Venetoclax plus Daunorubicin and Cytarabine for Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Results of a Phase 1b Study.

Venetoclax combined with intensive chemotherapy shows promise for untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but its integration with the '7+3' regimen remains underexplored. In a phase 1b study (NCT05342584), we assessed the safety and efficacy of venetoclax with daunorubicin and cytarabine in newly diagnosed AML patients. Thirty-four patients (median age 59 years; 62% non-white) received venetoclax at escalating durations (8, 11, or 14 days).

Socio-demographic determinants of myelofibrosis outcomes in an underserved center and the SEER national database.

The influence of demographic characteristics and social determinants on cancer outcomes is widely recognized in various malignancies but remains understudied in myelofibrosis (MF). This study aims to investigate social and demographic variables associated with MF survival. We retrospectively reviewed data of biopsy-proven MF patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (2000-2021) and Montefiore Medical Center (2000-2023), an underserved inner-city hospital.

Improving Unrelated Donor Equity: Assessing Mismatched Donor Opportunities with Real-World Data in a Minority-Predominant Cohort.

Recent advances in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis including post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and abatacept have significantly improved outcomes following HLA-mismatched allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and have tremendous potential for reducing racial disparities in donor availability. A recent small study employing bone marrow as the source of stem cells showed similar outcomes after 5/8 versus 7/8 matches and is currently being tested in a larger study using peripheral blood stem cells. In this study, we examine real-world alternative donor HSCT options for a minority-predominant cohort in the Bronx, NY, focusing on the availability of lesser-matched (5/8 to 7/8) donors.

Impact of race and ethnicity on early mortality in multiple myeloma: a SEER analysis.

Over the past two decades, there have been significant advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma which has led to an improvement in overall survival.1,2 However, a notable proportion of patients continue to experience early mortality (EM), defined as 2 years from the time of diagnosis. This raises the possibility that improvements in myeloma survival have not extended equally to all groups.

Acute myeloid leukemias with JAK2/STAT mutations are associated with PD-L1 upregulation.

Even though overexpression of the immune checkpoint protein, programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), is observed in solid tumors, its expression patterns in acute myeloid leukemia remain understudied. As activation of the JAK/STAT pathway has been shown to enhance PD-L1 expression in preclinical models, we evaluated biopsies from AML patients with activating mutations in JAK2/STATs. PD-L1 expression was significantly upregulated in JAK2/STAT mutant cases when compared to JAK2 wildtype controls as demonstrated by PD-L1 immunohistochemistry staining and quantified using the combined positive score (CPS) system.

A Metabolically Optimized, Noncytotoxic Low-Dose Weekly Decitabine/Venetoclax in MDS and AML.

Purpose: Venetoclax (VEN) added to the hypomethylating agents (HMA) decitabine or azacitidine is the new standard of care for elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is being evaluated in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Current dosing of HMA/VEN relies on leukemia suppression through cytotoxicity which also impacts normal hematopoiesis. A regimen using once-weekly low-dose decitabine (LDDec) has demonstrated activity in myeloid malignancies.

Global Longitudinal Strain Is Associated with Mortality in Patients with Multiple Myeloma.

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are at a high risk for developing cardiovascular complications. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) can detect early functional impairment before structural abnormalities develop. It remains unknown if reduced GLS is associated with reduced survival in patients with MM.

High Dose Cyclophosphamide for the Treatment of Severe Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Related Adverse Events.

Introduction: Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are a group of autoimmune syndromes that arise following therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and are characterized by disinhibition of cell-mediated immunity and decreased self-tolerance. First line treatment of irAEs is typically steroids. Severe irAEs that are refractory to steroids can be life threatening and treatment protocols are an area of unmet need.