Major impact of prognosis by age and sex in patients with primary mediastinal large B­cell lymphoma.

The effective prognostic factors for primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBCL) vary among published studies. The aim of the present study was to explore the factors influencing the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with PMLBCL at a single institute in Taiwan. This retrospective study was conducted to analyze the prognostic impact of age, sex, disease stage, International Prognostic Index (IPI) score, treatment modality and initial response. A total of 72 patients with a median age of 28 years were included in the study. The mean OS and PFS were 171.40 and 159.77 months, respectively. Female sex, age ≤60 years, receiving radiotherapy (RT) and achieving a complete response were found to be associated with a significantly improved OS and PFS. In addition, high-intensity chemotherapy and an IPI score ≤1 were associated with longer OS, and early-stage disease was associated with a PFS superior to that of advanced-stage disease. The predictive value of IPI is limited in PMLBCL. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a novel prognostic system. The present study revealed the impact of sex on prognosis and, therefore, this factor should be considered in future prognostic evaluations. Since a complete post-treatment response was found to be important, high-intensity chemotherapy is recommended. However, low-intensity treatment followed by RT consolidation appears to be a feasible approach in elderly patients.

Primary breast diffuse large B-cell lymphoma characterized by CNS relapse and successful hematopoietic stem cell transplantation salvage therapy.

BACKGROUND: Primary breast diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PB-DLBCL) is rare, with a high incidence of central nervous system (CNS) relapse. This study aims to investigate clinical characteristics, prognostic factors, and outcomes in Taiwanese PB-DLBCL patients and review the literature on PB-DLBCL. METHODS: Thirty-one PB-DLBCL patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2021 were retrospectively enrolled for analysis. RESULTS: The median age was 49 (range 26-79) years. The complete remission (CR) rate was 90.3%. Nine (90%) of the ten patients who experienced relapse had CNS involvement at the time of relapse. The one-year, two-year, and five-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 86.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 75.2-99.8), 75.8% (95% CI 61.6-93.2), and 45.1% (95% CI 29.5-68.9), respectively. The five-year overall survival (OS) rate was 64.1% (95 % CI 48.4-85.0). A stage-modified International Prognostic Index (mIPI) less than two (five-year PFS rate 52.5% vs. 17.1%, P = 0.02) and the achievement of CR after first-line treatment (two-year PFS rate 80.3% vs. 33.3%, P < 0.001) were significant favorable prognostic factors for PFS. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) after the first relapse was associated with significantly improved post-relapse OS (five-year OS rate 85.7% vs. 20.0%, P = 0.02) and PFS (five-year PFS rate 85.7% vs. 20.0%, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Patients with low-risk mIPI scores, CR after first-line treatment, and those who underwent HSCT after the first relapse had significantly better survival. Intrathecal chemotherapy conferred no benefit in preventing CNS relapse. Further research is needed to assess frontline HSCT's effectiveness in improving outcomes and preventing CNS relapses in PB-DLBCL patients.

Different patterns of failure in two treatment regimens for primary central nervous system lymphoma, a retrospective analysis of 124 cases in Taiwan.

To explore prognostic factors and outcomes of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in Taiwan, 124 PCNSL-DLBCL patients (from 1995 to 2021) were retrospectively analyzed. Mainly, two treatment modalities including sandwich chemoradiotherapy and modified MATRix regimen were employed in these patients. Overall survival (OS) was determined by log-rank test and time-dependent Cox analysis. Median OS of all patients was 27.1 months. 47 (37.9%) patients who underwent sandwich chemoradiotherapy had a complete remission (CR) rate of 87.2%, median OS of 53.9 months, and progression free survival (PFS) of 42.9 months. 11 (8.9%) patients who underwent modified MATRix regimen had CR rate of 72.7%, median OS of 18.9, and PFS of 11.2 months. There are no significant OS differences between treatment groups or addition of Rituximab. Patients treated with the modified MATRix regimen experienced a higher early mortality rate followed by a survival plateau. IELSG low-risk group had significantly improved OS and PFS than IELSG intermediate- or high-risk group. In multivariant analysis, age > 60 years old and bilateral cerebral lesions are associated with significantly inferior OS. Sandwich chemoradiotherapy demonstrated better early survival and reduced treatment-related toxicity for PCNSL patients compared to the modified MATRix regimen. However, the long-term follow-up revealed a higher rate of treatment failure events in the sandwich chemoradiotherapy group. IELSG and MSKCC scores served as reliable risk assessment models. Incorporating bilateral cerebral lesions as a risk factor further improved risk evaluation.

Beta2-microglobulin is a valuable marker and identifies a poor-prognosis subgroup among intermediate-risk patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

Prognosis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) can be predicted by various factors. The most widely used tool for prediction is the international prognostic index (IPI). ß2-microglobulin is a tumor marker commonly used in hematological malignancies. ß2-microglobulin is well correlated with outcome of DLBCL. It has been used as an adjunctive tool in some scoring systems for prognostication of DLBCL. In this study, we collected data of patients with diagnosis of DLBCL between 2015 and 2019 in our institute. For each patient, IPI was calculated according to published literature. At diagnosis, serum levels of ß2-microglobulin were measured in the clinical laboratory and the results were retrieved from medical records. A total of 516 patients (269 male and 247 female) were enrolled for retrospective analysis. The median age was 64 (range 22-96). The median follow-up period was 32.2 months. The median level of ß2-microglobulin was 2319 µg/L (normal range < 2366 µg/L in the clinical laboratory). Level of ß2-microglobulin was significantly different between survivors and patients who succumbed to the disease. ß2-microglobulin level was correlated with tumor stage, extranodal involvement, B symptoms and IPI, suggesting that it may be a good surrogate marker for disease severity and outcome prediction. We selected the intermediate-risk patients for further analysis. Patients with intermediate-risk IPI and high ß2-microglobulin levels have overall survival comparable to patients with high-risk IPI, suggesting an important role of ß2-microglobulin in subdivision of DLBCL patients. In conclusion, ß2-microglobulin levels correlated with outcome of DLBCL. It may be used independently as a prognostic factor. Subdivision of patients with intermediate-risk IPI may identify a group of high-risk patients, which can be helpful in refining plans of treatment and follow-up.

Comparison of Clinical and Molecular Features Between Patients With Essential Thrombocythemia and Early/Prefibrotic Primary Myelofibrosis Presenting With Thrombocytosis in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: The clinical presentations of essential thrombocythemia (ET) may be quite similar to early/prefibrotic primary myelofibrosis (pre-PMF), especially in pre-PMF presenting with thrombocytosis (pre-PMF-T), but may be associated with a different outcome. It is very important to distinguish these two entities. The aim of this study was to address the clinical and prognostic relevance of distinguishing pre-PMF-T from ET. METHODS: All patients, including 258 with ET and 105 with pre-PMF-T, received JAK2V617F, MPL (exon 10), and CALR (exon 9) mutation analysis and allele burden measurement for JAK2V617F and CALR mutants. RESULTS: Patients with pre-PMF-T had an older age and higher leukocyte and platelet counts but lower hemoglobin levels than patients with ET. Patients with pre-PMF-T had a shorter overall, leukemia-free, and thrombosis-free survival compared with patients with ET. Patients with ET had a higher rate of cerebral ischemic stroke, whereas patients with pre-PMF-T tended to have splanchnic vein thrombosis. The frequencies of JAK2V617F, CALR, and MPL mutations and CALR allele burden were no different, but JAK2V617F allele burden was significantly higher in pre-PMF-T. Patients with pre-PMF-T with the JAK2V617F mutation had an inferior overall survival and thrombosis-free survival, whereas the status of driver gene mutations did not influence the outcomes of patients with ET. CONCLUSIONS: ET and pre-PMF-T were two distinct disease entities and exhibited different clinical phenotype, genotype, and outcomes.

Measurable Residual Disease Monitoring by Locked Nucleic Acid Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assay for IDH1/2 Mutation in Adult AML.

Locked nucleic acid quantitative Real-Time PCR (LNA-qPCR) for IDH1/2 mutations in AML measurable residual disease (MRD) detection is rarely reported. LNA-qPCR was applied to quantify IDH1/2 mutants MRD kinetics in bone marrow from 88 IDH1/2-mutated AML patients, and correlated with NPM1-MRD, clinical characteristics, and outcomes. The median normalized copy number (NCN) of IDH1/2 mutants decreased significantly from 53,228 (range 87−980,686)/ALB × 106 at diagnosis to 773 (range 1.5−103,600)/ALB × 106 at first complete remission (CR). IDH1/2 LNA-qPCR MRD was concordant with remission status or NPM1-MRD in 79.5% (70/88) of patients. Younger patients and patients with FLT3 mutations had higher concordance. The Spearman correlation coefficient (rs) and concordance rate between the log reduction of IDH1/2 LNA-qPCR and NPM1-MRD were 0.68 and 81% (K = 0.63, 95% CI 0.50−0.74), respectively. IDH1/2-MRD > 2 log reduction at first CR predicted significantly better relapse-free survival (3-year RFS rates 52.9% vs. 31.9%, p = 0.007) and cumulative incidence of relapse (3-year CIR rates 44.5% vs. 64.5%, p = 0.012) compared to IDH1/2-MRD ≤ 2 log reduction. IDH1/2-MRD > 2 log reduction during consolidation is also associated with a significantly lower CIR rate than IDH1/2-MRD ≤ 2 log reduction (3-year CIR rates 42.3% vs. 68.8%, p = 0.019). LNA-qPCR for IDH1/2 mutation is a potential MRD technique to predict relapse in IDH1/2-mutated AML patients, especially for those with IDH1/2 MRD > 2 log reduction at first CR or a concurrent FLT3 mutation.

Clinical feature, image findings and outcome of hepatosplenic candidiasis in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are at risk of hepatosplenic candidiasis (HSC). HSC is often associated with prolonged fever and difficulty in definitive clinical diagnosis. We aimed to explore the incidence, clinical features, image findings and outcomes of HSC among patients with AML in a tertiary hospital, Taiwan. METHODS: We did a chart review of patient data in our institute from 2009 to 2012. The diagnosis of HSC was based on risk factors, febrile symptoms and image findings. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-two patients with AML were analyzed. In total, 1051 chemotherapy sessions were administered. Eleven patients (4 males and 7 females) experienced HSC (incidence 3.8%, 95% conference interval 2.11-6.72%). Among those with HSC, the median age was 62. Eight patients developed HSC following induction or re-induction chemotherapies. Three developed HSC following consolidation chemotherapies. The median duration of severe neutropenia was 25 days (range 10-142). In all patients with HSC, multiple hypodense lesions were found in the involved organs by computed tomography scans. Lesions consistent with HSC could be identified by ultrasound in 5 out of 6 patients. Other than liver and spleen, lung was frequently (7 cases) and kidney occasionally (3 cases) involved. Four patients died within 90 days. Prolonged neutropenia was associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: HSC occurred more often during induction or re-induction periods. Lungs are commonly involved and pleural effusion was frequently seen in CT scans. Pleural effusion may suggest more serious infections but its clinical relevance should be investigated in large-scale studies. Prolonged neutropenia is the only prognostic factor. Prophylaxis should be considered. In the absence of prophylaxis, we advise early image studies and prompt antifungal treatment in patients at risk for HSC.

Application of comprehensive geriatric assessment in predicting early mortality among elder patients with B-cell lymphoma receiving immunochemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: Early mortality, defined as death within 120 days after initiated antitumor therapy, is an important issue especially for elder patients with B-cell lymphoma. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) in early mortality prediction in elderly patients with B-cell lymphoma receiving immunochemotherapy. METHODS: Seventy-six consecutive patients with newly diagnosed B-cell lymphoma receiving immunochemotherapy from a medical center in Taiwan were prospectively enrolled. Patients were divided into fit (n = 49) and frail (n = 27) groups per pretreatment CGA for early mortality comparison. RESULTS: The early mortality rate in our patient cohort was 16% (n = 12): from 6% in patients with no CGA domain impairment to 43% in patients with ≥4 CGA domain impairment. The early mortality rate was 6% and 33% in fit and frail patients (odds ratio, 7.67; 95% CI, 1.86-31.6; P = .005), respectively. Frailty was the significant predictor for early mortality in univariate and multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: In this study, the number of geriatric domain impairment is positively associated with the early mortality risk in elderly patients with B-cell lymphoma. Therefore, CGA can help clinicians to identify the risk of early mortality in elderly patients and provide alternative treatment.

Impact of Platelet Counts, Surgical Methods, and Preoperative Platelet Transfusion on the Outcome of Splenectomy for Immune Thrombocytopenia.

INTRODUCTION: Splenectomy is an important and potentially curative treatment for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) has replaced open splenectomy (OS) as the standard approach. The prognostic role of platelet count and the clinical indication of preoperative platelet transfusion are not entirely clear. METHODS: We designed a study to explore the prognostic impact of surgical methods, platelet count, and platelet transfusion in a large, single-institute, long-term cohort of ITP patients. RESULT: In 118 ITP patients, there was no difference between OS and LS in response and surgical complications. The overall response rate was 77% and the complete response (CR) rate was 70%. Patients with a CR had a trend towards a higher baseline platelet count. A stable platelet count 14-28 days after splenectomy was associated with a sustained long-term response. Patients requiring preoperative platelet transfusion had a lower preoperative platelet count and were more likely to need postoperative transfusion of red blood cells and platelets. They also had a lower postoperative platelet count than the nontransfusion group. Relapse-free survival did not differ. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline and postoperative platelet counts are apparently associated with the treatment response to splenectomy but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Preoperative platelet transfusion did not overcome the disadvantage of thrombocytopenia and was not recommended when other preparative measures are available.

Distinct immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region gene repertoire and lower frequency of del(11q) in Taiwanese patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is the most common leukaemia in Western countries but very rare in Asia. Peripheral blood or bone marrow mononuclear cells obtained at initial diagnosis from 194 patients with CLL were analysed to determine the ethnic difference in genetic abnormalities. Mutated IGHV was detected in 71·2% of Taiwanese CLL and IGHV3-23 was the most frequently used gene. Stereotyped BCR was present in 18·3% with subset 8 being the most frequent. All cases with subset 8 belonged to IGHV 4-39 and were exclusively associated with un-mutated IGHV and poor outcome. Mutation frequencies of SF3B1 (9·7%), NOTCH1 (8·6%), BIRC3 (1·1%), ATM (16·9%) or TP53 (8·1%), and frequencies of cytogenetic abnormalities including trisomy 12 (18·6%), del(17p) (10·4%), del(13q) (43·7%) and IGH translocation (10·1%) were comparable to those reported from Western countries, except del(11q) (6·9%) which was lower in our patients. Patients with un-mutated IGHV, subset 8, disrupted TP53, trisomy 12, and SF3B1 mutations had a worse outcome compared to patients without these mutations. In conclusion, IGHV3-23 usage, stereotyped subset 8 and lower frequency of del(11q) show an ethnicity-dependent association in Taiwanese CLL patients.

Immune thrombocytopenia: Effectiveness of frontline steroids and comparison of azathioprine, splenectomy, and rituximab as second-line treatment.

OBJECTIVE: For immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), efficacy of frontline steroids is well established. However, clinical data comparing various treatment options for refractory or relapsed ITP are limited. We aimed to investigate the outcome of frontline steroid treatment for ITP patients and compare common second-line modalities in a single institute in Taiwan. METHODS: We collected the complete outpatient list over a 6-month period. Patients were identified from the list, and medical records were reviewed to capture the data retrospectively. The diagnosis of ITP was made by excluding other etiologies. RESULTS: Among 665 patients with thrombocytopenia, the diagnosis of ITP was made in 375. Two hundred and fifty-seven patients (51 males, median age 45.5) received treatment. Response to steroids was evaluable for 184 patients. Complete response (CR) was achieved in 120 (65.2%) and partial response in 43 (23.3%). In 21 (11.4%) patients, ITP was refractory to steroids. Among those with CR, 76 (63%) patients relapsed in a median of 9.5 months. After relapse or steroid failure, 57 (49%) received azathioprine treatment and 38 (32%) underwent splenectomy. Response rate was 71.4% (38.1% CR) for azathioprine and 91.4% (77.1% CR) for splenectomy. Rituximab was effective in 8 of 10 patients. CONCLUSION: Steroids are effective frontline treatment for ITP, but relapse is common. Both azathioprine and splenectomy are effective treatment after steroid failure. Rituximab appears to a reasonable second-line treatment option in our limited experience.

Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type: Clinical features, outcome, and prognostic factors in 101 cases.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to define the clinical features, outcome, and prognostic factors for extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) patients in Taiwan. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 101 ENKTL patients diagnosed between February 1998 and October 2015. RESULTS: The median age of 101 patients was 52 years old (range 22-85); 76.2% of patients were Ann Arbor stage I/II disease. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 49.9% and 54.8%, respectively. Patients with log[EBV-DNA] ≥ 3.8 and bone marrow hemophagocytosis at diagnosis had inferior PFS and OS. Most stage I/II patients received combined chemoradiotherapy with anthracycline-containing regimen, with overall response rate of 96.7%, complete response rate 86.9%, 5-year PFS 65%, and OS 72%. The relapse rate was 29.3% with a short median disease-free survival of 6.2 months. In advanced stage patients, overall response rate was only 13.6%, with median PFS 2.3 months, and OS 4.8 months. Age ≥ 60 (HR 3.773, 95% CI 1.733-8.215, P = 0.001) and stage III/IV (HR 7.785, 95% CI 2.312-26.213, P = 0.001) were unfavorable prognostic factors for PFS and OS by multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Age ≥ 60 and stage III/IV are independent poor prognostic factors for PFS and OS. Early-stage ENKTL patients had good response to combined chemoradiotherapy with anthracycline-containing regimen but with a high relapse rate and short disease-free survival. Anthracycline-containing regimen in advanced stage had poor response and dismal outcome.

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia.

The association of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is not clearly defined. In our experience of 291 patients with AML, 20 (14 males and 6 females, median age 56) developed PJP (incidence 6.8%). Thirteen patients (65%) survived until discharge from hospital. We conclude that PJP is not uncommon among patients with AML. In clinical care of AML, awareness of PJP should be heightened and prophylaxis should be considered.

The clinical and prognostic relevance of driver mutations in 203 Taiwanese patients with primary myelofibrosis.

AIMS: We investigated the clinical and prognostic relevance of the mutational status of driver genes with allele burden and endogenous erythroid colony (EEC) growth in 203 Taiwanese patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF). METHODS: Pyrosequencing was used to detect JAK2V617F mutational status and measure allele burden, while MPL (exon 10) mutations were analysed by PCR assay and then by direct sequencing. CALR exon 9 mutations were first screened for length changes by GeneScan followed by sequencing. The allele burden of the mutated CALR gene was measured by pyrosequencing. The EEC assay was conducted using a serum-free culture system. RESULTS: The frequencies of the three driver mutations and triple-negative status were similarly distributed between pre-PMF and overt PMF patients, except that pre-PMF patients had a higher incidence of CALR type 2/type-2 like mutations and a lower JAK2V617F allele burden. EEC growth and CALR mutations conferred favourable overall survival (OS). A lower JAK2V617F allele burden and grade 3 bone marrow fibrosis were associated with shorter OS and decreased leukaemia-free survival (LFS). Type 2/type 2-like CAL mutations were associated with better LFS compared with type1/type 1-like mutations. Patients with triple-negative mutation status had significantly worse OS and LFS. The allele burden of CALR mutations remained unchanged, while some JAK2V617F mutations showed clonal expansion in patients during secondary acute myeloid leukaemia transformation. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that EEC growth, a higher JAK2V617F allele burden and CALR mutations, especially type 2, were independent predictors for better outcomes in PMF. The allele burden of CALR mutations remained stable, but the allele burden of JAK2V617Fmutations was variable during leukaemia transformation.

Clinical Features and Recurrence Pattern of Perianal Abscess in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

INTRODUCTION: Perianal abscess may develop during neutropenia periods in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The standard of care for perianal abscess in AML is unclear. METHODS: We retrospectively collected patient data in our institute from 2009 to 2012. RESULTS: Two hundred ninety-two patients with AML were analyzed. In total, 1,051 chemotherapy sessions were administered. Twenty-three patients experienced perianal abscess. Patients with perianal abscess were younger than those without (44 vs. 60 years, p < 0.0001). Perianal abscess developed in various phases of treatment and in the stem cell transplantation period. Twelve recurrences developed in 6 patients. Patients with a prior perianal abscess have a 10-fold risk of developing a subsequent abscess following further chemotherapy. The microbiology profile revealed that most pathogens were derived from the intestinal tracts, which was similar to the findings of previous studies. The 28-day mortality was 14.3% and the direct cause of death was not perianal abscess in any case. Surgical interventions had no impact on recurrence or survival. CONCLUSION: In patients with AML, perianal abscess results from gastrointestinal tract pathogens. Many patients do not require surgical interventions. The mortality is low but recurrence is common following subsequent chemotherapies. Therefore, awareness of recurrence is important for the timely management of perianal abscess in AML.

Clinical features, outcome and prognostic factors of 87 patients with angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma in Taiwan.

We retrospectively analyzed 87 patients with angioimmunoblastic T cell lymphoma (AITL) in Taiwan. The median age was 68 (range 18-89) years. Of these patients, 74 % was at an advanced stage. The most common extra-nodal site involved was bone marrow (36 %). Of these patients, 77 % were International Prognostic Index (IPI) >1 and 79 % had a prognostic index for peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PIT) >1. Of 75 patients who received systemic chemotherapy, the complete remission rate was 60 %, the relapse rate was 47 %, and the 2-year progression-free survival rate was 37.4 %. The 2-year overall survival (OS) rate for all patients was 51.9 %. By multivariate analysis, bone marrow involvement (P < 0.001) and ECOG >1 (P = 0.007) were independent adverse factors for OS. A simplified prognostic index efficiently stratified patients into the following three groups: 2-year OS rates 79.8 % (0 factor), 28.3 % (1 factor), and 10.2 % (2 factors) by using bone marrow involvement and ECOG >1 (P < 0.001). In conclusion, AITL patients were older and had poorer prognosis in Taiwan. Bone marrow involvement, EOCG >1, IPI >1 and PIT >1 had adverse impact on OS. The usefulness of this simplified prognostic index needs further validation.

CD5 positivity is an independent adverse prognostic factor in elderly patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Age over 60 years is one of the five parameters of the International Prognostic Index (IPI), which is the most important clinical prognostic predictor in DLBCL. A previous study on German DLBCL patients over 60 years of age showed that immunoblastic morphology, but not germinal center B cell-like (GCB)/non-GCB subtype, correlated with short survival. We collected 174 DLBCL cases over 60 years of age in Taiwan and performed immunophenotyping and detection of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded RNA (EBER) by in situ hybridization. Of the cases, 5.2 % were positive for CD5 and 5.7 % positive for EBER. Neither immunoblastic morphology nor GCB/non-GCB subtype correlated with survival. In univariate analysis, adverse prognostic factors included IPI ≥ 3 (P < 0.000001), B symptoms (P = 0.000075), bone marrow/peripheral blood involvement (P = 0.017), EBER positivity (P = 0.0013), and CD5 positivity (P = 0.016). In multivariate analysis, CD5 positivity was the only independent adverse prognostic factor (HR = 3.16; 95 % CI = 1.34-7.47; P = 0.0087) in addition to IPI ≥ 3 (HR = 3.07; 95 % CI = 1.84-5.11; P = 0.000018). Surprisingly, despite an overall 5.2 % incidence of central nervous system (CNS) relapse in our patients, none of the CD5+ cases experienced CNS relapse (P = 1.00). This is in stark contrast to the more frequent CNS relapse in Japanese CD5+ DLBCL patients. EBER positivity was associated with IPI ≥ 3 (P = 0.010), stage III-IV (P = 0.0082), and B symptoms (P = 0.011). In multivariate analysis, EBER positivity was not an independent adverse prognostic factor (P = 0.81), its effect being due likely to accompanying adverse clinical parameters.

High frequency of additional gene mutations in acute myeloid leukemia with MLL partial tandem duplication: DNMT3A mutation is associated with poor prognosis.

The mutational profiles of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with partial tandem duplication of mixed-lineage leukemia gene (MLL-PTD) have not been comprehensively studied. We studied 19 gene mutations for 98 patients with MLL-PTD AML to determine the mutation frequency and clinical correlations. MLL-PTD was screened by reverse-transcriptase PCR and confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR. The mutational analyses were performed with PCR-based assays followed by direct sequencing. Gene mutations of signaling pathways occurred in 63.3% of patients, with FLT3-ITD (44.9%) and FLT3-TKD (13.3%) being the most frequent. 66% of patients had gene mutations involving epigenetic regulation, and DNMT3A (32.7%), IDH2 (18.4%), TET2 (18.4%), and IDH1 (10.2%) mutations were most common. Genes of transcription pathways and tumor suppressors accounted for 23.5% and 10.2% of patients. RUNX1 mutation occurred in 23.5% of patients, while none had NPM1 or double CEBPA mutation. 90.8% of MLL-PTD AML patients had at least one additional gene mutation. Of 55 MLL-PTD AML patients who received standard chemotherapy, age older than 50 years and DNMT3A mutation were associated with inferior outcome. In conclusion, gene mutations involving DNA methylation and activated signaling pathway were common co-existed gene mutations. DNMT3A mutation was a poor prognostic factor in MLL-PTD AML.

Pharmacokinetic profile and first preliminary clinical evaluation of bendamustine in Taiwanese patients with heavily pretreated indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma and mantle cell lymphoma.

Prior studies found bendamustine is efficacious in patients with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). To date, no studies have reported the efficacy of bendamustine in a Chinese population. This multicentre phase II trial evaluated the pharmacokinetics (PK), safety and efficacy of bendamustine monotherapy in Chinese patients in Taiwan with pretreated indolent B-cell NHL or mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). For PK assessments, patients were randomized (n = 16; 11 with indolent B-cell NHL and five with MCL) to 90 or 120 mg/m(2) of bendamustine for the first cycle. Plasma levels of bendamustine and its two metabolites were analyzed. For efficacy and safety evaluations, bendamustine 120 mg/m(2) was given to all patients every 3 weeks starting at cycle 2 for a minimum of a total of six cycles. The median age of patients was 61.7 years, and the majority were men (75%). The median number of prior treatments was 4 (range, 1-9 regimens), and all patients were previously treated with rituximab. Bendamustine plasma concentration peaked near the end of infusion and was rapidly eliminated with a mean elimination half-life (t(1/2)) of 0.67-0.8 h. Of the evaluable patients (n = 14), the overall response rate was 78.6%, including 7.2% of patients having a complete response. Mean progression-free survival was 27.5 weeks. The most common grade 3-4 adverse events were leucopenia (56.3%), neutropenia (56.3%) and thrombocytopenia (25%). In conclusion, bendamustine was efficacious and well tolerated in Taiwanese patients with indolent NHL and MCL with a similar PK profile to that of other populations.

Primary breast lymphoma: a single-institute experience in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Breast is an uncommon location of lymphoma involvement. The most common type of primary breast lymphoma (PBL) is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Rituximab is the widely used monoclonal antibody against CD20+ B-cell lymphoma, especially DLBCL. We aimed to analyze the clinical features, prognostic factors, and treatment outcome with or without rituximab in primary breast DLBCL. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients diagnosed with PBL from October 1987 to March 2012 in our hospital, excluding metastasis by whole-body computed tomography and bone marrow study. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients were diagnosed with PBL. All were females. Eighteen patients were stage IE and five were stage IIE according to the Ann Arbor staging system. Two patients had lymphoma other than DLBCL. The median age of primary breast DLBCL patients was 48 years (range 27-79). Two were excluded from the analysis due to refusal or ineligibility for chemotherapy. No significant prognostic factor was found. Patients receiving chemotherapy with (RC) or without (C) rituximab were not significantly different in the 5-year overall survival (RC: 57.1%; C: 58.3%; p = 0.457) or progression-free survival (RC: 57.1%; C: 50.0%; p = 0.456). A high incidence of relapse in the central nervous system (CNS) (17.6%) was observed. CONCLUSIONS: In accordance with prior literature reports, our Taiwanese cohort of primary breast DLBCL seemed younger than those reported in Japan, Korea, and Western societies. Relapse in the CNS was not uncommon. The benefit of rituximab in addition to chemotherapy was not statistically significant. Treatment modality remained to be defined by further large-scale studies.