The Myeloma Patient Outcome Scale is the first quality of life tool developed for clinical use and validated in patients with follicular lymphoma.

Objectives: The development of novel agents and an ageing population has led to an increasing number of patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) living longer with their disease. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a priority for patients and should guide clinical decisions. The Myeloma Patient Outcome Scale (MyPOS), originally developed for myeloma, was validated in a cross-sectional survey recruiting 124 FL patients.

Acalabrutinib (ACP-196) in Relapsed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Background: Irreversible inhibition of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) by ibrutinib represents an important therapeutic advance for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, ibrutinib also irreversibly inhibits alternative kinase targets, which potentially compromises its therapeutic index. Acalabrutinib (ACP-196) is a more selective, irreversible BTK inhibitor that is specifically designed to improve on the safety and efficacy of first-generation BTK inhibitors.

Ibrutinib versus ofatumumab in previously treated chronic lymphoid leukemia.

Background: In patients with chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), a short duration of response to therapy or adverse cytogenetic abnormalities are associated with a poor outcome. We evaluated the efficacy of ibrutinib, a covalent inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase, in patients at risk for a poor outcome.

Methods: In this multicenter, open-label, phase 3 study, we randomly assigned 391 patients with relapsed or refractory CLL or SLL to receive daily ibrutinib or the anti-CD20 antibody ofatumumab.

Life-threatening motor neurotoxicity in association with bortezomib.

Bortezomib has been licensed to be used in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. It is a promising agent for this incurable condition but our effort is to caution hematologists about the life-threatening neurotoxicity (grade 4) which was seen in two of six patients treated with this agent although the complication cannot definitely be attributed to bortezomib.

The impact of donor factors on primary non-engraftment in recipients of reduced intensity conditioned transplants from unrelated donors.

Background And Objectives: Primary graft failure is a serious complication following hematopoietic cell transplants, particularly when using unrelated donors. We analyzed factors affecting primary graft failure in recipients of hematopoietic cell transplants from unrelated donors, which were performed using reduced intensity conditioning.

Design And Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 144 patients whose transplants took place between March 1998 and October 2004.

IL-2/B7.1 (CD80) fusagene transduction of AML blasts by a self-inactivating lentiviral vector stimulates T cell responses in vitro: a strategy to generate whole cell vaccines for AML.

Combined expression of costimulatory factors and proinflammatory cytokines stimulate effective immune-mediated tumor rejection in a variety of murine tumor models. Specifically, syngeneic tumor cells genetically modified to express B7.1 (CD80) have been shown to induce rejection of previously established murine solid tumors, and transduction with IL-2 can further increase survival.