End of induction [F]FDG PET is prognostic for progression-free survival and overall survival in follicular lymphoma patients enrolled in the FOLL12 trial.

Purpose: To evaluate the reliability of the Deauville score (DS) in therapy response assessment and to define the prognostic value of the metabolic response of end of induction (EOI) [F]FDG PET (PET) in follicular lymphoma patients.

Methods: Adult patients with untreated grade 1-3a FL/ stage II-IV enrolled in the multicentre, prospective, phase III FOLL12 trial (NCT02063685) were randomized to receive standard immunochemotherapy followed by rituximab maintenance (standard arm) versus standard immunochemotherapy followed by response-adapted post-induction management (experimental arm). Baseline and EOI PET were mandatory for the study.

Response-Adapted Postinduction Strategy in Patients With Advanced-Stage Follicular Lymphoma: The FOLL12 Study.

Purpose: We compared 2 years of rituximab maintenance (RM) with a response-adapted postinduction approach in patients with follicular lymphoma who responded to induction immunochemotherapy.

Methods: We randomly assigned treatment-naïve, advanced-stage, high-tumor burden follicular lymphoma patients to receive standard RM or a response-adapted postinduction approach on the basis of metabolic response and molecular assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD). The experimental arm used three types of postinduction therapies: for complete metabolic response (CMR) and MRD-negative patients, observation; for CMR and MRD-positive (end of induction or follow-up) patients, four doses of rituximab (one per week, maximum three courses) until MRD-negative; and for non-CMR patients, one dose of ibritumomab tiuxetan followed by standard RM.

Brentuximab Vedotin and Bendamustine Produce Long-Term Clinical Benefit in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma: A Multicenter Real-Life Experience.

Background: Patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (R/R cHL) have limited opportunities for curative therapy. High-dose therapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (HDT-ASCT) produces cure rates of 50% to 60%. Patients relapsing after, or ineligible for HDT-ASCT have limited therapeutic options and long-term remission is uncommon.

A brief rituximab, bendamustine, mitoxantrone (R-BM) induction followed by rituximab consolidation in elderly patients with advanced follicular lymphoma: a phase II study by the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL).

Treatment for follicular lymphoma (FL) in the elderly is not well standardized. A phase II, multicentre, single arm trial was conducted in this setting with a brief chemoimmunotherapy regimen. Treatment consisted in four monthly courses of rituximab, bendamustine and mitoxantrone (R-BM) followed by 4 weekly rituximab as consolidation; rituximab maintenance was not applied because the drug was not licensed at the time of enrolment.

The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the presence of large nodal mass are independent predictors of early response: A subanalysis of the prospective phase II PET-2-adapted HD0607 trial.

Background: The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR) can reflect both the myeloid dysfunction and T-cell immune suppression and have prognostic significance.

Methods: In 771 newly diagnosed advanced-stage Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) patients we evaluated the baseline values of NLR and LMR as predictors of clinical outcome. According to the multicenter prospective phase II GITIL-HD0607 trial, all patients received two ABVD courses and if PET-2 negative received four additional ABVD cycles while if PET-2-positive patients were randomized to either BEACOPP escalated (Be) plus BEACOPP baseline (Bb) (4 + 4 courses) or Be + Bb (4 + 4) and Rituximab.

Consolidation Radiotherapy Could Be Safely Omitted in Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma With Large Nodal Mass in Complete Metabolic Response After ABVD: Final Analysis of the Randomized GITIL/FIL HD0607 Trial.

Purpose: To investigate the role of consolidation radiotherapy (cRT) in advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) presenting at baseline with a large nodal mass (LNM) in complete metabolic response after doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: Advanced-stage (IIB-IVB) HL patients, enrolled in the HD 0607 trial (Clinicaltrial.gov identifier NCT00795613), with both a negative PET after two (PET-2) and six (PET-6) ABVD cycles, who presented at baseline with an LNM, defined as a nodal mass with the largest diameter ≥ 5 cm, were prospectively randomly assigned to receive cRT over the LNM or no further treatment (NFT).

Nonpeghylated liposomal doxorubicin combination regimen (R-COMP) for the treatment of lymphoma patients with advanced age or cardiac comorbidity.

Doxorubicin is the most effective single agent in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Its use is limited because of the cardiac toxicity primarily in elderly patients (pts) and in pts with history of cardiac disease. Liposomal doxorubicin has been proven to reduce cardiotoxicity.

Early Chemotherapy Intensification With Escalated BEACOPP in Patients With Advanced-Stage Hodgkin Lymphoma With a Positive Interim Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Scan After Two ABVD Cycles: Long-Term Results of the GITIL/FIL HD 0607 Trial.

Purpose To investigate the progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) after a risk-adapted treatment strategy that was based on a positive positron emission tomography scan performed after two doxorubicin, vinblastine, vincristine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) cycles (PET2). Patients and Methods Patients with advanced-stage (IIB to IVB) HL were consecutively enrolled. After two ABVD cycles, PET2 was performed and centrally reviewed according to the Deauville five-point scale.

Prognostic Value of Bone Marrow Tracer Uptake Pattern in Baseline PET Scans in Hodgkin Lymphoma: Results from an International Collaborative Study.

PET/CT-ascertained bone marrow involvement (BMI) constitutes the single most important reason for upstaging by PET/CT in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). However, BMI assessment in PET/CT can be challenging. This study analyzed the clinicopathologic correlations and prognostic meaning of different patterns of bone marrow (BM) F-FDG uptake in HL.

Implemented myeloma management with whole-body low-dose CT scan: a real life experience.

A total of 318 consecutive myeloma patients underwent whole-body low-dose CT scan (WBLDCT) at baseline and during follow-up as a radiological assessment of lytic lesions in place of skeletal X-ray survey. After WBLDCT baseline assessment, 60% had bone involvement. The presence of lytic lesions represented the only met CRAB (hyperCalcaemia, Renal insufficiency, Anaemia, Bone lesions) criteria in 29% of patients.

Peripheral blood lymphocyte/monocyte ratio predicts outcome in follicular lymphoma and in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients in the rituximab era.

Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is an aggressive lymphoma and a large number of studies have therefore focused on the search for prognostic factors. The same interest concerns FL, for which identification of patients candidates for watch and wait (W&W) strategy is still an option. Studies about the number and type of lymphocytes and monocytes detectable in patients with Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas indicate they might affect the pathogenesis and prognosis of these diseases.

The use of anthracycline at first-line compared to alkylating agents or nucleoside analogs improves the outcome of salvage treatments after relapse in follicular lymphoma The REFOLL study by the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi.

Follicular lymphoma (FL) patients experience multiple remissions and relapses and commonly receive multiple treatment lines. A crucial question is whether anthracyclines should be used at first-line or whether they would be better "reserved" for relapse and whether FL outcome can be optimized by definite sequences of treatments. Randomized trials can be hardly designed to address this question.

The predictive role of interim positron emission tomography for Hodgkin lymphoma treatment outcome is confirmed using the interpretation criteria of the Deauville five-point scale.

A retrospective, international, multicenter study was undertaken to assess: (i) the prognostic role of 'interim' positron emission tomography performed during treatment with doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma; and (ii) the reproducibility of the Deauville five-point scale for the interpretation of interim positron emission tomography scan. Two hundred and sixty patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin lymphoma were enrolled. Fifty-three patients with early unfavorable and 207 with advanced-stage disease were treated with doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine ± involved-field or consolidation radiotherapy.

Chemoresistance as a function of the pretherapy tumor burden and the chemotherapy regimen administered: differences observed with 2 current chemotherapy regimens for advanced Hodgkin lymphoma.

Background: The mature results from trials comparing ABVD (Adriamycin [doxorubicin], bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) and BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, Adriamycin [doxorubicin], cyclophosphamide, Oncovin [vincristine], procarbazine, prednisone) chemotherapies in advanced Hodgkin lymphoma will be available in some years. An early comparison of their curative potential can however be obtained from an assessment of initial tumor burden and chemoresistance.

Patients And Methods: Less than a complete remission after treatment and relapse occurring within 12 months thereafter were assumed to be clinical expressions of chemoresistance.

Effects of music therapy on psychological symptoms and heart rate variability in patients with dementia. A pilot study.

We assessed the effects of music therapy (MT) on behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) in dementia associated with changes in physiological parameters, as heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV). Twenty subjects were randomly assigned to MT treatment or standard care; all patients underwent neuropsychological assessment and ECG Holter recordings before and after the 15-week treatment. The treatment included 30 MT sessions.