Graft-
-host disease (GvHD) assessment has been shown to be a challenge for healthcare professionals, leading to the development of the eGVHD App (www.uzleuven.be/egvhd). In this study, we formally ...evaluated the accuracy of using the App compared to traditional assessment methods to assess GvHD. Our national multicenter randomized controlled trial involved seven Belgian transplantation centers and 78 healthcare professionals selected using a 2-stage convenience sampling approach between January and April 2017. Using a 1:1 randomization stratified by profession, healthcare professionals were assigned to use either the App ("APP") or their usual GvHD assessment aids ("No APP") to assess the diagnosis and severity score of 10 expert-validated clinical vignettes. Our main outcome measure was the difference in accuracy for GvHD severity scoring between both groups. The odds of being correct were 6.14 (95%CI: 2.83-13.34) and 6.29 (95%CI: 4.32-9.15) times higher in favor of the "APP" group for diagnosis and scoring, respectively (
<0.001). App-assisted GvHD severity scoring was significantly superior for both acute and chronic GvHD, with an Odds Ratio of 17.89 and 4.34 respectively (
<0.001) and showed a significantly increased inter-observer agreement compared to standard practice. Despite a mean increase of 24 minutes (95%CI: 20.45-26.97) in the time needed to score the whole GvHD test package in the "APP" group (
<0.001), usability feedback was positive. The eGVHD App shows superior GvHD assessment accuracy compared to standard practice and has the potential to improve the quality of outcome data registration in allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
This randomized trial evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of sequential gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) and standard chemotherapy in older patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
...Patients (n = 472) age 61 to 75 years were randomly assigned to induction chemotherapy with mitoxantrone, cytarabine, and etoposide preceded, or not, by a course of GO (6 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 15). In remission, patients received two consolidation courses with or without GO (3 mg/m(2) on day 0). The primary end point was overall survival (OS).
The overall response rate was comparable between the two arms (GO, 45%; no GO, 49%), but induction and 60-day mortality rates were higher in the GO arm (17% v 12% and 22% v 18%, respectively). With median follow-up of 5.2 years, median OS was 7.1 months in the GO arm and 10 months in the no-GO arm (hazard ratio, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.45; P = .07). Other survival end points were similar in both arms. Grade 3 to 4 hematologic and liver toxicities were greater in the GO arm. Treatment with GO provided no benefit in any prognostic subgroup, with the possible exception of patients age < 70 years with secondary AML, but outcomes were significantly worse in the oldest age subgroup because of a higher risk of early mortality.
As used in this trial, the sequential combination of GO and standard chemotherapy provides no benefit for older patients with AML and is too toxic for those age ≥ 70 years.
Background: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a curative treatment option in both adult and pediatric patients with malignant and non-malignant hematological diseases. ...Chimerism analysis, which determines the donor or recipient origin of hematopoietic cells in HSCT recipients, is an essential aspect of post-HSCT follow-up.Objectives: To review the current literature and develop Belgian consensus guidelines for the use of chimerism analysis in the standard of care after allogeneic HSCT.Methods: Non-systematic review of the literature in consultancy with the members of the BHS transplantation committee.Results: Clinical application with regards to prediction of graft failure or relapse as well as cell source are reviewed. A consensus guideline on the use of chimerism analysis after HSCT is presented.Conclusion: Monitoring of the dynamics or kinetics of a patient's chimerism status by serial analysis at fixed time points, as well as on suspicion of relapse or graft failure, is needed to monitor engraftment levels, as well as disease control and possible relapse.
Abstract
Background
Most older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who attain morphologic remission with intensive chemotherapy (IC) will eventually relapse and post-relapse prognosis is ...dismal. In the pivotal QUAZAR AML-001 trial, oral azacitidine maintenance therapy significantly prolonged overall survival by 9.9 months (
P
< 0.001) and relapse-free survival by 5.3 months (
P
< 0.001) compared with placebo in patients with AML in first remission after IC who were not candidates for transplant. Currently, the QUAZAR AML-001 trial provides the most comprehensive safety information associated with oral azacitidine maintenance therapy. Reviewed here are common adverse events (AEs) during oral azacitidine treatment in QUAZAR AML-001, and practical recommendations for AE management based on guidance from international cancer consortiums, regulatory authorities, and the authors’ clinical experience treating patients in the trial.
Methods
QUAZAR AML-001 is an international, placebo-controlled randomized phase 3 study. Patients aged ≥ 55 years with AML and intermediate- or poor-risk cytogenetics at diagnosis, who had attained first complete remission (CR) or CR with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi) within 4 months before study entry, were randomized 1:1 to receive oral azacitidine 300 mg or placebo once-daily for 14 days in repeated 28-day cycles. Safety was assessed in all patients who received ≥ 1 dose of study drug.
Results
A total of 469 patients received oral azacitidine (
n
= 236) or placebo (
n
= 233). Median age was 68 years. Patients received a median of 12 (range 1–80) oral azacitidine treatment cycles or 6 (1–73) placebo cycles. Gastrointestinal AEs were common and typically low-grade. The most frequent grade 3–4 AEs during oral azacitidine therapy were hematologic events. AEs infrequently required permanent discontinuation of oral azacitidine (13%), suggesting they were effectively managed with use of concomitant medications and oral azacitidine dosing modifications.
Conclusion
Oral azacitidine maintenance had a generally favorable safety profile. Prophylaxis with antiemetic agents, and blood count monitoring every other week, are recommended for at least the first 2 oral azacitidine treatment cycles, and as needed thereafter. Awareness of the type, onset, and duration of common AEs, and implementation of effective AE management, may maximize treatment adherence and optimize the survival benefits of oral azacitidine AML remission maintenance therapy.
Trial registration
This trial is registered on clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01757535 as of December 2012.
Patients with myelodysplastic syndromes suffer from an impaired quality of life that is only partially explained by physical symptoms. In an observational study, we aimed to investigate the impact of ...current MDS treatments and the influence of disease perception on quality of life. Serial measurement of health-related quality of life was performed by 'the QUALMS', a validated MDS-specific patient reported outcome tool. Disease perception was evaluated by means of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ). We prospectively collected data on 75 patients that started on a new treatment and could not demonstrate a significant change in QUALMS score or B-IPQ score during treatment. Six out of eight items evaluated in the B-IPQ correlated significantly with QUALMS score. In this small sample, no significant difference in QUALMS score was found between lower vs. higher risk MDS patients or other studied variables, e.g., targeted hemoglobin showed no correlation with QUALMS score. In daily practice attention must be paid to initial formation of disease perception as it correlates independently with health-related quality of life and does not change during treatment (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT04053933).
Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is usually considered the only curative treatment option for patients with advanced or transformed myelodysplastic syndromes in complete remission, but ...post-remission chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation are potential alternatives, especially in patients over 45 years old.
We evaluated, after intensive anti-leukemic remission-induction chemotherapy, the impact of the availability of an HLA-identical sibling donor on an intention-to treat basis. Additionally, all patients without a sibling donor in complete remission after the first consolidation course were randomized to either autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation or a second consolidation course consisting of high-dose cytarabine.
The 4-year survival of the 341 evaluable patients was 28%. After achieving complete remission, the 4-year survival rates of patients under 55 years old with or without a donor were 54% and 41%, respectively, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.81 (95% confidence interval 95% CI, 0.49-1.35) for survival and of 0.67 (95% CI, 0.42-1.06) for disease-free survival. In patients with intermediate/high risk cytogenetic abnormalities the hazard ratio in multivariate analysis was 0.58 (99% CI, 0.22-1.50) (P=0.14) for survival and 0.46 (99% CI, 0.22-1.50) for disease-free survival (P=0.03). In contrast, in patients with low risk cytogenetic characteristics the hazard ratio for survival was 1.17 (99% CI, 0.40-3.42) and that for disease-free survival was 1.02 (99% CI, 0.40-2.56). The 4-year survival of the 65 patients randomized to autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation or a second consolidation course of high-dose cytarabine was 37% and 27%, respectively. The hazard ratio in multivariate analysis was 1.22 (95% CI, 0.65-2.27) for survival and 1.02 (95% CI, 0.56-1.85) for disease-free survival.
Patients with a donor and candidates for allogeneic stem cell transplantation in first complete remission may have a better disease-free survival than those without a donor in case of myelodysplastic syndromes with intermediate/high-risk cytogenetics. Autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation does not provide longer survival than intensive chemotherapy.
Background
We recently reported results of the prospective, open‐label HOVON‐100 trial in 334 adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) randomized to first‐line treatment with or without ...clofarabine (CLO). No improvement of event‐free survival (EFS) was observed, while a higher proportion of patients receiving CLO obtained minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity.
Aim
In order to investigate the effects of CLO in more depth, two multi‐state models were developed to identify why CLO did not show a long‐term survival benefit despite more MRD‐negativity.
Methods
The first model evaluated the effect of CLO on going off‐protocol (not due to refractory disease/relapse, completion or death) as a proxy of severe treatment‐related toxicity, while the second model evaluated the effect of CLO on obtaining MRD negativity. The subsequent impact of these intermediate events on death or relapsed/refractory disease was assessed in both models.
Results
Overall, patients receiving CLO went off‐protocol more frequently than control patients (35/168 21% vs. 18/166 11%, p = 0.019; HR 2.00 1.13–3.52, p = 0.02), especially during maintenance (13/44 30% vs. 6/56 11%; HR 2.85 95%CI 1.08–7.50, p = 0.035). Going off‐protocol was, however, not associated with more relapse or death. Patients in the CLO arm showed a trend towards an increased rate of MRD‐negativity compared with control patients (HR MRD‐negativity: 1.35 0.95–1.91, p = 0.10), which did not translate into a significant survival benefit.
Conclusion
We conclude that the intermediate states, i.e., going off‐protocol and MRD‐negativity, were affected by adding CLO, but these transitions were not associated with subsequent survival estimates, suggesting relatively modest antileukemic activity in ALL.
We developed two multi‐state models to identify in more depth why clofarabine (CLO) did not show a long‐term survival benefit despite more MRD‐negativity, as recently reported in the HOVON‐100 trial. Patients receiving CLO went off‐protocol (indicated by the left figures) more frequently than control patients (HR 2.00 1.13–3.52, p = 0.02)—especially during maintenance (HR 2.85 95%CI 1.08–7.50, p = 0.035)—and showed a trend towards an increased rate of MRD‐negativity (indicated by the right figures) (HR 1.35 0.95–1.91, p = 0.10); however, neither transition significantly affected subsequent survival estimates. We conclude that the intermediate states, i.e., going off‐protocol and MRD‐negativity, were affected by adding CLO, but these transitions were not associated with subsequent survival estimates, suggesting relatively modest antileukemic activity in ALL.
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