A systematic review on the epidemiology and treatment options of multiple Myeloma in Asia.

Multiple myeloma (MM) accounts for almost 15 % of all neoplastic malignancies around the globe. This systematic review intends to analyse data on the treatment and management of MM in selected regions in Asia to identify and prioritize areas that need attention. A comprehensive review of original articles, published in English from 2005 to 2022, derived from the PubMed/MEDLINE database was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Prognostic factors in 448 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma receiving bortezomib-based induction: impact of ASCT, transplant refusal and high-risk MM.

In Hong Kong, newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) receives bortezomib-based triplet induction. Upfront autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) is offered to transplant eligible (TE) patients (NDMM ≤ 65 years of age), unless medically unfit (TE-unfit) or refused (TE-refused). Data was retrieved for 448 patients to assess outcomes.

Hepatitis B virus reactivation in seronegative occult hepatitis B patient receiving ibrutinib therapy.

Background: Ibrutinib is a Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor approved for the treatment for several mature B-cell malignancies. Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a well-described complication in patients with chronic HBV infection or prior HBV exposure undergoing cytotoxic or immunosuppressive chemotherapy for hematologic malignancies. This phenomenon has been frequently reported with rituximab.

Clonal heterogeneity of polymorphic B-cell lymphoproliferative disease, EBV-positive, iatrogenic/immune senescence: implications on pathogenesis and treatment.

Background: Epstein Barr virus positive (EBV+) immunodeficiency-associated lymphoproliferative disorders (IA-LPD) are heterogeneous diseases with variable treatment strategies that are not well-defined.

Case Presentation: A 68-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus developed EBV+ B-cell polymorphic lymphoproliferative disease (LPD). Positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET/CT) showed a large nasopharyngeal mass, multiple pulmonary lesions, splenomegaly and disseminated lymphadenopathy.

Bendamustine treatment of haematological malignancies: significant risks of opportunistic viral, fungal and bacterial infections.

Objectives: Bendamustine is a standard treatment for low-grade B-cell lymphomas, and considered safe in clinical trials. Its safety in routine practice might be different.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the infection complications in an unselected cohort of patients treated with bendamustine over a nine-year period.

The impact of bortezomib-based induction in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma with chromosome 1q21 gain.

Introduction: Bortezomib has been reported to favourably impact the outcomes of (4;14) and del(17p) in multiple myeloma (MM), but its impact on gain 1q (+1q) is unknown.

Methods: To address this, 250 patients treated with bortezomib-based induction were analysed. All myeloma samples had fluorescence hybridization (FISH) performed on CD138-sorted bone marrow aspirate, and plasma cells were analysed using DNA probes specific for the following chromosomal aberrations: del(13q14), del(17p), (14;16), (4;14), and +1q.

Eltrombopag as frontline treatment of aplastic anaemia in routine practice: implications on cost and efficacy.

The thrombopoietin mimetic eltrombopag (EPAG) is efficacious in clinical trials of newly diagnosed moderate (M), severe (S) and very severe (vS) aplastic anaemia (AA). Its use in routine practice and resource-constrained settings is not well described. Twenty-five men and 38 women at a median age of 54 (18-86) years with newly diagnosed AA treated consecutively in a 7-year period with EPAG (N = 6), EPAG/cyclosporine (CsA) (N = 33) and EPAG/CsA/anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) (N = 24) were analyzed.

Ruxolitinib in the management of steroid-resistant/-dependent acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease: results of routine practice in an academic centre.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is an important complication after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Corticosteroids are the standard first-line treatment. Steroid-resistant/-dependent (SR/D) acute and chronic GVHD (aGVHD, cGVHD) lead to significant morbidity/mortality.

Spectrum of B-cell neoplasms associated with immunoglobulin G4-related disease.

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) has rarely been associated with lymphoid neoplasms, the spectrum of which remains unclear. B-cell lymphoid neoplasms (LN) associated with IgG4-RD diagnosed in a 4-year period were analysed. There were five men and three women at a median age of 76.

Low-dose pembrolizumab and nivolumab were efficacious and safe in relapsed and refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma: Experience in a resource-constrained setting.

The efficacy and safety of low-dose anti-PD1 antibodies in relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) require confirmation. Pembrolizumab (100 mg every 3 weeks, Q3W) or nivolumab (40 mg Q2W) were administered to patients with relapsed/refractory cHL. In the pembrolizumab cohort (N = 11), who had failed a median of three (1-6) therapies (brentuximab vedotin [BV]: 91%; autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation [auto-HSCT]: 18%), the overall response rate (ORR) by positron emission tomography-computed tomography was 100% (metabolic complete response [mCR]: 73%; partial response [PR]: 27%).

Risk assessment of venous thromboembolism in hematological cancer patients: a review.

: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a frequent and serious complication in cancer patients. Nonetheless, patients with hematological cancers receive less attention as compared with their solid tumor counterparts regarding this potentially fatal complication.: Risk factors that are associated with the development of VTE in hematological cancers are discussed, based on a PubMed literature search.

Clofarabine, cytarabine, and mitoxantrone in refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia: High response rates and effective bridge to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Clofarabine is active in refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In this phase 2 study, we treated 18- to 65-year-old AML patients refractory to first-line 3 + 7 daunorubicin/cytarabine induction or relapsing after 3 + 7 induction and high-dose cytarabine consolidation, with clofarabine (30 mg/m /d, Days 1-5), cytarabine (750 mg/m /d, Days 1-5), and mitoxantrone (12 mg/m /d, Days 3-5) (CLAM). Patients achieving remission received up to two consolidation cycles of 50% CLAM, with eligible cases bridged to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).

Oral arsenic trioxide incorporation into frontline treatment with all-trans retinoic acid and chemotherapy in newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia: A 5-year prospective study.

Background: Strategies using oral arsenic trioxide (As O ) are efficacious in relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), but they have not been examined in newly diagnosed cases.

Methods: Sixty-two consecutive patients (24 men and 38 women) with a median age of 52 years (range, 22-85 years), 36% of whom had high-risk features, underwent induction with all-trans retinoic acid at 45 mg/m /d, oral As O at 10 mg/d, and ascorbic acid at 1 g/d (the all-trans retinoic acid-arsenic trioxide-ascorbic acid [AAA] regimen) for 6 weeks (with patients younger than 70 years additionally receiving daunorubicin at 50 mg/m /d × 3); they then underwent consolidation with 2 monthly cycles of daunorubicin (50 mg/m /d × 2) and cytarabine (100 mg/m /d × 5) and received AAA maintenance (2 weeks every 8 weeks) for 2 years. A contemporaneous cohort of 37 newly diagnosed patients (15 men and 22 women) with a median age of 51 years (range, 23-78 years), not consenting to oral As O induction but receiving similar induction, consolidation, and AAA maintenance, served as a comparator group; 46% of these patients had high-risk features.

Monitoring and Treatment of Patients Undergoing Immunotherapy With Anti-CD20 Who are Exposed to HBV.

Reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a potentially fatal complication of immunosuppressive therapy, and can occur in individuals who are hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative but positive for hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc). While anti-HBc positivity indicates prior HBV exposure, it may also reflect clearance of HBsAg, but with viral persistence at low intrahepatic replicative and transcriptional levels. HBV reactivation can still occur during intense immunosuppression, including B cell-depleting therapy with anti-CD20 antibodies and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Long-term outcome of relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia treated with oral arsenic trioxide-based reinduction and maintenance regimens: A 15-year prospective study.

Background: For patients who have acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in second complete remission (CR2), optimal postremission strategies remain undefined.

Methods: The role of an oral arsenic trioxide (As O )-based regimen in the management of patients who had APL in CR2 was examined.

Results: Seventy-three patients with APL in first relapse (R1) were studied.

Eltrombopag in the management of aplastic anaemia: real-world experience in a non-trial setting.

Objective: The thrombopoietin mimetic eltrombopag has been used in clinical trials for the frontline and salvage treatment of aplastic anaemia (AA). Eltrombopag was investigated in AA patients on a non-trial all-comer basis.

Methods: Consecutive newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory AA patients were treated with eltrombopag.

Japanese Encephalitis Virus Transmitted Via Blood Transfusion, Hong Kong, China.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquitoborne virus endemic to China and Southeast Asia that causes severe encephalitis in <1% of infected persons. Transmission of JEV via blood transfusion has not been reported. We report transmission of JEV via blood donation products from an asymptomatic viremic donor to 2 immunocompromised recipients.

Hepatitis B reactivation in occult viral carriers undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A prospective study.

Unlabelled: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative, antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc)-positive patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has not been prospectively studied. HBsAg-negative, anti-HBc-positive patients with undetectable HBV DNA undergoing allogeneic HSCT were prospectively monitored every 4 weeks. The primary endpoint was HBV reactivation, defined as detectable HBV DNA (≥10 IU/mL).

Association of Hepatitis B Core-Related Antigen With Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation in Occult Viral Carriers Undergoing High-Risk Immunosuppressive Therapy.

Objectives: Hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) is a novel serum marker that correlates with intrahepatic hepatitis B virus (HBV) activity. Its association with HBV reactivation in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc)-positive patients undergoing high-risk immunosuppressive therapy is undefined.

Methods: HBcrAg was measured in HBsAg-negative, anti-HBc-positive Asian patients with undetectable HBV DNA, who participated in two prospective studies investigating HBV reactivation during rituximab-containing chemotherapy and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).