Interferon Alpha Has a Strong Anti-tumor Effect in Philadelphia-negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasms.

Background: Despite the important progress in the research of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), treatment options are still limited. Currently, a cytoreductive approach is the backbone treatment, with hydroxyurea (HU) being the most important agent. However, this drug is not always well-tolerated and has been questionably linked to a potential leukemogenic effect.

Lenalidomide in Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Is It a Valid Treatment Option?

Background: Despite the advent of new treatment strategies, many patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) relapse or die of the disease. Prospective clinical trials have demonstrated that lenalidomide is an effective and safe treatment option, especially for non-germinal center B-cell (non-GCB) DLBCL. However, routine clinical data are lacking, which is why we provide the results of the so-far largest relapsed/refractory (R/R) DLBCL real-life analysis.

Thyroid hormone autoantibodies: are they a better marker to detect early thyroid damage in patients with hematologic cancers receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitor or immunoregulatory drug treatments?

Background: Unlike cytotoxic agents, novel antineoplastic drugs can variably affect thyroid function and so impair patient outcomes. However, the widely used standard thyroid tests have demonstrated low sensitivity for detecting early thyroid damage that leads to dysfunction of the gland. To find a more reliable thyroid marker, we assessed the presence of antibodies binding thyroid hormones (thAbs) in a cancer population undergoing potentially thyrotoxic treatment.

Bendamustine plus rituximab versus R-CHOP as first-line treatment for patients with indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: evidence from a multicenter, retrospective study.

The optimal first-line treatment for advanced low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphomas (LG-NHL) is still highly debated. Recently, the StiL and the BRIGHT trials showed that the combination of rituximab and bendamustine (R-B) is non-inferior to rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) with a better toxicity profile. Utilizing a retrospective analysis, we compared the efficacy and safety of both regimens in clinical practice.

Extranodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with monoclonal gammopathy: an aggressive and primary refractory disease responding to an immunomodulatory agent.

Background: Although the clinical outcome of patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has been improved by the addition of rituximab to standard chemotherapy, almost one-third fails or relapses after first line treatment. The presence of monoclonal gammopathy (MG) is a known adverse prognostic factor for DLBCL. Because this subset of patients does not benefit from R-CHOP, new therapeutic options are required.

90Y-Ibritumomab-Tiuxetan Consolidation Therapy for Advanced-Stage Mantle Cell Lymphoma After First-Line Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation: Is It Time for a Step Forward?

Background: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive lymphoma with a dismal prognosis because of numerous relapses. Because the most promising results have been obtained with immunochemotherapy followed by autologous cell stem transplantation (ASCT), we evaluated the efficacy of yttrium-90 ibritumomab ((90)Y-IT) consolidation after such an intensive treatment.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively assessed 57 patients affected by intermediate or high-risk MCL in complete remission (CR) or partial remission (PR) after 3 cycles of R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin [hydroxydaunorubicin], vincristine [Oncovin], prednisolone) plus 3 cycles of R-DHAP (dexamethasone, cytarabine [Ara-C], cisplatin [platinum]) followed by ASCT and additional consolidation treatment with (90)Y-IT in 28 cases.

Bendamustine in combination with rituximab for elderly patients with previously untreated B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A retrospective analysis of real-life practice in Italian hematology departments.

The front-line therapy for CLL young and fit patients is chemo-immunotherapy with fludarabine-cyclophosphamide-rituximab (FCR). FCR regimen results in a significant myelosuppression and high rates of early and late infections especially in elderly patients. German CLL study group compared FCR vs.

Thyroid function, autoimmunity and nodules in hematological malignancies.

Objective: Hematological malignancies encompass a large spectrum of disease entities whose treatment by chemo/radiotherapy could lead to thyroid complications. To the best of our knowledge, no study has simultaneously addressed thyroid function, autoimmunity and nodularity. Therefore, we decided to conduct one.

Personalized treatment of early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer: the challenging role of EGFR inhibitors.

Adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy significantly improves outcomes of completely resected early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. However, its effect on overall survival is limited and may be unsuitable for many patients due to toxicity. Targeted therapies and individualization of adjuvant treatment offer the potential to improve curability and extend survival of these patients while decreasing toxicity.

Cancer cachexia syndrome: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and new therapeutic options.

Cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome (CACS) is the most frequent paraneoplastic syndrome occurring in half of all oncologic patients and is considered as a poor prognosticator. Patients usually present with weight loss, lipolysis, muscle wasting, anorexia, chronic nausea, inflammation, and asthenia. The etiopathogenesis of CACS is still poorly understood, although several factors and biological pathways are known to be involved.

Emerging markers of cachexia predict survival in cancer patients.

Background: Cachexia may occur in 40% of cancer patients, representing the major cause of death in more than 20% of them. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of leptin, ghrelin and obestatin as diagnostic and predictive markers of cachexia in oncologic patients. Their impact on patient survival was also evaluated.

Radiotherapy for stage I/II follicular lymphoma (FL): is it time for a re-appraisal?

Aim: Almost 30% of follicular lymphomas (FL) present with stage I-II disease. Although the standard-of-care consists of involved-field radiotherapy (IFRT), approximately half of patients relapse usually outside the primary irradiation field. Systemic immunotherapy with rituximab (R), with or without IFRT, could reduce distant recurrences leading to a better outcome.

90Y-Ibritumomab Tiuxetan consolidation after autologous stem cell transplantation improves survival of patients with intermediate-/high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma not responding adequately to first-line treatment.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common lymphoma entity whose prognosis for high-risk patients is poor. Aggressive salvage treatments to improve patient outcome have been unsatisfactory. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of yttrium-90-ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin®; (90)Y-IT) consolidation after early salvage chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation.

Primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the bone: bendamustine and rituximab are able to overcome resistant disease.

Primary bone lymphoma (PBL) is a rare disease for which specific therapeutic guidelines have not yet been established. Due to common appearance in the elderly and recurring relapses, new treatments are required. We report the case of multiple relapsed aggressive PBL effectively treated using Bendamustine and Rituximab.

Necrotizing fasciitis as a rare complication of osteonecrosis of the jaw in a patient with multiple myeloma treated with lenalidomide: case report and review of the literature.

Bisphosphonates (BPs), potent inhibitors of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, play a major role in the management of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). However, in the case of dental infections, they can lead to bisphosphonate related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ). This process can be worsened by concomitant antineoplastic therapy.

Patients with myeloid malignancies bearing PDGFRB fusion genes achieve durable long-term remissions with imatinib.

Myeloid neoplasms and eosinophilia with rearrangements of PDGFRB are uncommon Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms. Patients are typically male, with morphologic features of a Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloproliferative syndrome or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia with eosinophilia. Reciprocal translocations involving PDGFRB result in fusion genes with constitutively activated receptor tyrosine kinase sensitive to inhibition with imatinib.

Response to dasatinib in a patient with SQCC of the lung harboring a discoid-receptor-2 and synchronous chronic myelogenous leukemia.

We report a patient with squamous cell carcinoma (SQCC) of the lung and a discoid-receptor-2 (DDR2) kinase domain mutation that responded to dasatinib treatment. Our case report is consistent with previous publications suggesting that DDR2 mutation may confer sensitivity to dasatinib.

Fatal Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Patient with Occult Hepatitis B Virus Infection following the Administration of R-CHOP for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Occult hepatitis B (OBI) is caused by a persistent low-level replication of HBV. Like overt HBV infection, OBI can be associated with the integration of HBV sequences into the host genome and has a substantial clinical relevance for patients who are severely immunosuppressed for long durations. We present the case of a patient with a diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and OBI who developed a hepatocellular carcinoma with a fulminant clinical course following the administration of rituximab plus CHOP.