Aplastic anemia (AA) is a serious hematological disorder, which is solely cured by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Haploidentical HSCT is an emerging modality with encouraging ...outcomes in several blood conditions. The present study aims to comprehensively assess the feasibility and safety of haploidentical HSCT in patients with severe and very severe AA. It is a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies related to haploidentical stem cell transplantation in idiopathic AA investigating rates of successful engraftment, acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD), chronic GvHD (cGvHD), transplant-related mortality (TRM), and posttransplantation viral infections (including cytomegalovirus CMV) in patients with AA. The effects of reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) and nonmyeloablative conditioning (NMA), as well as various GvHD prophylaxis regimens on these outcomes were evaluated. In total 15 studies were identified, (577 patients, 58.9% males), successful engraftment was observed in 97.3% of patients (95% CI, 95.9-98.7) while grades II-IV aGvHD and cGvHD were reported in 26.6% and 25.0%, respectively. The pooled incidence of TRM was 6.7% per year (95% CI, 4.0-9.4). RIC regimens were associated with higher proportions of successful engraftment (97.7% vs 91.7%, P = 0.03) and aGvHD (29.5% vs 18.7%, P = 0.008) when compared with NMA regimens with no differences in cGvHD or mortality incidence. When compared with methotrexate-containing regimens and other regimens, posttransplant cyclophosphamide-containing regimens reduced the rates of aGvHD (28.6%, 27.8%, and 12.8%, respectively, P = 0.02), CMV viremia (55.7%, 38.6%, and 10.4%, respectively, P < 0.001), and CMV disease in initially viremic patients (2.1%, 33.0%, and 0%, respectively, P < 0.001). We have concluded that Haploidentical HSCT was associated with promising outcomes in terms of successful engraftment and reduced complications. Future prospective trials are needed to identify the preferred conditioning regimen, GvHD prophylaxis, and graft source in the setting of haploidentical transplant for AA.
Aplastic anemia is a relatively rare but potentially fatal disorder, with a reported higher incidence in developing countries in comparison to the West. There are significant variations in ...epidemiological as well as etiological factors of bone marrow failure syndromes in the developing countries in comparison to the developed world. Furthermore, the management of bone marrow failure syndromes in resource constraint settings has significant challenges including delayed diagnosis and referral, limited accessibility to healthcare facilities, treatment modalities as well as limitations related to patients who require allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Here we will provide a review of the available evidence related to specific issues of aplastic anemia in the developing countries and we summarize suggested recommendations from the Eastern Mediterranean blood and bone marrow transplantation (EMBMT) group and the severe aplastic anemia working party of the European Society of blood and marrow transplantation (SAAWP of EBMT) related to the diagnosis and therapeutic options in countries with restricted resources.
Multiple myeloma (MM) represents the second most common hematologic malignancy (15%). Induction with bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, and dexamthasone VCd (d: low dose dexamthasone) regimen is widely ...used due to its high effectiveness, low toxicity and good tolerability, particularly with renal impairment. Real-world data on the use of VCD in clinical practice is lacking.
Evaluate the real-world experience of the VCD regimen.
Retrospective.
Tumor registry database of tertiary cancer care center.
newly diagnosed MM patients who received VCD induction and underwent autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) from July 2007 to July 2020.
response evaluation, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).
87 patients.
Of 102 patients who started induction with VCd, 87 patients experienced a partial response or more overall response rate of 85%). The median age of these 87 patients at diagnosis was 52 years, of which 29.9% presented with renal impairment and 60.3% of patients had stage 2 by the Revised International Staging System (R-ISS). Patients with a standard cytogenetic risk achieved a better response compared to those with a poor cytogenetic risk (
=.044). The post-induction response rates were 6.9% stringent complete remission (sCR), 35% complete remission (CR); 41.4% very good partial response (VGPR), and 16.1% partial response (PR), respectively; the response rates became greater for sCR and CR post-transplantation at day 100 with 16.1% sCR, 35.6% CR, 32.2% VGPR and 16.1% PR, respectively. The median PFS was 49 months and 5 years OS was 84%. PFS was better in patients who achieved sCR vs PR (83 vs 35 months,
=.037). High LDH, high-risk cytogenetic and stage 3 R-ISS showed a worse median PFS and OS.
VCD induction in newly diagnosed MM is highly effective, convenient, tolerable and affordable regimen, especially in low and middle-income countries with limited resources, also with favorable outcomes and survival. while those who did not respond successfully shifted to VRD or VTD.
The usual limitations of a retrospective analysis using registry-level data, no data on quality of life.
The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a potentially lethal infection. Cancer patients, and specifically hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients ...are severely immunocompromised and may be at a higher risk of a complicated course with this infection. We aimed to study the COVID-19 outcomes and severity in post HCT patients. We retrospectively reviewed post-HCT patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between March 15, 2020, and December 1, 2020 at 10 transplant centers across the Middle East. We identified 91 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection across 10 transplant centers. The median age upon presentation with COVID-19 was 35. Fifty two patients were post allo-HCT while the remaining 39 patients were post auto-HCT. The median time from transplant was 14.9 months. Mortality rate was 4.4%. Hospital admission rate was 53%. ICU admission rate was 14%. Mechanical ventilation rate was 10%. Oxygen supplementation rate was 18%. Time from HCT to COVID-19 >6 months was associated with lower admission rates and lower rates of the "severity" composite endpoint. Antibody responses was seen 67% of evaluable patients. In this series of HCT recipients, we report overall favorable clinical outcomes for patients with COVID-19 and provide preliminary insights into the clinical course of this disease in this specific population.
Pediatric-inspired non-transplant regimens for adolescent and adult ALL patients are becoming standard in many institutions. We aimed to compare a cohort of patients receiving a pediatric-inspired ...protocol to a cohort of patients treated with adult type ALL therapy followed by allografting after achieving CR1.
Eighty-five adolescent and adult ALL patients treated with CALGB 19802 protocol who received MSD transplant in CR1 were retrospectively compared to a matched cohort of 72 adolescent and adult ALL patients treated with a modified version of Children's Cancer Group (CCG) 1900 protocol.
The five years OS in the allo-HCT cohort was 63.1% compared to 80.2% in the pediatric-inspired chemotherapy arm (P = 0.03). The five years EFS in the allo-HCT arm was 58.8% compared to 61.6% in the pediatric-inspired chemotherapy arm (P = 0.07). The five years DFS in the allo-HCT arm was 58.8% as compared to 71.9% in the pediatric-inspired chemotherapy arm (P = 0.07). The relapse rate in the allo-HCT cohort was 30.58% compared to 21.68% in the pediatric-inspired chemotherapy arm (P = 0.16). The NRM in the allo-HCT cohort was 10.59 as compared to 6.45 in the pediatric-inspired chemotherapy arm (P = 0.3).
For adolescent and adult patients with Ph-negative ALL, pediatric-inspired chemotherapy resulted in higher OS compared to allo-HCT.
Patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) mutations have a very poor prognosis, despite use of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation ...(allo-HSCT) and salvage treatments.
We previously reported the safety and efficacy of sorafenib, an FLT3 inhibitor, as a maintenance agent after allo-HSCT in patients diagnosed with AML with FLT3 mutations. We provide an update on the 27 patients with FLT3-mutated AML in our original report, who received sorafenib as a single maintenance agent.
Since our previous report, others have confirmed our reported significant overall survival and progression-free survival in patients who received sorafenib before and/or after allo-HSCT. In this update on the 27 patients with FLT3-mutated AML in our original report, we show persistence of the previously reported impressive long-term disease control.
Our results, with longer follow-up than in our previous report, together with those of others, further support the use of sorafenib as a maintenance agent after allo-HSCT.
Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) mutations have a very poor prognosis, despite use of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and salvage treatments. We previously reported the safety and efficacy of sorafenib, as a maintenance agent after allo-HSCT in 27 patients with FLT3-mutated AML. We provide an update on the patients in our original report, who received sorafenib as a single maintenance agent, and show persistence of the previously reported impressive long-term disease control. Our results continue to support the use of sorafenib as a maintenance agent after allo-HSCT.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) is the only potentially curative treatment option for the hematologic complications that occur in patients with Fanconi anemia (FA). In this study, we ...present a retrospective multicenter analysis from the Eastern Mediterranean Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group (EMBMT) of matched related donor HSCT for FA in adolescents and adults transplanted between 1988 and 2015. Forty-five patients received HSCT with a median age at transplant of 18 years, the interquartile range (IQR) (15-23.5); 25 (55.6%) patients were females and 20 (44.4%) were males. Conditioning regimen was fludarabine-based in 29 (64.4%) patients, irradiation-based in five (11.1%) patients, and the remaining patients received other combinations. Indication for HSCT was bone marrow failure in 39 (86.7%) and myelodysplastic syndrome in six (13.3%) patients. Stem cell source was bone marrow in 22 (48.9%), peripheral blood in 20 (44.4%), umbilical cord blood in one (2.2%), and combination of bone marrow and cord blood in two (4.4%) patients. Twenty-seven (60%) patients engrafted and five (11.1%) had primary engraftment failure. The median time to neutrophil engraftment was 14 days (range 10-21 days); median time for platelet engraftment was 17 days (10-33 days). The probability of developing grade II-IV acute GVHD for all patients was 7.0% and chronic GVHD 36.6%. No new malignancies were reported. The OS probability was 53.6% (95% CI, 38.3-68.9%) with a median follow-up of 13 months (95% CI, 1-240). Our HLA-matched related HSCT results in AYA patients with FA compare favorably with other reported international registry data.