Alex F. Herrera, MD, on Previously Untreated DLBCL: Circulation Tumor DNA and Risk Profiling
2022 ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition
Alex F. Herrera, MD, of the City of Hope National Medical Center, discusses results from the POLARIX study, which showed that circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis has prognostic value for patients with previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Patients who did not achieve 2.5 or greater log-fold change and/or did not have ctDNA clearance following one cycle of polatuzumab vedotin along with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone had inferior outcomes than those who did. Early changes in ctDNA levels may be of use in risk-adapted trial designs to identify patients in need of alternative treatment. (Abstract 542).
The ASCO Post Staff
Elias Jabbour, MD, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses an analysis confirming that olverembatinib is a potentially viable treatment option for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome–positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), including those with CML whose disease did not respond to ponatinib or asciminib, or who had a T315I mutation (Abstract 82).
The ASCO Post Staff
Paolo F. Caimi, MD, of the Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, discusses new findings showing that patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who achieve a complete response after salvage therapy with rituximab, ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide (R-ICE) can achieve long-term disease control, regardless of the time to relapse from initial therapy, particularly if they proceed to autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). These results suggest that second-line chemotherapy followed by ASCT and/or CAR T-cell therapy for chemosensitive and chemorefractory patients may maximize patient outcomes, regardless of time to relapse (Abstract 156).
The ASCO Post Staff
Jorge E. Cortes, MD, of Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University, discusses new findings on vodobatinib, which was administered to patients with chronic-phase Philadelphia chromosome–positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and appeared to be efficacious and safe in people who had received therapy with two or three prior tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Vodobatinib remains a potential option for these highly refractory patients. A phase II study (NCT02629692) of vodobatinib is ongoing in CML patients whose disease has failed to respond to three or more TKIs, including ponatinib (Abstract 84).
The ASCO Post Staff
Jiye Liu, PhD, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses study findings that demonstrate KDM6A regulates CD38 and CD48 expression in multiple myeloma. Dr. Liu’s team validated combination treatment with an FDA-approved EZH2 inhibitor plus daratumumab, which can overcome daratumumab resistance in preclinical multiple myeloma models, providing the rationale for combination clinical trials to improve patient outcome (Abstract 148).
The ASCO Post Staff
Jia Ruan, MD, PhD, of Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, discusses trial results demonstrating that the triple chemotherapy-free combination of acalabrutinib, lenalidomide, and rituximab is well tolerated, highly effective, and produces high rates of minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative complete response as an initial treatment for patients with mantle cell lymphoma, including those with TP53 mutations. Real-time MRD analysis may enable treatment de-escalation during maintenance to minimize toxicity, which warrants further evaluation. An expansion cohort of acalabrutinib/lenalidomide/obinutuzumab is being launched (Abstract 73).
