Tolerability of high dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation in elderly patients with multiple myeloma: A single-center retrospective analysis.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: In the past years, high dose chemotherapy (HDT) with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT)has more extensively been performed in elderly patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Several studies found a similar survival benefit compared to younger patients. The objective of our retrospective study is to analyse the tolerability of HDT + ASCT in elderly patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We compared 26 ASCT performed in MM patients ≥65 years to 127 ASCT in patients <65 years by evaluating treatment-tolerability, length of hospital stay and number of transfusions. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the duration of hospitalisation (16 days (range 14-47) in the elderly vs. 17 days (range 14-71) days, P = 0.0903), median time of cytopenia (neutrophils<500/µl: 5 days (range 4-24) vs. 6 days (range 3-28) days, P = 0.1091; platelets<30 000/µl: 6 days (range 3-36) vs. 7 days (range 0-53) days, P = 0.274) or incidence of, or degree of complications between the two age-groups. Immediate and day 100 treatment related mortality (TRM) was comparable in both groups (3.85% vs. 1.58%, P = 0.4304). CONCLUSION: our findings support the concept that HDT + ASCT can be safely administered as first-line option for well-selected patients≥65 years.

Outcome in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who relapse after autologous stem cell transplantation and receive active therapy. A retrospective analysis of the Lymphoma Working Party of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT).

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) is the standard of care for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who relapse/progress after first line chemoimmunotherapy. Long-term outcome of those who relapse after transplant is poor. We present the results of a retrospective study of 256 adult patients reported to the EBMT registry with DLBCL who relapsed after auto-HSCT performed between 2003 and 2013, and who received active salvage strategies. One hundred and fifty-four (60%) were male; median age was 53 years. Median time to relapse was 7 months, 65% relapsed during the first year. Overall response rate after salvage therapy was 46%. Median follow-up after first salvage therapy was 40 months (IQR 23-63 months). Overall survival (OS) at 3 years was 27% (95% CI 22-33). OS at 3 years of patients relapsing longer than 1 year after auto-HSCT was 41% (95% CI 31-53) compared with 20% (95% CI 14-24) in those who relapsed in less than 1 year. Eighty-two patients (32%) had a second HSCT, an allogeneic HSCT (allo-HSCT) in 69 cases, at a median time of 6.5 months after relapse. OS at 3 years after allo-HSCT was 36% (95% CI 25-51). In conclusion, the prognosis of patients with DLBCL that relapse after auto-HSCT is dismal. Patients who relapse in less than 1 year remain an unmet need, and should be considered for CAR T cell therapy or clinical trials. Patients who relapse after 1 year can be rescued with salvage therapies and a second HSCT. These results provide a benchmark to compare data of new prospective studies.

How to build an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant unit in 2016: Proposal for a practical framework.

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is part of the standard of care for many hematological diseases. Over the last decades, significant advances in patient and donor selection, conditioning regimens as well as supportive care of patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation leading to improved overall survival have been made. In view of many new treatment options in cellular and molecular targeted therapies, the place of allogeneic transplantation in therapy concepts must be reviewed. Most aspects of hematopoietic cell transplantation are well standardized by national guidelines or laws as well as by certification labels such as FACT-JACIE. However, the requirements for the construction and layout of a unit treating patients during the acute phase of the transplantation procedure or at readmission for different complications are not well defined. In addition, the infrastructure of such a unit may be decisive for optimized care of these fragile patients. Here we describe the process of planning a transplant unit in order to open a discussion that could lead to more precise guidelines in the field of infrastructural requirements for hospitals caring for people with severe immunosuppression.

Prognostic impact of progression to induction chemotherapy and prior paclitaxel therapy in patients with germ cell tumors receiving salvage high-dose chemotherapy in the last 10 years: a study of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Solid Tumors Working Party.

Little is known about the prognostic impact of prior paclitaxel therapy and response to induction chemotherapy defined as the regimen preceding high-dose chemotherapy (HDCT) for the salvage therapy of advanced germ cell tumors. Twenty European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation centers contributed data on patients treated between 2002 and 2012. Paclitaxel used in either prior lines of therapy or in induction-mobilization regimens was considered. Multivariable Cox analyses of prespecified factors were undertaken on PFS and overall survival (OS). As of October 2013, data for 324 patients had been contributed to this study. One hundred and ninety-two patients (59.3%) had received paclitaxel. Sixty-one patients (19%) had a progression to induction chemotherapy, 234 (72%) a response (29 (9%) missing or granulocyte colony-stimulating factor without chemotherapy). Both progression to induction chemotherapy and prior paclitaxel were significantly associated with shorter OS univariably (P<0.001 and P=0.032). On multivariable analysis from the model with fully available data (N=216) progression to induction was significantly prognostic for PFS and OS (P=0.003), but prior paclitaxel was not (P=0.674 and P=0.739). These results were confirmed after multiple imputation of missing data. Progression to induction chemotherapy could be demonstrated as an independent prognostic factor, in contrast to prior paclitaxel.

Hypercholesterolemia and its association with enhanced stem cell mobilization and harvest after high-dose cyclophosphamide+G-CSF.

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous peripheral blood SCT is a common treatment option in several hematological and non-hematological malignancies. So far, prediction of successful stem cell mobilization and harvest is limited. Just recently, hypercholesterolemia was shown to increase mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells into the peripheral circulation in mice. On the basis of these results, we performed a retrospective multivariate analysis incorporating a variety of clinical parameters in 83 patients following high-dose cyclophosphamide+G-CSF treatment. Interestingly, we found a significant positive correlation between stem cell mobilization and harvest for plasma cholesterol and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) only. Patients with hypercholesterolemia showed a substantially higher median peripheral blood CD34(+)-peak (126 vs 47/µL, P=0.003), higher median number of harvested CD34(+)-cells/kg (9.6 vs 7.4 × 10(6)/kg, P<0.001) and a sufficient number for at least one SCT in a remarkably higher proportion (84.9 vs 52.9%, P=0.003) compared with patients with normal cholesterol levels.