ILROG emergency guidelines for radiation therapy of hematological malignancies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group (ILROG) guidelines for using radiation therapy (RT) in hematological malignancies are widely used in many countries. The emergency situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic may result in limitations of treatment resources. Furthermore, in recognition of the need to also reduce the exposure of patients and staff to potential infection with COVID-19, the ILROG task force has made recommendations for alternative radiation treatment schemes. The emphasis is on maintaining clinical efficacy and safety by increasing the dose per fraction while reducing the number of daily treatments. The guidance is informed by adhering to acceptable radiobiological parameters and clinical tolerability. The options for delaying or omitting RT in some hematological categories are also discussed.

An international multicenter retrospective analysis of patients with extranodal marginal zone lymphoma and histologically confirmed central nervous system and dural involvement.

Marginal zone lymphoma of the central nervous system (CNS MZL) is rare. The clinical features, treatment, and prognosis are not well characterized. We performed a multicenter retrospective study of CNS MZL. Twenty-six patients were identified: half with primary and half with secondary CNS involvement. The median age was 59 years (range 26-78), 62% female and 79% with ECOG performance status ≤ 1. The most common disease site was the dura (50%). Treatment was determined by the treating physician and varied substantially. After a median follow up of 1.9 years, the estimated 2-year progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 59% and 80%, respectively. Secondary CNS MZL was associated with 2-year OS of 58%. CNS MZL is rare, but relative to other forms of CNS lymphoma, outcomes appear favorable, particularly among the subset of patients with dural presentation and primary CNS presentation.

Lymphoblastic Lymphoma: Guidelines From the International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group (ILROG).

Presentation with a large mediastinal mass is a hallmark of acute lymphoblastic lymphoma, a disease that is treated in the same way as acute lymphoblastic leukemia even in the absence of marrow involvement. The role of mediastinal radiation for patients who achieve complete remission after chemotherapy has been overlooked and controversial. This document presents current knowledge on the role of radiation for lymphoblastic lymphoma and best practices for addressing how to deliver mediastinal radiation with modern technology.

Successful role of radiation therapy: Account for every single gray and make every single gray count.

Combined-modality treatment involving immuno-chemotherapy with or without radiation has become the mainstay of treatment for aggressive lymphomas such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Long-term goals in the treatment of DLBCL are to keep improving the therapeutic ratio and to extend survival; these goals have been accomplished largely by (a) gaining insight into disease biology and developing biologically based criteria to guide choice of therapy, (b) avoiding unnecessarily long courses of chemotherapy, and (c) reducing both the size of the radiation fields and the radiation dose. Here I review the available literature on which clinical presentations can benefit the most from radiation; how the availability of advanced imaging has led to radical changes in the use of radiation therapy in DLBCL; and examples of best-practice radiation planning and delivery.

Use of Radiation in Extramedullary Leukemia/Chloroma: Guidelines From the International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group.

Survival times for patients with leukemia generally have improved in recent decades, and this improvement has been attributed to an enhanced understanding of the genetics driving the cause of the disease and improved combinations of chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Durable control of systemic disease in blood and bone marrow has significantly improved survival, but extramedullary relapse can pose therapeutic challenges for which radiation therapy can have an important role. This report discusses the current role of radiation therapy for patients with leukemia, specifically the extramedullary manifestations of leukemia.

Proton therapy for adults with mediastinal lymphomas: the International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group guidelines.

Among adult lymphoma survivors, radiation treatment techniques that increase the excess radiation dose to organs at risk (OARs) put patients at risk for increased side effects, especially late toxicities. Minimizing radiation to OARs in adults patients with Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas involving the mediastinum is the deciding factor for the choice of treatment modality. Proton therapy may help to reduce the radiation dose to the OARs and reduce toxicities, especially the risks for cardiac morbidity and second cancers. Because proton therapy may have some disadvantages, identifying the patients and the circumstances that may benefit the most from proton therapy is important. We present modern guidelines to identify adult lymphoma patients who may derive the greatest benefit from proton therapy, along with an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of proton treatment.

Total Body Irradiation: Guidelines from the International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group (ILROG).

Total body irradiation (TBI) remains an effective myeloablative treatment in regimens used for preparation and conditioning before allogeneic stem cell transplantation for leukemia. The regimens used vary across institutions in terms of dose, dose rate, fractionation, and technique. The objective of this document is to provide comprehensive guidelines for the current practice of delivering total body irradiation.

Life years lost attributable to late effects after radiotherapy for early stage Hodgkin lymphoma: The impact of proton therapy and/or deep inspiration breath hold.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Due to the long life expectancy after treatment, the risk of late effects after radiotherapy (RT) is of particular importance for patients with Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). Both deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) and proton therapy have been shown to reduce the dose to normal tissues for mediastinal HL, but the impact of these techniques in combination is unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare the life years lost (LYL) attributable to late effects after RT for mediastinal HL using intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in free breathing (FB) and DIBH, and proton therapy in FB and DIBH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Plans for each technique were created for 22 patients with HL. Doses were extracted and the risk of late effects and LYL were estimated. RESULTS: We found that the use of DIBH, proton therapy, and the combination significantly reduced the LYL compared to IMRT in FB. The lowest LYL was found for proton therapy in DIBH. However, when IMRT in DIBH was compared to proton therapy in FB, no significant difference was found. CONCLUSIONS: Patient-specific plan comparisons should be used to select the optimal technique when comparing IMRT in DIBH and proton therapy in FB.

Acral erosive mycosis fungoides: successful treatment with localised radiotherapy.

Mycosis fungoides encompasses a wide range of variants with differing clinical and histopathological findings, clinical courses and methods of treatment. Two patients were referred to MD Anderson Cancer Center for the evaluation of treatment-refractory palmoplantar dermatoses suggestive of a rare variant of mycosis fungoides-mycosis fungoides palmaris et plantaris (MFPP). Both patients eventually had progressive and ulcerative cutaneous disease extending beyond acral regions that showed remarkable response to local radiation therapy. Although most documented cases of MFPP show an indolent course, one must be aware of the possibility of development of severe cutaneous disease in patients initially presenting with palmoplantar involvement. Local radiotherapy is a safe and effective palliative treatment option for MFPP and cutaneous disease refractory to systemic treatment.

Cutaneous graft-versus-host disease after proton-based craniospinal irradiation for recurrent Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Treatment of recurrent acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) often involves allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (alloSCT) and disease recurrence in the central nervous system may require craniospinal irradiation. Although graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a known risk after alloSCT, cutaneous manifestation within radiation fields is rarely seen. The authors report a case of a 25-year-old man with Philadelphia+ALL recurring in the central nervous system after a homologous SCT. Craniospinal radiation was delivered with proton therapy to a total dose of 24 cobalt-Gray-equivalents in 12 fractions. Eight weeks after the proton therapy, significant cutaneous GVHD had developed within the radiation fields. This was treated successfully with tacrolimus (4 mg/day), a short course of methylprednisolone, and topical treatment with 0.1% triamcinolone cream, 0.05% clobetasol ointment. Cutaneous GVHD after SCT can be seen within proton radiation fields probably due to an inherent higher skin dose.

Phase 2 study of rituximab plus ABVD in patients with newly diagnosed classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

In the present study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of rituximab in combination with standard doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (RABVD) in patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). In this phase 2 study, patients with chemotherapy-naive, advanced-stage cHL were treated with rituximab 375 mg/m(2) weekly for 6 weeks and standard ABVD for 6 cycles. The primary outcome was event-free survival (EFS) at 5 years. Eighty-five patients were enrolled, of whom 78 were eligible. With a median follow-up duration of 68 months (range, 26-110), and based on an intent-to-treat analysis, the 5-year EFS and overall survival rates were 83% and 96%, respectively. The 5-year EFS for patients with stage III/IV cHL was 82%. Furthermore, the 5-year EFS for patients with an International Prognostic Score of 0-2 was 88% and for those with a score of > 2, it was 73%. The most frequent treatment-related grade 3 or 4 adverse events were neutropenia (23%), fatigue (9%), and nausea (8%). Our results demonstrate that the addition of rituximab to ABVD is safe and has a promising clinical activity in patients with advanced-stage cHL. These data are currently being confirmed in a multicenter randomized trial.

Benefit of consolidative radiation therapy in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: The current standard therapy for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP). The role of consolidative radiation therapy (RT) in the setting of R-CHOP chemotherapy is not well reported. This retrospective analysis is an attempt to clarify this role. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Subjects were 469 patients with histologically confirmed DLBCL treated between January 2001 and December 2007. Variables including age, sex, Ann Arbor disease stage, bulky disease status, standardized uptake values (SUVs) on positron emission tomography (PET), International Prognostic Index (IPI), and Ki67 staining (proliferation). RESULTS: Of 469 patients, 190 (40.5%) had stage I or II disease and 279 (59.5%) had stage III or IV disease, 327 (70%) had at least six cycles of R-CHOP, and 142 (30.2%) had involved-field RT (dose, 30 to 39.6 Gy) after complete response to chemotherapy. Median follow-up was 36 months (range, 8 to 85 months). Multivariate analysis showed that RT (P < .0001), IPI score (P = .001), response to therapy (P = .001), use of six to eight cycles of R-CHOP (P < .001), and combined presence (P = .006) or absence (P = .025) of high Ki67, high PET SUV, and bulky disease influenced overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Matched-pair analyses of patients who received six to eight cycles of R-CHOP with stage I or II disease (44 pairs) and all stages (74 pairs) indicated that RT improved OS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.52 and 0.29, respectively) and PFS (HR, 0.45 and 0.24, respectively) compared with no RT. CONCLUSION: This study showed significant improvements in OS and PFS among patients who received consolidation RT after R-CHOP chemotherapy for DLBCL.