Assessing the Efficacy of Bortezomib and Dexamethasone for Induction and Maintenance Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma: A Phase II CISL1701/BIC Study.

Purpose: This multicenter, open-label, phase II trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of bortezomib combined with dexamethasone for the treatment of relapsed/refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in previously treated patients across 14 institutions in South Korea. Patients and Methods: Between September 2017 and July 2020, 29 patients with histologically confirmed CTCL received treatment, consisting of eight 4-week cycles of induction therapy followed by maintenance therapy, contingent upon response, for up to one year. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving an objective global response. Results: Thirteen (44.8%) of the 29 patients achieved an objective global response, including two complete responses. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.8 months, with responders showing a median PFS of 14.0 months. Treatment-emergent adverse events were generally mild, with a low incidence of peripheral neuropathy and hematologic toxicities. Despite the trend toward shorter PFS in patients with higher mutation burdens, genomic profiling before and after treatment showed no significant emergence of new mutations indicative of disease progression. Conclusion: This study supports the use of bortezomib and dexamethasone as a viable and safe treatment option for previously treated CTCL, demonstrating substantial efficacy and manageability in adverse effects. Further research with a larger cohort is suggested to validate these findings and explore the prognostic value of mutation profiles.

Long-term efficacy and safety of tucidinostat in patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma: final analysis of phase IIb results.

Not available.

Superior outcomes and high-risk features with carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone combination therapy for patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma: Results of the multicenter KMMWP2201 study.

Carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (KRd) combination therapy improves the survival of patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Nonetheless, evidence on the use of KRd in Asian populations remains scarce. Accordingly, this study aimed at investigating this regimen's efficacy in a large group of patients. This retrospective study included patients with RRMM who were treated with KRd at 21 centers between February 2018 and October 2020. Overall, 364 patients were included (median age: 63 years). The overall response rate was 90% in responseevaluable patients, including 69% who achieved a very good partial response or deeper responses. With a median follow-up duration of 34.8 months, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 23.4 months and overall survival (OS) was 59.5 months. Among adverse factors affecting PFS, highrisk cytogenetics, extramedullary disease, and doubling of monoclonal protein within 2 to 3 months prior to start of KRd treatment significantly decreased PFS and overall survival (OS) in multivariate analyses. Patients who underwent post-KRd stem cell transplantation (i.e.delayed transplant) showed prolonged PFS and OS. Grade 3 or higher adverse events (AEs) were observed in 56% of the patients, and non-fatal or fatal AE's that resulted in discontinuation of KRd were reported in 7% and 2% of patients, respectively. Cardiovascular toxicity was comparable to that reported in the ASPIRE study. In summary, KRd was effective in a large real-world cohort of patients with RRMM with long-term follow-up. These findings may further inform treatment choices in the treatment of patients with RRMM.

4-1BB immunotherapy: advances and hurdles.

Since its initial description 35 years ago as an inducible molecule expressed in cytotoxic and helper T cells, 4-1BB has emerged as a crucial receptor in T-cell-mediated immune functions. Numerous studies have demonstrated the involvement of 4-1BB in infection and tumor immunity. However, the clinical development of 4-1BB agonist antibodies has been impeded by the occurrence of strong adverse events, notably hepatotoxicity, even though these antibodies have exhibited tremendous promise in in vivo tumor models. Efforts are currently underway to develop a new generation of agonist antibodies and recombinant proteins with modified effector functions that can harness the potent T-cell modulation properties of 4-1BB while mitigating adverse effects. In this review, we briefly examine the role of 4-1BB in T-cell biology, explore its clinical applications, and discuss future prospects in the field of 4-1BB agonist immunotherapy.

Immune profiling of patients with extranodal natural killer/T cell lymphoma treated with daratumumab.

Natural killer/T cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is a highly aggressive, heterogeneous non-Hodgkin lymphoma resulting from malignant proliferation of cytotoxic natural killer (NK) or T cells. Previous studies demonstrated variable expression of CD38 on NKTCL tumors. Daratumumab, a human IgGκ monoclonal antibody targeting CD38 with a direct on-tumor and immunomodulatory mechanism of action, was hypothesized to be a novel therapeutic option for patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) NKTCL. In the phase 2 NKT2001 study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02927925) assessing the safety and efficacy of daratumumab, a suboptimal overall response rate was seen in R/R NKTCL patients. One patient, whose tumors did not express CD38, responded to treatment, suggesting that the immunomodulatory activities of daratumumab may be sufficient to confer clinical benefit. To understand the suboptimal response rate and short duration of response, we investigated the immune profile of NKTCL patients from NKT2001 in the context of daratumumab anti-tumor activity. Tumor tissue and whole blood were, respectively, analyzed for CD38 expression and patient immune landscapes, which were assessed via cytometry by time-of-flight (CyTOF), multiparameter flow cytometry (MPFC), clonal sequencing, and plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-DNA level measurements. Changes observed in the immune profiles of NKTCL patients from NKT2001, including differences in B and T cell populations between responders and nonresponders, suggest that modulation of the immune environment is crucial for daratumumab anti-tumor activities in NKTCL. In conclusion, these findings highlight that the clinical benefit of daratumumab in NKTCL may be enriched by B/T cell-related biomarkers.

Real-world outcome of patients with extensively pretreated multiple myeloma who were treated with selinexor and dexamethasone: a Korean multicenter retrospective analysis.

The outcomes of patients with myeloma after exposed to penta-classes are extremely poor. Selinexor is the first approved exportin inhibitor for those patients, but intractable toxicities may limit its use. This retrospective study evaluated the real-world efficacy and safety of selinexor plus dexamethasone (XD) and involved 48 patients with multiple myeloma, who were treated from November 2020 to October 2022. Their median age was 64 years, and the median number of prior lines of therapy was 6. The overall response rate was 25%, and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 2.1 months (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.7-2.5). Patients on a reduced initial dose, delayed treatment, and dose reduction had better PFS. After XD treatment failure, 17 patients received subsequent therapy and had a median PFS of 2.4 months. The median overall survival was 4.6 months (95% CI, 2.3-6.9). Among the patients, 12 (25%) and 17 (35%) experienced dose reduction and delayed treatment, respectively. Our data show that the real-world efficacy of XD treatment in heavily pretreated patients was modest and that improving treatment adherence through reducing initial doses or delaying treatments may improve patient outcomes.

Secondary Malignancies in Multiple Myeloma in Korean Patients: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the incidence of secondary malignancy in multiple myeloma (MM) patients compared with that in the general population using a population-based database covering all residents in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Based on the national health insurance system in Korea, all people primarily diagnosed with MM between January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2018 were identified. A total of 9,985 MM patients aged ≥ 20 years in Korea were included. RESULTS: Among them, 237 (2.4%) developed secondary malignancies by 2018. The standardized incidence rates (SIRs) of all secondary malignancies in MM patients were 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76 to 0.98), with a higher incidence of hematologic malignancies than in the general population with an SIR of 3.80 (95% CI, 2.61 to 5.00). The incidence rates of both lymphoid malignancy (SIR, 3.56; 95% CI, 2.31 to 4.82) and myeloid malignancy (SIR, 3.78; 95% CI, 1.16 to 6.39) were higher in MM patients than in the general population. In contrast, a lower incidence of solid cancer was observed in MM patients than in the general population (SIR, 0.76, 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.86). There was no significant difference in survival in MM patients without secondary malignancies, with hematologic malignancy, and with solid cancer (p=0.413). CONCLUSION: MM patients had a greater risk of secondary malignancies, especially hematologic malignancies, than the general population. Future studies with a focus on analyzing patients' history, treatment details, and genetic information in various stages of MM patients are needed to better understand the mechanism behind this increased risk.

A multi-center and non-interventional registry of brentuximab vedotin in patients with relapsed or refractory CD30-positive lymphoma: the CISL1803/BRAVO study.

Background: Brentuximab vedotin (BV), a potent antibody-drug conjugate, targets the CD30 antigen. In Korea, BV has been approved for the treatment of relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL), and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, including mycosis fungoides (MF). However, there are limited data reflecting real-world experiences with BV treatment for HL, ALCL, and MF. Methods: This was a multicenter, non-interventional registry study of the efficacy and safety of BV in patients with relapsed or refractory CD30-positive lymphoma (CISL1803/BRAVO). Outcomes were determined based on the occurrence of relapse or progression and overall survival after BV treatment. Results: A total of 85 patients were enrolled in this study. The median number of BV cycles was 10 (range, 2‒16) in the patients with HL. The objective response rate (ORR) of patients with HL to BV was 85.4% (41/48), comprising 27 complete responses (CRs) and 14 partial responses (PRs). The ORR of ALCL was 88% (22/25), consisting of 17 CRs and five PRs, whereas the ORR of MF was 92% (11/12). At the median follow-up of 44.6 months after BV treatment, the median post-BV progression-free survival of HL, ALCL, and MF patients was 23.6 months, 29.0 months, and 16.7 months, respectively (P=0.641). The most common side effect of BV was peripheral neuropathy; 22 patients (25.9%, 22/85) experienced peripheral neuropathy (all grades). Conclusion: The treatment outcomes of patients with relapsed or refractory CD30-positive lymphoma improved with BV treatment, and the safety profile was manageable.

Comparison of first-line treatment with CHOP versus ICED in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma eligible for upfront autologous stem cell transplantation.

Introduction: Upfront autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been recommended for patients who are newly diagnosed with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), and CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), an anthracycline-based chemotherapy has been the frontline chemotherapy for PTCL. However, it is not clear whether anthracycline-based chemotherapies such as CHOP could be standard induction therapy for PTCL. Methods: We conducted a randomized phase II study to compare CHOP with fractionated ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide, and dexamethasone (ICED) for patients eligible for ASCT. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) and secondary endpoints included objective response rate, overall survival (OS), and safety profiles. Results: Patients were randomized into either CHOP (n = 69) or ICED (n = 66), and the characteristics of both arms were not different. PTCL-not otherwise specified (NOS, n = 60) and angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL, n = 53) were dominant. The objective response rate was not different between CHOP (59.4%) and ICED (56.1%), and the 3-year PFS was not different between CHOP (36.7%) and ICED (33.1%). In AITL patients, CHOP was favored over ICED whereas ICED was associated with more cytopenia and reduced dose intensity. Patients who received upfront ASCT after achieving complete response to CHOP or ICED showed 80% of 3-year OS. Discussion: In summary, our study showed no therapeutic difference between CHOP and ICED in terms of response and PFS. Thus, CHOP might remain the reference regimen especially for AITL based on its better outcome in AITL, and upfront ASCT could be recommended as a consolidation of complete response in patients with PTCL.

Cross-Activation of Regulatory T Cells by Self Antigens Limits Self-Reactive and Activated CD8+ T Cell Responses.

The interaction between regulatory T (Treg) cells and self-reactive T cells is a crucial mechanism for maintaining immune tolerance. In this study, we investigated the cross-activation of Treg cells by self-antigens and its impact on self-reactive CD8+ T cell responses, with a focus on the P53 signaling pathway. We discovered that major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I-restricted self-peptides not only activated CD8+ T cells but also induced the delayed proliferation of Treg cells. Following HLA-A*0201-restricted Melan-A-specific (pMelan) CD8+ T cells, we observed the direct expansion of Treg cells and concurrent suppression of pMelan+CD8+ T cell proliferation upon stimulation with Melan-A peptide. Transcriptome analysis revealed no significant alterations in specific signaling pathways in pMelan+CD8+ T cells that were co-cultured with activated Treg cells. However, there was a noticeable upregulation of genes involved in P53 accumulation, a critical regulator of cell survival and apoptosis. Consistent with such observation, the blockade of P53 induced a continuous proliferation of pMelan+CD8+ T cells. The concurrent stimulation of Treg cells through self-reactive TCRs by self-antigens provides insights into the immune system's ability to control activated self-reactive CD8+ T cells as part of peripheral tolerance, highlighting the intricate interplay between Treg cells and CD8+ T cells and implicating therapeutic interventions in autoimmune diseases and cancer immunotherapy.

Busulfan plus melphalan versus high-dose melphalan as a conditioning regimen for autologous stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma with high-risk features (KMM 2015).

Despite the development of effective agents for multiple myeloma (MM), the management of patients with high-risk MM (HRMM) is challenging. High-dose treatment followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is regarded as upfront treatment for transplant-eligible patients with HRMM. In the present study, we retrospectively investigated the efficacies of two conditioning regimens for upfront ASCT in newly diagnosed patients with MM and high-risk features: high-dose melphalan (HDMEL; 200 mg/m2) and busulfan plus melphalan (BUMEL). In total, 221 patients underwent ASCT between May 2005 and June 2021; among these 221 patients, 79 had high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities. In patients with high-risk cytogenetics, BUMEL showed a tendency toward longer overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared to HDMEL (median OS; not reached vs. 53.2 months; P = 0.091, median PFS; not reached vs. 31.7 months; P = 0.062). Additionally, multivariate analysis revealed that BUMEL was significantly associated with PFS (hazard ratio = 0.37, 95% confidence interval = 0.15-0.89, P = 0.026). We compared BUMEL with HDMEL in patients with other high-risk features, such as high lactate dehydrogenase level, extramedullary disease, and poor response to frontline therapy. Notably, among patients with less than very good partial response (VGPR) to frontline therapy, median PFS was significantly longer in the BUMEL group than in the HDMEL group (55.1 vs. 17.3 months, respectively; P = 0.011). These findings indicate that BUMEL may be an effective conditioning regimen for upfront ASCT in MM patients with high-risk cytogenetics; BUMEL may be more appropriate than HDMEL for patients with less than VGPR to frontline therapy.

Rituximab plus multiagent chemotherapy for newly diagnosed CD20-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a prospective phase II study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: We performed a prospective study to determine the efficacy and safety of rituximab including chemotherapy in CD20-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). METHODS: Patients with newly diagnosed ALL, aged ≥ 15 years, were eligible for the study if their leukemic blast cells in bone marrow expressed CD20 ≥ 20% at the time of diagnosis. Patients received multiagent chemotherapy with rituximab. After achieving complete remission (CR), patients received five cycles of consolidation with concomitant rituximab. Rituximab was administered monthly from day 90 of transplantation for patients who received allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. RESULTS: In patients with Philadelphia (Ph)-negative ALL, 39 of 41 achieved CR (95.1%), the 2- and 4-year relapse-free survival (RFS) rates were 50.4% and 35.7%, and the 2- and 4-year overall survival (OS) rates were 51.5% and 43.2%, respectively. In the group with Ph-positive ALL, all 32 patients achieved CR, the 2- and 4-year RFS rates were 60.7% and 52.1%, and the 2- and 4-year OS rates were 73.3% and 52.3%, respectively. In the Ph-negative ALL group, patients with higher CD20 positivity experienced more favorable RFS (p < 0.001) and OS (p = 0.06) than those with lower CD20 positivity. Patients who received ≥ 2 cycles of rituximab after transplantation had significantly improved RFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.31; p = 0.049) and OS (HR, 0.29; p = 0.021) compared with those who received < 2 cycles. CONCLUSION: The addition of rituximab to conventional chemotherapy for CD20-positive ALL is effective and tolerable (Clinicaltrials. gov NCT01429610).

Real-world data of long-term survival in patients with T-cell lymphoma who underwent stem cell transplantation.

This study aimed to identify the benefits of autologous-stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT) and allogeneic-SCT (allo-SCT) in patients with aggressive T-cell lymphomas to aid in the selection of transplantation type in clinical practice. This study retrospectively analyzed data from 598 patients who underwent transplantation for T-cell lymphomas from 2010 to 2020. In total, 317 patients underwent up-front SCT as consolidation therapy. The 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 68.7% and 76.1%, respectively. Patients who underwent auto-SCT had significantly better OS (p = 0.026) than those who underwent allo-SCT; however, no statistical difference in PFS was found. Transplantation was used as a salvage therapy in 188 patients who had relapsed/refractory disease. Overall, 96 (51.1%) patients underwent auto-SCT and 92 (48.9%) patients underwent allo-SCT. Auto-SCT improved long-term survival in patients with complete remission (CR). Allo-SCT demonstrated better 3-year PFS in patients with partial remission and relapsed/refractory disease status. However, >50% of patients died within 1 year of allo-SCT. As a consolidative therapy, up-front auto-SCT demonstrated a survival benefit. Auto-SCT was also effective in patients who achieved CR after salvage therapy. If the disease persists or cannot be controlled, allo-SCT may be considered with reduced intensity conditioning.

Intensified First Cycle of Rituximab Plus Eight Cycles of Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, and Prednisolone with Rituximab Chemotherapy for Advanced-Stage or Bulky Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: A Multicenter Phase II Consortium for Improving Survival of Lymphoma (CISL) Study.

PURPOSE: This phase II, open-label, multicenter study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of a rituximab intensification for the 1st cycle with every 21-day of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (R-CHOP-21) among patients with previously untreated advanced-stage or bulky diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-two patients with stage III/IV or bulky DLBCL from 21 institutions were administered 8 cycles of R-CHOP-21 with an additional one dose of rituximab intensification on day 0 of the 1st cycle (RR-CHOP). The primary endpoint was a complete response (CR) rate after 3 cycles of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Among the 92 DLBCL patients assessed herein, the response rate after 3 cycles of chemotherapy was 88.0% (38.0% CR+50.0% partial response [PR]). After the completion of 8 cycles of chemotherapy, the overall response rate was observed for 68.4% (58.7% CR+9.8% PR). The 3-year progression-free survival rate was 64.0%, and the 3-year overall survival rate was 70.4%. Febrile neutropenia was one of the most frequent grade 3 adverse events (40.0%) and 5 treatment-related deaths occurred. Compared with the clinical outcomes of patients who received R-CHOP chemotherapy as a historical control, the interim CR rate was higher in male patients with RR-CHOP (20.5% vs. 48.8%, p=0.016). CONCLUSION: Rituximab intensification on days 0 to the 1st cycle of the standard 8 cycles R-CHOP-21 for advanced DLBCL yielded favorable response rates after the 3 cycles of chemotherapy and acceptable toxicities, especially for male patients. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01054781.

A Prospective Study of Preemptive Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Therapy in HBsAg-Positive Patients With Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Receiving Rituximab Plus Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, and Prednisone.

INTRODUCTION: This prospective study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of preemptive antiviral therapy with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) for HBsAg-positive patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma receiving rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) chemotherapy. METHODS: We enrolled 73 patients from 20 institutions. The primary end point was the absolute risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatitis during preemptive TDF therapy and for 24 weeks after withdrawal from TDF. Hepatitis was defined as a more than 3-fold increase in serum alanine aminotransferase from baseline or an alanine aminotransferase level of ≥100 U/L. HBV-related hepatitis was defined as hepatitis with an increase in serum HBV-DNA to >10 times that of the pre-exacerbation baseline or an absolute increase of ≥20,000 IU/mL compared with the baseline. RESULTS: No patient developed HBV reactivation or HBV-related hepatitis during preemptive antiviral therapy (until 48 weeks after completion of R-CHOP chemotherapy) with TDF. All adverse events were grade 1 or 2. HBV reactivation was reported in 17 (23.3%) patients. All HBV reactivation was developed at a median of 90 days after withdrawal from TDF (range, 37-214 days). Six (8.2%) patients developed HBV-related hepatitis at a median of 88 days after withdrawal from TDF (range, 37-183 days). DISCUSSION: Preemptive TDF therapy in HBsAg-positive patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma receiving R-CHOP chemotherapy was safe and effective for preventing HBV-related hepatitis. However, a long-term maintenance strategy of preemptive TDF therapy should be recommended because of the relatively high rate of HBV-related hepatitis after withdrawal from TDF ( ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02354846).

Polatuzumab vedotin in previously untreated DLBCL: an Asia subpopulation analysis from the phase 3 POLARIX trial.

In the phase 3 POLARIX study in previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, polatuzumab vedotin combined with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone (Pola-R-CHP) significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) compared with rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) with similar safety. Patients were randomized 1:1 to 6 cycles of Pola-R-CHP or R-CHOP plus 2 cycles of rituximab alone. For registration of POLARIX in China, consistency of PFS in an Asia subpopulation (defined as ≥50% of the risk reduction in PFS expected in the global population) was evaluated. Overall, 281 patients were analyzed: 160 patients from Asia in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population of the global study and 121 from an ITT China extension cohort. Of these, 141 were randomized to Pola-R-CHP and 140 to R-CHOP. At data cutoff (28 June 2021; median follow-up 24.2 months), PFS met the consistency definition with the global population, and was superior with Pola-R-CHP vs R-CHOP (hazard ratio, 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40-1.03). Two-year PFS was 74.2% (95% CI, 65.7-82.7) and 66.5% (95% CI, 57.3-75.6) with Pola-R-CHP and R-CHOP, respectively. Safety was comparable between Pola-R-CHP and R-CHOP, including rates of grade 3 to 4 adverse events (AEs; 72.9% vs 66.2%, respectively), serious AEs (32.9% vs 32.4%), grade 5 AEs (1.4% vs 0.7%), AEs leading to study treatment discontinuation (5.0% vs 7.2%), and any-grade peripheral neuropathy (44.3% vs 50.4%). These findings demonstrate consistent efficacy and safety of Pola-R-CHP vs R-CHOP in the Asia and global populations in POLARIX. This trial was registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/home as # NCT03274492.

Current Treatment Patterns and the Role of Upfront Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients with Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma: A Korean Nationwide, Multicenter Prospective Registry Study (CISL 1404).

PURPOSE: We conducted a nationwide, multicenter, prospective registry study for newly diagnosed patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) to better define the clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, survival outcomes, and the role of upfront autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in these patients. Materials and Methods: Patients with PTCL receiving chemotherapy with curative intent were registered and prospectively monitored. All patients were pathologically diagnosed with PTCL. RESULTS: A total of 191 patients with PTCL were enrolled in this prospective registry study. PTCL, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) was the most common pathologic subtype (n=80, 41.9%), followed by angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) (n=60, 31.4%). With a median follow-up duration of 3.9 years, the 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 39.5% and 60.4%, respectively. The role of upfront ASCT was evaluated in patients who were considered transplant-eligible (n=59). ASCT was performed as an upfront consolidative treatment in 32 (54.2%) of these patients. There were no significant differences in PFS and OS between the ASCT and non-ASCT groups for all patients (n=59) and for patients with PTCL-NOS (n=26). However, in patients with AITL, the ASCT group was associated with significantly better PFS than the non-ASCT group, although there was no significant difference in OS. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrated that the survival outcomes with the current treatment options remain poor for patients with PTCL-NOS. Upfront ASCT may provide a survival benefit for patients with AITL, but not PTCL-NOS.

Outcomes in Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma: Results from Two Prospective Korean Cohorts.

PURPOSE: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common hematologic malignancy worldwide. Although substantial improvement has been achieved by the frontline rituximab-based chemoimmunotherapy, up to 40%-50% of patients will eventually have relapsed or refractory disease, whose prognosis is extremely dismal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We have carried out two prospective cohort studies that include over 1,500 DLBCL patients treated with rituximab plus CHOP (#NCT01202448 and #NCT02474550). In the current report, we describe the outcomes of refractory DLBCL patients. Patients were defined to have refractory DLBCL if they met one of the followings, not achieving at least partial response after 4 or more cycles of R-CHOP; not achieving at least partial response after 2 or more cycles of salvage therapy; progressive disease within 12 months after autologous stem cell transplantation. RESULTS: Among 1,581 patients, a total of 260 patients met the criteria for the refractory disease after a median time to progression of 9.1 months. The objective response rate of salvage treatment was 26.4%, and the complete response rate was 9.6%. The median overall survival (OS) was 7.5 months (95% confidence interval, 6.4 to 8.6), and the 2-year survival rate was 22.1%±2.8%. The median OS for each refractory category was not significantly different (p=0.529). CONCLUSION: In line with the previous studies, the outcomes of refractory DLBCL patients were extremely poor, which necessitates novel approaches for this population.

Oral HDAC inhibitor tucidinostat in patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma: phase IIb results.

Tucidinostat (formerly known as chidamide) is an orally available, novel benzamide class of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor that selectively blocks class I and class IIb HDAC. This multicenter phase IIb study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of tucidinostat, 40 mg twice per week (BIW), in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). The primary endpoint was overall response rate (ORR) assessed by an independent overall efficacy review committee. Between March 2017 and March 2019, 55 patients were treated, and 46 and 55 were evaluated for efficacy and safety, respectively. Twenty-one of 46 patients achieved objective responses with an ORR of 46% (95% confidence interval : 30.9-61.0), including five patients with complete response (CR). Responses were observed across various PTCL subtypes. In angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma, there were two CR and five partial responses (PR) among eight patients, achieving an ORR of 88%. The disease control rate (CR + PR + stable disease) was 72% (33/46). The median progression-free survival, duration of response, and overall survival were 5.6 months, 11.5 months, 22.8 months, respectively. The most common adverse events (AE) (all grades) were thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, leukopenia, anemia, and diarrhea. The grade ≥3 AE emerging in ≥20% of patients included thrombocytopenia (51%), neutropenia (36%), lymphopenia (22%), and leukopenia (20%). Importantly, most of the AE were manageable by supportive care and dose modification. In conclusion, the favorable efficacy and safety profiles indicate that tucidinostat could be a new therapeutic option in patients with R/R PTCL (clinicaltrials gov. Identifier: NCT02953652).