Biallelic mutations in ATM cause ataxia-telangiectasia (AT), a rare inherited disease with a high incidence of cancer. Precise estimates of the risk, presentation, and outcomes of cancer in patients ...with AT need to be addressed in large series.
In this large retrospective cohort, 69 patients with cancers (24.5%) were identified among 279 patients with AT. Centralized review was performed on 60% of the lymphomas. Incidence rates were compared with the French population, and risk factors were analyzed.
Eight patients developed acute leukemias (including four T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias), 12 developed Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), 38 developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), three developed T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL), and eight developed carcinoma at a median age of 8.3, 10.6, 9.7, 24.2, and 31.4 years, respectively (P < .001). The majority of NHLs were aggressive B-cell NHL. Epstein-Barr virus was associated with all of the HLs and 50% of the NHLs. Overall survival was shorter in patients with AT who developed cancer compared with those who did not develop cancer (15 v 24 years, respectively; P < .001). Survival was improved in patients who achieved a major response to treatment (3.46 v 0.87 years for major v minor responses, respectively; P = .011). Immunodeficiency was associated with increased risk of cancer. ATM mutation type was associated with a difference in survival in the entire cohort but not with cancer incidence or cancer survival.
B-cell NHL, HL, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia occur at a high rate and earlier age than carcinomas in AT. T-PLLs are rarer than initially reported. Prognosis is poor, but patients may benefit from treatment with an improved survival.
Introduction
Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder associated with mutations in the ATMgene and characterized by cerebellar ataxia, telangiectasia, immune defect, and a ...high incidence of lymphoid and solid cancers. We conducted a retrospective study of the patients with AT enrolled in the registry of the French National Reference Center for Primary Immune Deficiencies, in order to describe the incidence, subtypes, and outcomes of cancer and mainly of lymphoproliferative diseases (LPD) occurring in AT. Most of the LPD of this study were centrally reviewed by 2 expert hematopathologists.
Patients & Results
Sixty nine patients with cancers were identified among the 279 patients with AT of our cohort. Eight patients developed carcinomas, 8 acute leukemias, 3 T-cell prolymphocytic leukemias and 50 developed lymphomas. Among the lymphomas, 12 were classical Hodgkin’s lymphomas (cHL), and 38 high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL, 26 of B-cell type, 4 of T-cell type, and 8 not phenotyped). We obtained a centralized histopathology review in 31 cases classified by pathology reports as cHL (n=6) and high-grade NHL (n=25). Cases were reviewed according to the WHO classification by H&E staining and immunohistochemistry. The presence of EBV was analyzed using antibodies to LMP and in situ hybridization for EBER. Concordance between the diagnosis established on pathology reports and the centralized review was excellent. All 6 cases of cHL were confirmed by the pathology review. The 25 cases initially diagnosed as high-grade NHL based on pathology reports fell into several WHO classification categories. Six corresponded to Burkitt’s lymphomas (BL) and 12 to diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL). Among the latter, 10 could be further classified according to cell-of-origin by the Hans algorithm as germinal center (GC, 2) and non-GC (8). Seven cases displayed polymorphic histological features reminiscent of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD), 5 polymorphic B cell LPD (pLPD), 1 with features of infectious mononucleosis (IM), another with features of plasmacytic hyperplasia LPD. EBV could be evaluated in 28 cases. All 6 cHL, 4 out of 11 DLBCL, all 5 pLPD, and the case of IM-like LPD were EBV positive by LMP and/or EBER staining. The 5 cases of BL that were evaluated were all EBV negative. Median age at diagnosis was 7.8 years range 3 – 24, 14.9 5.8 – 17.1, 12.2 5.4 – 29 and 11 6.3 – 17.7 for pLPD, cHL, BL and DLBCL respectively (p=ns). Median survival after diagnosis of lymphoma was 35, 8.6, 6 and 8 months for pLPD, cHL, BL and DLBCL respectively (p=ns). ATM mutation analysis was available for 20 cases (8 hypomorphic mutations, 12 loss-of-function mutations). There were no differences in age at diagnosis of lymphoma or survival according to the ATM mutation class or the EBV status.
Conclusion
B-cell malignancies including cHL and B-cell NHL are the most frequent malignancies in A-T and can be further classified as DLBCL, BL and cases with polymorphic features resembling post-transplant LPD. EBV seems to be associated with all cHL, approximately 50% of DLBCL and polymorphic LPD, but not with BL. The majority of DLBCL are non-GC type by immunohistochemistry. On this series of 31 patients, ATM mutation type was not associated with differences in type of lymphoma or outcome.
No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Abstract 1057
Primary immunodeficiencies (PID) are rare congenital disorders involving defects of the immune system. Aside from infectious complications, patients are at increased risk of malignant ...complications, which represent a leading cause of mortality in this context. The pathophysiology underlying malignant complications, especially lymphoid malignancies, in PID is not fully understood. The molecular mechansims of PID, that often involve lymphoid developent pathways, may also play a role in oncogenesis. A better understanding of the epidemiology of malignancies in PID may provide important insights in oncogenesis, particularly in lympomagenesis.
French National Reference Center for Primary Immune Deficiencies (CEREDIH) has registered 4632 patients with PID as of July 2012. T-cell immunoficiencies and B-cell immodificencies reprensent 35.8% and 46.1% respectively. Patients with Ataxia-Telangiectasia and Severe Congenital Neutropenia were excluded frome the present analysis as they represent a more homogeneous group in terms of molecular pathophysiology and have been described elsewhere. T-cell immunodeficiencies comprise Severe combined immudoficiencies, Combined immunodeficiencies, other well defined T-cell immunoficiencies (including Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome), and diseases of immune regulation (including X-linked lymphoproliferative disease and Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome). B-cell immunodeficiencies include Agammaglobulinemia, Common Variable Immunodeficiency, Unspecified primary hypogammaglobulinemia, Selective IgA deficiency, Hyper-IgM symdrome and IgG subclass deficiency. Diagnostic class of PID, Age at diagnosis of PID, age at diagnosis of neoplastic complication, type of neoplasia, and survival were retrospectively colloected from the medical files. Non-melanomatous skin cancers and lymphoproliferative disorders occuring after allogeneic stem cell tranplantation were excluded from the analysis.
4632 patients with PID were analyzed. Two hundred and sixty seven patients developed 276 cancers (incidence 5.8%). One hundred and fifty seven patients developed lymphoid malignancies and 78 patients developed solid tumors (56.4% vs. 28.3% respectively). Compared to patients with B-cell PID, patients with T-cell PID had lower age at diagnosis of PID (5.5 0–12.4 vs. 1.3–78). Lymphoid malignancies, mainly high grade lymphomas were more prevalent in T-cell PID and PID diagnosed at a younger age (median age at diagnosis of PID for patients with lymphoid malignancies vs. solid tumors, 5.2 yr 0–85 and 37.5 0–80 respectively, p<0,001). More than 75% of solid tumors occured in patients with B-cell PID with a median age of 45 yr. at diagnosis of cancer (p<0,001 compared to lymphoid malignancies for the entire cohort). Occurence of lymphoid malignancies had a major impact on mortality in patients with PID, with an overall survival (OS) of 24.7 yr 0.2–86 vs. 58.3 yr 0.2–90.8 for patients with solid tumors (p<0,001). The difference in OS between PID patients developing solid tumors was not statistically different than the whole cohort of PID patients. Both high and low-grade lymphomas were observed in patients with PID developing lymphoid malginancies. The majority of low grade-malignancies were oberserved in patients with B-cell PID.
PID bear a high risk of malignancies (5.8%). Solid tumors are observed mainly in B-cell PID and are diagnosed at an older age. Lymphoid malignancies are observed mainly in T-cell PID and B-cell PID diagnosed at a younger age, underlying a possible pathophysiological link between T-cell PID and a subset of B-cell PID.
No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
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