Phase I study of samalizumab in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma: blockade of the immune checkpoint CD200.

Purpose: Samalizumab is a novel recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody that targets CD200, an immunoregulatory cell surface member of the immunoglobulin superfamily that dampens excessive immune responses and maintains self-tolerance. This first-in-human study investigated the therapeutic use of samalizumab as a CD200 immune checkpoint inhibitor in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and multiple myeloma (MM).

Experimental Design: Twenty-three patients with advanced CLL and 3 patients with MM were enrolled in an open-label phase 1 study (NCT00648739).

Safety, Efficacy, and Patient-Reported Health-Related Quality of Life and Symptom Burden with Nivolumab in Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Including Patients Aged 70 Years or Older or with Poor Performance Status (CheckMate 153).

Introduction: CheckMate 153 (NCT02066636) is a phase 3B/4 study assessing nivolumab in previously treated patients with advanced NSCLC. Eligibility criteria allowed enrollment of patients with poor prognostic features of advanced age or diminished Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS), which are typically underrepresented in or excluded from randomized controlled trials.

Methods: Patients with stage IIIB or IV NSCLC and an ECOG PS of 0 to 2 with disease progression after at least one systemic therapy received nivolumab (3 mg/kg every 2 weeks) until progression, unacceptable toxicity, or consent withdrawal.

Durvalumab for recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Results from a single-arm, phase II study in patients with ≥25% tumour cell PD-L1 expression who have progressed on platinum-based chemotherapy.

Background: Patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) progressing on platinum-based chemotherapy have poor prognoses and limited therapeutic options. Programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand 1 (PD-L1) are frequently upregulated in HNSCC. The international, multi-institutional, single-arm, phase II HAWK study (NCT02207530) evaluated durvalumab monotherapy, an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, in PD-L1-high patients with platinum-refractory R/M HNSCC.

Age-Related Chromosomal Aberrations in Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: An Approach.

Background: In diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), chromosomal aberrations are known to increase with advancing age. Our study aims to determine if there are other genetic aberrations associated with DLBCL based on age.

Methods: Using the Mitelman Database of Genetic Aberrations, we were able to find 749 cases of DLBCL with genomic aberrations with a median age of 62 years.

Impact of Provider Volume on Outcomes of Patients With Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Background: While the provider volume-outcome relationship has been established for many complex surgeries and invasive procedures, the provider volume impact on outcomes for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is less certain. We hypothesized that high-volume providers (HVPs) may have superior outcomes compared with low-volume providers (LVPs).

Methods: We performed a chart-based, retrospective review of all patients receiving adriamycin, doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) for HL at the West Cancer Center from January 2010 to June 2015.

Multi-Database Description of Primary Splenic Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Background/aim: Stage I splenic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is rare and there are few data to guide management. We sought to further define prognosis and outcomes.

Materials And Methods: We utilized the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry to identify patients with stage I splenic DLBCL diagnosed 1973-2013.

Navigational bronchoscopy-guided dye marking to assist resection of a small lung nodule.

Electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy (ENB) can be used to dye mark nodules that are difficult to identify during minimally invasive lung resection thoracic surgery. This case report describes the technique of ENB to identify and resect a suspicious small pulmonary nodule in a patient undergoing resection of lung adenocarcinoma.

Addition of Rituximab to Chemotherapy Reduced the Rate of Surgery for Gastric-DLBCL Without Increasing Early Mortality.

Background: We evaluated surgical trends for gastric diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (gDLBCL) before and after the approval of rituximab and whether an association of early mortality existed in patients treated after approval of rituximab.

Patients And Methods: We utilized the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) 18 database to extract data on patients with gDLBCL diagnosed between 1983-2012. Primary site-specific cancer-directed surgery using SEER site-specific surgical codes and annual trends were analyzed.

Investigating the prognostic value of KOC (K homology domain containing protein overexpressed in cancer) overexpression after curative intent resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Background: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is now the third leading cause of cancer mortality in the United States. More than 80% of patients present with distant metastasis precluding surgical eligibility. Even among patients with localized disease deemed eligible for surgical resection, the median survival is only 22.

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma across the pediatric and adolescent and young adult age spectrum.

The non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) occurring in children and adolescents and young adults (AYA) are characterized by various age-related differences in tumor biology and survival. Children generally present with high-grade lymphomas, such as Burkitt lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, lymphoblastic lymphoma, and anaplastic large cell lymphoma, whereas low-grade histologic subtypes, such as follicular lymphoma, occur more frequently with increasing age. Treatment outcome for children with NHL is generally superior to that observed in adults.

Outcome of Adolescents and Young Adults Compared With Pediatric Patients With Acute Myeloid and Promyelocytic Leukemia.

Background: Studies on the outcome of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) are limited.

Methods: We compared the outcome of AYA (19-30 years) patients with AML and PML and pediatric (0-18 years) patients with AML (pAMLs) and APL (pAPLs) utilizing the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results-18 registry. Early mortality rate (EMR), defined as mortality within 1 month of diagnosis, was used as a surrogate for treatment-related mortality.

Genomic alterations in neuroendocrine cancers of the ovary.

Background: As we have previously reported, small cell carcinoma of the ovary (SCCO) is a rare, aggressive form of ovarian cancer associated with poor outcomes. In an effort to identify new treatment options, we utilized comprehensive genomic profiling to assess the potential for novel therapies in SCCO.

Methods: Patients with SCCO, SCCO-HT (hypercalcemic type), neuroendocrine tumors of the ovary (NET-O), and small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCLC) profiled by Caris Life Sciences between 2007-2015 were identified.

Effect of Adjuvant Radiotherapy on Survival in Patients with Locoregional Urothelial Malignancies of the Upper Urinary Tract.

Background: While radical nephroureterectomy is the treatment of choice for localized or regional urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract (UTUC), the role of adjuvant radiotherapy is unclear, with conflicting data from various small studies.

Patients And Methods: We sought to study the impact of adjuvant radiotherapy on UTUC by utilizing the Survelliance, Epidemiolgy, and End Results (SEER) 9 database from 1998-2011.

Results: Of 2,572 identified cases, 113 patients (4.

Role of Genomic Instability in Immunotherapy with Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Aim: We evaluated whether tumor genome sequencing to detect the number and type of alterations could be used as a valuable biomarker for judging the potential utility of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with advanced cancers.

Materials And Methods: We identified patients with solid tumors who were treated with checkpoint inibitors and had received commercially available next generation sequencing (NGS). Tumors profiled by Caris Life Sciences, Foundation Medicine and Guardant360 between 2013 and 2015.

Electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes: The Time Is Ripe for Integration Into Patient Care and Clinical Research.

In the emerging team-based approach to delivering cancer care, collecting patient-reported outcomes (PROs) provides longitudinal monitoring of treatment adverse effects, disease complications, functional statuses, and psychological states throughout the cancer continuum for all providers to use. Electronic systems offer added capabilities, including easy quantitation of individual symptom items and aggregated scales, standardization, and longitudinal tracking of patient surveys for trend analysis over time. An ideal electronic PRO (ePRO) platform is clinically relevant, validated, and reliable and would offer patient usability.

Comorbidities Drive Outcomes for Both Malignancy-Associated and Non-Malignancy-Associated Hemophagocytic Syndrome.

Background: Secondary hemophagocytic syndrome (SHPS) is a syndrome that develops as a result of infection, autoimmunity, or underlying malignancy. We studied novel predictors of mortality among adults with SHPS.

Patients And Methods: SHPS were identified from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample for 2009 to 2011 using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM), codes.

Next-Generation Sequencing and In Silico Analysis Facilitate Prolonged Response to Pazopanib in a Patient With Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma of the Renal Pelvis.

With the advent of widespread tumor genetic profiling, an increased number of mutations with unknown significance are being identified. Often, a glut of uninterpretable findings may confuse the clinician and provide little or inappropriate guidance in therapeutic decision-making. This report describes a method of protein modeling by in silico analysis (ie, using computer simulation) that is easily accessible to the practicing clinician without need for further laboratory analysis, which can potentially serve as a guide in therapeutic decisions based on poorly characterized tumor mutations.

Secondary acute lymphoblastic leukemia is an independent predictor of poor prognosis.

Compared to secondary acute myeloid leukemia, secondary acute lymphoblastic leukemia (sALL) is poorly characterized. We utilized data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 13 database to further elucidate patient characteristics and prognostic factors in sALL. Cases of adult de novo acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and sALL in patients with primary breast, rectum, cervix, or ovarian cancers or lymphoma with a latency period of at least 12 months were identified within the SEER 13 database.

How Center Volumes Affect Early Outcomes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Early mortality (EM) is all too frequent during induction chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia. Older patients shoulder an undue amount of this burden as a result of the inherent biology of their disease and increased comorbidities. EM rates in academic centers have seen a sharp decline over the past 20 years; however, data from population-based registries show that EM rates for the general population have significantly lagged behind.