Comparison of a modified pediatric protocol versus a hyper-CVAD protocol in adolescents and young adults with Philadelphia-negative acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A multicenter retrospective analysis.

Background: The outcomes of Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have improved dramatically whereas outcomes for ALL amongst adolescents and young adults (AYA) have lagged behind. The introduction of pediatric-like regimens to manage adult ALL has shown promising outcomes across several analyses.

Materials And Methods: In this analysis, we aimed to retrospectively compare the differences in outcomes among patients aged 14-40 years with Philadelphia-negative ALL treated with a Hyper-CVAD protocol versus a modified pediatric protocol.

Saudi Arabian CML patient with a novel four-way translocation at t(9;22;5;2)(q34;q11.2;p13;q44).

Background: The vast majority of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients have a single translocation t(9;22)(q34;q11), BCR/ABL1 fusion genes, which is regarded as the hallmark of CML. However, around 5 to 10% of CML patients exhibit the involvement of a third chromosome. In some very rare cases a fourth or even fifth chromosome can be involved with the t(9;22).

Risk of Thrombosis in Adult Philadelphia-Positive ALL Treated with an Asparaginase-Free ALL Regimen.

Background: venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a well-known complication in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), especially in patients treated with asparaginase (ASNase)-including regiments. However, VTE risk in adult Philadelphia-positive ALL (Ph+ve ALL) patients treated with non-hyperCVAD chemotherapy is unclear. In this study, we examined VTE incidence in adult Ph+ve ALL patients treated with imatinib plus a pediatric-inspired asparaginase (ASNase)-free regimen modified from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) ALL protocol.

Outcome of CD20-positive Adult B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and the Impact of Rituximab Therapy.

Background: In adult B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL), CD20 expression has generally been associated with an adverse prognosis. Incorporating rituximab to standard of care is found to improve the outcome of CD20 BCP-ALL. The aim of this study is to estimate the prognostic effect of CD20 expression and the impact of rituximab in BCP-ALL in Saudi Arabia.

Clinical prevalence and outcome of cardiovascular events in the first 100 days postallogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

Introduction: Recent advances in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) have allowed us to offer HSCT to older, advanced disease patients with more co-morbidities. Cardiovascular toxicity post-transplant is a major concern due to the increased risk of mortality. Few studies have examined the prevalence of CV events including CAD (MI, angina, PCI, CABG, CHF, arrhythmias), HTN, stroke/TIA, and death in the first 100 days post-transplant.

Hodgkin Lymphoma Outcome: A Retrospective Study from 3 Tertiary Centers in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) exhibits considerable clinicopathological variations in different parts of the world. This study was prompted by the limited availability of HL data in developing countries (particularly long-term outcomes).

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of eligible adult HL patients treated at 3 tertiary centers in Saudi Arabia between January 1997 and December 2012.