Evaluation of erythrocytapheresis compared to phlebotomy in polycythaemia vera patients.

Introduction: Polycythaemia vera patients can present with arterial or venous vascular occlusive events such as thrombosis or cardiovascular disease; disease-related symptoms may significantly impact on the quality of life. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of erythrocytapheresis compared to phlebotomy in the treatment of polycythaemia patients.

Methods: This study reports the findings of a retrospective analysis of 40 polycythaemia vera patients diagnosed according to published guidelines and treated either with erythrocytapheresis or phlebotomy over a four-year period.

Daratumumab as Single Agent in Relapsed/Refractory Myeloma Patients: A Retrospective Real-Life Survey.

Background: The anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody daratumumab is approved as a single agent for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) who received at least three prior lines of therapy, including proteasome inhibitor and immunomodulatory agent. A retrospective multicentric study was designed to evaluate feasibility, tolerability, and efficacy of daratumumab in monotherapy in RRMM.

Methods: This study included 44 consecutive RRMM patients that underwent daratumumab monotherapy after a median number of four prior therapies (range 2-9).

Feasibility, Tolerability and Efficacy of Carfilzomib in Combination with Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone in Relapsed Refractory Myeloma Patients: A Retrospective Real-Life Survey of the Sicilian Myeloma Network.

The ASPIRE (NCT01080391) phase 3 trial showed the efficacy of carfilzomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (KRd) triplet for relapse and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). However, little is known about safety and efficacy of KRd outside a clinical trial context. Herein we report real life results of KRd given to 130 RRMM patients from 12 Sicilian Centers.

Early measurement of CD34+ cells in peripheral blood after cyclophosphamide and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor treatment predicts later CD34+ mobilisation failure and is a possible criterion for guiding "on demand" use of plerixafor.

Background: Early identification of predictive factors of failure to mobilise CD34+ cells could enable rational use of plerixafor during first mobilisation, avoiding the need for a second mobilisation course. However, "on demand" administration of plerixafor needs to be driven by established parameters to avoid inappropriate use.

Materials And Methods: To address this issue, we studied the value of the peripheral blood CD34+ count, measured early (on days +10, +11, +12 and +13), in predicting the mobilisation outcome in the ensuing days.

Chemosensitivity of nonleukemic clonogenic precursors in AML patients in complete remission: association with CD34(+) mobilization and with disease-free survival.

A high number of CD34(+) cells in the peripheral blood during mobilization in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in complete remission (CR) is associated with a high relapse rate. The variability in chemoresistance of normal bone marrow precursors has been hypothesized as explanation for the variable CD34 mobilization in AML. In 37 patients with AML in CR, we determined the chemosensitivity of bone marrow clonogenic precursors to maphosphamide and etoposide, which was then correlated with the degree of CD34(+) mobilization.

Intermediate dose etoposide plus G-CSF 16 g/kg is more effective than cyclophosphamide 4 g/m(2) plus G-CSF 10 g/kg in PBSC mobilization of lymphoma patients.

We designed intermediate dose etoposide + G-CSF 16 microg/kg as a Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) mobilization schedule suitable for outpatient administration. Forty-one Lymphoma patients received intermediate dose etoposide (200 mg/m(2) i.v.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia during pregnancy: report of 3 cases.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is characterized by onset at a young age and a life-threatening hemorrhagic diathesis, which is attributed to a disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)-like coagulopathy. The discovery of all-trans-retinoic acid has changed the course of APL treatment by reducing the onset of DIC and inducing a complete and durable remission in more than 90% of patients. The occurrence of APL during pregnancy is not a frequent event, but the management of these patients raises many therapeutic and ethical dilemmas and requires a careful clinical case evaluation of fetal and maternal risk, coagulation status, the parents' wishes, and therapeutic options.