Efficacy of 90Y ibritumomab-tiuxetan treatment in a case of resistant gastric MALT non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Treatment modalities for resistant/relapsing gastric mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) are not yet well standardized. In the past, most patients were treated surgically with a gastrectomy, while, more recently, radiotherapy and systemic approaches (chemotherapy and immunotherapy) have been used with improving results

Intensified ChlVPP/ABVVP chemotherapy regimen and pegfilgrastim support in advanced Hodgkin lymphoma

We present feasibility, toxicity and efficacy results of an intensified six-cycle ChlVPP/ABVVP regimen in advanced Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). From February 2004 to August 2007, 82 consecutive eligible patients were enrolled. According to the Hasenclever index, 64 patients (78%) were considered at low risk, 15 (18%) at intermediate and 3 (4%) at high risk. The most relevant toxicity was haematological: grade 3–4 neutropenia occurred in 32% of patients, grade 3–4 anaemia in 26% of patients. Severe infections and febrile neutropenia were observed in 8% of patients. With a median follow-up of 35 months (range 12–55), the three-year freedom from treatment failure (FFTF) and overall survival (OS) were 75% (95% CI 65%–86%) and 94% (95% CI 87%–99%), respectively. The intensified ChlVPP/ABVVP regimen in advanced HL is effective, does not seem to differ from standard regimens in terms of FFTF and OS and showed a favourable toxicity profile

The identification of TCF1+ progenitor exhausted T cells in THRLBCL may predict a better response to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade

T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma (THRLBCL) is a rare and aggressive variant of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) that usually affects young to middle-aged patients, with disseminated disease at presentation. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a key role in THRLBCL due to its peculiar cellular composition (< 10% neoplastic B cells interspersed in a cytotoxic T-cell/histiocyte-rich background). A significant percentage of THRLBCL is refractory to rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (RCHOP)-based regimens and to chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy; thus, the development of a specific therapeutic approach for these patients represents an unmet clinical need. To better understand the interaction of immune cells in THRLBCL TME and identify more promising therapeutic strategies, we compared the immune gene expression profiles of 12 THRLBCL and 10 DLBCL samples, and further corroborated our findings in an extended in silico set. Gene coexpression network analysis identified the predominant role of the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis in the modulation of the immune response. Furthermore, the PD-1/PD-L1 activation was flanked by the overexpression of 48 genes related to the functional exhaustion of T cells. Globally, THRLBCL TME was highly interferon-inflamed and severely exhausted. The immune gene profiling findings strongly suggest that THRLBCL may be responsive to anti-PD-1 therapy but also allowed us to take a step forward in understanding THRLBCL TME. Of therapeutic relevance, we validated our results by immunohistochemistry, identifying a subset of TCF1(+) (T cell-specific transcription factor 1, encoded by the TCF7 gene) progenitor exhausted T cells enriched in patients with THRLBCL. This subset of TCF1(+) exhausted T cells correlates with good clinical response to immune checkpoint therapy and may improve prediction of anti-PD-1 response in patients with THRLBCL

Italian real life experience with brentuximab vedotin : results of a large observational study on 234 relapsed/refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma

A large Italian multicenter observational retrospective study was conducted on the use of brentuximab vedotin (BV) for patients with relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) to check if clinical trial results are confirmed even in a real life context. 234 CD30+ HL patients were enrolled. Best response was observed after a median of 4 cycles in 140 patients (59.8%): 74 (31.6%) patients obtained a complete response (CR) and 66 (28.2%) achieved a partial response (PR); overall response rate at the end of the treatment was 48.3% (62 CR and 51 PR). The best response rate was higher in the elderly subset: 14 (50%) CR and 5 (17.8%) PR. Disease free survival was 26.3% at 3 years and progression free survival 31.9% at 4.5 years. Duration of response did not differ for who achieved at least PR and then either did or did not undergo consolidative transplant. Overall, the treatment was well tolerated and no death has been linked to BV-induced toxicity.Our report confirms activity in elderly patients, duration of response unrelated to the consolidation with transplant procedure, the relevance of the CR status at first restaging, and the role of BV as a bridge to transplant for chemorefractory patients

Corrosion and radiation resistant nanoceramic coatings for lead fast reactors

International audienceBare and Al2O3-coated austenitic steel samples are exposed to lead-fast-reactor relevant corrosive conditions.Selective leaching of Ni, Mn and Cr is observed in bare samples exposed to high temperature stagnant lead(550 DC, 10et8722;8 wt.percent oxygen, 1000 and 4000 h). By contrast, corrosion is not observed in either pristine (4000 h)or irradiated (1000 h) coated samples. Further characterization and testing methods include SEM, TEM, STEM,EDS, cyclic nanoimpact, microindentation, scratch, and thermal cycling. Overall, the results show that thecoatings retain structural integrity under the conditions investigated, which is a crucial prerogative for corrosionprotection with ceramic coatings

Prognostic role of interim (18)FDG-PET in Hodgkin lymphoma: A single-center experience

e19520 Background: The role of FDG-PET for staging and response assessment in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is still evolving. We report our experience with the intent of evaluate prognostic role of 18FDG-PET in terms of long term complete remission (CR). METHODS: We retrospectively analysed 65 consecutive pts affected by newly diagnosed HL. Median age was 36 yrs. Histology included 50 classical and 10 lymphocyte predominance HL. According to Hasenclever index, 58 out of 65 pts were considered at low risk, 5 at intermediate and 2 at high risk. 30/65 pts showed good prognosis (defined as IA-IIA, < 3 nodal sites, ERS < 50) and received 4 cycles of VBM followed by involved field (IF) radiotherapy (RT); the remaining 35 pts received hybrid ChlVPP/ABVVP for 6 cycles followed by IF RT in case of bulky disease. All patients underwent 18FDG-PET scans at diagnosis, after the fourth cycle in the VBM group, after the third cycle in the ChlVPP/ABVVP (interim 18FDG-PET), at the end of treatment in all patients. Fisher exact test was used to compare percentages between groups. RESULTS: CR was recorded in 60 (92%) pts. Interim 18FDG-PET was negative in 52 out of 65 pts (80%), all in CR at the end of treatment. Eight out of 13 pts with positive interim 18FDG-PET obtained a CR at the end of treatment (100% versus 62%, Fisher exact text p<0.01). Six out of 65 pts relapsed: interim 18FDG-PET was negative in 5 of them, positive in 1 case. Two deaths occurred, one among pts with negative and one with positive interim 18FDG-PET. After a median follow-up of 30 months, 3-year freedom from treatment failure was 83% and 62% in pts with negative and positive interim 18FDG-PET, respectively (Log-rank test p<0.01, Hazard Ratio 4.9 (95%CI 1.4-16.1)). CONCLUSIONS: In our experience interim 18FDG-PET demonstrate a predictive role regarding the achievement of CR and treatment failure, at least as relevant as Hasenclever index, but failed to predict clinical result in 12 (18%) pts. Its role in defining the best therapeutical approach in HL pts must be further investigated in randomized clinical trials. No significant financial relationships to disclose

Rituximab in Hodgkin lymphoma: is the target always a hit?

In 1997, the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (MAb) rituximab became the first MAb approved for clinical use in oncology, and ushered in a new era of rationally designed targeted agents in cancer therapeutics. It is currently approved for use in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Rituximab is non-mutagenic, associated with low treatment-related toxicity, and few, if any, long term adverse events, making it an attractive agent to be tried in off-label settings like Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). HL consists of two distinct subtypes - classic HL (cHL) and lymphocyte predominant HL (LPHL). CD20 is present in virtually all patients with LPHL, and in a significant minority of patients with cHL. In this CD20 positive sub-population, the use of rituximab is a rational intervention strategy. Rituximab has been used in patients with cHL as well as LPHL with good efficacy. In this article, we provide a clinically-oriented overview of the use of rituximab in the different sub-types of HL, and report updated results of our series of 8 LPHL patients treated with rituximab. A systematic review of the literature is also presented

Confocal laser endomicroscopy diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma in a patient treated for gastric diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma

The association between gastric carcinoma and lymphoma is rare. Confocal laser endomicroscopy is a new diagnostic tool that allows the identification of cellular and vascular architecture during endoscopy. This is the first report of an in vivo early gastric carcinoma diagnosis by confocal laser endomicroscopy in a patient successfully treated for a primary gastric diffuse large-B-cell lymphom