Advertisement

Advertisement

Leukemia

Ibrutinib Receives Third Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA

Pharmacyclics, Inc, announced that the FDA has granted an additional Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the investigational oral agent ibrutinib as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma with deletion of the short arm of...

Solid Tumors
Leukemia

Profound and Rapid Molecular Remission with CD19-targeted T Cells in Relapsed B-cell ALL 

As was recently reported in Science Translational Medicine, Renier J. Brentjens, MD, and colleagues at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, found that profound molecular remission was rapidly induced in patients with relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) using autologous T ...

Hematologic Malignancies
Leukemia
Issues in Oncology

Genetically Modified T-cell Therapy for Patients with CLL: The Role of the Oncology Nurse 

Quality nursing and ongoing education are critical for success in using gene-modified T-cell therapy for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), said Cheryl Caravano, RN, at the recent Annual Congress of the Oncology Nursing Society.  Ms. Caravano is a clinical nurse IV at Memorial...

Hematologic Malignancies
Leukemia

Intensified Liposomal Daunorubicin May Offer High Survival Rates without Added Cardiotoxicity for Children with Leukemia

Treating pediatric leukemia patients with a liposomal formulation of anthracycline-based chemotherapy at an intensified dose during initial treatment may result in high survival rates without causing any added heart toxicity, according to the results of a study published online in Blood.1 Acute...

Hematologic Malignancies
Leukemia

Postinduction Dexamethasone and Individualized Dosing of Asparaginase Improve Outcome in Pediatric ALL 

Findings from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute ALL Consortium Protocol 00-01, recently reported by Lynda M. Vrooman, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and colleagues in Journal of Clinical Oncology, indicate that postinduction dexamethasone and individualized dosing of Escherichia coli–derived...

Hematologic Malignancies
Leukemia

Potent Activity Shown for First-in-class PI3K-delta Inhibitor in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia 

Heavily pretreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) responded robustly to the first-in-class small-molecule inhibitor idelalisib (formerly GS1101), in a phase I dose-finding study reported in a press briefing prior to the 2013 ASCO Annual Meeting.1 Idelalisib, a specific inhibitor...

hematologic malignancies
leukemia
issues in oncology

'Matriarch of Modern Cancer Genetics,' Janet D. Rowley, MD, Helped Propel the Field of Molecular Oncology 

Even as a child, Janet D. Rowley, MD, found the intellectual order and logic of science appealing. Born on April 5, 1925, in New York, Dr. Rowley’s parents, Hurford and Ethel Ballantyne Davison, moved the family to Chicago 2 years later. Both educators, the Davisons encouraged their only child in...

Leukemia

New Susceptibility Variants for Childhood ALL in Ethnically Diverse Populations 

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children, and the incidence of the disease varies by ethnicity. Available evidence indicates an inherited predisposition to ALL, but the genetic basis of ALL susceptibility in diverse ancestry has not been examined in detail. Xu and...

Hematologic Malignancies
Leukemia
Lymphoma

Partnership Seeks to Accelerate Development of Innovative Therapies

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) recently joined the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston to establish a network of sites for clinical trial testing of innovative blood cancer therapies in community oncology settings across the country. This Blood Cancer Research Partnership (BCRP) will...

Leukemia

Identification of Oncogenic Mutations in Chronic Neutrophilic Leukemia and Atypical Chronic Myeloid Leukemia 

Among the hematologic cancers for which molecular causes remain unclear are chronic neutrophilic leukemia and atypical (BCR-ABL1–negative) chronic myeloid leukemia. Both disorders currently are diagnosed on the basis of neoplastic expansion of granulocytic cells and exclusion of genetic factors...

Leukemia

Molecular Landscaping of Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Are We Relearning the Past or Informing the Future?

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clinically and molecularly heterogeneous disease.1 This concept has been supported by more than 4 decades of studies showing distinct outcomes of subsets of patients that differ in age, disease type (primary vs secondary vs therapy-related), and cytogenetic and...

Leukemia

Genomic and Epigenomic Characterization of Acute Myeloid Leukemia 

In a study by the Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, genomes of 200 adult cases of de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were analyzed by whole-genome sequencing (n = 50) or whole-exome sequencing (n = 150) to identify mutations and relationships...

Leukemia

Idelalisib, Obinutuzumab Show Encouraging Results in CLL Studies 

A trio of presentations at the ASCO Annual Meeting focused on two promising investigational drugs for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). These two drugs—idelalisib and obinutuzumab—join a list of new approaches showing potential. Idelalisib Alone A phase I dose-ranging study of...

Leukemia
Geriatric Oncology

Lenalidomide Induces Long-lasting Responses in Elderly Patients

Treatment with lenalidomide (Revlimid) as initial therapy induced long-lasting responses in a phase II study of 60 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). “Overall, 35 patients (58%) patients had responses lasting more than 36 months and were considered long-term responders,” the...

Hematologic Malignancies
Leukemia
Multiple Myeloma
Issues in Oncology

ACCC Institutes Network to Provide Assistance in Treating Uncommon Cancers 

Among the more than 200 types of cancer are those called “forgotten” or “orphan” cancers, with fewer than 40,000 new cases each year. They present treatment challenges in community cancer centers. Because of the low incidence of these diseases, such as chronic myeloid leukemia, acute promyelocytic...

Breast Cancer
Leukemia

FDA Grants Priority Review to Obinutuzumab in CLL and Pertuzumab in Neoadjuvant Therapy for HER2-positive Early-stage Breast Cancer

Two drugs were recently given Priority Review designation by FDA. Obinutuzumab (GA101) was granted Priority Review for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, based on final stage 1 data from the pivotal CLL11 trial. The FDA confirmed the action date is December 20, 2013. FDA also granted...

Hematologic Malignancies
Leukemia
Lymphoma

New Research on Combination Chemotherapy, Prognostic Biomarkers, and PET-guided Radiation Therapy in B-cell Malignancies 

The 12th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma was held June 19-22, 2013, in Lugano, Switzerland. Over 3,000 hematologists, clinical oncologists, pathologists, and leading researchers attended the meeting, which featured new research on B-cell malignancies, follicular lymphoma, as well as...

Leukemia
Lymphoma

New Drug Application Submitted for Ibrutinib in the Treatment of Two B-cell Malignancies

Pharmacyclics, Inc, recently announced that it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the investigational oral Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor ibrutinib, for two relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancy indications: mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)...

Leukemia

ATRA and Arsenic Trioxide May Be Even Better Than ATRA and Chemotherapy in Treating Low-to-Intermediate Risk Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia 

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) plus arsenic trioxide bested the already high remission rates achieved by ATRA with chemotherapy, the standard of care for acute promyelocytic leukemia, in a phase III multicenter trial among patients with low-to-intermediate risk acute promyelocytic leukemia....

Leukemia

High Rate of Durable Remissions with Ibrutinib in Patients with Relapsed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia 

Durable remissions are uncommon with current treatments for relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Bruton’s tyrosine kinase is an essential component of B cell–receptor signaling that mediates interactions with the tumor microenvironment and promotes survival and proliferation of CLL cells....

Leukemia

Cord Blood Transplantation Benefits Some Children With Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia 

A retrospective analysis of 110 patients with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia found that single-unit, unrelated donor umbilical cord blood transplantation resulted in a 5-year disease-free survival rate of 44%. “Our data document that a significant proportion of children with this disease,...

Leukemia

FDA on CLL Drug Approval and Expanded Access

The ASCO Post article, “Ibrutinib CLL Trial: Where is the Equipoise?” published in May 2013, inaccurately conveyed that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires an improvement in overall survival for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) drug approval and opposes allowing crossover in the...

Leukemia

Pharmacyclics' Reply

We acknowledge the letters submitted to The ASCO Post from a patient advocate and a chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patient enrolled on the RESONATE study (PCYC-1112-CA). At Pharmacyclics, we are committed to adhering to high scientific and ethical standards as we strive to develop novel...

Leukemia

Clinical Trials, Crossover, and Clinical Equipoise: An Advocate's Perspective

In a previous issue of The ASCO Post, Dr. Susan O’Brien wrote, “It is my understanding that the FDA strongly opposed allowing crossover [in the RESONATE trial]. I presume that is because the FDA also wants to see if there is a survival advantage.”1 The lack of crossover seems a valid concern to me...

Leukemia

Clinical Trials, Crossover, and Clinical Equipoise: A Patient's Perspective

I am writing with regard to two articles on the ethical imperative of clinical equipoise written by Susan O’Brien, MD, and Stephen J. Schuster, MD, and published recently in The ASCO Post.1,2 I was a victim of Pharmacyclics’ policies during one of their randomized ibrutinib trials (PCI-32765)...

Leukemia

Treatment of Relapse of Acute Leukemia Post-Transplant: Still Hope for Patients With Chemosensitive Disease 

Disease recurrence is a devastating event after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Median time to relapse is approximately 4 months and the majority of relapses occur within 2 years after transplant. The prognosis is usually poor....

Leukemia

No Benefit/Detriment of Donor Change in Second Stem Cell Transplant for Leukemia Relapse 

Minimal data are available on outcomes of second allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from unrelated donors after a first transplant in patients with hematologic relapse of acute leukemia. In a study reported in Journal of Clinical Oncology, Maximilian Christopeit, MD, of University...

Leukemia

Front-Line Treatment Strategies to Achieve Long-Term Control of CLL Combined With Optimal Quality of Life 

“The management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is undergoing profound changes. Several new drugs have been approved for CLL treatment (fludarabine, bendamustine [Treanda], and the monoclonal antibodies alemtuzumab [Campath], rituximab [Rituxan], and ofatumumab [Arzerra]), and many more drugs ...

Leukemia

FDA Grants Volasertib Breakthrough Therapy Designation in AML

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc, has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to volasertib, an investigational inhibitor of polo-like kinase (Plk), which being evaluated for the treatment of patients aged 65 or older with...

Leukemia

FDA Approves Obinutuzumab for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved obinutuzumab (Gazyva) for use in combination with chlorambucil (Leukeran) to treat patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Obinutuzumab is the first drug with Breakthrough Therapy designation to receive FDA...

Leukemia

Sale of Ponatinib Suspended Due to Risk of Life-Threatening Blood Clots

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked the manufacturer of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor ponatinib (Iclusig) to suspend marketing and sales of the drug because of the risk of life-threatening blood clots and severe narrowing of blood vessels. Ariad Pharmaceuticals has agreed to...

Leukemia

Obinutuzumab in Previously Untreated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

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 On November 1, 2013, obinutuzumab (Gazyva) was approved...

Leukemia

FDA Grants Ofatumumab Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Previously Untreated CLL

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation for ofatumumab (Arzerra) in combination with chlorambucil (Leukeran) for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who have not received prior treatment and are inappropriate for...

Leukemia
Lymphoma

Mounting Success in Trials of Genetically Engineered T Cells to Treat Leukemias and Lymphomas

Reports have been trickling in from centers conducting research on the use of chimeric antigen receptor–modified T cells (CAR-T) in hematologic cancer, and the news is encouraging. When directed against CD19, such personalized therapeutic T cells are known as CTL019, and small pilot trials of this...

leukemia

Leukemia Pioneer John M. Goldman, DM, Dies at 75

“He gave his honours to the world again,his blessed part to heaven, and slept in peace.” —William Shakespeare, Henry VIII In 1971, John M. Goldman, DM, FRCP, FRCPath, FMedSci, began research in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a uniformly fatal disease at the time. Over the ensuing decades, Dr....

Leukemia

Bosutinib Shows 'Acceptable Safety' in Philadelphia Chromosome–Positive Leukemia

Bosutinib (Bosulif) demonstrated “acceptable safety with manageable toxicities” in a phase I/II study among patients with chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) or advanced Philadelphia chromosome–positive leukemia (accelerated-phase/blast-phase CML or acute lymphoblastic leukemia). Patients...

Leukemia
Lymphoma

Expanded Options for Age and Donor Sources for Transplant

Although many oncologists consider matched sibling donors as the best source of grafts for hematopoietic cell transplantation, two separate studies presented at the recent American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting support the use of alternative donor grafts for patients with lymphoma and acute...

Leukemia

Role for Reduced-Intensity Conditioning Regimen in AML After Allogeneic Transplantation

Reduced-intensity conditioning and myeloablative-conditioning regimens following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) resulted in comparable survival, according to a study published in Blood. The study evaluated 181 patients, 39 treated with...

leukemia
lymphoma

Leukemia/Lymphoma Pioneer Geoffrey P. Herzig, MD, Dies

Many of the advances that have bettered mankind are attributed to those who were driven by a primary passion. Geoffrey P. Herzig, MD, lived the better part of his life with a primary passion: conducting research to increase the cure rate of leukemia and lymphoma patients. His friend and colleague,...

Leukemia

In CLL With Coexisting Conditions, Chlorambucil Produces Better Outcomes With Obinutuzumab Than With Rituximab

A randomized phase III trial conducted in 26 countries found that combining chlorambucil (Leukeran) with an anti-CD20 antibody—either obinutuzumab (Gazya) or rituximab (Rituxan)—produced better outcomes among patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and coexisting...

Leukemia

FDA Approves CliniMACS CD34 Reagent System for the Prevention of Graft-vs-Host Disease in AML

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Miltenyi Biotec’s CliniMACS CD34 Reagent System as a Humanitarian Use Device for the prevention of graft-vs-host disease in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first complete remission undergoing allogeneic stem cell...

Leukemia

Encouraging Early Results With Novel Agents in CLL

Two novel agents have shown promising activity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), including poor-risk patients: the Bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-199 and the small-molecule PI3K inhibitor IPI-145. Both drugs achieved excellent response rates in heavily pretreated relapsed/refractory patients including...

Leukemia

First-Line Obinutuzumab/Chlorambucil Improves Outcomes Over Rituximab/Chlorambucil in Older CLL Patients With Comorbidities

Obinutuzumab (Gazyva) plus chloramubucil outperformed rituximab (Rituxan) plus chlorambucil (Leukeran) as first-line therapy in older patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and comorbidities in the large CLL 11 trial. Final results showed that obinutuzumab/chloramubucil improved overall...

Leukemia

FDA Approves Ibrutinib for the Treatment of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the approved use of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who have received at least one previous therapy. Ibrutinib, an oral Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was previously granted...

Survivorship
Leukemia
Lymphoma

Long-Term Decline in Neuropsychological Function Seen After Cranial Radiotherapy for Pediatric Lymphoid Malignancy

Central nervous system–directed chemotherapy and cranial radiotherapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoma have neurotoxic effects. In a study reported in Journal of Clinical Oncology, Ilse Schuitema, MSc, of Leiden University, and colleagues evaluated white matter changes and...

Leukemia

Ibrutinib for Previously Treated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

On February 12, 2014, ibrutinib (Imbruvica) was granted accelerated approval for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who have received at least one prior therapy.1,2 Ibrutinib previously received accelerated approval for the treatment of patients with mantle cell...

Leukemia
Cost of Care

Higher Copayment Associated With Greater Discontinuation of and Nonadherence to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Treatment in CML

The availability of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib (Gleevec) has dramatically increased survival in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Nonadherence to therapy with imatinib and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors is associated with disease progression and treatment resistance. In a study reported ...

Leukemia

FDA Grants Orphan Drug Status to Pracinostat for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to the investigational drug pracinostat for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The FDA’s Orphan Drug Designation program provides orphan status to drugs defined as those intended for the safe and effective...

Leukemia

Omacetaxine Mepesuccinate Receives Full FDA Approval for CML

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted full approval to omacetaxine mepesuccinate (Synribo) for injection. The full approval was based on the final analysis of two phase II trials that evaluated the efficacy and tolerability data of omacetaxine. The agent received an accelerated...

Leukemia

Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin Reduces Relapse, Improves Event-Free Survival in Pediatric AML

The monoclonal antibody gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg) improved event-free survival and reduced the risk of relapse in children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in a study from the Children’s Oncology Group, presented at the 55th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition ...

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement