Approximately 5% of diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) are double-hit lymphomas (DHLs) with translocations of both MYC and BCL2. DHLs are characterized by poor outcome. We tested whether DLBCLs ...with high expression of MYC protein and BCL2 protein share the clinical features and poor prognosis of DHLs.
Paraffin-embedded lymphoma samples from 193 patients with de novo DLBCL who were uniformly treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) were studied using immunohistochemistry for MYC, BCL2, CD10, BCL6, and MUM1/interferon regulatory factor 4, and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) for MYC and BCL2.
FISH analysis identified DHL in 6% of patients, who showed the expected poor overall survival (OS; P = .002). On the basis of immunohistochemical MYC and BCL2 expression, a double-hit score (DHS) was assigned to all patients with DLBCL. The DHS-2 group, defined by high expression of both MYC and BCL2 protein, comprised 29% of the patients. DHS 2 was significantly associated with lower complete response rate (P = .004), shorter OS (P < .001), and shorter progression-free survival (PFS; P < .001). The highly significant correlation with OS and PFS was maintained in multivariate models that controlled for the International Prognostic Index and the cell-of-origin subtype (OS, P < .001; PFS, P < .001). DHS was validated in an independent cohort of 116 patients who were treated with R-CHOP.
The immunohistochemical DHS defined a large subset of DLBCLs with double-hit biology and was strongly associated with poor outcome in patients treated with R-CHOP.
Purpose
The quality of patient-reported outcome (PRO) data can be compromised by non-response (NR) to scheduled questionnaires, particularly if reasons for NR are related to health problems, which ...may lead to unintended bias. The aim was to investigate whether electronic reminders and real-time monitoring improve PRO completion rate.
Methods
The population-based study “Quality of life in Danish multiple myeloma patients” is a longitudinal, multicentre study with consecutive inclusion of treatment-demanding newly diagnosed or relapsed patients with multiple myeloma. Education of study nurses in the avoidance of NR, electronic reminders, 7-day response windows and real-time monitoring of NR were integrated in the study. Patients complete PRO assessments at study entry and at 12 follow-up time points using electronic or paper questionnaires. The effect of the electronic reminders and real-time monitoring were investigated by comparison of proportions of completed questionnaires before and after each intervention.
Results
The first 271 included patients were analysed; of those, 249 (85%) chose electronic questionnaires. Eighty-four percent of the 1441 scheduled PRO assessments were completed within the 7-day response window and 11% after real-time monitoring, achieving a final PRO completion rate of 95%. A significant higher proportion of uncompleted questionnaires were completed after the patients had received the electronic reminder and after real-time monitoring.
Conclusions
Electronic reminders and real-time monitoring contributed to a very high completion rate in the study. To increase the quality of PRO data, we propose integrating these strategies in PRO studies, however highlighting that an increase in staff resources is required for implementation.
Objective
Prognostic and predictive markers in multiple myeloma are continuously explored because of the heterogeneity of the tumor biology. Myc protein is the final product from activating MYC ...oncogene, but the prognostic impact in multiple myeloma is not well described.
Methods
In a population‐based cohort of 194 untreated, newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma, we assessed myc protein expression using CD138/myc immunohistochemical double stain and collected clinicopathological data.
Results
Cases with myc protein expression ≥40% (mycHIGH) had a median overall survival of 11 months compared to 48 months in cases of myc protein expression <40% (mycLOW) (P < 0.01). MycHIGH was significantly correlated to R‐ISS, high proliferation index, high percentage of plasma cell in bone marrow, plasmablastic morphology, high calcium level, and abnormal karyotype. In multivariate survival analyses, mycHIGH was independently associated with inferior overall survival with a hazard ratio of 2.5.
Conclusion
Our results indicate myc protein overexpression to be associated with advanced multiple myeloma and poor prognosis.
The Danish National Multiple Myeloma Registry (DMMR) is a population-based clinical quality database established in January 2005. The primary aim of the database is to ensure that diagnosis and ...treatment of plasma cell dyscrasia are of uniform quality throughout the country. Another aim is to support research. Patients are registered with their unique Danish personal identification number, and the combined use of DMMR, other Danish National registries, and the Danish National Cancer Biobank offers a unique platform for population-based translational research.
All newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (MM), smoldering MM, solitary plasmacytomas, and plasma cell leukemia in Denmark are registered annually; ~350 patients. Amyloid light-chain amyloidosis, POEMS syndrome (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes syndrome), monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance with polyneuropathy have been registered since 2014.
The main registered variables at diagnosis are patient demographics, baseline disease characteristics, myeloma-defining events, clinical complications, prognostics, first- and second-line treatments, treatment responses, progression free, and overall survival.
Up to June 2015, 2,907 newly diagnosed patients with MM, 485 patients with smoldering MM, 64 patients with plasma cell leukemia, and 191 patients with solitary plasmacytomas were registered. Registration completeness of new patients is ~100%. A data validation study performed in 2013-2014 by the Danish Myeloma Study Group showed >95% data correctness.
The DMMR is a population-based data validated database eligible for clinical, epidemiological, and translational research.
Ibrutinib has now been approved for treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in both front‐line setting and as later‐line treatment. However, knowledge about the outcomes and adverse events ...(AE) among patients at a population‐based level is still limited.
Objectives
To report outcomes and AEs in a population‐based cohort treated with ibrutinib outside clinical trials.
Methods
We conducted a multicenter, retrospective cohort study including all patients with CLL treated with ibrutinib.
Results
In total, 205 patients were included of whom 39 (19%) were treatment‐naïve. The median follow‐up was 21.4 months (interquartile range (IQR), 11.9,32.8), the estimated overall survival at 12 months was 88.8% (95% confidence interval (CI); 84.3%, 93.3%), and the estimated progression‐free survival at 12 months was 86.3% (95% CI; 81.3%, 91.2%). During follow‐up, 200 (97.6%) patients had at least one AE and 100 (48.8%) patients had at least one grade ≥3 AE. Eighty‐six patients (42.0%) discontinued ibrutinib, hereof 47 (54.7%) due to AEs and 19 (22.1%) had progression of CLL or Richter transformation.
Conclusions
In our study, we find comparable, though slightly inferior, overall, and progression‐free survival, and discontinuation due to toxicity was higher compared with clinical trials. Patient training and information may improve treatment adherence outside clinical trials.
Abstract Purpose Non-response (NR) to patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires may cause bias if not handled appropriately. Collecting reasons for NR is recommended, but how reasons for NR are ...related to missing data mechanisms remains unexplored. We aimed to explore this relationship for intermittent NRs. Methods Patients with multiple myeloma completed validated PRO questionnaires at enrolment and 12 follow-up time-points. NR was defined as non-completion of a follow-up assessment within seven days, which triggered contact with the patient, recording the reason for missingness and an invitation to complete the questionnaire (denoted “salvage response”). Mean differences between salvage and previous on-time scores were estimated for groups defined by reasons for NR using linear regression with clustered standard errors. Statistically significant mean differences larger than minimal important difference thresholds were interpreted as “missing not at random” (MNAR) mechanism (i.e. assumed to be related to declining health), and the remainder interpreted as aligned with “missing completely at random” (MCAR) mechanism (i.e. assumed unrelated to changes in health). Results Most (7228/7534 (96%)) follow-up questionnaires were completed; 11% (802/7534) were salvage responses. Mean salvage scores were compared to previous on-time scores by reason: those due to hospital admission, mental or physical reasons were worse in 10/22 PRO domains; those due to technical difficulties/procedural errors were no different in 21/22 PRO domains; and those due to overlooked/forgotten or other/unspecified reasons were no different in any domains. Conclusion Intermittent NRs due to hospital admission, mental or physical reasons were aligned with MNAR mechanism for nearly half of PRO domains, while intermittent NRs due to technical difficulties/procedural errors or other/unspecified reasons generally were aligned with MCAR mechanism.
Introduction
Ibrutinib is an oral irreversible inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase for treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Ibrutinib has demonstrated superior efficacy for patients ...with TP53 aberration or relapsed/refractory (R/R) CLL; and more recently superior progression free survival (PFS) has been demonstrated compared to chemoimmunotherapy as first line therapy. However, knowledge about the outcomes and adverse events (AE) upon ibrutinib among patients at a population-based level are still limited. The aim of the here presented study is to explore outcomes of ibrutinib treatment in a population-based cohort of patients with CLL treated with ibrutinib in Denmark.
Methods
In this retrospective study, patients from 8 hospitals in Denmark, who were diagnosed with CLL and treated with ibrutinib from April 2014 until February 2019 were included. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to obtain information. Patients receiving ibrutinib within clinical trials were excluded. Overall survival (OS) was defined as time from ibrutinib start to death from any cause while PFS was defined as time from ibrutinib start to progression or death from any cause. PFS and OS were analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method while cumulative incidence was calculated with the Aalen-Johansen estimator.
Results
In total, 205 patients with CLL receiving ibrutinib treatment were identified from hospital records and registries. The median follow-up was 21.4 months (IQR, 11.9-32.8) and the median time on ibrutinib was 16.8 months (IQR, 6.0-28.1). The median age at treatment initiation was 72.8 years (IQR, 65.7-77.8), 128 (62.4%) were male, and 111 (63.4%) were Binet stage B/C at treatment initiation out of 175 with available information regarding clinical stage. Thirty-nine (19.0%) received ibrutinib as first-line, and 166 for R/R CLL with a median of 2 (range, 1-8) prior treatment regimens. Information on TP53 aberration was available for 149 and regarding IGHV mutation for 147 patients, 111 (74.5%) had TP53 aberration and 107 (72.8%) were IGHV unmutated. Eighty-six patients (42.0%) discontinued ibrutinib during follow-up with a median time until discontinuation of 9.3 months (IQR, 3.0-23.2). Forty-seven (54.7%) discontinued due to AEs, 19 (22.1%) due to progression (12 had progression of CLL and 7 had Richter's transformation) while the remaining 20 (23.2%) discontinued due to other reasons. The estimated cumulative incidence of discontinuation at 12 months was 24.8% (95% CI: 18.6-30.9). The estimated OS after 12 and 24 months was 88.8% (95%CI: 84.3-93.3) and 76.8% (95%CI: 70.4-83.2) and the estimated PFS after 12 and 24 months was 87.3% (95%CI: 82.5-92.1) and 72.4% (95%CI: 65.5-79.2).
One hundred and eighty-eight (91.7%) experienced at least one AE, among these 45 (23.9%) experienced a grade 3+. The most common AEs were hemorrhage (tendency to bruise, epistaxis etc.) which occurred in 86 (42.0%) of all and musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders (arthralgia, myalgia etc.) which occurred in 82 (40.0%). Thirty-one (15.1%) patients experienced atrial fibrillation while on ibrutinib and 14 (6.8%) developed hypertension.
One hundred and thirty-seven patients (66.8%) had at least one infection and among these 80 (58.4%) were hospitalized with an infection. The most common infections were lower respiratory tract infections and urinary tract infections that occurred for 88 (42.9%) and 41 (20.0%). The estimated cumulative incidence for any infection was 58.9% (95%CI: 52.0-65.9) at 12 months.
Conclusion
This is the first study describing outcomes for a population-based cohort of CLL patients treated with ibrutinib in Denmark. Real-world studies are warranted, to confirm the results from clinical trials. In this study, patients appear to have comparable OS and types of AE compared with the RESONATE trial. Differences in frequency of AEs compared to the clinical trial may reflect the focus of clinicians in routine practice. Discontinuation in this cohort was higher compared to clinical trials but comparable to previously reported real-world studies. While ibrutinib can be safely managed in routine clinical practice, this study demonstrates that a quarter of patients discontinue treatment due to mainly AEs. Further patient training and information, and in some instances personalized treatment with other targeted agents based on adverse event profile, may improve treatment adherence.
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Aarup:Research Committee, Rigshospitalet: Research Funding. Enggaard:Abbie: Other: Advisory board; Gilead: Other: Advisory board; Janssen: Other: Advisory board. Frederiksen:Gilead: Research Funding; Abbvie: Research Funding; Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Alexion: Research Funding. Niemann:Novo Nordisk Foundation: Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Consultancy, Other: Travel Grant, Research Funding; Sunesis: Consultancy; Acerta: Consultancy; CSL Behring: Consultancy; Roche: Other: Travel Grant; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Travel Grant, Research Funding; Gilead: Other: Travel Grant; Abbvie: Consultancy, Other: Travel Grant, Research Funding.
Summary
In 2019 the UK Myeloma Research Alliance introduced the Myeloma Risk Profile (MRP) for prediction of outcome in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM), ineligible for autologous ...stem cell transplantation. To validate the MRP in a population‐based setting we performed a study of the entire cohort of transplant ineligible MM patients above 65 years in the Danish National MM Registry. Our data confirmed the value of the MRP. In a cohort of 1,377 patients, the MRP score separated patients into three distinct risk‐groups with an observed hazard ratio of 2.91 for early death in high‐risk versus low‐risk patients.
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