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leukemia
myelodysplastic syndromes

James O. Armitage, MD, FACP, FRCP, and Richard M. Stone, MD, on Clinical Trial Results for AML, MDS, and CMML Treatment

James O. Armitage, MD, FACP, FRCP, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Richard M. Stone, MD of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discuss three clinical trials: different doses of daunorubicin for AML; comparing azacitidine plus lenolidomide to vorinostat vs azacitidine monotherapy in MDS and CMML; and sorafenib vs placebo in addition to standard treatment for AML.

leukemia

James O. Armitage, MD, FACP, FRCP, and Richard M. Stone, MD, on Progress Made Against AML and APL

James. O Armitage, MD, FACP, FRCP, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Richard M. Stone, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discuss advances in treating acute myeloid leukemia and the acute promyelocytic leukema subtype.

leukemia

James O. Armitage, MD, FACP, FRCP, and Hagop M. Kantarjian, MD, on Advances in the Treatment of ALL

James O. Armitage, MD, FACP, FRCP, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Hagop M. Kantarjian, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discuss the diagnosis and genetics of ALL, differences in treating younger and older patients, and the latest data on the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and CAR T cells.

leukemia

William G. Wierda, MD, PhD, on Updates to the Management of CLL

William G. Wierda, MD, PhD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the latest information on managing CLL and his optimism that a cure is in sight.

leukemia

Jerald P. Radich, MD, on Treatment Milestones in CML: Stay the Course or Change Therapy?

Jerald P. Radich, MD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance discusses the evolution in treating and monitoring CML and whether monitoring at 3 and 6 months will ultimately prove useful.

leukemia
lymphoma

Asher Alban Chanan-Khan, MD, and James O. Armitage, MD, on Ibrutinib, Bendamustine, and Rituximab in Previously Treated CLL/SLL

James O. Armitage, MD, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Asher Alban Akmal Chanan-Khan, MD, of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, discuss an important treatment option that significantly improved overall response rate and reduced risk of progression or death by 80% (Abstract LBA7005).

leukemia
lymphoma

Asher Chanan-Khan, MD, Summarizes Ibrutinib, Bendamustine, and Rituximab in Previously Treated CLL/SLL

Asher Alban Chanan-Khan, MD, of the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, discusses an important treatment option that significantly improved overall response rate and reduced risk of progression or death by 80% (Abstract LBA7005).

leukemia
lymphoma

Michael Pfreundschuh, MD, on Treating Lymphoid Malignancies in Children and Adults With the Same Protocols

Michael Pfreundschuh, MD, of Universitaetsklinikum des Saarlandes, summarizes a session he chaired on this topic, which covered Burkitt’s lymphoma as well as lymphoblastic leukemia in children and adults.

Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Leukemia
Hematologic Malignancies

Myeloablative Conditioning for Stem Cell Transplantation Remains Standard of Care in Patients With MDS and AML

A randomized trial from the Bone and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network was halted early after concluding that allogeneic stem cell transplantation after a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen resulted in higher relapse rates compared to myeloablative conditioning. The phase III randomized ...

Leukemia

Self-Reports Overestimate Mercaptopurine Intake in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Mercaptopurine is critical for maintaining remission in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, a study has shown that overreporting of intake is common, and self-reports of intake are not as reliable as electronic reporting.1 About 86% of parents and children overreported the number ...

Leukemia

Venetoclax May Prove to Be Strong Weapon Against Poor-Prognosis Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Venetoclax, the latest entry into the field of treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), is a powerful investigational therapy that promises to fill an important niche: treatment of high-risk relapsed/refractory patients with deletions of 17p. Nearly 80% of patients with relapsed/refractory...

Leukemia

Severe Toxicities Seen in Younger Patients Receiving  Front-Line Idelalisib for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Hematologists and patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are excited about new drugs that have dramatically improved outcomes. But all drugs have side effects, and it is important to be aware of potential consequences. Hepatotoxicity turns out to be a major concern in younger CLL patients ...

Leukemia
Issues in Oncology

Idelalisib Improves Progression-Free Survival Over Bendamustine Plus Rituximab in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Idelalisib (Zydelig) combined with bendamustine (Bendeka, Treanda) plus rituximab (Rituxan) was superior to chemotherapy with bendamustine/rituximab plus placebo, reducing the risk of progressive disease and death while improving progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with...

Leukemia

Rituximab Adds Benefit to Chemotherapy in Adult B-Cell Precursor ALL

The addition of rituximab (Rituxan) to the pediatric-inspired chemotherapy protocol for B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) significantly improved event-free survival in a large European study presented at the 2015 ASH Annual Meeting.1 The GRAALL-R 2005 phase III study is the first...

leukemia

FDA Approves Ofatumumab for Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in Complete or Partial Response

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved ofatumumab (Arzerra) for extended treatment of patients who are in complete or partial response after at least two lines of therapy for recurrent or progressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Ofatumumab was previously approved for the...

leukemia

Increased Response Rate With Higher Dose of Obinutuzumab Monotherapy for Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

A randomized phase II study in symptomatic, untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) found an increased overall response rate with obinutuzumab (Gazyva) at a dose of 2,000 mg vs 1,000. In addition, the “data demonstrate that obinutuzumab produces a higher response rate in...

hematologic malignancies
leukemia

Use of Antilymphocyte Globulin Appears to Reduce Chronic Graft-vs-Host Disease After Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Acute Leukemia

In a European phase III study reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, Kröger et al found that inclusion of antihuman T-lymphocyte immune globulin (ATG) in the myeloablative conditioning regimen in patients with acute myeloid or lymphoid leukemia resulted in a significant reduction in...

Leukemia

Plenary Report: High-dose Methotrexate Improves Outcome for High-risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Younger Patients

High-dose methotrexate achieved superior event-free survival rates compared with standard Capizzi (escalating) methotrexate treatment in children and young adults with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to a practice-changing study reported during the Plenary Session of the...

Leukemia

Conventional Induction Chemotherapy Beneficial in Only a Subset of Older Adults with AML

Over the past several decades, progress in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in the older population (generally considered to be older than 60 years) has been limited (Fig. 1). In particular, the outcome of patients over age 70 has been poor, with few long-term survivors. Although AML...

Leukemia

Despite Advances, Little Overall Improvement Seen in Treatment of Older Adults with AML

The outcome of treatment of older adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unsatisfactory, although certainly not a totally futile exercise. Patients satisfying the entry criteria for cooperative group clinical trials can be expected to have complete remission rates of 50% to 55%, with...

Leukemia

Point of View: Should Patients Over 70 Receive Aggressive Therapy for Acute Myeloid Leukemia?

Despite Advances, Little Overall Improvement Seen in Treatment of Older Adults with AMLBy Charles A. Schiffer, MD The outcome of treatment of older adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unsatisfactory, although certainly not a totally futile exercise. Patients satisfying the entry...

Leukemia

FDA Clears Genetic FISH Panel for Leukemia Patient Prognosis

Abbott announced it has received 510k clearance from the FDA for a new in vitro diagnostic test to aid in determining the prognosis of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Abbott’s Vysis CLL FISH Probe Kit is the first FDA-cleared CLL test to aid in prognosis. The test detects genetic...

Leukemia

Improvements Highlighted in Treatment of Leukemias and Preleukemias

Certain preleukemic conditions and leukemia in high-risk patients have remained challenging to treat despite advances in hematology, according to Wendy Stock, MD, of the University of Chicago. But studies reported at the Best of ASCO® Annual Meeting ‘11 in Seattle show progress even in these ...

Leukemia

FDA Issues Safety Announcement on Dasatinib

The FDA is warning the public that the leukemia drug dasatinib (Sprycel) may increase the risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Information about this risk has been added to the Warnings and Precautions section of the dasatinib drug label. In reported cases, patients developed PAH after...

Leukemia

Test for AML Prognosis Cleared by FDA

Abbott announced today it has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA for a new in vitro diagnostic test to aid in determining the prognosis of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) Abbott’s Vysis EGR1 FISH Probe Kit, the third Abbott fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay approved or...

Hematologic Malignancies
Leukemia
Lymphoma
Multiple Myeloma

NCCN Meeting Addresses Issues in Hematologic Malignancies

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) 6th Annual Congress on Hematologic Malignancies, held recently in New York, included reviews of the management of hematologic diseases as well as discussions of outstanding issues in the field. The following is a synopsis of some of the important...

Leukemia
Head and Neck Cancer

My Cancer Is Incurable, but My Future Is Limitless

Cancer has nearly always been part of my life. When I was 6 years old, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The doctors told my parents that unless I was treated immediately, I wouldn’t live longer than a month. Over the next 3 years, I underwent intensive courses of chemotherapy and...

Leukemia

New Drug Approved to Treat Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

The FDA has approved asparaginase Erwinia chrysanthemi (Erwinaze) to treat patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who have developed hypersensitivity to Escherichia coli–derived asparaginase (Elspar) and pegaspargase (Oncaspar). Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most commonly diagnosed...

Leukemia

Adding Alemtuzumab to Fludarabine in CLL

In a randomized phase III trial among previously treated patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the combination of alemtuzumab (Campath) plus fludarabine resulted in significant improvements in progression-free survival, complete response rate, and overall survival ...

Leukemia

Is Gemtuzumab a Therapeutic Option in Older Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia?

Previous studies of gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg) had variable results in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Before trials reported at the 2011 ASH Annual Meeting, two major studies had compared chemotherapy with or without gemtuzumab in patients with AML, said Martin Tallman, MD, Chief of the...

Leukemia

Is Gemtuzumab a Therapeutic Option in Older Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia?

A study presented at the Plenary Session of the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) breathes new life into an older drug for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) that is no longer available in the United States.1 Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg) appears to be a promising...

Leukemia

A Second Chance for Gemtuzumab in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg) may have a second chance for regulatory acceptance, as studies presented at ASH 2011 demonstrated that gemtuzumab can be safely and effectively given by adjusting the dosing and treatment schedule. Gemtuzumab ozogamicin was approved for the treatment of acute...

Leukemia

Novel Agent Efficacious in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

A novel inhibitor of B-cell receptor signaling produced high rates of remission and was well tolerated in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who were refractory to at least two previous treatments, reported Susan O’Brien, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center,...

Leukemia

Three Novel Agents Show Promise in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Susan O’Brien, MD, Professor in the Department of Leukemia at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, has a special interest in novel developments in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). At the 2011 ASH Annual Meeting, she discussed her picks of top newsmakers in ...

Leukemia

Expert Point of View: Ponatinib Continues to Impress in Patients with Leukemia

At the 2011 ASH Annual Meeting, Pierre Laneuville, MD, Director of Hematology at McGill University in Montreal, predicted that ponatinib may be “the drug that will replace them all” in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. Dr. Laneuville explained his rationale, recalling that in the pivotal...

Leukemia

Ponatinib Continues to Impress in Patients with Leukemia

Initial results from the PACE (Ponatinib Ph+ ALL and CML Evaluation) trial added to accumulating evidence that the tyrosine kinase inhibitor ponatinib should soon be considered for front-line treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). “Robust responses were observed in all patient cohorts,” said...

Leukemia

Expert Point of View: BELA Trial Reborn: Bosutinib Produces Improved Results in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Given the results of the BELA trial, with the problems of treatment side-effect management realized and seemingly resolved, Elias Jabbour, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, assumes bosutinib will be approved in chronic myeloid...

Leukemia

BELA Trial Reborn: Bosutinib Produces Improved Results in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

The initial reports of the BELA trial (Bosutinib Efficacy and safety in chronic myeloid LeukemiA), presented at ASH 2010, were deflating. At 12-month follow-up, bosutinib failed to meet BELA’s primary endpoint. Things have since turned around, however, and results from the 24-month analysis...

Hematologic Malignancies
Leukemia
Lymphoma

ASH 2011 Presentations Include Novel Agents and New Strategies in Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma

Attendees at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), held recently in in San Diego, were able to choose from a wide range of interesting and important sessions exploring hematologic malignancies. In addition to The ASCO Post’s regular news coverage from the meeting,...

Leukemia

Autologous Transplant vs Consolidation Chemotherapy in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Recent European Trial

Investigators in the Dutch-Belgian Hemato-Oncology Cooperative Group and the Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research Collaborative Group recently reported in the journal Blood that autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation significantly reduced relapse rate compared with intensive...

Leukemia

Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Question That Doesn’t Go Away

More than 3 decades ago, the first trials of autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation as consolidation therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first remission were conducted. The initial results were inconclusive; most patients survived the procedure, but post-transplant relapse was common ...

Leukemia

Liposomal Vincristine Receives Positive Vote from ODAC

Talon Therapeutics, Inc, announced the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 7 yes, 4 no, and 2 abstain that evidence from clinical studies supports a favorable benefit-risk assessment for use of vincristine sulfate liposomes injection (Marqibo). The manufacturer is seeking an indication for the ...

Leukemia

Erwinia chrysanthemi Asparaginase for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Patients with Hypersensitivity to E coli–derived Asparaginase

In the Clinic provides overviews of novel oncology agents, addressing indications, mechanisms, administration recommendations, safety profiles, and other essential information needed for the appropriate clinical use of these drugs. Indication Erwinia chrysanthemi asparaginase (Erwinaze) was...

Leukemia

Treating Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia without Chemotherapy

Throughout the course of medical history, we have witnessed innovations that have initially been met with skepticism but have later revolutionized our management of patients with specific disorders. The recent history of oncology drug development is full of instances where a drug that was...

Breast Cancer
Kidney Cancer
Lung Cancer
Skin Cancer
Leukemia
Lymphoma
Issues in Oncology

NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines: Important Updates for 2012

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology have become the most widely used guidelines in oncology practice. The Guidelines cover 97% of all patients with cancer and are continually updated by expert panels. The 2012 Guidelines include some completely...

Leukemia

Integrated Genetic Profiling Can Identify Predictors of Outcome and Improve Risk Stratification in AML Patients

A mutational analysis of 18 genes in 398 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) found at least one somatic alteration in 97.3% of the patients and identified genetic predictors of outcome that improved risk stratification among patients with AML, independent of age, white-cell count, induction...

Leukemia

Study Shows Steady Increases in Survival for Children with ALL

A study by the Children’s Oncology Group (COG) reported that 5-year survival for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) among children treated through COG clinical trials increased from 83.7% during the period 1990-1994 to 90.4% in the period 2000-2005. The improvements in survival were observed among...

Leukemia

Progress in Treating Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Has Led to Across-the-board Improvements in Survival

Four decades ago, Kanti R. Rai, MD, was determined to figure out why some of his patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) died within 2 years after their diagnosis, while others lived for 20 or even 30 years. At the time, Dr. Rai was a young scientist doing research in leukemia at...

Leukemia

Pediatric ALL with Induction Failure Is Highly Heterogeneous with Varying Outcomes

While failure of remission-induction therapy is rare in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), when it does occur it is highly adverse and heterogeneous, according to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine. “Patients who have T-cell leukemia appear to have a...

Leukemia

Prognostic Value of Integrated Cytogenetic and Mutational Risk Classification in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Jay P. Patel, BS, and colleagues from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York recently performed mutational analysis of 18 genes in a subgroup of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients who had been randomized to receive cytarabine plus high-dose or standard-dose...

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