The current understanding of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for older patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has changed treatment landscape of relapsed or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and more older patients have been treated with curative intent for R/R disease, including patients previously deemed unfit for autologous stem-cell transplant with a broader application of CAR T-cell therapy. Due to the unique CAR T-cell-related toxicity and special attention needed in treating older patients, optimal patient selection and management of CAR T-cell therapy in older patients are becoming more critical. More data are emerging in the field; multiple approaches, such as geriatric and frailty assessment and multi-disciplinary work with geriatrics, are being studied for CAR T-cell therapy application.

Outcomes of Patients With Newly Diagnosed AML and Hyperleukocytosis.

Purpose: AML presenting with hyperleukocytosis is associated with poor outcomes. We aim to understand the factors associated with early mortality and overall survival (OS) to help guide management and improve early mortality.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data from 129 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed AML and a WBC count ≥100 × 10/L between January 2010 and April 2020.

Cancer patients with clonal hematopoiesis die from primary malignancy or comorbidities despite higher rates of transformation to myeloid neoplasms.

Background: The occurrence of somatic mutations in patients with no evidence of hematological disorders is called clonal hematopoiesis (CH). CH, whose subtypes include CH of indeterminate potential and clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance, has been associated with both hematologic cancers and systemic comorbidities. However, CH's effect on patients, especially those with concomitant malignancies, is not fully understood.

Current Understanding of Mutations in Myeloid Neoplasms.

The DEAD-box RNA helicase 41 gene, , is frequently mutated in hereditary myeloid neoplasms, identified in 2% of entire patients with AML/MDS. The pathogenesis of mutation is related to the defect in the gene's normal functions of RNA and innate immunity. About 80% of patients with germline mutations have somatic mutations in another allele, resulting in the biallelic mutation.

Implications of RAS mutational status in subsets of patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia across therapy subtypes.

Activating mutations in RAS have been reported in about 10-15% of patients with AML; previous studies have not identified a prognostic significance. However, RAS mutations have emerged as a potential resistance mechanism to treatment with inhibitors of FLT3, IDH, and BCL2. We aimed to determine the characteristics and outcomes of patients with RAS-mutated (RAS-mut) AML across therapy subsets of 1410 patients newly diagnosed (ND AML).

Venetoclax resistance: mechanistic insights and future strategies.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is historically associated with poor prognosis, especially in older AML patients unfit for intensive chemotherapy. The development of Venetoclax, a potent oral BH3 (BCL-2 homology domain 3) mimetic, has transformed the AML treatment. However, the short duration of response and development of resistance remain major concerns.

Urgent cytoreduction for newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia patients allows acquisition of pretreatment genomic data and enrollment on investigational clinical trials.

Newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia is often deemed a medical emergency, requiring urgent treatment. This is in contradiction with the need for accurate cytogenetic and molecular data, which is not immediately available, to select optimal therapy. We hypothesized that cytoreduction with hydroxyurea or cytarabine would enable urgent disease control and provide a bridge to clinical trial enrollment.

A randomized phase 2 trial of idiotype vaccination and adoptive autologous T-cell transfer in patients with multiple myeloma.

We hypothesized that combining adoptively transferred autologous T cells with a cancer vaccine strategy would enhance therapeutic efficacy by adding antimyeloma idiotype (Id)-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) vaccine to vaccine-specific costimulated T cells. In this randomized phase 2 trial, patients received either control (KLH only) or Id-KLH vaccine, autologous transplantation, vaccine-specific costimulated T cells expanded ex vivo, and 2 booster doses of assigned vaccine. In 36 patients (KLH, n = 20; Id-KLH, n = 16), no dose-limiting toxicity was seen.

Phase II study of azacitidine with pembrolizumab in patients with intermediate-1 or higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome.

Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is upregulated in cluster of differentiation 34 (CD34) bone marrow cells from patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Hypomethylating agent (HMA) treatment results in further increased expression of these immune checkpoints. We hypothesised that combining an anti-PD-1 antibody with HMAs may have efficacy in patients with MDS.

Outcomes of TP53-mutant acute myeloid leukemia with decitabine and venetoclax.

Background: TP53 mutation (TP53 ) confers an adverse prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Venetoclax with hypomethylating agents is a current standard for older patients; however, recent reports suggest that TP53 confers resistance to venetoclax. The authors investigated the outcomes of patients with TP53 AML who were treated with a 10-day decitabine and venetoclax (DEC10-VEN) (ClinicalTrials.

Current Approaches to Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive B-Cell Lineage Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Role of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor and Stem Cell Transplant.

Purpose Of Review: Over the past two decades, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have changed the management of patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and this has led to significant improvement in their outcome. In this review, we will provide an overview of the current understanding of treatment of Ph+ ALL focusing on TKIs, alloHSCT, and novel therapies.

Recent Findings: The advent of more potent TKIs and the novel therapeutic options including blinatumomab, inotuzumab ozogamicin, and CD19 CAR-T therapy has changed the role of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (alloHSCT) and intensive chemotherapy.

The use of direct acting oral anticoagulants in patients with COVID-19 infection.

The use of direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has increased rapidly in the last decade; becoming the mainstay for both the prophylaxis and the treatment of venous thromboembolism in various situations including non-valvular atrial fibrillation, joint replacement surgeries and acute DVT/PE, etc. In the present times, DOACs are possibly one of the most widely prescribed medications in the developed world. The worldwide epidemic caused by COVID-19 caused significant changes in the practice of medicine worldwide.

Incidental early diagnosis of biphasic pulmonary blastoma in a patient with history of stage IV lung adenocarcinoma.

Biphasic pulmonary blastoma is a rare but lethal type of lung malignancy with characteristic histology of both epithelial and mesenchymal components. Previously reported cases have been limited to presentation at advanced stages, suggesting that the clinical course of the disease is usually aggressive. Here, we report a case of incidental diagnosis of biphasic pulmonary blastoma by imaging surveillance in a patient previously treated for adenocarcinoma of the lung.

An Unusual Initial Presentation of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma as Recurrent Syncope.

We describe a rare presentation of diffuse large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) with recurrent episodes of syncope. During the workup for syncope, the patient was incidentally found to have an extensive mass in the left thorax, which was later diagnosed as stage 2 bulky disease DLBCL. This is the rare case of lymphoma presenting as recurrent syncope without cardiac involvement.

Association between melanoma and renal-cell carcinoma for sequential diagnoses: A single-center retrospective study.

Background: Melanoma and renal-cell carcinoma (RCC) are known to be immunological neoplasms. Previous studies have shown increased risks in patients with melanoma of developing RCC and in those with RCC of developing melanoma. However, data regarding immunocompromised status in these patients are lacking.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Expression in Primary and Metastatic Prostate Cancer.

Antibodies targeting the programmed cell death protein 1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) interaction have shown clinical activity in multiple cancer types. PD-L1 protein expression is a clinically validated predictive biomarker of response for such therapies. Prior studies evaluating the expression of PD-L1 in primary prostate cancers have reported highly variable rates of PD-L1 positivity.

Novel BAFF-Receptor Antibody to Natively Folded Recombinant Protein Eliminates Drug-Resistant Human B-cell Malignancies .

mAbs such as anti-CD20 rituximab are proven therapies in B-cell malignancies, yet many patients develop resistance. Novel therapies against alternative targets are needed to circumvent resistance mechanisms. We sought to generate mAbs against human B-cell-activating factor receptor (BAFF-R/TNFRSF13C), which has not yet been targeted successfully for cancer therapy.

AIM1 is an actin-binding protein that suppresses cell migration and micrometastatic dissemination.

A defining hallmark of primary and metastatic cancers is the migration and invasion of malignant cells. These invasive properties involve altered dynamics of the cytoskeleton and one of its major structural components β-actin. Here we identify AIM1 (absent in melanoma 1) as an actin-binding protein that suppresses pro-invasive properties in benign prostate epithelium.

Understanding Hearing Loss and Barriers to Hearing Health Care Among Korean American Older Adults: A Focus Group Study.

Hearing loss is associated with an accelerated decline in social, cognitive, and physical functioning among older adults. However, little is known about its impact and barriers to hearing health care in any ethnic minorities. The aim of this study was to explore experiences related to hearing loss and barriers to hearing health care among older Korean Americans (KAs).

Nonstereotyped lymphoma B cell receptors recognize vimentin as a shared autoantigen.

Ag activation of the BCR may play a role in the pathogenesis of human follicular lymphoma (FL) and other B cell malignancies. However, the nature of the Ag(s) recognized by tumor BCRs has not been well studied. In this study, we used unbiased approaches to demonstrate that 42 (19.