Mortality rate in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase treated with frontline second generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a retrospective analysis by the monitoring registries of the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA).

The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has improved the overall survival of chronic myeloid leukemia patients in chronic phase (CP-CML) and reduced the rate of disease-related mortality. Conflicting results have been however reported between data emerged from sponsored clinical trials and from population-based registries. Moreover, no data are so far available for patients treated with frontline second-generation TKIs, excluding those from sponsored studies.

European Medicines Agency review of ixazomib (Ninlaro) for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy.

On 21 November 2016, the European Commission issued a marketing authorisation valid throughout the European Union for ixazomib in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy. Ixazomib was evaluated in one, randomised, double-blind, phase III study comparing ixazomib plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone (n=360; ixazomib arm) versus placebo plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone (n=362; placebo arm) in adult patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma who had received at least one prior therapy. The median progression-free survival (PFS) in the intent-to-treat population was 20.

Review article: Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT)-type lymphoma of ocular adnexa. Biology and treatment.

Over the last decades, we have witnessed an increase in the incidence of primary ocular adnexa lymphomas (POALs) probably because advances in imaging techniques have enabled precise biopsies of the tumors. The ocular tissue biopsy, before the initiation of the appropriate treatment, is mandatory and necessary for a correct diagnosis of POALs by the use of immunophenotyping and a correct molecular classification. Only in a minority of cases the ocular adnexa are secondarily affected by a systemic disease.

A retrospective study on 73 elderly patients (≥75years) with aggressive B-cell non Hodgkin lymphoma: clinical significance of treatment intensity and comprehensive geriatric assessment.

Objective: The clinical outcome of elderly (≥75years) patients with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) is not firmly established because few studies have specifically addressed this issue. In addition, the usefulness of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in B-NHL still needs to be deeply explored.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated the prognostic factors of 73 patients aged ≥75years (median age: 78) with B-NHL treated by clinical judgment with curative anthracycline-based approaches (n=36) or with conservative treatments without anthracyclines (n=37).