Leukemia

A study of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has identified IKZF1 as a new ALL predisposition gene that may play a role both in leukemia pathogenesis and treatment responsiveness.

Ibrutinib can be safely combined with lenalidomide and rituximab in patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, according to a new study presented at the American Society of Hematology 58th Annual Meeting and Exposition, held December 3–6.

We are speaking with Sonali Smith, MD, an associate professor of medicine and the director of the lymphoma program at the University of Chicago. At the ASH meeting, Dr. Smith will give a talk called “Emerging Biology Leading to New Therapies in Follicular Lymphoma.”

Brentuximab vedotin (BV) induces significantly superior clinical outcomes in patients with CD30-expressing cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) as compared with physician's choice with methotrexate or bexarotene, according to a new study presented at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition, held December 3–6, 2016.

Among pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients who have favorable prognosis, an attempt to reduce the burden of chemotherapy by using lower intensity delayed intensification failed to show better outcomes.

Pembrolizumab has good activity, is safe and well-tolerated, and induces durable responses in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, according to a study presented at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting & Exposition.

T-cell therapy targeting CD22, a protein found on the surface of leukemic cells, was safe and feasible in a small and ongoing study of patients with ALL.

Many patients with stable CML may be able to safely decrease their dose of tyrosine kinase inhibitor to half of the standard dose and improve TKI-related side effects, according to the results of the DESTINY trial.

Older patients with AML survive longer after receiving an allogeneic stem cell transplant if they are initially treated with CPX-351 liposome injection instead of the standard “7+3” chemotherapy with cytarabine and daunorubicin.

Cessation of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy may be possible in chronic myeloid leukemia patients with deep molecular response, according to the results of the Euro-Ski trial.

In this interview we discuss prognostic models that may be able to predict disease progression in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with the targeted agent ibrutinib.

Combining standard chemotherapy with vadastuximab talirine was safe and well-tolerated in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia.

As part of our coverage of the ASH Annual Meeting held December 3rd to 6th in San Diego, today we are speaking with Kim Nichols, MD, director of the Cancer Predisposition Division at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. At this year’s meeting, Dr. Nichols will be participating in a session on genetic susceptibility to leukemia.

By 2025 there will be an increasing number of people living with CLL due to improved survival conferred by emerging targeted therapies; however, the annual cost of CLL management for both patients and providers may impose a significant financial burden.

Patients with AML or MDS with unfavorable risk cytogenetic profiles, TP53 mutations, or both had good clinical response and robust mutation clearance with decitabine.

A high-risk subtype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia first identified in children appears to be highly prevalent in adults with ALL and is associated with a poor outcome.

The use of radiotherapy may have an important role in optimizing first-line treatment for patients with early-stage extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

According to a long-term follow-up analysis of a phase I/II trial, bosutinib provides durable responses and a favorable toxicity profile in patients with chronic phase CML who are resistant/intolerant to other tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

This article describes the clinical data that led to approval of these B-cell receptor inhibitors for the treatment of CLL, and highlights newer agents in clinical development that target the same kinases as the currently available therapies.

Single-agent blinatumomab demonstrated antileukemia activity in pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) in a recently published phase I/II study.

Although ibrutinib-related atrial fibrillation (IRAF) occurs in up to 11% of patients in clinical trials, these studies have rarely fully characterized bleeding events or risk factors for bleeding when ibrutinib is combined with anticoagulation. Furthermore, guidelines do not provide direction regarding the preferred anti-arrhythmic agent for IRAF.

Several critical issues need to be addressed during the next several years if we are to reach the true potential of new agents like ibrutinib, idelalisib, venetoclax, ofatumumab, and obinutuzumab-which conceivably could ultimately cure CLL.

Expression levels of CD62L and related immunologic markers are correlated with treatment responses and outcome in patients with CML, according to a new analysis. The markers could have prognostic value if validated in other cohorts.

The combination of ATRA and arsenic trioxide for the treatment of low- or intermediate-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia had advantages compared with ATRA plus chemotherapy.

A study found that deregulation of homeobox transcription factor genes underlies a subtype of precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.