Efficacy and safety of subcutaneous and intravenous rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone in first-line diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: The randomized MabEase study

I Intravenous rituximab plus chemotherapy is standard treatment for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. A subcutaneous formulation of rituximab is expected to simplify and shorten drug preparation and administration, and to reduce treatment burden. MabEase (clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: 01649856) examined efficacy, safety and patient satisfaction with subcutaneous rituximab plus chemotherapy in treatment- naïve patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Patients were randomized 2:1 to subcutaneous rituximab (intravenous 375 mg/m2 cycle 1; subcutaneous 1,400 mg cycles 2-8) or intravenous rituximab (375 mg/m2 cycles 1-8) plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone every 14 or 21 days. The primary endpoint was investigatorassessed complete response/unconfirmed complete response. Secondary endpoints included safety, treatment satisfaction (Cancer Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire and Rituximab Administration Satisfaction Questionnaire), time savings, and survival. Of 576 randomized patients, 572 (378 subcutaneous; 194 intravenous) received treatment. End of induction complete response/unconfirmed complete response rates were 50.6% (subcutaneous) and 42.4% (intravenous). After a median 35 months, median overall, event-free and progression-free survivals were not reached. Grade ≥3 adverse events (subcutaneous 58.3%; intravenous 54.3%) and administration-related adverse events (both groups 21%) were similar between arms. Injection-site reactions were more common with subcutaneous injections (5.7% versus 0%, respectively). Rituximab Administration Satisfaction Questionnaire scores for ‘impact on activities of daily living’, ‘convenience’, and ‘satisfaction’ were improved with subcutaneous versus intravenous injections; Cancer Therapy Satisfaction Questionnaire scores were similar between arms. Median administration time (6 minutes vs. 2.6 to 3.0 hours), chair/bed and overall hospital times were shorter with subcutaneous versus intravenous rituximab. Overall, subcutaneous and intravenous rituximab had similar efficacy and safety, with improved patient satisfaction and time savings

MYD88 mutations identify a molecular subgroup of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with an unfavorable prognosis

The 2016 World Health Organization classification defines diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) subtypes based on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and oncogenic rearrangements of MYC/BCL2/BCL6 as drivers of lymphomagenesis. A subset of DLBCL, however, is characterized by activating mutations in MYD88/CD79B. We investigated whether MYD88/CD79B mutations could improve the classification and prognostication of DLBCL. In 250 primary DLBCL, MYD88/CD79B mutations were identified by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction or next-generationsequencing, MYC/BCL2/BCL6 rearrangements were analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and EBV was studied by EBV-encoded RNA in situ hybridization. Associations of molecular features with clinicopathologic characteristics, outcome, and prognosis according to the International Prognostic Index (IPI) were investigated. MYD88 and CD79B mutations were identified in 29.6% and 12.3%, MYC, BCL2, and BCL6 rearrangements in 10.6%, 13.6%, and 20.3%, and EBV in 11.7% of DLBCL, respectively. Prominent mutual exclusivity between EBV positivity, rearrangements, and MYD88/CD79B mutations established the value of molecular markers for the recognition of biologically distinct DLBCL subtypes. MYD88-mutated DLBCL had a significantly inferior 5-year overall survival than wild-type MYD88 DLBCL (log-rank; P=0.019). DLBCL without any of the studied aberrations had superior overall survival compared to cases carrying .1 aberrancy (log-rank; P=0.010). MYD88 mutations retained their adverse prognostic impact upon adjustment for other genetic and clinical variables by multivariable analysis and improved the prognostic performance of the IPI. This study demonstrates the clinical utility of defining MYD88-mutated DLBCL as a distinct molecular subtype with adverse prognosis. Our data call for sequence analysis of MYD88 in routine diagnostics of DLBCL to optimize classification and prognostication, and to guide the development of improved treatment strategies

Megadose Methylprednisolone (MDMP) Treatment in a Patient with Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA) Resistant to Conventional Corticosteroid Administration: A Case Report

A female in the Netherlands with severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) was treated with conventional corticosteroid (2 mg/kg/d in divided doses) and blood transfusions for 18 months without improvement. The presented patient responded to megadose methylprednisolone (MDMP) 30 mg/kg/d for 3 d, followed by 20 mg/kg for 4 d, and subsequently 10, 5, 2, and 1 mg/kg/d each for 1 week

Rituximab-PECC induction followed by 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan consolidation in relapsed or refractory DLBCL patients who are ineligible for or have failed ASCT: results from a phase II HOVON study

Patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) after, or ineligible for, autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) have a dismal prognosis. This phase II study evaluated treatment with R-PECC (rituximab, prednisolone, etoposide, chlorambucil, lomustine), every 28 days for 4 cycles in 62 patients, followed by radio-immunotherapy consolidation with 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan in responsive patients. Primary endpoints were failure-free survival (FFS) and incidence of grade ≥3 adverse events from start of 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan. The overall response rate after R-PECC was 50%. Twenty-nine of 31 responsive patients proceeded to 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan. Five out of 15 partial remission patients converted to complete remission after 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan. One-year FFS and overall survival (OS) from start of 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan was 52% (95% confidence interval [CI], 33–68%) and 62% (95% CI, 42–77%), respectively. One-year FFS and OS from start of R-PECC was 28% (95% CI, 17–39%) and 49% (95% CI, 36–61%), respectively. Toxicities of R-PECC and 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan were mainly haematological. In conclusion, for relapsed DLBCL patients the largely oral R-PECC regimen achieves promising response rates, combined with an acceptable safety profile. Consolidation with 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan resulted in long-term response durations in approximately one third of the patients that received it