Early treatment with FCR versus watch and wait in patients with stage Binet A high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): a randomized phase 3 trial.

We report a randomized prospective phase 3 study (CLL7), designed to evaluate the efficacy of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR) in patients with an early-stage high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Eight hundred patients with untreated-stage Binet A disease were enrolled as intent-to-treat population and assessed for four prognostic markers: lymphocyte doubling time <12 months, serum thymidine kinase >10 U/L, unmutated IGHV genes, and unfavorable cytogenetics (del(11q)/del(17p)/trisomy 12). Two hundred and one patients with ≥2 risk features were classified as high-risk CLL and 1:1 randomized to receive either immediate therapy with 6xFCR (Hi-FCR, 100 patients), or to be observed according to standard of care (Hi-W&W, 101 patients).

[False paraprotein-induced hypoglycemia in the measurement of glucose by the hexokinase method].

A 67 years old woman with a Waldenström disease was admitted in the intensive care unit for dyspnea and fever. During hospitalization, episodes of undetectable glycemia were observed without any hypoglycemia symptoms. Plasma glucose was determined with the hexokinase method (recommended).

Early-onset invasive aspergillosis and other fungal infections in patients treated with ibrutinib.

Ibrutinib has revolutionized the management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and is now being increasingly used. Although considered to be less immunosuppressive than conventional immunochemotherapy, the observation of a few cases of invasive fungal infections in patients treated with ibrutinib prompted us to conduct a retrospective survey. We identified 33 cases of invasive fungal infections in patients receiving ibrutinib alone or in combination.

A phase II Bayesian sequential clinical trial in advanced Waldenström macroglobulinemia patients treated with bortezomib: interest of addition of dexamethasone.

In patients with advanced Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM), overall response rate (ORR) and median progression-free survival (PFS) achieved with bortezomib alone and bortezomib rituximab combination were 27-85% and 7.9 months, and 81% and 16.4 months, respectively.

Relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia retreated with rituximab: interim results of the PERLE study.

This prospective non-interventional study assessed the management of relapsed/refractory CLL after one or two treatments with rituximab, and retreatment with a rituximab-based regimen. An interim analysis was performed at the end of the induction period in 192 evaluable patients. Median age was 72 years [35-89], first relapse (55%), and second relapse (45%).

Fanconi syndrome and chronic kidney disease in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria: effect of eculizumab therapy.

The association of Fanconi syndrome (FS) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been rarely described during the course of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). We report 2 patients with PNH and CKD associated with proximal tubule dysfunction, which manifested as full-blown FS in one case. In both patients, abnormal iron load within the kidneys was demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging, which correlated with diffuse and numerous hemosiderin inclusions within proximal tubular cells.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation allows long-term complete remission and curability in high-risk Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia. Results of a retrospective analysis of the Société Française de Greffe de Moelle et de Thérapie Cellulaire.

Background: Patients with poor-risk Waldenström's macroglobulinemia have suboptimal response and early post-treatment relapse with conventional therapies. Hence, new therapeutic approaches such as allogeneic stem cell transplantation should be evaluated in these patients.

Design And Methods: We examined the long-term outcome of allogeneic stem cell transplantation in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia by studying the records of 24 patients reported in the SFGM-TC database and one transplanted in the bone marrow unit in Hamburg.

IGHV gene mutational status and LPL/ADAM29 gene expression as clinical outcome predictors in CLL patients in remission following treatment with oral fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide.

Several prognostic factors can predict the rapid progression in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), including IGHV mutational status, cytogenetic abnormalities and, more recently, LPL/ADAM29 expression. In contrast, few studies have been devoted to the influence of these factors on clinical outcome in responding patients after therapy. We here propose to analyse the impact of IGHV gene status, LPL and ADAM29 gene expression on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in 41 stage B or C CLL patients in remission after oral fludarabine plus cyclophosphamide.

High efficacy with five days schedule of oral fludarabine phosphate and cyclophosphamide in patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

A multicentre single-arm study testing the efficacy and toxicity of the oral combination of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (FC) over 5 d in 75 patients with untreated B cell-chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Oral FC demonstrated high efficacy with overall (OR) and complete response (CR) rates of 80% and 53%, respectively. Out of the 30 CR patients studied for Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) using 4-colour flow-cytometry and the 22 using Clonospecific polymerase chain reaction, 22 (66%) and 16 (68%), respectively, were MRD negative.