CALR mutations in patients with essential thrombocythemia diagnosed in childhood and adolescence

CALR mutations in patients with essential thrombocythemia diagnosed in childhood and adolescenc

High Dose Imatinib Is Effective In Children and Adolescents With Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia In Chronic Phase. The Italian Experience

Imatinib (IM) is an established first-line treatment for children with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, the most effective dosage and duration of IM treatment are not well defined. This study was designed to evaluate the response to high-dose IM and long-term outcome in pediatric CML patients, previously untreated or resistant to IFN. Patients aged <18 years with a diagnosis of CML in chronic phase (CP) were treated with IM at a dosage of 340 mg/m2/day. Cytogenetic analysis was performed on bone marrow (BM) cells before and during IM therapy, at planned intervals; quantitative RT-PCR was assessed on peripheral blood (PB) monthly and on BM every 3 months, according to the European LeukemiaNet recommendations for minimal residual disease quantification. Major molecular response (MMR) is defined as <0.1% BCR-ABLIS, while complete MR (CMR) is considered as <0.01% BCR-ABLIS. From March 2001 to February 2013, 45 CML patients in CP (18 females, 27 males; median age: 119/12 years) were recorded from 9 Italian pediatric centers. Eight patients had previously received IFN. IM was started in all patients, including 16 with an HLA-matched sibling. The dosage was modulated according to hematologic toxicity and/or appearance of WHO >2 side- effects, mostly during the first 6 months of treatment (median administered dose: 309 mg/m2/day). Hematologic toxicity (medullary hypoplasia[n=1], neutropenia [n=11] and/or thrombocytopenia [n=6], anemia [n=1]) was observed in14/44 evaluable patients (32%); 13 patients (29.5%) experienced isolated or combined side effects: arthralgia/myalgia (n=10), nausea (n=1), vomiting (n=1), diarrhea (n=1), hepatitis (n=1), edema (n=1). After 3 months of IM treatment, 7/25 of tested patients (28%) obtained complete cytogenetic response (CCyR). Overall, 34/36 evaluable patients (94%) obtained a CCyR at a median time of 6 months. A molecular response (<0.1% BCR-ABLIS) was achieved in 21/26 tested patients (81%) on PB and in 30/33 evaluable patients (91%) on BM. Seventeen of 26 patients (65%), including 2 with a HLA-matched sibling, obtained a CMR on PB cells and 19/33 (55%) on BM cells at a median time of 15 and 19 months, respectively. With the aim of reducing the risk of longitudinal growth impairment or to improve treatment compliance, 9 patients with sustained CMR and 2 adolescents with MMR lasting >12 months received IM at the same daily dosage for 3 weeks a month (intermittent therapy). IM given without interruption was resumed in 3 of these 9 patients because of an increased BCR-ABL transcript. The growth rate showed a delay in height, which recovered over time, in 6 children who received IM prior to puberty. Overall, IM was stopped in 22/44 evaluable patients (50%) because of various reasons: stem cell transplant (SCT) in 8 patients (3 in CP, 1 in CCyR, 3 in MMR, 1 in CMR); hematologic (n=2) or extra-hematologic toxicity (n=2) (WHO grading >3) during the first 6 months in 4; recurrent disease in 6 (3 increased BCR-ABL transcript, 2 cytogenetic relapse,1 blast crisis [BC]); no response in 1; CMR ( <0.0032% BCR-ABL IS) lasting >88 months in 2 and pancreatitis in 1 patient in CMR for 75 months. Twelve patients underwent a SCT after a median time of 8 months: 8 from an identical siblings (5 responders to IM [1 CMR, 3 MMR, 1 CCyR]), 3 MUD (2 in CCyR and 1 in MMR) and 1 cord blood in CCyR after chemotherapy for CB. Three patients, transplanted from an identical sibling, had disease recurrence after 24 (molecular relapse), 36 (cytogenetic relapse) and 83 (BC) months, respectively. At the last follow-up, all patients are alive (CMR= 25; MMR=14; CCyR=3; minor CyR=2; too early=1) at a median of 52 months (range: 3-146). Of 42 patients evaluable for treatment, 23 are receiving IM at a dosage of 340 mg/m2 (4 intermittent IM); 11 are in CMR without any treatment (8 after SCT; 3 at 32, 33 and 50 months after IM discontinuation); 4 are in treatment with dasatinib, 3 with nilotinib and 1 with IFN. In our experience, higher dose IM is an effective treatment for childhood CP CML, associated with sustained responses. Moreover, IM can be safely discontinued in pediatric CML patients with a deep CMR lasting more than 7 years. For patients candidates to a SCT, IM provides a safe bridging option to transplant, at no increased risk. Since patients may lose their response, a close and regular monitoring should be performed, mostly for those who stop IM, as SCT and new TK inhibitors may be successfully employed in patients failing IM

Evaluation of a quality improvement intervention to reduce anastomotic leak following right colectomy (EAGLE): pragmatic, batched stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial in 64 countries

Background Anastomotic leak affects 8 per cent of patients after right colectomy with a 10-fold increased risk of postoperative death. The EAGLE study aimed to develop and test whether an international, standardized quality improvement intervention could reduce anastomotic leaks. Methods The internationally intended protocol, iteratively co-developed by a multistage Delphi process, comprised an online educational module introducing risk stratification, an intraoperative checklist, and harmonized surgical techniques. Clusters (hospital teams) were randomized to one of three arms with varied sequences of intervention/data collection by a derived stepped-wedge batch design (at least 18 hospital teams per batch). Patients were blinded to the study allocation. Low- and middle-income country enrolment was encouraged. The primary outcome (assessed by intention to treat) was anastomotic leak rate, and subgroup analyses by module completion (at least 80 per cent of surgeons, high engagement; less than 50 per cent, low engagement) were preplanned. Results A total 355 hospital teams registered, with 332 from 64 countries (39.2 per cent low and middle income) included in the final analysis. The online modules were completed by half of the surgeons (2143 of 4411). The primary analysis included 3039 of the 3268 patients recruited (206 patients had no anastomosis and 23 were lost to follow-up), with anastomotic leaks arising before and after the intervention in 10.1 and 9.6 per cent respectively (adjusted OR 0.87, 95 per cent c.i. 0.59 to 1.30; P = 0.498). The proportion of surgeons completing the educational modules was an influence: the leak rate decreased from 12.2 per cent (61 of 500) before intervention to 5.1 per cent (24 of 473) after intervention in high-engagement centres (adjusted OR 0.36, 0.20 to 0.64; P < 0.001), but this was not observed in low-engagement hospitals (8.3 per cent (59 of 714) and 13.8 per cent (61 of 443) respectively; adjusted OR 2.09, 1.31 to 3.31). Conclusion Completion of globally available digital training by engaged teams can alter anastomotic leak rates. Registration number: NCT04270721 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)