Neutrophil lymphocyte ratio and duration of prior anti-angiogenic therapy as biomarkers in metastatic RCC receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

Background: There is an unmet need to determine factors predictive of clinical benefit, to guide therapeutic sequencing and selection in metastatic RCC (mRCC). We evaluated clinical factors such as the neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and duration of prior anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, as predictors of response rate, progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in mRCC patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI).

Methods: Regulatory approval was obtained.

Safety and activity of ibrutinib plus rituximab for patients with high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: a single-arm, phase 2 study.

Background: Ibrutinib, an orally administered covalent inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK), is an effective treatment for relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). We investigated the activity and safety of the combination of ibrutinib with the monoclonal antibody rituximab in patients with high-risk CLL.

Methods: In this single-arm phase 2 study, we enrolled adult patients with high-risk CLL at the MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX, USA).

Discrepancy in diagnosis of primary myelofibrosis between referral and tertiary care centers.

Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is myeloproliferative neoplasm whose diagnosis is based on a combination of clinical and pathology criteria. We evaluated 560 consecutive patients who were diagnosed with PMF upon a referral to our center and evaluated the frequency of and reasons for diagnostic discordance. Discordance in the diagnosis was found in 70 (12.