Recommendations for the Clinical Approach to Immune Thrombocytopenia: Spanish ITP Working Group (GEPTI).

Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a complex autoimmune disease whose hallmark is a deregulation of cellular and humoral immunity leading to increased destruction and reduced production of platelets. The heterogeneity of presentation and clinical course hampers personalized approaches for diagnosis and management. In 2021, the Spanish ITP Group (GEPTI) of the Spanish Society of Hematology and Hemotherapy (SEHH) updated a consensus document that had been launched in 2011. The updated guidelines have been the reference for the diagnosis and management of primary ITP in Spain ever since. Nevertheless, the emergence of new tools and strategies makes it advisable to review them again. For this reason, we have updated the main recommendations appropriately. Our aim is to provide a practical tool to facilitate the integral management of all aspects of primary ITP management.

Sustained Remission in Patients with Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia after Romiplostim Tapering and Discontinuation: A Case Series in Real Life Management in Spain.

Romiplostim, a thrombopoietin-receptor agonist (TPO-ra), is a highly effective option in primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), with 80-90% of patients achieving platelet responses after few weeks of treatment. The evidence showing remissions, that is, sustained platelet counts after romiplostim discontinuation, in patients with ITP refractory to immunosuppressive therapy is steadily increasing. However, there is a lack of guidelines or recommendations addressing how and when to taper romiplostim in clinical practice in patients maintaining elevated and stable platelet counts. Furthermore, given the high heterogeneity of ITP patients, no associated predictive factors have been currently identified. Here, we present 4 representative clinical cases of the daily clinical practice in Spain comprising newly diagnosed, persistent, and both splenectomized and nonsplenectomized chronic ITP patients treated with romiplostim, achieving and maintaining clinical remission (platelet count ≥ 50 × 109/L for 24 consecutive weeks in the absence of any treatment for ITP) after treatment tapering and discontinuation, without observed safety concerns. Prospective studies identifying clinical and biological predictive factors of sustained response are warranted.

Blinatumomab treatment of older adults with relapsed/refractory B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Results from 2 phase 2 studies.

BACKGROUND: Older adults with relapsed/refractory B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (r/r ALL) are reported to have a poor prognosis and few therapeutic options. In the current study, the authors evaluated treatment with single-agent blinatumomab in adults aged ≥65 years with r/r ALL. METHODS: A total of 261 adults with r/r ALL who were examined across two phase 2 studies received blinatumomab in cycles of 4-week continuous infusion and 2-week treatment-free intervals. The primary endpoint in each study was complete remission (CR) or CR with partial hematologic recovery (CRh) during the first 2 cycles. Data were pooled and analyzed according to patient age at screening (aged ≥65 years vs aged <65 years). RESULTS: Of 36 older adults, 56% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 38%-72%) achieved CR/CRh during the first 2 cycles compared with 46% (225 patients) (95% CI, 40%-53%) of younger adults. Complete minimal residual disease responses were 60% in older and 70% in younger responders. Three older responders (15%) and 61 younger responders (59%) proceeded to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Kaplan-Meier curves overlapped for relapse-free and overall survival for both age groups. Older adults were found to have a similar incidence of grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs) as younger adults (86% vs 80%) but more grade ≥3 neurologic events (28% vs 13%). Cytokine release syndrome occurred in 7 older (19%) (1 case of grade 3) and 23 younger (10%) (4 cases of grade ≥3) adults. There were no treatment-related fatal AEs reported. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with r/r ALL who were treated with single-agent blinatumomab were found to have similar hematologic response rates and incidence of grade ≥3 AEs compared with younger adults but had more neurologic events, which were reversible and primarily resolved with treatment interruption. Cancer 2016;122:2178-85. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Comparación de guías internacionales sobre púrpura trombocitopénica autoinmunitaria primaria / Comparison of international guidelines for primary autoimmune thrombocytopenia

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Recommendations for the treatment of invasive fungal infection caused by filamentous fungi in the hematological patient

El tratamiento antifúngico del paciente hematológico ha alcanzado una gran complejidad con la llegada de nuevos antifúngicos y pruebas diagnósticas que han dado lugar a diferentes estrategias terapéuticas. La utilización del tratamiento más adecuado en cada caso es fundamental en infecciones con tanta mortalidad. La disponibilidad de recomendaciones como éstas, realizadas con la mejor evidencia por un amplio panel de 48 expertos, en las que se intenta responder a cuándo está indicado tratar y con qué hacerlo considerando diferentes aspectos del paciente (riesgo de infección fúngica, manifestaciones clínicas, galactomanano, TC de tórax y profilaxis realizada), puede ayudar a los clínicos a mejorar los resultados(AU)

Antifungal treatment in the hematological patient has reached a high complexity with the advent of new antifungals and diagnostic tests, which have resulted in different therapeutic strategies. The use of the most appropriate treatment in each case is essential in infections with such a high mortality. The availability of recommendations as those here reported based on the best evidence and developed by a large panel of 48 specialists aimed to answer when is indicated to treat and which agents should be used, considering different aspects of the patient (risk of fungal infection, clinical manifestations, galactomanann test, chest CT scan and previous prophylaxis) may help clinicians to improve the results(AU)