Acalabrutinib in Chinese patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Primary analysis from an open-label, multicenter phase 1/2 trial.

Acalabrutinib is a highly selective Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved in the United States and Europe for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) based on phase 3 trials with limited representation of Asian populations. This phase 1/2 trial evaluates acalabrutinib in Chinese adults with relapsed/refractory (R/R) CLL receiving acalabrutinib 100 mg twice daily in 28-day cycles until disease progression or treatment discontinuation due to adverse events (AEs) presenting substantial clinical risk. The primary endpoint was blinded independent central review (BICR)-assessed overall response rate (ORR).

The impact of Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment on COVID-19 outcomes in Chinese patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Background: Impact of B-cell depletion following treatment with Bruton tyrosine kinase-inhibitors (BTKi) on the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients remain controversial. We investigated the impact of BTKi on susceptibility and the severity of COVID-19 in Chinese patients with CLL during the first wave of COVID-19 (Omicron variant).

Methods: CLL patients (n=171) visiting the Institute of Hematology, Peoples' Hospital, China (November 15, 2022- January 20, 2023) were included in the study.

Indirect comparisons of efficacy of zanubrutinib versus orelabrutinib in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma or relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma.

We conducted two indirect comparisons to estimate the efficacy of zanubrutinib versus orelabrutinib in Chinese patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) or R/R mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). An unanchored matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) was performed in R/R CLL/SLL patients. Individual patient data from zanubrutinib trial (BGB-3111-205) were adjusted to match the aggregated data from the orelabrutinib trial (ICP-CL-00103).

Impacts of early therapy response, interval to therapy interruption, and cumulative therapy interruption duration on outcome of ibrutinib therapy in relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

To investigate the impact of early response and treatment interruption on the survival of patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma (r/r CLL/SLL) treated with ibrutinib. This post hoc analysis used data of patients received ibrutinib treatment from an open-label, multicenter phase 3 study comparing ibrutinib with rituximab in patients with r/r CLL/SLL. The association of complete or partial response at 6 months, interruption within the first 6 months, cumulative interruption durations during the ibrutinib-treated period with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using the adjusted Cox hazard proportional model.

COVID-19 infection in patients with haematological malignancies: A single-centre survey in the latest Omicron wave in China.

As the COVID-19 variant Omicron surge in Beijing, China, a better understanding of risk factors for adverse outcomes may improve clinical management in patients with haematological malignancies (HM) diagnosed with COVID-19. The study sample includes 412 cases, mainly represented by acute leukaemia, chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), plasma cell disorders and lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. COVID-19 pneumonia was observed in 10.

Orelabrutinib in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma patients: Multi-center, single-arm, open-label, phase 2 study.

Orelabrutinib is a novel, small molecule, selective irreversible Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety in patients with refractory or relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). This is single-arm, multi-center, open-label, phase 2 study in 80 eligible Chinese patients, who were treated with monotherapy of orelabrutinib at 150 mg once daily.

Zanubrutinib Monotherapy for Naïve and Relapsed/Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma: A Pooled Analysis of Three Studies.

Introduction: Zanubrutinib is a highly selective irreversible inhibitor of Bruton tyrosine kinase which has shown significant activity in lymphoid malignancies in early phase studies. We report here the long-term follow-up outcomes of zanubrutinib in various lines of therapy in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL).

Methods: This post hoc analysis pooled patients with treatment-naïve (TN) or relapsed/refractory (R/R) CLL/SLL receiving zanubrutinib monotherapy from three phase 1/2 studies (BGB-3111-1002, BGB-3111-AU-003, BGB-3111-205).

Ibrutinib in Advanced Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma: Lower Risk of Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation.

Introduction: Therapy of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) with drugs such as ibrutinib and rituximab is often associated with immune suppression, opportunistic infections, and reactivation of virus infections such as hepatitis B virus (HBV). This risk is especially important in geographical regions like Asia where many potential therapy recipients have HBV infection. Also, whether safety and efficacy of ibrutinib in Asians and Europeans with advanced CLL/SLL are similar is unknown.

Cell therapy of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: Transplants and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells.

There is substantial progress in the therapy of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), much of it the result of new drug development. As such the definition of high-risk CLL is changing. Nevertheless, few persons with CLL are cured with current therapy.

Efficacy and safety of GLS-010 (zimberelimab) in patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma: A multicenter, single-arm, phase II study.

Background: GLS-010 (zimberelimab) is a novel, fully human, anti-programmed death-1 monoclonal antibody that shows promising efficacy and safety in advanced solid tumors. This trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of GLS-010 (zimberelimab) in Chinese patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r-cHL).

Methods: This phase II, single-arm, open-label, multicenter clinical trial was conducted at 24 centers in China and enrolled patients with r/r-cHL after two or more lines of therapy.

Will New Drugs Replace Transplants for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia?

Transplants have been used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) for more than 35 years. Use has been restricted to <1 percent of highly selected persons typically failing concurrent conventional therapies. As therapies of CLL have evolved, so have indications for transplantation and transplant techniques.

Bendamustine treatment of Chinese patients with relapsed indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase 3 study.

Background: Bendamustine was approved in China on May 26th, 2019 by the National Medical Product Administration for the treatment of indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The current study was the registration trial and the first reported evaluation of the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of bendamustine in Chinese adult patients with indolent B-cell NHL following relapse after chemotherapy and rituximab treatment.

Methods: This was a prospective, multicenter, open-label, single-arm, phase 3 study (NCT01596621; C18083/3076) with a 2-year follow-up period.

Impact of stopping therapy during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in persons with lymphoma.

Introduction: The severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic disrupted medical care for persons with cancer including those with lymphoma. Many professional societies recommend postponing, decreasing, or stopping anti-cancer therapy in selected persons during the pandemic. Although seemingly sensible, these recommendations are not evidence-based and their impact on anxiety and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) is unknown.

Ethnic and geographic diversity of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

East Asians, Asian Indians and Amerindians have a five to ten-fold lower age-adjusted incidence rate (AAIR) of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) compared with persons of predominately European descent. The data we review suggest a genetic rather than environmental basis for this discordance. All these populations arose from a common African Black ancestor but different clades have different admixture with archaic hominins including Neanderthals, Denisovans and Homo erectus, which may explain different CLL incidences.

Treatment of relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma with the BTK inhibitor zanubrutinib: phase 2, single-arm, multicenter study.

Background: Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors have demonstrated a high degree of efficacy in the treatment of B cell malignancies characterized by constitutive B cell receptor activation, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL).

Methods: The efficacy and safety of zanubrutinib, an investigational highly selective BTK inhibitor, was evaluated in this single-arm, phase 2 study of Chinese patients with relapsed/refractory CLL/SLL. The primary endpoint was overall response rate as assessed by an independent review committee.

Validation of the Chinese EORTC chronic lymphocytic leukaemia module - application of classical test theory and item response theory.

Purpose: The association of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is rarely studied globally. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the EORTC-Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL17 [phase III]) module, a newly developed assessment on CLL patients' HRQoL, among Chinese CLL patients.

Methods: The Chinese CLL17, comprised of three subscales (symptom burden [SB], physical condition [PC] and worries/fears [WF]), was provided by the developer team through EORTC.

The prognostic significance of ΔSUV assessed by PET/CT scan after 2 cycles of chemotherapy in patients with classic Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The objective of this study is to investigate the prognostic value of the percentage change of maximum standardized uptake value (ΔSUVmax) assessed by PET/CT scan after 2 cycles of chemotherapy (iPET2) in patients with classic Hodgkin's lymphoma (CHL). ΔSUVmax was calculated as follows: the ratio of (SUVmax at baseline-SUVmax at iPET2)/SUVmax at baseline which was determined before initiation of ABVD chemotherapy. The median ΔSUVmax of 46 patients at iPET2 was 87.

ADAM28 promotes tumor growth and dissemination of acute myeloid leukemia through IGFBP-3 degradation and IGF-I-induced cell proliferation.

ADAM28 has been shown to relate with tumor proliferation and prognosis. The expression of ADAM28 is up-regulated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the mechanism by which ADAM28 regulates the leukemic cell and the prognostic relevance with AML remain unknown.

Is there an epidemic of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) in China?

Background: Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is 10- to 20-fold less common in Asians (including Han Chinese) compared with persons of predominately European descent. Why is unknown but seems predominately genetic. We observed an increasing frequency of new cases of CLL at our Haematology Centre beginning 2011 and wondered why.

Clinicopathological features of splenic tumours of lymphoid tissue.

Background: To study the effects of splenectomy on treatment and diagnosis of tumours of lymphoid tissue of the spleen.

Methods: Fifty-three cases were reviewed from Peking University People's Hospital from 2002 to 2017. According to WHO classification of tumours of haematopoietic and lymphoid tissues (2008) and classification updated (2016), the cases were studied by microscopy, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, combined with the bone marrow biopsy and clinical examination.

CD20 expression sub-stratifies standard-risk patients with B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Patients with standard-risk adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated with chemotherapy do not have satisfactory outcomes. To more precisely classify ALL patients and optimize treatment, we re-evaluated the risk stratification system by examining CD20 expression and other classic risk factors at diagnosis. We retrospectively analyzed response to induction chemotherapy of 217 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia-negative B cell precursor-ALL.

Meis1 is critical to the maintenance of human acute myeloid leukemia cells independent of MLL rearrangements.

Although the outcome of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has improved by optimized chemotherapy regimens and bone marrow transplantation, leukemia relapse remains one of the most challenging problems during therapy. Sustained existence of AML blasts is a fundamental determinant for the development of leukemia and resistance to therapy. Recent evidences suggest that Meis1 is tightly associated with the self-renewal capacity of normal hematopoietic stem cells.