Publications by authors named "Graham Slack"

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma with primary presentation in, and disease limited to, the central nervous system (primary CNS ALCL) is a rare and aggressive lymphoma found in a sensitive anatomic site. We report the clinical and pathologic characteristics of 17 primary CNS ALCL cases that are newly reported from six academic medical centers. We are investigating the characteristics of these cases, alongside their commonalities and differences from systemic ALCL arising at conventional anatomic sites.

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Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is a heterogeneous group of neoplasms, with many cases remaining unclassifiable and categorized as PTCL-not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS). Gene expression profiling (GEP) has delineated 2 prognostic subtypes within PTCL-NOS, PTCL-TBX21 and PTCL-GATA3, characterized by distinctive transcriptomes and a different prognosis. To further evaluate the pathologic features of these subgroups, 101 PTCL cases that did not meet specific criteria for well-defined T-cell lymphoma entities underwent detailed pathologic, immunophenotypic (including T follicular helper [T] biomarkers), and GEP analyses, separating them into PTCL-NOS (n = 63) and PTCL-TFH (also known as nodal PTCL-TFH, NOS, and TFH lymphoma, NOS) (n = 38).

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High-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 rearrangements (HGBCL-DH-BCL2), or 'double-hit lymphoma,' has been associated with a high risk of central nervous system (CNS) relapse. However, historic estimates are impacted by selection bias. We report CNS relapse rates associated with HGBCL-DH-BCL2 from a population-based cohort with complete fluorescence in situ hybridization testing, as well as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma morphology (DLBCL) tumors expressing the dark-zone gene expression signature (DZsig), which was originally derived from HGBCL-DH-BCL2.

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Recent advances in Rosai-Dorfman-Destombes disease (RDD), notably molecular testing, targeted therapy, and PET-CT imaging, hold promise for better recognition and improved outcomes. This study presents patients diagnosed and treated in a "real world" setting, where navigating limited resources must be considered. This retrospective single-center review includes 15 adult patients diagnosed with RDD at Vancouver General Hospital between November 2015 and October 2023.

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Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using break-apart probes is recommended for identifying high-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 rearrangements (HGBCL-DH-BCL2). Unbalanced MYC break-apart patterns, in which the red or green signal is lost, are commonly reported as an equivocal result by clinical laboratories. In a cohort of 297 HGBCL-DH-BCL2, 13% of tumors had unbalanced MYC break-apart patterns with loss of red (LR; 2%) or loss of green (LG; 11%) signal.

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Rearrangements that place the oncogenes MYC, BCL2, or BCL6 adjacent to superenhancers are common in mature B-cell lymphomas. Lymphomas with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or high-grade morphology with both MYC and BCL2 rearrangements are classified as high-grade B-cell lymphoma with MYC and BCL2 rearrangements ("double hit"; HGBCL-DH-BCL2) and are associated with aggressive disease and poor outcomes. Although it is established that MYC rearrangements involving immunoglobulin (IG) loci are associated with inferior outcomes relative to those involving other non-IG superenhancers, the frequency of and mechanisms driving IG vs non-IG MYC rearrangements have not been elucidated.

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Here, we report recurrent focal deletions of the chr14q32.31-32 locus, including , a negative regulator of NF-κB signaling, in de novo diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (24/324 cases). Integrative analysis revealed an association between copy number loss with accumulation of NIK, the central noncanonical (NC) NF-κB kinase, and increased NC NF-κB pathway activity.

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We report on outcomes of 111 patients with treatment naïve Waldenström macroglobulinemia (TN WM) treated with frontline bendamustine-rituximab (BR) ( = 57) or rituximab-cyclophosphamide-vincristine-prednisone (RCVP) ( = 54). Median follow-up was 60.7 months (range 1.

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Objectives: Multiple case reports describe Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD) following COVID-19 vaccination, but the true nature of this phenomenon is unknown. The purpose of this study was to further assess the relationship between KFD and COVID-19 vaccination at the population level.

Methods: Confirmed KFD cases from January 2018 to April 2022 were identified from provincial pathology archives and analyzed in the context of vaccination statistics from public health resources.

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Purpose: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is cured in more than 60% of patients, but outcomes remain poor for patients experiencing disease progression or relapse (refractory or relapsed DLBCL [rrDLBCL]), particularly if these events occur early. Although previous studies examining cohorts of rrDLBCL have identified features that are enriched at relapse, few have directly compared serial biopsies to uncover biological and evolutionary dynamics driving rrDLBCL. Here, we sought to confirm the relationship between relapse timing and outcomes after second-line (immuno)chemotherapy and determine the evolutionary dynamics that underpin that relationship.

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Lymphoma is a clinically and biologically heterogeneous disease. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has expanded our understanding of this heterogeneity at the genetic level, refining disease classification, defining new entities, and providing additional information that can be used in diagnosis and management. This review highlights some of the NGS findings in lymphoma and how they can be used as genetic biomarkers to aid diagnosis and prognosis and guide therapy.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A study analyzed whole-genome sequencing of 423 patients, identifying two genetically distinct subgroups of FL: DLBCL-like (dFL) and constrained FL (cFL), each with unique mutation patterns.
  • * The research developed a machine learning classification method to differentiate between cFL and dFL, finding that cFL is linked to a lower risk of histologic transformation, suggesting its potential for predicting patient outcomes based on genetic characteristics.
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Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is cured in over 60% of patients, but outcomes are poor for patients with relapsed or refractory disease (rrDLBCL). Here, we performed whole genome/exome sequencing (WGS/WES) on tumors from 73 serially-biopsied patients with rrDLBCL. Based on the observation that outcomes to salvage therapy/autologous stem cell transplantation are related to time-to-relapse, we stratified patients into groups according to relapse timing to explore the relationship to genetic divergence and sensitivity to salvage immunochemotherapy.

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Article Synopsis
  • Molecular heterogeneity in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) affects treatment outcomes, and a study of 1149 patients in British Columbia explored the prevalence and prognosis of different molecular subgroups using various profiling techniques.
  • A significant portion of germinal center B-cell-like (GCB)-DLBCL samples (21%) expressed a new "dark zone signature" (DZsig), which is linked to poorer survival rates compared to other DLBCL types, highlighting the need for tailored treatment approaches.
  • DZsig expression, which extends beyond previously identified high-grade lymphoma markers, indicates a poor-prognosis DLBCL subgroup that might benefit from intensified therapies or novel treatments in future trials.
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  • * A study involved whole-genome sequencing of 230 BL and 295 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) tumors, revealing key mutated genes and new subgroups of BL with specific genetic traits.
  • * The research findings indicate significant genetic and clinical disparities between pediatric and adult BL, suggesting that identifying these subtypes could inform better approaches to diagnosis and treatment.
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Marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (MZBCL) of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type, which is primary to the central nervous system (CNS), is a rare lesion, with those originating within the parenchyma even more so. We present the case of a 64-year-old male with weakness in the left hand and focal motor seizures of his arm, who was found to have a right frontal intraparenchymal lesion. Following resection, histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluations were completed, leading to a diagnosis of a primary CNS MZBCL of MALT type in the context of a negative workup of systemic disease.

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Outcomes in older adults with classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) have traditionally been poor, in part, related to poor tolerance to standard chemotherapy. Herein, we evaluated the survival of patients with cHL aged ≥60 years in British Columbia in a population-based analysis. From 1961 to 2019, 744 patients with newly diagnosed cHL were identified.

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Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is an aggressive and rare subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with no standard-of-care therapy. We reviewed all patients diagnosed with histologically confirmed PBL in British Columbia, Canada between 1997 and 2019. Overall, 42 patients were identified, including 15 (36%) positive for HIV and nine (21%) on chronic immunosuppression.

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Purpose: Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) includes heterogeneous clinicopathologic entities with numerous diagnostic and treatment challenges. We previously defined robust transcriptomic signatures that distinguish common PTCL entities and identified two novel biologic and prognostic PTCL-not otherwise specified subtypes (PTCL-TBX21 and PTCL-GATA3). We aimed to consolidate a gene expression-based subclassification using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues to improve the accuracy and precision in PTCL diagnosis.

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Article Synopsis
  • Investigated how mutations in the BCL10 protein affect the signaling pathways involved in activated B cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (ABC-DLBCL), which have poor treatment outcomes.
  • Identified two main types of BCL10 mutations: missense mutations that enhance protein filament formation and truncation mutations that prevent normal function, affecting response to therapies.
  • Highlighted that these mutations can serve as biomarkers for predicting resistance to BTK inhibitors and responsiveness to MALT1 inhibitors, aiding in the development of more precise treatments for ABC-DLBCL.
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Hodgkin variant Richter transformation (HvRT) is a rare and challenging complication of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) for which information on prognostic factors and treatment approaches remain limited. We analysed characteristics and survival outcomes of a population-based cohort of 32 patients with HvRT identified in British Columbia over a 40-year period. Median interval from CLL diagnosis to HvRT was 5.

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A 54-Year-Old Woman with Cutaneous NodulesA 54-year-old woman presented with chronic cutaneous nodules and plaques. How do you approach the evaluation, and what is the diagnosis?

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