Fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab as first-line treatment in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A long-term analysis of the German CLL Study Group (GCLLSG) registry.

Long-term data of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients with favorable risk who were treated with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR) within clinical trials show good efficacy. We here report long-term data collected within the GCLLSG registry. Altogether, 417 CLL patients who received first-line treatment with FCR were analyzed, of which 293 (70.

Iron Chelation in Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Myeloproliferative Neoplasms-Real-World Data from the German Noninterventional Study EXCALIBUR.

Myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative neoplasms both represent hematologic diseases associated with bone marrow failure often resulting in anemia. For those patients, transfusion of red blood cell (RBC) units is essential but results in iron overload (IOL) that may affect various organ functions. Therefore, iron chelation therapy plays a major role in anemic patients, not only because it reduces IOL, but also because it may improve hematopoietic function by increasing hemoglobin or diminishing the requirement for RBC transfusions.

Real-world analysis of ruxolitinib in myelofibrosis: interim results focusing on patients who were naïve to JAK inhibitor therapy treated within the JAKoMo non-interventional, phase IV trial.

Ruxolitinib (RUX) is a Janus kinase 1/2 inhibitor (JAKi) approved in the EU for treating disease‑related splenomegaly or symptoms in adults patients with myelofibrosis (MF). This is an interim analysis of JAKoMo, a prospective, non‑interventional, phase IV study in MF. Between 2012-2019 (cutoff March 2021), 928 patients (JAKi-naïve and -pretreated) enrolled from 122 German centers.

Rare lymphomas in routine practice - Treatment and outcome in marginal zone lymphoma in the prospective German Tumour Registry Lymphatic Neoplasms.

Owing to its heterogeneity and rarity, management of disseminated marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (MZL) remains largely understudied. We present prospective data on choice of systemic treatment and survival of patients with MZL treated in German routine practice. Of 175 patients with MZL who had been documented in the prospective clinical cohort study Tumour Registry Lymphatic Neoplasms (NCT00889798) collecting data on systemic treatment, 58 were classified as extranodal MZL of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) and 117 as non-MALT MZL.

Quality of life and outcome of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer receiving first-line chemotherapy with nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine: Real-life results from the prospective QOLIXANE trial of the Platform for Outcome, Quality of Life and Translational Research on Pancreatic Cancer registry.

Few data exist on health-related quality of life (QoL) in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC) receiving first-line chemotherapy (Awad L ZE, Mesbah M Boston, MA. Applying survival data methodology to analyze quality of life data, in Mesbah M, Cole BF, Ting Lee M-L (eds): Statistical Methods for Quality of Life Studies: Design, Measurements and Analysis. Kluwer Academic Publishers 2002).

Health status and infections in patients with symptomatic primary and secondary immunoglobulin G (IgG) deficiencies receiving intravenous IgG replacement.

Background: The effects of intravenous immunoglobulin G replacement on perceived health and infection susceptibility of patients suffering from immunoglobulin G (IgG) deficiencies should be evaluated in a prospective analysis.

Methods: Patients with symptomatic primary or secondary IgG deficiencies were interviewed prior to the first IgG infusion (t) and over the course of their treatment (t - t). The respondents rated their current health using a 100 point scale (EQ-5D-5L), ranging from 0 ('worst imaginable health') to 100 ('best imaginable health').

Perioperative chemotherapy with fluorouracil plus leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel versus fluorouracil or capecitabine plus cisplatin and epirubicin for locally advanced, resectable gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (FLOT4): a randomised, phase 2/3 trial.

Background: Docetaxel-based chemotherapy is effective in metastatic gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. This study reports on the safety and efficacy of the docetaxel-based triplet FLOT (fluorouracil plus leucovorin, oxaliplatin and docetaxel) as a perioperative therapy for patients with locally advanced, resectable tumours.

Methods: In this controlled, open-label, phase 2/3 trial, we randomly assigned 716 patients with histologically-confirmed advanced clinical stage cT2 or higher or nodal positive stage (cN+), or both, resectable tumours, with no evidence of distant metastases, via central interactive web-based-response system, to receive either three pre-operative and three postoperative 3-week cycles of 50 mg/m epirubicin and 60 mg/m cisplatin on day 1 plus either 200 mg/m fluorouracil as continuous intravenous infusion or 1250 mg/m capecitabine orally on days 1 to 21 (ECF/ECX; control group) or four preoperative and four postoperative 2-week cycles of 50 mg/m docetaxel, 85 mg/m oxaliplatin, 200 mg/m leucovorin and 2600 mg/m fluorouracil as 24-h infusion on day 1 (FLOT; experimental group).

Rituximab in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in clinical practice.

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the real-world effectiveness and tolerability of rituximab-containing chemoimmunotherapies, which have become the standard of care for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), particularly for physically fit patients. Furthermore, current treatment patterns in clinical practice were documented, and an unselected real-life population was compared with older, comorbid patients.

Methods: Prospective, multicentre, observational study with rituximab-containing chemoimmunotherapy in CLL patients.

Effect of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Followed by Surgical Resection on Survival in Patients With Limited Metastatic Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer: The AIO-FLOT3 Trial.

Importance: Surgical resection has a potential benefit for patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the stomach and gastroesophageal junction.

Objective: To evaluate outcome in patients with limited metastatic disease who receive chemotherapy first and proceed to surgical resection.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The AIO-FLOT3 (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Internistische Onkologie-fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin, and docetaxel) trial is a prospective, phase 2 trial of 252 patients with resectable or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

Impact of Molecular Genetics on Outcome in Myelofibrosis Patients after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Molecular genetics may influence outcome for patients with myelofibrosis. To determine the impact of molecular genetics on outcome after allogeneic stem cell transplantation, we screened 169 patients with primary myelofibrosis (n = 110), post-essential thrombocythemia/polycythemia vera myelofibrosis (n = 46), and myelofibrosis in transformation (n = 13) for mutations in 16 frequently mutated genes. The most frequent mutation was JAK2V617F (n = 101), followed by ASXL1 (n = 49), calreticulin (n = 34), SRSF2 (n = 16), TET2 (n = 10), U2AF1 (n = 11), EZH2 (n = 7), MPL (n = 6), IDH2 (n = 5), IDH1 (n = 4), and CBL (n = 1).

Biosimilar Retacrit (epoetin zeta) in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced symptomatic anemia in hematology and oncology in Germany (ORHEO) - non-interventional study.

Background: Symptomatic anemia is a frequent and severe complication of chemotherapy that is commonly treated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. The primary objective of this study was to assess the change in hemoglobin levels in patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA) following treatment with biosimilar Retacrit (epoetin zeta). Secondary objectives included changes in hematologic parameters and tolerability.

Histopathological regression after neoadjuvant docetaxel, oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin versus epirubicin, cisplatin, and fluorouracil or capecitabine in patients with resectable gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (FLOT4-AIO): results from the phase 2 part of a multicentre, open-label, randomised phase 2/3 trial.

Background: Docetaxel-based chemotherapy is effective in metastatic gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, but has not yet been evaluated in the context of resectable patients. Here we report findings from the phase 2 part of the phase 2/3 FLOT4 trial, which compared histopathological regression in patients treated with a docetaxel-based triplet chemotherapy versus an anthracycline-based triplet chemotherapy before surgical resection.

Methods: In this randomised, open-label, phase 2/3 study, eligible participants were recruited from 28 German oncology centres.

Single-lane 180 Gbit/s PAM-4 signal transmission over 2 km SSMF for short-reach applications.

We experimentally demonstrate the generation and transmission of a single-lane 180  Gbit/s (90 GBaud) four-level pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM-4) signal in an intensity-modulation direct-detection system with a 7.5 GHz 3 dB bandwidth. The generated signal is transmitted over a 2 km standard single-mode fiber with, to the best of our knowledge, the highest reported net data rate in the C-band: 150  Gbit/s.

High coagulation factor VIII and von Willebrand factor in patients with lymphoma and leukemia.

The risk of venous thromboembolism is increased in patients with lymphoma and leukemia; however, little is known about the potential underlying hereditary or acquired thrombophilia. We prospectively analyzed procoagulant markers and gene mutations in patients with lymphoma (n = 35) and leukemia (n = 10) at diagnosis and over the course of treatment. Global coagulation tests were normal in all patients, as were antithrombin and protein S.

The impact of docetaxel-related toxicities on health-related quality of life in patients with metastatic cancer (QoliTax).

Background: Docetaxel is a widely used cytotoxic agent. This study evaluates the impact of docetaxel toxicities on patient's health-related quality of life (QoL).

Patients And Methods: We conducted a multicenter, prospective, non-interventional trial, in which the QoL was assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaires at baseline and every 4 weeks up to 40 weeks in patients receiving a docetaxel-based chemotherapy for metastatic disease.

Conditioning with treosulfan and fludarabine for patients with refractory or relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The treatment of refractory or relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) remains challenging. In this retrospective study, 88 patients with refractory or relapsed NHL received treosulfan and fludarabine as a reduced-intensity conditioning for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Of the 88 intensely pre-treated patients, 73 experienced a relapse, with 18 of the 88 patients experiencing an early relapse (ER; <6 months from the last chemotherapy).

Risk-adapted, treosulfan-based therapy with auto- and allo-SCT for relapsed/refractory aggressive NHL: a prospective phase-II trial.

Since the outcome of relapsed/refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is highly variable, a risk-adapted treatment approach was evaluated. After two cycles of DHAP, patients received high-dose treosulfan/etoposide/carboplatinum (TEC) and autologous stem cell rescue. After TEC, low-risk patients with late relapse (>1 year after first CR who achieved CR after DHAP received no further treatment.

A randomised multicentre phase II study with cisplatin/docetaxel vs oxaliplatin/docetaxel as first-line therapy in patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: This study was designed to compare cisplatin/docetaxel with oxaliplatin/docetaxel in patients with advanced and metastatic non-small lung cancer as a first-line treatment.

Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive either cisplatin 75 mg m(-2) and docetaxel 75 mg m(-2) every 3 weeks or oxaliplatin 85 mg m(-2) and docetaxel 50 mg m(-2) every 2 weeks. The primary end point was response rate, and secondary end points were toxicity, time to progression and overall survival.

Beyond diagnosis: subjective theories of illness in adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Every acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient asks: why me? But from the patients' perspective, there are no objective medical causes and no clear picture of AML. However, based on these missing medical answers, patients develop their own ideas about illness and treatment. These subjective theories of illness (STOI) are defined as the cognitive constructions ill people make regarding: (1) the nature of their disease; (2) its source; and (3) its treatment.

Coping with illness and subjective theories of illness in adult patients with haematological malignancies: systematic review.

In parallel to development of individualised antineoplastic treatment, scientific interest in patients' subjective theories of illness (STOI) has emerged in the oncological community. STOI depend decisively on patients' information about their disease. Coping with illness is dependent from the individual situation and context, and it is generally modulated by patients' STOI.

Randomized trial of high-dose adjuvant chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic stem-cell support versus standard-dose chemotherapy in breast cancer patients with 10 or more positive lymph nodes: overall survival after 6 years of follow-up.

Investigation of high-dose chemotherapy (HD-CT) compared with standard-dose chemotherapy (SD-CT) as adjuvant treatment in patients with primary breast cancer and >/=10 axillary lymph nodes. From November 1993 to September 2000, 307 patients were randomized to receive after four cycles of epirubicin (90 mg/m(2)), cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m(2)) i.v.

[Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis resulting from non-Hodgkin-lymphoma: two case reports].

Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE) is a rare disease that is probably caused by an immunological reaction against CNS-structures. It may present with neurological, neuropsychological or psychiatric symptoms. Besides treatment of the underlying neoplastic disease, there is no generally applicable evidence-based treatment.

Use of capillary blood count parameters in adults.

Background And Objectives: Capillary samples can provide blood for cell counts in haematologic patients and blood donors. However, some accept only values from venous blood. This study compares capillary and venous blood counts to verify the hypothesis that they are equivalent.