Beta Talasemi Hastalarında Serum Paraoksonaz Aktivitesi İle Biyokimyasal Parametreler Arasındaki İlişki

Amaç: Beta talasemi β-Thal oksidan stessin arttığı, antioksidan kapasitenin azaldığı kronik hemolitik bir anemidir. Paraoksonaz antioksidan özelliği olan bir enzimdir. Bu çalışmamızda β-Thal hastalarında paraoksonaz aktivitesini etkileyen belirteçleri araştırdık.Gereç ve Yöntem: 46 β-Thal hastasında yapılan çalışmamızda serum paraoksonaz aktivitesi, tam kan sayımı ve açlık glukoz, BUN, kreatinin, sodyum, potasyum, klorür, kalsiyum, AST, ALT, LDH, albumin, globulin, ürik asit, indirekt bilurubin, direkt bilurubin, TSH, parathormon, ferritin, B12 düzeyleri ölçüldü.Bulgular: Serum paraoksonaz aktivitesi ile serum klorür r=0.319,

Survival outcomes of hypomethylating agents maintenance therapy in new diagnosed AML patients: Real experience data

OBJECTIVE: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematological malignancy that frequently affects elderly population. With introducing the hypomethylating agents (HMAs) in elderly AML treatment, survival rates and quality of life have improved. However, long-term management in elderly and frail patients is still a challenge. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether HMA maintenance therapy is required until disease progression in frail and elderly AML patients by examining with a real-life data.METHODS: In a multicenter study, we analyzed non-promyelocytic elderly AML patients who were treated with first-line azacitidine or decitabine monotherapy in two different groups, retrospectively. While patients were treated with HMA until progression in the maintenance group, 6+3 cycles of azacitidine or decitabine were administered as a standard care of elderly AML patients in the non-maintenance group. Survival outcomes were compared between the groups.RESULTS: HMA therapy was maintained until progression in 20 patients, and HMA therapy was terminated after 6+3 cycles in 21 patients. Patients received a median of 6 (1-14) HMA cycles during follow-up time. The median 7.5 months of overall survival were observed (2-17 months) in maintenance and 3 months (1-13 months) in non-maintenance groups (p=0.001).CONCLUSION: Despite long-term exposure to HMA may appear as a risk factor for complications and toxicities in elderly and frail AML patients, the maintenance of therapy until disease progression provides a significant survival advantage. Therefore, we suggest that HMA therapy should continue until disease progression regardless the sort of HMA

Synchronous Presentation of Two Extranodal Lymphomas: Follicular Lymphoma and Extranodal Marginal Zone Lymphoma of the Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (MALToma)

Synchronous malignancies are rare conditions in oncology practices, generally seen as solid tumors with hematological neoplasms. However, occurrence of two different hematological malignancies in the same patient is extremely rare. Two primary malignancies should be considered especially in patients with extraordinary presentations and treatment resistance

A case series of CML patients who were presented with isolated thrombocytosis

Per WHO 2016 and 2022 (5th ed.) myeloproliferative disease guidelines, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is classified under two major groups according to the presence of bcr-abl translocation; these groups require different treatment approaches and show clinical presentation heterogeneity. Treatment agents such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (Imatinib, Dasatinib, Nilotinib, Bosutinib, Ponatinib, Radotinib), Omacetaxine and Asciminib have been used in the treatment of Bcr abl positive CML according to the patient's clinic and mutation status. According to the IRIS study, a study evaluating CML patients treatment response to imatinib, the major molecular response was 33.3% at 3 months, the major molecular response was 48% at 6 months, and the major molecular response was 62.1% at 12 months; furthermore, the rate of achieving a complete molecular response at 12 months was 94.9% (4). In patients who was treated with imatinib as first line therapy, the rate of transformation to accelerated or blastic phase at 18 months was 0.9% in the MMR group and 9.9% in the non-MMR group. In "conventional" CML patients, high leukocyte counts may be accompanied by thrombocytosis; though presentation with only thrombocytosis without leukocytosis is hardly described so far. In this poster presentation, we introduced 7 cases who initially presented with isolated thrombocytosis and then diagnosed with Ph(+) CML. This study was conducted in three adult hematology centers from Antalya, Izmir and Istanbul. 400 patients followed in these centers were reviewed retrospectively; seven patients presented with isolated thrombocytosis were identified. Demographic characteristics, diagnostic findings, and risk scores of these patients were evaluated (Tablo 1). Eln 2013 response criteria were used for evaluation of response for 3rd, 6th, 12th. monthly responses (Figure 1). Here we present 7 CML patients without leukocytosis who were diagnosed with marked thrombocytosis. The patients had similar symptoms and physical examination with no obvious splenomegaly or thrombosis. All of the patients had minimal basophilia and normal peripheral smear findings. All patients responded well to imatinib therapy. During follow up patients who maintained their MMR achieve had a better clinical course and prognosis compared to other CML patients

Retrospective Evaluation of Patients Diagnosed with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)

Aim: Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common NHL and %80 of all NHLs. Although it has some subtypes with heterogenous characteristic for prognosis, in area of rituximab monoclonal anti-body, improvement in overall survival (OS) was achieved. We evaluated response of treatment, epidemiologic features, OS and progression-free survival (PFS) of our patients with DLBCL for 5-years retrospectively.Materials and Methods: We investigated 160 patients from three centers in Turkey. Demografic features, stages, risk groups, the type of first-line therapy and its reason, duration of remission, relapse status and adverse events were collected. Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 22.0 program were used for statistical analysis. Dates of survival and significancies were obtained by Kaplan-Meier analysis and long-rank test, respectively. Analyses with p values below 0.05 were recognized as statistically significant.Results: Mean age of patients at the time of diagnoses was 60.75 ± 13.95. Number of patients with only nodal involved and extranodal involved were 109 (%68,1) and 51 (%31,9), respectively. Frequency of relaps after the first therapy was significancy superior in males than females. Althought there was no significant differencies between stage and OS, and response to treatment (p=0,140 ve p=0,378), significant difference was obtained between stage and PFS (p=0,038). In additon there wasn’t significant differencies between OS and PFS among patients with nodal and extranodal involved. Otherwise patients with advance age adjuested international prognostic index (aaIPI) scores had significancy inferior rate of response of first treatment (p=0,031).Conclusion: We demosrated the characteristics of patients with DLBCL as a general population and other else results related risk factors were similary with literatures

Retrospective analysis of Turkish AML registry database, on behalf of AML working group of Turkish society of hematology

Abstract Introduction: To investigate the demographics and treatment details of the acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients who were diagnosed and followed up in Turkey. Methods: Patients who were recorded on the database of Turkish AML Registry project were included in this study retro- spectively if they were diagnosed before 1st of Jan 2022. Demographics, patient, and disease related parameters both at the time of diagnosis and at the follow up and treatment outcomes were presented

Hodgkin lenfoma hastalarında EORTC QLQ ile yaşam kalitesi değerlendirmesi: Çok merkezli çalışma

Aim: The aim of our study is to obtain data on the quality of life (QoL) in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients in a representative sample of the general population of Turkey with the help of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-HL27 questionnaires. Material and Methods: A total of 68 patients from seven different centers diagnosed with HL between 2018-2020 were included in the study. The questionnaires were answered cross-sectionally by the patient under the control of a physician in the centers participating in the study. Results: Out of 68 patients, 42.6% (n=29) were female and 57.4% (n=39) were male. The ages of the patients ranged from 18 to 74 years, with a mean of 42.10±16.62 and with a median value of 40 years. There was no significant difference between age subgroups in terms of QLQ-C30 global health status/ QoL, functional or symptom scales and HL27 SB, PC, EI and WF scores (p>0.05, for all). It was determined that the constipation scores of females were higher than the scores of males (p=0.041). No statistically significant difference was found in terms of HL27 SB, PC, EI and WF sub-dimension scores according to gender (p>0.05). Conclusions: There was only a statistically significant difference in terms of QLQ-C30 constipation sub-dimension scores according to gender. The constipation scores of females were higher than the scores of men. More detailed and large population studies are needed to reveal the effectiveness of QoL assessment in HL patients.Amaç: Çalışmamızın amacı, EORTC QLQ-C30 ve QLQ-HL27 anketleri yardımıyla Türkiye genelini temsil eden bir örneklemde Hodgkin lenfoma (HL) hastalarında yaşam kalitesi hakkında veri elde etmekti. Gereç ve yöntemler: 2018-2020 yılları arasında, HL tanısı almış yedi farklı merkezden toplam 68 hasta çalışmaya dahil edildi. Anketler, araştırmaya katılan merkezlerde hekim kontrolünde hasta tarafından yanıtlandı. Bulgular: 68 hastanın %42.6'sı (n=29) kadın, %57.4'ü (n=39) erkekti. Hastaların yaşları 18 ile 74 arasında değişmekte olup, ortalama 42.10±16.62 ve ortanca değeri 40 idi. QLQ-C30 global sağlık durumu/ yaşam kalitesi, fonksiyonel veya semptom skalaları ve HL27 SB, PC, EI ve WF skorları açısından yaş alt grupları arasında anlamlı fark yoktu (tümü için, p>0.05). Kadınların kabızlık puanlarının erkeklere göre daha yüksek olduğu belirlendi (p=0.041). Cinsiyete göre HL27 SB, PC, EI ve WF alt puanları açısından istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark bulunmadı (p>0.05). Sonuç: Cinsiyete göre sadece QLQ-C30 kabızlık alt puanları açısından istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark vardı. Kadınların kabızlık puanları erkeklerin puanlarından daha yüksekti. HL hastalarında QoL değerlendirmesinin etkinliğini ortaya çıkarmak için daha ayrıntılı ve geniş popülasyon çalışmalarına ihtiyaç olduğu görülmektedir

Comparison of efficacy and safety of generic plerixafor vs original plerixafor in the mobilization of myeloma patients

Introduction The commonest indication for an Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT) is still Multiple Myeloma. A successful mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) is a sine qua non of ASCT. The introduction of Plerixafor, which is a partial agonist of the alfa-chemokine receptor CXCR4 has added an important value and impact on mobilization. Plerixafor is successfully integrated into both growth factor-only and cyclophosphamide and growth factor mobilization strategies with significantly reducing the mobilization failure rate in myeloma patients. In addition, plerixafor + G-CSF has also been shown to successfully mobilize the majority of patients who previously failed to mobilize with either growth factor alone or in combination with chemotherapy. Even a Just-in-Time algorithm which induces plerixafor in patients who lacks a certain threshold of CD34 positive HSCs on the day of mobilization led to a cost-effective and successful mobilization with highly restricted rates of mobilization failure. In this study we tried to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of a novel generic Plerixafor (Pleksor - Gen Ilac) and to compare it with original one (Mozobil - Sanofi) in a retrospective manner. Method Patients who were transplanted in two centers who adopted the same mobilization standard operating procedures (SOP) were included in the study. An age and sex matched cohort of patients who received Mozobil (from 2020-2022 - Group A) were compared with the ones who received Pleksor (2021-2022 Group B) as a Just-in-Time conjunct to GCSF alone or chemo mobilization. Poor mobilization was defined as a final yield of 2 million CD34 positive HSCs per kg. Our aim was to collect enough stem cells for at least two ASCTs, thus our current SOP's indicated a minimum CD34 positive HSC threshold of at least 4 million per kg and an ideal HSC threshold of 6 million per kg. Results A total of 28 patients were included and they were equally distributed among Group A (n=14) and B (n=14). Median age of the patients at the time of mobilization were as follows, 60 (35-72) in Group A and 61 (38-70) in Group B. 14 patients who received Pleksor achieved a median yield of 8.40 million CD34 positive HSCs per kg (4.8-21) and the patients who received Mozobil have ended with a yield of 6.7 million CD34 positive HSCs per kg (4.5-13) (p=0.210). None of the patients in both groups were named to be a poor mobilizer according to the threshold of 2 million CD34 positive HSCs per kg but 3 of the patients in Group A and 2 of the patients in Group B ended with a yield of 6 million CD34 positive cells which was below to the ideal threshold for two transplants. Regarding lenalidomide exposure before mobilization, history of radiotherapy, line of the therapies received before mobilization, number of leukapheresis and the mobilization policy (chemo vs gcsf alone) there were no statistically significant difference between two groups (p=0.120, 0.702, 0.842, 0.769 and 0.420 respectively). The median neutrophil engraftment time in days were as follows for Group A and B, 11(10-14) vs 11 (10-16), p=0.541 and the median platelet engraftment time in days were 17 (10-30) in Group A and 16 (10-28) in Group B with a p value of 0.571. In none of the cases any specific side effects were noted which could be attributable to Pleksor or Mozobil. Conclusion Our study demonstrated a comparable efficacy of a generic form of Plerixafor when compared with the originator. This would lead to a decrease in the cost of total process of mobilization with a similar efficacy and toxicity profile. We are now planning to initiate a prospective trial to validate these results in a larger patient population. Up to our knowledge this is the first study comparing the efficacy of a generic Plerixafor in a sole myeloma patient cohort

Multipl miyelom tanılı hastalarda EORTC QLQ ile yaşam kalitesi değerlendirmesi: Çok merkezli çalışma

Objective: Both the length of the treatment period and the diversity of the agents used in the treatment significantly affect the quality of life (QoL) of the patients with multiple myeloma (MM). With the aid of the EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire Consisting of 30 Questions “EORTC QLQ-C30” and the Quality of Life Questionnaire Multiple Myeloma Module “QLQ-MY20”, we aimed to obtain data on quality of life in MM patients in a representative sample of the general population of our country. Methods: One hundred sixty eight patients from 6 different centers followed between 2018-2020 were included in the study. The QLQ-C30, and the QLQ-MY20 questionnaires specific for MM patients were used and the results were reported statistically. Results: Seventy eight (46%) of the patients were female, while 90 (54%) were male. The median age was 64 (22-84). When the findings were analysed, it was found that there was a greater effect on the symptom scale compared to the functional scale. Conclusion: The importance of the treatment-related side effect management, together with the adequate administration of appropriate symptomatic treatment in holistic treatment management were emphasized as effective factors in terms of the QoL of patients with MM.Amaç: Hem tedavi süresinin uzunluğu, hem de tedavide kullanılan ajanların çeşitliliği multipl miyelomlu (MM) hastaların yaşam kalitesini (YK) önemli ölçüde etkiler. Otuz sorudan oluşan EORTC Yaşam Kalitesi Anketi “EORTC QLQ-C30” ve Yaşam Kalitesi Anketi-Multipl Miyelom Modülü “QLQ-MY20” yardımıyla MM hastalarında yaşam kalitesine ilişkin verileri elde etmeyi amaçladık. Yöntem: 2018-2020 yılları arasında takip edilen, 6 farklı merkezden 168 hasta çalışmaya dahil edildi. MM hastalarına özel QLQ-C30 ve QLQ-MY20 anketleri kullanılmış ve sonuçlar istatistiksel olarak rapor edilmiştir. Bulgular: Hastaların 78’i (%46) kadın, 90’ı (%54) erkekti. Ortanca yaş 64 (22-84) idi. Bulgular incelendiğinde semptom ölçeğinde fonksiyonel ölçeğe göre daha fazla etkinin olduğu görüldü. Sonuç: Bütüncül tedavi yönetiminde, uygun tedavinin yeterli uygulanması ile birlikte tedaviye bağlı yan etki yönetiminin önemi, MM’li hastaların yaşam kalitesi açısından etkili faktörler olarak vurgulanmıştır

“The Lolelaplap (Marshall Islands) in Us: Sailing West to East (Ralik→Ratak) to These Our Atolls (Aelon Kein Ad) Ad Jolet Jen Anij (Our Blessed Inheritance from God)”

This paper discusses the expansion of Oceania through a Marshallese indigenous lens as a focal point. It explains that decolonizing methodologies allows reclaiming of space for mental liberation and reassurement of constitutional rights. It highlights similar occurrences of decolonization practices meeting resistance in the 21st century all while strengthening the human right argument that no human deserves any less than their fellow human brothers and sisters. It argues that an indigenous imagery can only be viewed through an indigenous lens where the researches’ level of purity is retained and unfiltered. It nevertheless argues that Marshallese ethnolinguistics reveal the same cultural practices in America, Judeo-Christianity, and Oceania thus dictating the reality that “we are the same not withstanding one stays here and one there (Bedbedjin Bedbedjen, Bedbedjinma wot Kwe)”. It further explains the importance in these similarities and how Marshallese spirituality predates introduced American Judeo-Christianity despite the latter attempting to marginalize the former. It concludes by stating that Marshallese contributions on the global stage are rooted in that culture of love (IaKwe) which is echoed by the custom(s) revealing the significance of Marshallese validation academically, spiritually, economically, & socially to prevent institutionalized discrimination. This paper ends stating that the agency to know one’s self and how one should fit in the world, is a human right in itself and Marshallese are entitled to this sense of self worth through knowing thy self by thy self where real thinking takes place in one’s own mind as we all live our own lives