Retrospective analysis of prognostic factors for WaldenstrÓ§m macroglobulinemia: a multicenter cooperative study in Japan.

Although population-based cancer registries have reported lower incidence of WaldenstrÓ§m macroglobulinemia (WM) in East Asia than in Western countries, previous retrospective analyses have found the clinical features of WM to be similar in these two populations. To clarify the characteristics of Japanese WM patients, we retrospectively analyzed clinical and laboratory characteristics, treatments, outcomes, and prognostic factors in 93 patients with WM. Based on the Second International Workshop on WM (IWWM-2) criteria, symptomatic WM was found in 73 (78.5%) and asymptomatic WM in 20 (21.5%) of cases examined. The median overall survival (OS) was similar to that in reports from Western countries. Patients receiving treatment regimens including rituximab exhibited significantly better survival than those not given rituximab. Although prognostic factors for WM in Western countries may not apply to Japanese patients, our finding that newly diagnosed WM patients with pleural effusion have a poorer prognosis suggests that this may be a novel predictor of adverse prognosis in symptomatic WM.

[Second transplantation for graft failure after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation--a retrospective survey by Kanto Study Group for Cell Therapy].

We retrospectively surveyed patients who received a second transplantation for graft failure (GF) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) in hospitals participating in the Kanto Study Group for Cell Therapy. A second SCT was performed in 21 of 45 patients with primary GF and in 13 of 15 with secondary GF. The median time between the first and second SCT was 49 days (range, 18-1204 days). The diagnosis included 28 patients with hematologic malignancies and 6 with aplastic anemia. Non-myeloablative or reduced-intensity conditioning was performed in 30 patients. Cord blood was frequently used as the source of stem cells followed by related donor peripheral blood, and unrelated bone marrow. Engraftment was achieved in 23 patients (68%). Conditioning regimen including total body or total lymphoid irradiation, was significantly associated with a higher engraftment rate. Overall survival at 5 years in all patients who underwent second SCT was 34%. Prognostic factors for better survival after second SCT were a time to second SCT longer than 90 days, the performance status at second SCT with 0 or 1, and the administration of tacrolimus for GVHD prophylaxis. The major cause of death after second SCT was infection. Although the outcome of a second SCT for graft failure remains poor, these findings suggest that the selection of patients as well as transplant methods, such as conditioning and GVHD prophylaxis, may contribute to survival.

[Treatment outcome of myelodysplastic syndrome patients younger than 60 years old].

We evaluated the clinical outcome of 92 patients younger than 60 years who were treated between January 1987 and May 2003. Low, Int-1, Int-2 and High risk groups categorized by IPSS consisted of 7, 34, 24 and 27 patients, respectively. There was no significant difference in the overall survival between 30 patients who received allogeneic stem cell transplantation and 62 patients who did not. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation provided significantly better outcomes in the Int-2 and the High risk groups. Risk factors for overall survival were age and disease status at transplantation. Acute and chronic GVHD did not influence the relapse free survival rate. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is a curative therapy for MDS. It is necessary to reduce transplantation related death and to perform stem cell transplantation as soon as possible for patients with Int-2 or High risk of IPSS.