Combination chemotherapy of solid tumors: an American-Italian collaboration: a celebration of the work of Gianni Bonadonna.

This article highlights the important collaboration between the U.S. NCI in Bethesda, Maryland and the Istituto Tumori in Milan, Italy that had a major impact on the development of curative regimens for breast cancer, Hodgkin's disease and diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

Gianni Bonadonna: A Personal Remembrance.

Gianni Bonadonna (1934–2015) is fondly remembered. His contributions to the field of oncology are highlighted, including a clinical trial to determine the effects of postoperative combination chemotherapy to prevent relapse of breast cancer, which led to a revolutionary treatment approach using various active agents, and a salvage regimen for the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma.

Interim [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging in stage I-II non-bulky Hodgkin lymphoma: would using combined positron emission tomography and computed tomography criteria better predict response than each test alone?

Our objective was to validate the International Harmonization Project (IHP) positron emission tomography (PET) response criteria and correlate with the Deauville criteria and diagnostic computed tomography-based (dCT) lesion size changes. All patients were recruited prospectively to the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) 50203 trial for the treatment of stage I-II, non-bulky Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). [(18)F]Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET and dCT were performed at baseline and after two doxorubicin, vinblastine and gemcitabine (AVG) cycles (PET-2, dCT-2) in 88 patients.

A Cancer and Leukemia Group B multi-center study of DA-EPOCH-rituximab in untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with analysis of outcome by molecular subtype.

Background: A phase II trial of dose-adjusted etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and rituximab (DA-EPOCH-R) from the National Cancer Institute showed promising activity in untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The Cancer and Leukemia Group B conducted a study to determine if these results could be reproduced in a multi-institutional setting.

Design And Methods: The study included 69 patients with untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma at least 18 years of age and at least stage II.

Can low-risk, early-stage patients with Hodgkin lymphoma be spared radiotherapy?

Advances in the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma since about 1970 have led to a remarkable improvement in the long-term outcomes of what was once considered an incurable disease. The prolonged survival of cured patients has revealed new issues concerning the toxicity of successful therapy, however, including an increased risk of secondary malignancies and end-organ damage such as heart disease. This concern has led to the clinical research question of whether the de-escalation of treatment intensity could allow high cure rates to continue with less long-term toxicity.

Doxorubicin, vinblastine, and gemcitabine (CALGB 50203) for stage I/II nonbulky Hodgkin lymphoma: pretreatment prognostic factors and interim PET.

To reduce doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine toxicity, the Cancer and Leukemia Group B conducted a phase 2 trial of doxorubicin, vinblastine, and gemcitabine for newly diagnosed, nonbulky stages I and II Hodgkin lymphoma. Ninety-nine assessable patients received 6 cycles of doxorubicin 25 mg/m(2), vinblastine 6 mg/m(2), and gemcitabine 800 mg/m(2) (1000 mg/m(2) in first 6) on days 1 and 15 every 28 days. Computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) were performed before and after 2 and 6 cycles.

Hematology in 2010: New therapies and standard of care in oncology.

2010 was not a year of survival breakthroughs in hematologic malignancies. However, in Hodgkin's disease and multiple myeloma new therapies emerged as the standard of care and nilotinib may be considered the treatment choice for newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia.

End-of-treatment but not interim PET scan predicts outcome in nonbulky limited-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Background: Early interim positron emission tomography (PET) scans appear powerfully predictive of outcome in Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL), particularly in advanced-stage disease where it has been predominantly studied. The prognostic value of interim PET in limited-stage patients with nonbulky disease has not been well established.

Patients And Methods: Ninety-six patients with nonbulky limited-stage HL were identified who had interim and end-of-treatment PET scans.

Treatment of favorable, limited-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma with chemotherapy without consolidation by radiation therapy.

Purpose: Limited-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) has been treated with radiation alone or radiation combined with chemotherapy. Although results in progression-free survival and overall survival have been excellent, the long-term, radiation-induced, toxic cardiac and secondary oncologic complications occurring in succeeding decades have compromised survival of young patients. This study examines the impact of chemotherapy alone in treatment of limited-stage, nonbulky HL, radiation therapy eliminated from primary treatment.

Immunochemotherapy and autologous stem-cell transplantation for untreated patients with mantle-cell lymphoma: CALGB 59909.

PURPOSE Mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with a poor prognosis. We explored the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of an aggressive immunochemotherapy treatment program that included autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) for patients up to age 69 years with newly diagnosed MCL. PATIENTS AND METHODS The primary end point was 2-year progression-free survival (PFS).

Recombinant interferon-alpha2b added to oral cyclophosphamide either as induction or maintenance in treatment-naive follicular lymphoma: final analysis of CALGB 8691.

Recombinant interferon alpha-2b (IFN-alpha2) has direct and indirect antiproliferative effects in lymphoma, and may augment cytotoxicity when combined with chemotherapy. CALGB 8691 is a randomized study of daily oral cyclophosphamide (CPA) at 100 mg/m2 with or without IFN-alpha2 at 2 x 106 IU/m2 three times per week, followed by a second randomization between IFN-alpha2 maintenance (2 x 106 IU/m2 three times weekly) versus observation in treatment-naïve patients with follicular lymphoma (FL). Five hundred eighty-one patients were randomized to either CPA (n = 293) or CPA plus IFN-alpha2 (n = 288).

Improved survival in lymphoma patients receiving sirolimus for graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation with reduced-intensity conditioning.

Purpose: Inhibitors of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase have shown clinical activity in several lymphoma subtypes. Sirolimus, an mTOR inhibitor, also has activity in the treatment and prophylaxis of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). We hypothesized that the use of sirolimus for GVHD prophylaxis in patients with lymphoma might lead to improved survival after transplantation through a decreased incidence of disease progression.

Allogeneic transplantation with reduced-intensity conditioning for Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma: importance of histology for outcome.

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) with reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) has the potential to lead to long-term remissions for patients with lymphoma. However, the role of RIC SCT in the treatment of lymphoma is still unclear. Specifically, the relative benefit of RIC SCT across lymphoma histologies and the prognostic factors in this population are incompletely defined.