Phase II trial of hyper CVAD and dasatinib in patients with relapsed Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia or blast phase chronic myeloid leukemia.

Dasatinib is a second generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor, with activity in imatinib resistant Ph-positive ALL.We have treated 34 patients with relapsed Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL) (n519) or lymphoid blast phase of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML-LB) (n515) with the combination of dasatinib and the hyper CVAD regimen. Prior regimens included hyper CVAD plus imatinib(n511, 4 had transplant in first CR), other combination chemotherapy (n512), monotherapy with kinase inhibitors other than dasatinib (n59), and investigational agents (n52).

Effect of NPM1 and FLT3 mutations on the outcomes of elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia receiving standard chemotherapy.

Background: The effect of prognostically important gene mutations (MUTs), nucleophosmin (nucleolar phosphoprotein B23, numatrin) (NPM1) and fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is not well defined.

Patients And Methods: We analyzed 557 patients, 65 years of age or older with newly diagnosed AML, treated at our institution between 2000 and 2010 with cytotoxic chemotherapy. NPM1 and FLT3 analysis were available in 146 patients (26%) and 388 patients (70%), respectively.

Epigenetic therapy is associated with similar survival compared with intensive chemotherapy in older patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia.

We reviewed the outcome of 671 patients 65 years of age or older with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated at our institution between 2000 and 2010 with intensive chemotherapy (n = 557) or azacitidine- or decitabine-based therapy (n = 114). Both groups were balanced according to cytogenetics and performance status. The complete response rates with chemotherapy and epigenetic therapy were 42% and 28%, respectively (P = .

Atypical angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphomas masquerading as systemic polyclonal B-immunoblastic proliferation.

Angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma (AITL) is a relatively rare peripheral T cell lymphoma derived from follicular T helper cells. AITL has a varied presentation, both clinically and morphologically. AITL can pose a diagnostic challenge as it may be difficult to identify and characterize the neoplastic cells among the polymorphous infiltrates composed of polyclonal B immunoblasts and plasma cells.

Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia: current treatment options.

The Philadelphia chromosome (Ph), t(9;22), is seen in about 20 % to 30 % of adults diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). It has been associated with poorer prognosis compared with Ph-negative ALL. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting the BCR-ABL oncogenic protein from this translocation have been incorporated into treatment regimens used to treat patients with Ph-positive ALL.