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.

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).

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.

Relapsed and refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma: new avenues?

Relapse or progression following therapy for Hodgkin's lymphoma occurs in 10% to 60% of patients depending on initial clinical stage. Patterns of failure in advanced disease determine prognosis of salvage therapy. Progression or early relapse after less than 12 months requires intensive salvage therapy.

Single agent bortezomib in the treatment of relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma: cancer and leukemia Group B protocol 50206.

Constitutive activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) has been described in patient-derived Reed - Sternberg cells and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) cell lines and contributes to the proliferation and survival of HL. Therapeutic inhibition of the proteasome with bortezomib may inhibit over-expression of nuclear NF-kappaB by preventing degradation of IkappaB, which sequesters NF-kappaB in the cytoplasm. To evaluate this hypothesis, the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) conducted a multi-institutional phase II trial of single agent bortezomib in patients with relapsed or refractory classical HL.