The evolving landscape of COVID-19 and post-COVID condition in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A study by ERIC, the European research initiative on CLL.

In this retrospective international multicenter study, we describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and related disorders (small lymphocytic lymphoma and high-count monoclonal B lymphocytosis) infected by SARS-CoV-2, including the development of post-COVID condition. Data from 1540 patients with CLL infected by SARS-CoV-2 from January 2020 to May 2022 were included in the analysis and assigned to four phases based on cases disposition and SARS-CoV-2 variants emergence. Post-COVID condition was defined according to the WHO criteria.

Lymphadenopathy as a predictor of progression during venetoclax treatment in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. A campus chronic lymphocytic leukemia study.

Clinical or biological parameters useful to predict progression during treatment in real-life setting with ibrutinib, idelalisib and venetoclax in relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are still debated. We conducted a multi-center retrospective study on CLL patients treated with ibrutinib and/or idelalisib who were switched to venetoclax for progression or due to adverse events to identify any clinical and/or biological parameters useful to predict progression during treatment with venetoclax. Of all the 128 evaluable patients, 81 had received ibrutinib prior to switching to venetoclax, 35 had received idelalisib and 12 both.

Thrombotic and bleeding complications in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and severe COVID-19: a study of ERIC, the European Research Initiative on CLL.

Background: Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) may be more susceptible to COVID-19 related poor outcomes, including thrombosis and death, due to the advanced age, the presence of comorbidities, and the disease and treatment-related immune deficiency. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of thrombosis and bleeding in patients with CLL affected by severe COVID-19.

Methods: This is a retrospective multicenter study conducted by ERIC, the European Research Initiative on CLL, including patients from 79 centers across 22 countries.

COVID-19 severity and mortality in patients with CLL: an update of the international ERIC and Campus CLL study.

Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) may be more susceptible to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to age, disease, and treatment-related immunosuppression. We aimed to assess risk factors of outcome and elucidate the impact of CLL-directed treatments on the course of COVID-19. We conducted a retrospective, international study, collectively including 941 patients with CLL and confirmed COVID-19.

Secondary bone marrow malignancies after adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: a report of 2 cases and a review of the literature.

Purpose: Secondary malignancies are new cancers occurring in patients previously treated with radiation or chemotherapy for a primary tumor. Secondary cancers are not related to the primary tumor, and may develop months or years after cancer treatment: they are usually a result of the first cancer therapy. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy may increase the risk of second cancers, such as skin tumors (basal or squamous cell carcinoma) or acute leukemia.

Advancement in high dose therapy and autologous stem cell rescue in lymphoma.

Although advanced stage aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and Hodgkin's disease are thought to be chemotherapy-responsive cancers, a considerable number of patients either relapse or never attain a remission. High-dose therapy (HDT) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is often the only possibility of cure for most of these patients. However, many controversial issues still remain with respect to HDT/ASCT for lymphomas, including its role for, the optimal timing of transplantation, the best conditioning regimen and the potential use of localized radiotherapy or immunologic methods to decrease post-transplant recurrence.

Autologous stem cell transplantation for aggressive lymphomas.

The role of high-dose therapy (HDT) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in the treatment armamentarium of aggressive B- and T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is still a matter of debate. In the pre-Rituximab era, the PARMA study demonstrated the superiority of HDT/ASCT over conventional salvage chemotherapy in chemosensitive, relapsed patients. Subsequently, HDT/ASCT has become a standard approach for relapsed NHL.

BeEAM (bendamustine, etoposide, cytarabine, melphalan) before autologous stem cell transplantation is safe and effective for resistant/relapsed lymphoma patients.

We designed a phase 1-2 study to evaluate the safety and the efficacy of increasing doses of bendamustine (160 mg/m², 180 mg/m², and 200 mg/m² given on days -7 and -6) coupled with fixed doses of etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan (BeEAM regimen) as the conditioning regimen to autologous stem cell transplantation for resistant/relapsed lymphoma patients. Forty-three patients (median age, 47 years) with non-Hodgkin (n = 28) or Hodgkin (n = 15) lymphoma were consecutively treated. Nine patients entered the phase 1 study; no patients experienced a dose-limiting toxicity.

Thalidomide, dexamethasone, Doxil and Velcade (ThaDD-V) followed by consolidation/maintenance therapy in patients with relapsed-refractory multiple myeloma.

In newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM), three/four-drug combinations as induction therapy seem to be more effective compared with two-drug associations in terms of response rate and duration of remission. Moreover, there is an emergent body of evidences that consolidation/maintenance therapy improves the quality of response and remission duration. However, the impact of these strategies in relapsed/refractory MM (r-rMM) is still unknown.

An observational study of once weekly intravenous ganciclovir as CMV prophylaxis in heavily pre-treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients receiving subcutaneous alemtuzumab.

Fifteen consecutive resistant/relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients (median age: 65 years) received alemtuzumab for 16 consecutive weeks. All patients had negative CMV anti genemia at baseline. Five patients received oral acyclovir 800 mg twice a day for CMV prophylaxis and 10 patients got intravenous (iv) ganciclovir 7.

Pegfilgrastim effectively mobilizes PBSC in a poor mobilizer multiple myeloma patient.

Studies performed on mice and healthy human volunteers have shown that a single dose of pegfilgrastim (Peg-GCSF) is effective in stimulating peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) mobilization. This prompted us to try the stimulation with pegfilgrastim in a patient previously non-mobilizing with a combination of chemotherapy and filgrastim. In December 2003, a 65-yr-old man was diagnosed as having stage III A IgG/k multiple myeloma.

Diagnostic value of C-reactive protein in discriminating fungal from nonfungal pulmonary infiltrates in patients with hematologic malignancies.

The objective of this study was to assess the utility of C-reactive protein (CRP) on differential diagnosis of pulmonary infiltrates occurring in 143 febrile patients with hematologic malignancies. Serum CRP level, measured on the first day of pneumonia, was significantly higher in patients with fungal lung infiltrates than in those with nonfungal pneumonia (22.3 mg/dl vs 7.

Mini-ICE effectively mobilises peripheral blood stem cells after fludarabine-based regimens in acute myeloid leukaemia.

Fludarabine-based cycles severely impair mobilisation and collection of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). In an effort of reversing this side-effect, we studied the action on mobilisation and collection of PBSC of a low-dose regimen: 5-d Mini-ICE (oral idarubicin and etoposide; subcutaneous cytosine arabinoside) administered after fludarabine-based regimens in seven adult AML patients. Leukapheresis were started when the CD34+ cell count was more than 10/microL.

Comparison of two regimens for the treatment of elderly patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) represents a rare malignancy in the elderly and few authors have specifically focused on the treatment of ALL in this setting. We recently published the results of a prospective phase II study comprising an induction therapy with vincristine, Daunoxome and dexamethasone (VDXD) given to 15 patients aged 60 years. Here, we update the results after enrolling 17 patients, and we compare these with the results obtained in 17 elderly patients treated according to the GIMEMA ALL 0288 protocol.

Thalidomide plus oral melphalan compared with thalidomide alone for advanced multiple myeloma.

Thalidomide, the prototype of a new class of agents active against multiple myeloma (MM), exerts synergistic/additive effects when combined with other drugs. The aim of this study was to compare the toxicity and efficacy of thalidomide alone and in combination with oral melphalan. Patients with advanced MM received 100 mg/day oral thalidomide escalated weekly up to 600 mg/day (n=23; T group), alone or with 0.

Risk assessment of patients with hematologic malignancies who develop fever accompanied by pulmonary infiltrates: a historical cohort study.

Background: The mortality rate associated with fever accompanied by pulmonary infiltrates after chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies remains higher than the corresponding rate associated with febrile neutropenia without pulmonary infiltrates. Nonetheless, few studies have focused on the factors that predict outcome for patients with lung infiltrates. The purpose of the current study was to construct a risk model for clinical use by assessing the factors that affect outcome for patients with fever and pulmonary infiltrates.

High-dose daunorubicin as liposomal compound (Daunoxome) in elderly patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Elderly acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a rare condition associated with low complete remission (CR) rate and short survival. In order to improve these results, we evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of Daunoxome, a liposomal daunorubicin, exhibiting toxicity profile and pharmacokinetic indices better than standard daunorubicin. In total, 15 consecutive patients with nonmature ALL were enrolled on a prospective phase II study.