Cancer incidence among the south Asian and non-south Asian population under 30 years of age in Yorkshire, UK.

Few studies have examined epidemiological differences between ethnic groups for children and young adults with cancer

Childhood acute leukemias are frequent in Mexico City: descriptive epidemiology

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Worldwide, acute leukemia is the most common type of childhood cancer. It is particularly common in the Hispanic populations residing in the United States, Costa Rica, and Mexico City. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of acute leukemia in children who were diagnosed and treated in public hospitals in Mexico City.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Included in this study were those children, under 15 years of age and residents of Mexico City, who were diagnosed in 2006 and 2007 with leukemia, as determined by using the International Classification of Childhood Cancer. The average annual incidence rates (AAIR), and the standardized average annual incidence rates (SAAIR) per million children were calculated. We calculated crude, age- and sex-specific incidence rates and adjusted for age by the direct method with the world population as standard. We determined if there were a correlation between the incidence of acute leukemias in the various boroughs of Mexico City and either the number of agricultural hectares, the average number of persons per household, or the municipal human development index for Mexico (used as a reference of socio-economic level).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Although a total of 610 new cases of leukemia were registered during 2006-2007, only 228 fit the criteria for inclusion in this study. The overall SAAIR was 57.6 per million children (95% CI, 46.9-68.3); acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was the most frequent type of leukemia, constituting 85.1% of the cases (SAAIR: 49.5 per million), followed by acute myeloblastic leukemia at 12.3% (SAAIR: 6.9 per million), and chronic myeloid leukemia at 1.7% (SAAIR: 0.9 per million). The 1-4 years age group had the highest SAAIR for ALL (77.7 per million). For cases of ALL, 73.2% had precursor B-cell immunophenotype (SAAIR: 35.8 per million) and 12.4% had T-cell immunophenotype (SAAIR 6.3 per million). The peak ages for ALL were 2-6 years and 8-10 years. More than half the children (58.8%) were classified as high risk. There was a positive correlation between the average number of persons per household and the incidence of the pre-B immunophenotype (Pearson's r, 0.789; P = 0.02).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The frequency of ALL in Mexico City is among the highest in the world, similar to those found for Hispanics in the United States and in Costa Rica.</p

Autologous stem cell transplant in recurrent or refractory primary or secondary central nervous system lymphoma using thiotepa, busulfan and cyclophosphamide

The prognosis for patients with central nervous system (CNS) involvement by recurrent or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is poor, with overall survival (OS) of 4-10 months. High-dose chemotherapy (HDC) and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) is a potential treatment alternative. We reviewed patients with recurrent primary (PCNSL) or secondary (SCNSL) CNS lymphoma referred for consolidation HDC-ASCT utilizing thiotepa, busulfan and cyclophosphamide (TBC). Among the 17 patients included, all had achieved a complete remission after salvage induction chemotherapy, which incorporated methotrexate in 82% of patients. Two patients failed stem-cell harvesting and 15 (88%) underwent transplant. The estimated 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and OS were both 93% (95% confidence interval 61-99%). Median PFS and OS were not reached. There was no transplant-related mortality. These results confirm the benefit of TBC followed by ASCT in select patients with recurrent PCNSL and suggest a potential role for the regimen in those with SCNSL. Further investigation is warranted

Prephase rituximab/prednisone therapy and aging-related, proinflammatory cytokine milieu in older, vulnerable patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) predominantly affects older adults with suboptimal therapeutic outcomes due to increased treatment-related mortality and toxicities in vulnerable patients, clinically defined by geriatric impairments such as functional limitation, multimorbidity, or cognitive deficits. In this prospective pilot study, we evaluated a rituximab/prednisone prephase treatment strategy in 33 older, vulnerable patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL, defined by either age ≥70 years or age 60-70 years with Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) <80. A single dose of rituximab 375 mg/m2 between 3-10 days and oral prednisone for at least 5 days prior to the first dose of chemoimmunotherapy was administered. All patients completed prephase treatment and all but one commenced anthracycline-based chemoimmunotherapy. Only one early cycle death occurred. Toxicity events, defined by either unplanned hospitalization, unplanned dose reduction/delay, or chemotherapy discontinuation, occurred in 22 patients (67%). Sixteen patients (48%) experienced grade 3 or higher non-hematologic toxicities and/or grade 4 or higher hematologic toxicities. With a median follow-up of 4.4 years, both 5-year progression-free survival and overall survival were at 81% (95% confidence interval: 69-96). Importantly, we found that phenotypic impairments in basic and instrumental activities of daily living, physical function, mobility, KPS, and Cancer and Aging Research Group chemotherapy toxicity risk score were significantly associated with senescence-associated, proinflammatory cytokine milieu which was readily reversed with prephase treatment, potentially explaining its clinical effectiveness. Prephase therapy with rituximab/prednisone should be considered for all older, vulnerable DLBCL patients prior to curative intent, anthracycline-based chemoimmunotherapy. This trial was registered as clinicaltrials gov. Identifier: NCT89028394

Changes in the banking system and small business lending

Panel data, Bank lending, G18, G38, L26,

CHRONOS‐3: Randomized phase III study of copanlisib plus rituximab/placebo in relapsed indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (INHL)

Introduction: Rituximab (R)-based therapies are standard for patients (pts) with relapsed advanced iNHL. Copanlisib (C) is a PI3K inhibitor approved as monotherapy for relapsed follicular lymphoma (FL) in pts who have had ≥2 prior systemic therapies. We report primary data from the Phase III CHRONOS-3 study of treatment with C+R vs placebo (P)+R in relapsed iNHL (NCT02367040). Methods: Pts with relapsed iNHL who were progression-free and treatment-free for ≥12 months (mo) after last R-based therapy or unwilling/unfit to receive chemotherapy were randomized 2:1 to receive C+R or P+R. C 60 mg/P was given i.v. on days 1, 8, and 15 (28-day cycle); R 375 mg/m2 was given i.v. on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 during cycle 1 and on day 1 of cycles 3, 5, 7, and 9. Primary endpoint: centrally assessed progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints: objective response rate (ORR), duration of response, complete response rate (CRR), overall survival (OS), and treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). The data cut-off date was August 31, 2020. Results: 307 pts were randomized to C+R and 151 to P+R. FL was the most common lymphoma histology subtype (60.0%), followed by marginal zone (MZL, 20.7%), small lymphocytic (SLL, 10.9%), and lymphoplasmacytic/Waldenström macroglobulinemia (LPL/WM, 8.3%). Median age was 63 years (range 28-91). With a median follow-up of 19.2 mo, the primary study endpoint was met: C+R significantly reduced the risk of disease progression/death vs P+R (hazard ratio [HR] 0.52 [95% CI 0.39, 0.69]; 1-sided p = 0.000002); median PFS was 21.5 mo (95% CI 17.8, 33.0) vs 13.8 mo (95% CI 10.2, 17.5), respectively. Reductions in risk of progression/death were seen across all histology subtypes (HR [95% CI]): FL 0.580 [0.404, 0.833]; MZL 0.475 [0.245, 0.923]; SLL 0.243 [0.111, 0.530]; LPL/WM 0.443 [0.160, 1.231]. ORRs were 80.8% (CRR 33.9%) for C+R and 47.7% (CRR 14.6%) for P+R. Higher ORRs and CRRs were seen across all iNHL subtypes with C+R treatment. Median OS was not estimable. Most common TEAEs (all grades [G]/G3+) in pts receiving C+R were hyperglycemia (69.4%/56.4%), hypertension (49.2%/39.7% [all G3]), and diarrhea (33.6%/4.9% [all G3]). For pts receiving P+R, hyperglycemia (23.3%/8.2% [all G3]), hypertension (19.2%/8.9% [all G3]), neutropenia (16.4%/12.3%), and upper respiratory tract infection (16.4%/0%) were the most common TEAEs. Serious adverse events were higher with C+R (47.2%) vs P+R (18.5%). G5 TEAEs occurred in 6 pts (2.0%) receiving C+R (1 [0.3%] deemed treatment-related; pneumonitis) and 1 (0.7%) receiving P+R. Conclusions: C+R demonstrated broad and superior efficacy vs P+R in pts with relapsed iNHL. The safety profile of C+R was manageable and consistent with C and R as monotherapy. Copanlisib is the first PI3K inhibitor to be safely combined with R in relapsed iNHL, representing a potential new therapy option for relapsed iNHL across all subtypes