDG-PET assessment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Balancing risks and benefits of therapy for patients with favorable-risk limited-stage Hodgkin lymphoma: the role of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine chemotherapy alone

Because long-term survival of patients with nonbulky stage IA to IIA Hodgkin lymphoma is dependent on disease control and avoidance of late toxic effects associated with the treatment received, the initial choice of treatment can be associated with trade-offs that balance optimum disease control with avoidance of these late effect risks. Health professionals and patients face the dilemma of making treatment decisions without the benefit of completely understanding the risk-benefit balances associated with how current treatments affect all outcomes of interest. Optimum management of these patients requires careful multidisciplinary evaluation and communication strategies that account for patient preferences.

Classical Hodgkin's lymphoma: the Lymphoma Study Association guidelines for relapsed and refractory adult patients eligible for transplant

The Hodgkin's Lymphoma Committee of the Lymphoma Study Association (LYSA) gathered in 2012 to prepare guidelines on the management of transplant-eligible patients with relapsing or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma. The working group is made up of a multidisciplinary panel of experts with a significant background in Hodgkin's lymphoma. Each member of the panel of experts provided an interpretation of the evidence and a systematic approach to obtain consensus was used. Grades of recommendation were not required since levels of evidence are mainly based on phase II trials or standard practice. Data arising from randomized trials are emphasized. The final version was endorsed by the scientific council of the LYSA. The expert panel recommends a risk-adapted strategy (conventional treatment, or single/double transplantation and/or radiotherapy) based on three risk factors at progression (primary refractory disease, remission duration < 1 year, stage III/IV), and an early evaluation of salvage chemosensitivity, including (18)fluorodeoxy glucose-positron emission tomography interpreted according to the Deauville scoring system. Most relapsed or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma patients chemosensitive to salvage should receive high-dose therapy and autologous stem-cell transplantation as standard. Efforts should be made to increase the proportion of chemosensitive patients by alternating non-cross-resistant chemotherapy lines or exploring the role of novel drugs.

Unmanipulated haploidentical BMT following non-myeloablative conditioning and post-transplantation CY for advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma

Twenty-six patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease received a related HLA haploidentical unmanipulated BMT, following a non-myeloablative conditioning with low-dose TBI, proposed by the Baltimore group; GvHD prophylaxis consisted of high-dose post-transplantation CY (PT-CY), mycophenolate and a calcineurin inhibitor. All patients had received a previous autograft, and 65% had active disease at the time of BMT. Sustained engraftment of donor cells occurred in 25 patients (96%), with a median time to neutrophil recovery (>0.5 × 10(9)/L) and platelet recovery (>20 × 10(9)/L) of +18 and +23 days from BMT. The incidence of grade II-IV acute GVHD and of chronic GVHD was 24% and 8%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 24 months (range 18-44) 21 patients are alive, 20 disease free. The cumulative incidence of TRM and relapse was 4% and 31%, respectively. The actuarial 3-year survival is 77%, the actuarial 3-year PFS is 63%. In conclusion, we confirm that high-dose PT-CY is effective as prophylaxis of GVHD after HLA haploidentical BMT, can prevent rejection and does not appear to eliminate the allogeneic graft versus lymphoma effect.

Prognostic factors and long-term outcome of autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation following a uniform-modified BEAM-conditioning regimen for patients with refractory or relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma: a single-center experience

Despite the well-defined role of autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (autoHCT) in the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), relapse remains the main cause of transplant failure. We retrospectively evaluated long-term outcome and prognostic factors affecting survival of 132 patients with refractory (n = 89) or relapsed HL (n = 43) treated with autoHCT following modified BEAM. With a median follow-up of 68 months, the 10-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 76 and 66 %, respectively. The 10-year cumulative incidence of second malignancies was 7 %. In multivariate analysis, age ≥45 years, more than one salvage regimens and disease status at transplant worse than CR were factors predictive for poor OS. In relapsed HL, age at transplant, response duration (<12 vs. ≥12 months) and the number of salvage regimens were independent predictors for PFS. In the refractory setting, disease status at autoHCT and the number of salvage regimens impacted PFS. The number of risk factors was inversely correlated with PFS in both relapsed and refractory HL (p = 0.003 and <0.001, respectively). The median PFS for patients with >1 risk factor in the relapsed and refractory setting was 5 and 11 months, respectively, in comparison with the median PFS not reached for patients with 0-1 risk factor in both settings. We conclude that high proportion of patients with relapsed/refractory HL can be cured with autoHCT. However, the presence of two or more risk factors helps to identify poor prognosis patients who may benefit from novel treatment strategies.

Prognostic factors and long-term outcome of autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation following a uniform-modified BEAM-conditioning regimen for patients with refractory or relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma: a single-center experience

Despite the well-defined role of autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (autoHCT) in the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), relapse remains the main cause of transplant failure. We retrospectively evaluated long-term outcome and prognostic factors affecting survival of 132 patients with refractory (n = 89) or relapsed HL (n = 43) treated with autoHCT following modified BEAM. With a median follow-up of 68 months, the 10-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 76 and 66 %, respectively. The 10-year cumulative incidence of second malignancies was 7 %. In multivariate analysis, age ≥45 years, more than one salvage regimens and disease status at transplant worse than CR were factors predictive for poor OS. In relapsed HL, age at transplant, response duration (<12 vs. ≥12 months) and the number of salvage regimens were independent predictors for PFS. In the refractory setting, disease status at autoHCT and the number of salvage regimens impacted PFS. The number of risk factors was inversely correlated with PFS in both relapsed and refractory HL (p = 0.003 and <0.001, respectively). The median PFS for patients with >1 risk factor in the relapsed and refractory setting was 5 and 11 months, respectively, in comparison with the median PFS not reached for patients with 0–1 risk factor in both settings. We conclude that high proportion of patients with relapsed/refractory HL can be cured with autoHCT. However, the presence of two or more risk factors helps to identify poor prognosis patients who may benefit from novel treatment strategies.

Current approach to fertility preservation by embryo cryopreservation

The ovaries are susceptible to damage following treatment with gonadotoxic chemotherapy, pelvic radiotherapy, and/or ovarian surgery. Gonadotoxic treatments have also been used in patients with various nonmalignant systemic diseases. Any women of reproductive age with a sufficiently high risk of developing future ovarian failure due to those medical interventions may benefit from embryo cryopreservation though the tools of assessment of such a risk are still not very precise. Furthermore, the risk assessment can be influenced by many other factors such as the delay expected after chemotherapy and the number of children desired in the future. Embryo cryopreservation is an established and most successful method of fertility preservation when there is sufficient time available to perform ovarian stimulation. This publication will review the current state, approach, and indications of embryo cryopreservation for fertility preservation.

Hematopoietic progenitor cells transplantation for recurrent or refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma

INTRODUCTION

Advanced-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) has become a curable disease in the majority of patients. Despite this, about 20% of these patients relapsed or are primary refractory to the first-line treatment and high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) and autologous (Auto) hematopoietic progenitor cells transplantation (HPCT) are considered a therapeutic option.

AREAS COVERED

The authors reviewed HDC and HPCT treatment strategies in recurrent or refractory HL patients, with the goal of providing an overview of this approach.

EXPERT OPINION

Patients younger than 60-65 years with relapsed disease or refractory to first-line therapy should receive a second-line chemotherapy, followed by HDC and Auto-HPCT. Progression-free and overall survival results are significantly better when a second remission or a minimal disease status is achieved before Auto-HPCT, and demonstrate that this strategy is able to cure more than half of the advanced HL patients. Myeloablative allogeneic HPCT (Allo-HPCT) has been employed in advanced phases of the disease, but there have been significant concerns due to treatment-related mortality (TRM). The safety of allogeneic transplantation has improved with the use of reduced-intensity allogeneic (RIC-Allo) HPCT strategies. Despite early favorable results, mature results of RIC-Allo available in the literature are consistent in demonstrating a lack of long-term disease control.

Fertility considerations in young women with hematological malignancies

The need for practice guidelines for fertility preservation in young women with hematological malignancies has been increased. To develop recommendations, publications relevant to fertility preservation and hematological cancers were identified through a PubMed database search and reviewed systematically, focusing on the effects of oncological treatments on fertility as well as on the efficacy, feasibility and risks of existing fertility preservation methods.

Primary pulmonary Hodgkin's lymphoma

A 21-year-old man presented to hospital with a two-month history of productive cough with no other symptoms. Radiology revealed a cavitating lesion in the left upper lobe for which a variety of diagnoses were considered. A biopsy revealed primary pulmonary Hodgkin's lymphoma. Primary pulmonary Hodgkin's lymphoma is an uncommon initial presentation; lung lesions usually occur later in the course of the disease. Following diagnosis, the patient began chemotherapy and full remission was achieved.

Investigation of dose minimisation protocol for 18F-FDG PET-CT in the management of lymphoma postchemotherapy followup

INTRODUCTION

(18)F-FDG-PET-CT plays an important role in the management of lymphoma postchemotherapy followup. Some centres perform prechemotherapy baseline CT and postchemotherapy PETCT. With a concern of radiation burden, especially in young patients, this study aimed to assess if PETCT radiation dose could be reduced.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of 100 lymphoma patients was performed to record sites of disease on prechemotherapy CT and postchemotherapy PETCT. The potential reduction in radiation and time achieved with PETCT limited to sites of known disease identified on prechemotherapy CT was calculated.

RESULTS

No FDG-uptake was seen in 72 cases. FDG uptake at known disease sites was seen in 24. Of the remaining 4, one had clinically significant pathology, a rectal adenocarcinoma. PETCT did not reveal any unexpected sites of lymphoma. Limiting PETCT to sites of known disease would have saved a mean radiation dose of 4 mSv (27.3%), with a mean time of 16 minutes.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that young patients may benefit from reduced radiation by limiting PETCT to sites of known disease with low risk of missing significant pathology. However, in older patients, with increased incidence of asymptomatic synchronous malignancies, whole-body PETCT is advisable unless prechemotherapy PETCT has been performed.

Clinical utility of ¹⁸F FDG-PET/CT in the detection of bone marrow disease in Hodgkin's lymphoma

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential role of fludeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)/CT in the detection of bone/bone marrow disease in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL).

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed ((18)F)-FDG-PET/CT scans of 122 newly diagnosed, biopsy-proven cases of HL performed between November 2009 and June 2010. All the patients were staged before treatment by both PET/CT and bone marrow biopsy (BMB). Patients were subdivided into three groups based on the findings of FDG-PET/CT. Group A consisted of patients showing diffuse FDG uptake, Group B consisted of patients showing unifocal FDG uptake and Group C patients showed multifocal FDG-avid foci on PET/CT scans. Bone marrow results were also reviewed and considered positive if lymphomatous involvement was detected on bone marrow trephine biopsy. BMB results were correlated with FDG-PET/CT findings.

RESULTS

There were 122 patients in total-81 (66.4%) were male and 41 (33.6%) were female. The age range was from 6 years to 78 years (mean 35.70 years). PET/CT was reported as negative for bone/bone marrow involvement in 85 (69.7%) patients, while the remaining 37 showed abnormal FDG uptake. The sensitivity of FDG-PET/CT was calculated to be 100%, the specificity was 76.57%, the negative predictive value was 76.57%, the positive predictive value was 29.72% and the diagnostic accuracy was 78.62%.

CONCLUSION

(18)F-FDG-PET/CT and BMB are complementary in the evaluation of bone marrow disease.

The unique characteristics and management of patients over 60 years of age with classic Hodgkin lymphoma

In recent decades, the prognosis of Hodgkin lymphoma has been substantially improved, but these successes have been restricted to younger patients and could not be translated into a major benefit for older patients, especially those with advanced-stage disease. Major problems in treating older patients include a different biology, frailty, comorbidities, and poorer tolerance of therapy. Additionally, these patients are often excluded from randomized trials, so an evidence-based standard of care is lacking. Importantly, the proportion of older patients with HL will increase over the next 50 years. Currently, ABVD (Adriamycin [doxorubicin], bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine) is considered to be the gold standard, even though it has some toxicity in older patients and prospective data are not available. Thus, further studies are required, including the assessment of comorbidities and the incorporation of new drugs such as immunomodulatory agents, antibody-drug conjugates, mTOR inhibitors, or histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors.

Early post-transplantation positron emission tomography in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma is an independent prognostic factor with an impact on overall survival

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic role of pre- and/or early post-autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) (18)F-flourodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma. Forty-three consecutive patients were enrolled in this study. FDG-PET/CT was performed following salvage chemotherapy within 6 weeks of undergoing ASCT and at the first month after ASCT. FDG-PET positivity was found in 26 patients before ASCT and in 13 patients after ASCT. The patients who had negative PET scan before or after ASCT had significantly better outcomes in terms of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Pre- and post-ASCT FDG-PET positivity was found to be independently associated with PFS while post-ASCT FDG-PET was an independent factor with an impact on OS in multivariate analysis. (18)F-flourodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging may be useful in predicting prognosis after ASCT. Furthermore, effective treatment options including allogeneic stem cell transplantation might be considered in patients with positive FDG-PET scan after salvage chemotherapy and ASCT.

Therapy of Hodgkin's lymphoma in clinical practice: A retrospective long-term follow-up analysis

Treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is perceived to be relatively straightforward. Consequently, patients are not usually referred to hemato-oncologically specialized centres and are treated locally instead. Comprehensive findings beyond prospective controlled trials are therefore lacking. Clinical data of 209 patients who had received a HL diagnosis were collected. A total of 7 patients received radiotherapy (RT) alone (3%), 75 (35%) were treated with a combination of chemotherapy (CT) and RT and 127 patients received CT alone [mainly doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine (ABVD)]. Complete response (CR) following first-line treatment was achieved in 178 patients (85%) and in 195 (93%) after salvage treatment. Favorable disease (p=0.000359), limited-stage disease (p=0.0003), involvement of lymph nodes above the diaphragm (p=0.05) and absence of mediastinal bulky tumor involvement positively affected the CR rate following first-line treatment. Out of the 195 patients that achieved CR, 31 relapsed. Male gender (p=0.043) and age over 45 years (p=0.047) were significantly associated with an increased incidence of relapse. Age at diagnosis was the key factor affecting long-term outcome. The event-free survival (EFS) projected at 120 months was 80 and 57% for patients younger and older than 45 years, respectively (p=0.022). The overall survival (OS) projected at 120 months was 92 and 38% for patients younger and older than 45 years, respectively (p=0.00561). A second neoplasia was diagnosed in 8 patients. The development of a tumor in 4 cases (breast, lung and thyroid cancer) was likely RT-related. Only 1 patient not receiving RT developed acute myeloid leukemia. The EFS and OS of the 141 early-stage patients treated with CT + RT (n=62) or with CT alone (n=79) were not statistically different.

[Hodgkin's Lymphoma]

With approximately 1500 cases per year in France, Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) represents only 10 to 15 % of new cases of lymphomas, and 0.5 to 1 % of new cases of cancers. The management of this lymphoproliferative disease has undergone profound conceptual changes over time, allowing at present to obtain a cure rate of 75 to 80 % of all confused stage, and up to 90 % in case of early stage HL. If initial treatment consisted in an exclusive extensive (total or sub-total lymphoid) irradiation whatever the stage may be, the place of radiotherapy in the management of HL has evolved over time but remains today one of the cornerstones of the treatment. It becomes integrated within the framework of combined modality therapies associating chemotherapy then irradiation for the early stage HL, and stays a therapeutic alternative in all situations (in advanced stage and\or recurrent disease) which raises the issue of increasing the locoregional tumor control. Despite the undeniable contribution of radiotherapy in controlling the disease, delayed side effects of treatments are not negligible. So the long-term monitoring of treated patients is essential, mainly because of an increased risk of morbi-mortality due to cardiovascular events and/or secondary cancers. It is important to remember that even today the "Involved Field" irradiation type remains the gold standard, even if we witness at present the emergence of new types of irradiation, which aim to reduce the amount of irradiated tissues to try to limit the risks of delayed radio-induced complications. The purpose of this article is to clarify the specific aspects (epidemiological, radio-anatomical and prognostic characteristics) of HL, as well as the practical modalities of the irradiation (illustrated by a clinical case record) when an indication of radiotherapy is placed for its treatment.

Role of Radiotherapy in Modern Treatment of Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Hodgkin's Lymphoma was incurable until the advent of effective therapeutic radiation around the first half of the 20th century. As survival rates improved, the long-term toxicities from radiotherapy began to emerge. This together with the availability of effective chemotherapy has encouraged a combined modality approach for early-staged disease and the omission of radiotherapy in advanced-staged disease. The differing toxicities of radiotherapy and chemotherapy has promoted ongoing research to identify the utility of each of these modalities in the modern management of Hodgkin's Lymphoma. This article will provide a critical review of the developments and indications for modern radiotherapy, in context with advances in chemotherapy, for the treatment of Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Phase 2 study of BACOPP (bleomycin, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone) in older patients with Hodgkin lymphoma: a report from the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG)

For older patients with early unfavorable or advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) the prognosis is much worse than for younger HL patients. We thus developed a new regimen, BACOPP (bleomycin, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone), to improve both tolerability and efficacy of treatment for older HL patients. Between 2004 and 2005, 65 patients with early unfavorable or advanced stage HL aged between 60 and 75 years were enrolled in this phase 2 trial. Treatment consisted of 6 to 8 cycles of BACOPP. Residual tumor masses were irradiated. Primary endpoints were feasibility as determined by adherence to protocol and overall response rate. Secondary endpoints included toxicity, freedom from treatment failure, and progression free and overall survival. For the final analysis 60 patients (92%) were eligible; 75% of treatment courses were administered according to protocol. World Health Organization grade 3/4 toxicities occurred in 52 patients. Fifty-one patients (85%) achieved complete remission, 2 (3%) partial remission, and 4 (7%) developed progressive disease. With a median observation time of 33 months, 18 patients died (30%), including 7 treatment-associated deaths. Three patients died before response assessment. Thus, the BACOPP regimen is active in older HL patients but is compromised by a high rate of toxic deaths. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00284271.

Feasibility of helical tomotherapy for debulking irradiation before stem cell transplantation in malignant lymphoma

PURPOSE

Preliminary clinical experience has suggested that radiation therapy (RT) may be effectively incorporated into conditioning therapy before transplant for patients with refractory/relapsed malignant lymphoma. We investigated the feasibility of debulking selective lymph node irradiation before autologous and/or allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) using helical tomotherapy (HT).

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Six consecutive patients with refractory malignant lymphoma were referred to our institution for salvage HT before SCT. All patients had been previously heavily treated but had bulky residual tumor despite chemotherapy (CT) intensification. Two patients had received previous radiation therapy. HT delivered 30-40 Gy in the involved fields (IF), using 6 MV photons, 2 Gy per daily fraction. Total duration of treatment was 28 to 35 days.

RESULTS

Using HT, doses to critical organs (heart, lungs, esophagus, and parotids) were significantly decreased and highly conformational irradiation could be delivered to all clinical target volumes. HT delivery was technically possible, even in patients with lesions extremely difficult to irradiate in other conditions or in patients with previous radiation therapy. No Grade 2 or higher toxicity occurred. Four months after the end of HT, 5 patients experienced complete clinical, radiologic, and metabolic response and were subsequently referred for SCT.

CONCLUSIONS

By more effectively sparing critical organs, HT may contribute to improving the tolerance of debulking irradiation before allograft. Quality of life may be preserved, and doses to the heart may be decreased. This is particularly relevant in heavily treated patients who are at risk for subsequent heart disease. These preliminary results require further prospective assessment.

The addition of plerixafor is safe and allows adequate PBSC collection in multiple myeloma and lymphoma patients poor mobilizers after chemotherapy and G-CSF

We report 13 multiple myeloma (MM) or lymphoma patients who were failing PBSC mobilization after disease-specific chemotherapy and granulocyte-CSF (G-CSF), and received plerixafor to successfully collect PBSCs. Patients were considered poor mobilizers when the concentration of PB CD34(+) cells was always lower than 10 cells/μL, during the recovery phase after chemotherapy and/or were predicted to have inadequate PBSC collection to proceed to autologous transplantation. Plerixafor (0.24 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously for up to three consecutive days, while continuing G-CSF, 10-11 h before the planned leukapheresis. Plerixafor administration was safe and no significant adverse events were recorded. We observed a 4.7 median fold-increase in the number of circulating CD34(+) cells after plerixafor as compared with baseline CD34(+) cell concentration (from a median of 6.2 (range 1-12) to 21.5 (range 9-88) cells/μL). All patients collected >2 × 10(6) CD34(+) cells/kg in 1-3 leukaphereses. In all, 5/13 patients have already undergone autograft with plerixafor-mobilized PBSCs, showing a rapid and durable hematological recovery. Our results suggest that the pre-emptive addition of plerixafor to G-CSF after chemotherapy is safe and may allow the rescue of lymphoma and MM patients, who need autologous transplantation but are failing PBSC mobilization.

(18)F-FDG PET/CT bone/bone marrow findings in Hodgkin's lymphoma may circumvent the use of bone marrow trephine biopsy at diagnosis staging

PURPOSE

Accurate staging of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is necessary in selecting appropriate treatment. Bone marrow trephine biopsy (BMB) is the standard procedure for depicting bone marrow involvement. BMB is invasive and explores a limited part of the bone marrow. (18)F-FDG PET/CT is now widely used for assessing response to therapy in HL and a baseline study is obtained to improve accuracy. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to assess whether routine BMB remains necessary with concomitant (18)F-FDG PET/CT.

METHODS

Data from 83 patients (newly diagnosed HL) were reviewed. All patients had received contrast-enhanced CT, BMB and (18)F-FDG PET/CT. Results of BMB were not available at the time of (18)F-FDG PET/CT imaging.

RESULTS

Seven patients had lymphomatous involvement on BMB. Four patients had bone involvement on conventional CT (two with negative BMB). All patients with bone marrow and/or bone lesions at conventional staging were also diagnosed on (18)F-FDG PET/CT scan. PET/CT depicted FDG-avid bone/bone marrow foci in nine additional patients. Four of them had only one or two foci, while the other had multiple foci. However, the iliac crest, site of the BMB, was not involved on (18)F-FDG PET/CT. Osteolytic/sclerotic lesions matching FDG-avid foci were visible on the CT part of PET/CT in three patients. MRI ordered in three other patients suggested bone marrow involvement. Interim and/or end-therapy (18)F-FDG PET/CT documented response of FDG-avid bone/bone marrow foci to chemotherapy in every patient.

CONCLUSION

(18)F-FDG PET/CT highly improves sensitivity for diagnosis of bone/bone marrow lesions in HL compared to conventional staging.

Sperm quality before treatment in patients with early stage Hodgkin's lymphoma enrolled in EORTC-GELA Lymphoma Group trials

BACKGROUND

Although widely recommended, cryopreservation of sperm is sometimes not performed for patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma because of presumed poor sperm quality related to the disease. We investigated sperm quality and factors determining it in untreated patients with early stage Hodgkin's lymphoma.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Of 2362 males who participated in EORTC H6-H9 trials, 474 (20%) had data available. Sperm quality was defined according to World Health Organization guidelines. Determining factors were studied by logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The median sperm concentration was 40x10(6)/mL (range, 0-345x10(6)/mL) and the median motility 50% (range, 0-90%). Sperm quality was good (concentration >or=20x10(6)/mL and motility >or=50%), intermediate (concentration >or=5x10(6)/mL) and poor (concentration <5x10(6)/mL but >0) in 41%, 49% and 7% of patients, respectively. Three percent of the patients were azoospermic. No relation was found between sperm quality and age or clinical stage of the Hodgkin's lymphoma, but B-symptoms and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate predicted poor sperm quality. The odds ratios for the association of poor sperm quality with the variables examined were: presence of B-symptoms, 2.77 (95% CI, 1.50-5.12; p=0.001); erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 50 mm/h or greater, 2.35 (95% CI, 1.24-4.43; p=0.009); fever, 3.22 (95% CI, 1.41-7.33; p=0.005), and night sweats, 3.78 (95% CI, 1.97-7.26; p<0.001). There was no relation between sperm quality and pre-treatment follicle stimulating hormone level.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large study of males with Hodgkin's lymphoma, 90% had good or intermediate sperm quality. Three percent were azoospermic. There was an association between sperm quality and the presence or absence of B-symptoms, in particular fever and night sweats. With modern fertilization techniques, in most patients with early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma sperm quality before treatment is good enough for future fatherhood.