The 2016 revision of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification for lymphoma has included a new category of lymphoma, separate from diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, termed high-grade B-cell ...lymphoma with translocations involving myc and bcl-2 or bcl-6. These lymphomas, which occur in <10% of cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, have been referred to as double-hit lymphomas (or triple-hit lymphomas if all 3 rearrangements are present). It is important to differentiate these lymphomas from the larger group of double-expressor lymphomas, which have increased expression of MYC and BCL-2 and/or BCL-6 by immunohistochemistry, by using variable cutoff percentages to define positivity. Patients with double-hit lymphomas have a poor prognosis when treated with standard chemoimmunotherapy and have increased risk of central nervous system involvement and progression. Double-hit lymphomas may arise as a consequence of the transformation of the underlying indolent lymphoma. There are no published prospective trials in double-hit lymphoma, however retrospective studies strongly suggest that aggressive induction regimens may confer a superior outcome. In this article, I review my approach to the evaluation and treatment of double-hit lymphoma, with an eye toward future clinical trials incorporating rational targeted agents into the therapeutic armamentarium.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Despite overall improvements in outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), approximately one-third of patients will develop relapsed/refractory disease that remains a major cause of morbidity ...and mortality. Novel insights from gene-expression analyses have increased our understanding of chemotherapy resistance and yielded rational targets for therapeutic intervention to both prevent and treat relapsed/refractory DLBCL. The clinical approach to relapsed/refractory DLBCL should include high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (HD-ASCT) with curative intent in patients without comorbidities. Results from the recently reported CORAL study suggest that patients refractory to rituximab-containing regimens have inferior outcomes with HD-ASCT. Ongoing efforts to improve ASCT include novel conditioning regimens and evaluation of maintenance approaches after ASCT. Unfortunately, because the majority of patients are not eligible for ASCT due to refractory disease or age/comorbidities, these approaches have limited impact. The large group of patients not eligible for ASCT have incurable disease and should be referred for clinical trials of rationally targeted agents.
Classical Hodgkin lymphoma Brice, Pauline; de Kerviler, Eric; Friedberg, Jonathan W
Lancet,
10/2021, Volume:
398, Issue:
10310
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Classical Hodgkin lymphoma is one of the more frequent lymphomas and is generally considered a highly curable disease with standard first-line chemotherapy and radiotherapy in some cases. Despite ...these outstanding results, major problems remain unresolved. First, there are still patients who will not be cured with front-line regimens and, second, many patients who are cured of classical Hodgkin lymphoma continue to die prematurely due to the late toxic effects of their therapy. Because the median age of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma is in the mid-30s, the disease's impact on the number of years lost from productive life is remarkable. In recent years, the gold standard of chemotherapy (often combined with radiotherapy) has changed, with the approval of immunotherapy mostly in relapse settings.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
5.
An Oncology Renaissance Friedberg, Jonathan W.
Journal of clinical oncology,
09/2021, Volume:
39, Issue:
25
Journal Article
Histologic transformation of follicular lymphoma to an aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a critical biologic event with profound implications on the natural history of this otherwise indolent ...disease. Recent insights into the genetic and epigenetic basis of transformation have been described, with the recognition of pivotal events governing the initiation and persistence of tumor evolution. Outcomes of patients with transformed lymphoma have historically been poor; however, several studies in the rituximab era suggest that survival may be more favorable than previously recognized. This review highlights our current understanding of transformed follicular lymphoma biology and pathogenesis, current treatment, and future directions.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Twenty percent of patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) experience progression of disease (POD) within 2 years of initial chemoimmunotherapy. We analyzed data from the National LymphoCare Study to ...identify whether prognostic FL factors are associated with early POD and whether patients with early POD are at high risk for death.
In total, 588 patients with stage 2 to 4 FL received first-line rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP). Two groups were defined: patients with early POD 2 years or less after diagnosis and those without POD within 2 years, the reference group. An independent validation set, 147 patients with FL who received first-line R-CHOP, was analyzed for reproducibility.
Of 588 patients, 19% (n = 110) had early POD, 71% (n = 420) were in the reference group, 8% (n = 46) were lost to follow-up, and 2% (n = 12) died without POD less than 2 years after diagnosis. Five-year overall survival was lower in the early-POD group than in the reference group (50% v 90%). This trend was maintained after we adjusted for FL International Prognostic Index (hazard ratio, 6.44; 95% CI, 4.33 to 9.58). Results were similar for the validation set (FL International Prognostic Index-adjusted hazard ratio, 19.8).
In patients with FL who received first-line R-CHOP, POD within 2 years after diagnosis was associated with poor outcomes and should be further validated as a standard end point of chemoimmunotherapy trials of untreated FL. This high-risk FL population warrants further study in directed prospective clinical trials.
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