Publications by authors named "Robert Briski"

Article Synopsis
  • Mutations in the TP53 gene, especially multihit alterations, are linked to worse clinical outcomes in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
  • This study analyzed TP53 abnormalities in 682 patients with MDS who had an isolated deletion of chromosome 5 (MDS-del(5q)), revealing that 24% had multihit mutations, indicating a greater risk for leukemic transformation.
  • The study found that the effect of monoallelic mutations varies with the variant allele frequency (VAF); lower VAF (<20%) behaved like wild-type TP53, while higher VAF (≥20%) showed outcomes similar to multihit mutations, highlighting the need for careful consideration of TP53 status in
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Decitabine, a member of the 5-azanucleosides, has a dose-dependent mechanism of action : termination of DNA replication at high doses, and inhibition of DNA methyltransferase at low doses. The alteration of DNA methylation patterns by low-dose decitabine is hypothesized to upregulate genes, which promote myeloblast differentiation. In a phase III clinical trial, low-dose decitabine achieved a superior overall response rate (ORR) when compared with 'treatment choice' [consisting of low-dose cytarabine (80%) and supportive care (20%)] as a frontline treatment for elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

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Richter Transformation (RT) refers to the development of an aggressive lymphoma in the setting of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). While many variants of RT are recognized, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (RT-DLBCL) is the most common (80%), followed by Hodgkin's lymphoma (RT-HL, 19%). Diagnosis is based upon histologic evaluation of clinically suspicious lymph nodes.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Patients progressing during initial therapy and those relapsing shortly after still have similar poor outcomes, linked to high-risk features and higher International Prognostic Index (IPI) scores.
  • * There’s no significant difference in outcomes between patients receiving single-agent versus multi-agent salvage therapies; however, autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplants might improve survival rates, suggesting the need for more clinical trials.
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Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL), with few exceptions, remain incurable and treatment is largely palliative. We performed a retrospective analysis of systemic treatment outcomes of patients diagnosed with MF/SS. We identified 223 patients with MF/SS evaluated at a single institution from 1997 to 2013.

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The natural history of limited-stage peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) remains poorly defined. Therefore, we examined outcomes in patients with the most common PTCL subtypes (PTCL, not otherwise specified [PTCL, NOS], angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma [AITL], anaplastic large cell lymphoma [ALCL]) and limited-stage disease. In this retrospective, multicenter study, 75 patients with limited-stage disease were identified.

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The cell of origin and the tumor microenvironment's role remain elusive for the most common peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs). As macrophages promote the growth and survival of malignant T cells and are abundant constituents of the tumor microenvironment, their functional polarization was examined in T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. Cytokines that are abundant within the tumor microenvironment, particularly interleukin (IL)-10, were observed to promote alternative macrophage polarization.

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