T-cell gamma/delta hepatosplenic lymphoma - prolonged remission induced by aggressive first line treatment

T-cell gamma/delta hepatosplenic lymphoma is a primary extranodal lymphoma, distinct from other T/LGL lymphomas. The clinical course is aggressive, and despite use of the multiagent chemotherapy and young age of the patients, the median survival is less than 1 year. Curability of this disease is still uncertain. We reported a case of the successful intensive treatment with splenectomy, chemotherapy a first line autologous stem cell transplant. High intensity cytarabine- platinum containing regimen (EDHAP) may overcome primary resistance to conventional alkylating agents.     

High-dose neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus chemotherapy alone followed by surgery in potentially-resectable stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC. A multi-institutional retrospective study by the Oncologic Group for the Study of Lung Cancer (Spanish Radiation Oncology Society)

BackgroundThe optimal induction treatment in potentially-resectable stage IIIA-N2 NSCLC remains undefined.AimTo compare neoadjuvant high-dose chemoradiotherapy (CRT) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CHT) in patients with resectable, stage IIIA-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MethodsRetrospective, multicentre study of 99 patients diagnosed with stage cT1-T3N2M0 NSCLC who underwent neoadjuvant treatment (high-dose CRT or CHT) followed by surgery between January 2005 and December 2014.Results47 patients (47.5%) underwent CRT and 52 (52.5%) CHT, with a median follow-up of 41 months. Surgery consisted of lobectomy (87.2% and 82.7%, in the CRT and CHT groups, respectively) or pneumonectomy (12.8% vs. 17.3%). Nodal downstaging (to N1/N0) and Pathologic complete response (pCR; pT0pN0) rates were significantly higher in the CRT group (89.4% vs. 57.7% and 46.8% vs. 7.7%, respectively; p < 0.001)). Locoregional recurrence was significantly lower in the CRT group (8.5% vs. 13.5%; p = 0.047) but distant recurrence rates were similar in the two groups. Median PFS was 45 months (CHT) vs. “not reached” (CRT). Median OS was similar: 61 vs. 56 months (p = 0.803). No differences in grade ≥3 toxicity were observed. On the Cox regression analysis, advanced pT stage was associated with worse OS and PFS (p < 0.001) and persistent N2 disease (p = 0.002) was associated with worse PFS.ConclusionsCompared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone, a higher proportion of patients treated with preoperative CRT achieved nodal downstaging and pCR with better locoregional control. However, there were no differences in survival. More studies are needed to know the optimal treatment of these patients.     

Pazopanib in the Treatment of Bone Sarcomas: Clinical Experience

BACKGROUND: The effect of chemotherapy in metastatic bone sarcomas is poor and the condition is invariably fatal. Therefore, new treatment modalities are intensely needed. Pazopanib is a selective multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has proven to be effective in the treatment of metastatic soft tissue sarcomas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the off-label use of pazopanib in patients with metastatic bone sarcomas who failed standard chemotherapy. METHODS: All patients with metastatic bone sarcomas treated with pazopanib between October 1st, 2011 and October 1st, 2017 at the Department of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital were evaluated. Demographics, treatment, and survival outcomes were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Nineteen patients were identified. The median age was 38 years (range 18–62). Most of the patients (50%) were diagnosed with osteosarcoma. All patients had documented disease progression at the time of initiating pazopanib treatment. The median overall survival was 11 months. Median progression free survival was 5.4 months. Out of 19 patients, 13 (68%) had either partial response or stable disease. In five patients, the dose of pazopanib was reduced because of toxicity. CONCLUSION: Off-label use of pazopanib is effective in the treatment of metastatic bone sarcomas of different histologies. Pazopanib was well tolerated in the treatment of patients with refractory bone sarcomas. Studies examining the effect of pazopanib alone or in combination with chemotherapy or other targeted therapies are needed.     

Prognostic factors in primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of adrenal gland treated with rituximab- CHOP chemotherapy from the Consortium for Improving Survival of Lymphoma (CISL)

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to identify prognostic factors for survival in patients with primary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) of the adrenal gland. METHODS: Thirty one patients diagnosed with primary adrenal DLBCL from 14 Korean institutions and treated with R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) were analyzed. RESULTS: Complete remission (CR) and overall response rate after R-CHOP chemotherapy were 54.8% and 87.0%. The 2-year estimates of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 68.3% and 51.1%. In patients achieving CR, significant prolongations of OS (P = 0.029) and PFS (P = 0.005) were observed. Ann Arbor stage had no influence on OS. There was no significant difference in OS between patients with unilateral involvement of adrenal gland and those with bilateral involvement. When staging was modified to include bilateral adrenal involvement as one extranodal site, early stage (I or II) significantly correlated with longer OS (P = 0.021) and PFS (P <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to prior reports, our data suggests that outcomes of primary adrenal DLBCL are encouraging using a regimen of R-CHOP, and that achieving CR after R-CHOP is predictive of survival. Likewise, our modified staging system may have prognostic value.     

Long-term follow-up of CHOP-treated non-Hodgkin lymphoma of high-grade malignancy

The long-term outcome of 116 NHL patients (38 CB, 33 IB, 24 LB, 11 high-grade unclassified, 9 PTCL, 1 Ki-1 lymphoma - see list of abbreviations) treated with an age-adjusted CHOP regimen from 1980-85 was evaluated. The median age was 64 years. Of these patients 28% had significant comorbidity. CB patients had the best outcome; the median survival was not reached after 110 months. However, the differences in survival of all histological entities are not significant (P = 0.08). Fifty-six percent of the patients had clinical stages I-II. The CR rate of all 116 patients was 47%. After a median follow-up of 58 months, 30% of the patients are alive and disease-free. Of 14 relapses 11 occurred within 2 years. The median time period before relapse was 9 months. Salvage therapy failed, as none of the IB and LB patients achieved CR. Five CB patients had CR with second-line therapy, four had PR after induction therapy, one patient relapsed after 30 months. Of the CR patients 15% developed second or third neoplasms. Only one instance of acute myeloblastic leukemia was observed. These results indicate that age-adjusted CHOP is a well-tolerated therapy.     

Effectiveness of Gemzar-Cisplatin therapy in stage IIIA-N2, IIIB and IV non-small cell lung cancer

120 chemotherapy naive patients were treated with gemcitabine 1250 mg/m2 iv. days 1 and 8 and cisplatin 70 mg/m2 iv. on day 1 between May 1999 and June 2001. The treatments were administered in 21 cycles. The median age of the patients was 53.1 years, the male/female ratio 65%-35%. Performance status was: WHO 0: 26%, WHO 1: 74%. The staging of patients were: IIIA-N2 23%, IIIB 37%, IV 40%. By histology the tumors were: 53.3% adenocarcinoma, 40% squamous cell carcinoma, 2.5% adenosquamous carcinoma, 0.8% macrocellular carcinoma and 3% non-small cell carcinoma (not categorised). We evaluated 413 cycles of chemotherapy. The median number of cycles was 3.44. The primary endpoint of the study was the median survival and time to progression, and the response rate. The results are the following: RR 40% (PR 37.5%, CR 2.5%), MR 13.3%, SD 25%, PD 22%. The time to progression (TTP) in the SD+MR group: 29.8 weeks, in the RR group: 34.1 weeks, mean of all patients: 28.1 weeks. The survival time was estimated by Kaplan-Meier curves. The median survival (MS) of all treated patients was: 54.9 weeks, in the PD group: 34.4 weeks, in the SD+MR group: 59.1 weeks, in the PR+CR group: 62.1 weeks. Conclusion: gemcitabine and cisplatin combination is a very well tolerated therapeutic regimen in the 1st line treatment of NSCLC. Furthermore, this treatment improves the RR and the survival of the patients as well.     

Richter syndrome epidemiology in a large population based chronic lymphocytic leukemia cohort from Norway

BackgroundTransformation to aggressive lymphoma (Richter syndrome, RS) occurs in a substantial subset of patients who must discontinue targeted therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). RS has an extremely poor prognosis.MethodsUsing the nation-wide database of The Cancer Registry of Norway of 7664 CLL patients registered between 1953–2012, we identified 107 patients experiencing RS.ResultsSeventy seven (72%) of RS patients were identified among 2631 CLL patients diagnosed between 2003–2012; diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was identified in 65 (84%), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in 12 (16%) patients and the diagnosis was confirmed in 50 (65%) available biopsy specimens. The incidence rate in this period was 4.7/1000 person-years (95% CI: 3.8–5.9). The median survival from CLL diagnosis was 1.7 years (95% CI: 0.34–2.3) for RS patients while it was 10.3 years (95% CI: 9.5–10.9) for the remaining CLL patients. Male gender predominated among RS patients (69%) compared to CLL population (58%) and RS patients were diagnosed with CLL at a significantly younger age than the remaining patients (65 vs. 72 years). Median time from diagnosis of CLL to RS was 2 years (Range, 0–13 years). No CLL treatment was administered in 25 (33%) patients prior RS diagnosis; a median of 1 treatment line was administered to pretreated patients. The median duration of survival after RS diagnosis was 27 months (95% CI; 9–88).ConclusionsCollectively, RS was a rare complication of CLL in the chemoimmunotherapy era, occurred early in the CLL course in younger, and both treatment naïve and pretreated patients, and shortened survival substantially.     

ATO/ATRA/Anthracycline-Chemotherapy Sequential Consolidation Achieves Long-Term Efficacy in Primary Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

The combination of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃, ATO) has been effective in obtaining high clinical complete remission (CR) rates in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), but the long-term efficacy and safety among newly diagnosed APL patients are unclear. In this retrospective study, total 45 newly diagnosed APL patients received ATRA/chemotherapy combination regimen to induce remission. Among them, 43 patients (95.6%) achieved complete remission (CR) after induction therapy, followed by ATO/ATRA/anthracycline-based chemotherapy sequential consolidation treatment with a median follow-up of 55 months. In these patients, the estimated overall survival (OS) and the relapse-free survival (RFS) were 94.4%±3.9% and 94.6±3.7%, respectively. The toxicity profile was mild and reversible. No secondary carcinoma was observed. These results demonstrated the high efficacy and minimal toxicity of ATO/ATRA/anthracycline-based chemotherapy sequential consolidation treatment for newly diagnosed APL in long-term follow-up, suggesting a potential frontline therapy for APL.     

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in Manitoba, 1968-77: the impact of chemotherapy.

Manitoba tumour registry data for patients with non-Hodgkin''s lymphoma diagnosed between 1968 and 1977 inclusive who were given chemotherapy were reviewed. The Rappaport classification of these tumours enabled general pathologists in the province to distinguish three main prognostic groups. Combination chemotherapy improved survival significantly more than single-agent chemotherapy only for the patients with diffuse histiocytic lymphoma, not for those with diffuse poorly differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma or the more favourable histologic types of non-Hodgkin''s lymphoma--diffuse well differentiated lymphocytic and nodular poorly differentiated lymphocytic. For the last two types, therefore, the more intensive chemotherapy is not justified.     

原发性肾上腺非霍奇金淋巴瘤（附9 例报告）

目的:探讨原发性肾上腺淋巴瘤(Primary Adrenal Lymphoma,PAL)的临床特点、提高对PAL的认识。方法:回顾分析解放军总医院1995年12月至2007年6月收治的9例PAL的临床表现、实验室检查、影像学特点、组织病理类型以及治疗方法等临床资料,并结合国内外文献进行分析。结果:9例患者中,1例因常规体检发现,8例因腹痛、腹胀或腰痛就诊发现;其中单侧3例,双侧6例,实验室检查无明显异常,影像学检查仅发现肾脏肿瘤,但术后病理组织学诊断为非霍奇金淋巴瘤(non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,NHL),其中8例弥漫大B细胞淋巴瘤,1例T细胞淋巴瘤;7例患者术后均接受了CHOP或RCHOP方案化疗为主的综合治疗,2例常规治疗;随访至2010年2月,1例弥漫性大B细胞淋巴瘤患者存活4年,1例在术后3年2个月死亡,余7均在2年内死亡。结论:PAL是一种罕见的、恶性程度较高的肿瘤,临床表现和影像学检查缺乏特异性,组织病理学及免疫组织化学是明确诊断的好方法。术前确诊肾上腺原发性非霍奇金淋巴瘤可避免手术,联合化疗应为治疗首选。     

Is neoadjuvant chemotherapy for pT2 bladder cancer associated with a survival benefit in a population-based analysis?

BackgroundPatients with organ confined muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) who are candidates for radical cystectomy (RC) should receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CHT). However, the most contemporary CHT use rates indicate low adherence to these guidelines. We tested contemporary neoadjuvant CHT rates and associated cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and overall mortality (OM) in pT2N0 MIBC patients treated with RC.Materials and methodsWithin the SEER database (2004–2015), we identified patients with pT2N0 MIBC patients who underwent RC. CHT administration rates were evaluated using estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) analyses. After inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), Kaplan–Meier (KM) analyses and Cox regression models (CRMs) were used to test the effect of CHT vs no CHT on survival. Landmark analyses tested for immortal time bias.ResultsOf 3978 RC patients, 38.2% of patients received CHT. Between 2004 and 2015, CHT rates increased from 15.9% to 66.2% (EAPC: +14.2%; p < 0.001). IPTW-adjusted KM showed 10-year CSM-free survival rates of 78.9% for CHT vs 76.7% for no CHT patients (p = 0.6). Similarly, IPTW-adjusted KM showed 10-year OM-free survival rates of 54.6% for CHT vs 57.9% for no CHT patients (p = 0.8). In IPTW-adjusted MCRMs, CHT was not significantly associated with lower CSM (HR 0.97, CI 0.82–1.14; p = 0.7) or OM (HR 1.02, CI 0.90–1.16; p = 0.7). Virtually the same CSM and OM rates were recorded after landmark analyses.ConclusionsCHT use in pT2N0 MIBC RC patients sharply increased over the study span. However, neoadjuvant CHT was not associated with better survival in this patient group.     

Adjuvant immune stimulation with Corynebacterium parvum during maintenance chemotherapy of acute myeloid leukemia

Summary Of 93 consecutively treated patients with acute myeloid leukemia 36 (39%) achieved complete remission (CR). Thirty-five patients were randomized to receive either maintenance chemotherapy alone (C) or a combination of active nonspecific immunotherapy with Corynebacterium parvum and chemotherapy (C + I). Maintenance therapy was given monthly for 1 year or until relapse. The median survival time was 21 months for patients treated with chemotherapy alone, compared with 30 months for patients treated with chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The median remission duration was 15 months for patients treated with chemotherapy, compared with 18 months for chemotherapy and immunotherapy group. While no statistically significant difference in remission duration or survival time could be attributed to the use of immune stimulation, a plateau of 40% long-term time survivors was defined in the chemotherapy and immunotherapy group. Age and sex were found to be the major prognostic factors for achivement of CR. No difference was found in remission duration or survival between the two different induction schedules. Neither did the morphological subtype of AML (FAB classification) or the leukocyte count at diagnosis correlate with remission rate or survival.     

Breast cancer in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), hospital and population based statistics have shown that breast cancer has the highest crude frequency rate among Saudi women. The scarcity of reports about the disease in the KSA has been the impetus to this analysis about breast cancer in the eastem province of KSA. Data on female patients with invasive breast carcinoma seen at King Fahd Hospital of the University in the eastern province of KSA, were retrospectively reviewed. The analysis intended to examine the pattern of the disease and the outcome for patients. Between 1985 and 1995, 292 patients were identified. Their median age±SD (standard deviation) was 42±10.5 years. Most patients were younger than 50 years (78%) and were predominantly premenopausals (79%). Only 25 (9%) of patients had stage I cancer, whilst 130 (44%), 90 (30%), and 47 (16%) had stage II, III, and IV, respectively. Among patients with known axillary nodal status (242 patients), only 37% were node-negative whilst 32% and 31% had 1–3, and ≥4 positive nodes, respectively. Adjuvant chemotherapy and tamoxifen were commonly offered; nonetheless, other adjuvant modalities were rarely utilised. The median follow-up ±SD of all patients was 62.3±8.9 months: 152 patients (52%) were alive with no evidence of disease, 25 (9%) were alive with evidence of disease, and 115 (39%) were dead from breast cancer or its related complications. The median survival of the entire group was not obtained, but the 10-year projected survival was 55%. For stage I and II patients, 118 (76%) were alive with a projected 10-year actuarial survival of 64%. On the other hand, only 51 (57%) of patients with stage III disease were alive with a median survival of 41.5 months (95% Confidence interval (CI), 18.9 to 51.3). Patients with stage IV disease demonstrated a poor outcome with a median survival of 23.5 (95%, CI 12.2 to 31.4). Multivariate analyses were performed to explore the influence of independent variables on overall survival (OS) for patients with non-metastatic disease. Besides the expected adverse effect of disease progression, the favourable influence of adjuvant chemotherapy and tamoxifen prevailed. The amount of benefit gained from tamoxifen, however, was small. Similar analyses were undertaken to determine the influence of independent variables on progression-free survival (PFS). These analyses ascertained the adverse effects of advanced stage and the favourable impact of adjuvant chemotherapy. Breast cancer in the KSA has features that are distinctive from those of industrialised countries. Survival data, however, were comparable. The favourable influence of adjuvant chemotherapy was evident on both OS and PFS. Adjuvant tamoxifen, however, had little effect. Due to its infrequent use, the role of other adjuvant modalities could not be asserted.     

Adjuvant immune stimulation with Corynebacterium parvum during maintenance chemotherapy of acute myeloid leukemia

Of 93 consecutively treated patients with acute myeloid leukemia 36 (39%) achieved complete remission (CR). Thirty-five patients were randomized to receive either maintenance chemotherapy alone (C) or a combination of active nonspecific immunotherapy with Corynebacterium parvum and chemotherapy (C + I). Maintenance therapy was given monthly for 1 year or until relapse. The median survival time was 21 months for patients treated with chemotherapy alone, compared with 30 months for patients treated with chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The median remission duration was 15 months for patients treated with chemotherapy, compared with 18 months for chemotherapy and immunotherapy group. While no statistically significant difference in remission duration or survival time could be attributed to the use of immune stimulation, a plateau of 40% long-term time survivors was defined in the chemotherapy and immunotherapy group. Age and sex were found to be the major prognostic factors for achievement of CR. No difference was found in remission duration or survival between the two different induction schedules. Neither did the morphological subtype of AML (FAB classification) or the leukocyte count at diagnosis correlate with remission rate or survival.     

A prospective analysis of low-grade gastric malt lymphoma after Helicobacter pylori eradication

BACKGROUND: Primary gastric low-grade B-cell lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT lymphoma) is known to be successfully treated with anti-Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) therapy alone. However, there are few reports on long-term results after eradication therapy. The aims of this study were to analyze the rate and the interval to reach complete remission (CR), and to assess the rate and the factors affecting recurrence of MALT lymphoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 1996 and 2003, a total of 90 H. pylori-infected patients with low-grade MALT lymphoma were included in this study. For initial staging, endoscopic ultrasonography, chest-abdomen-pelvis CT scans, and bone marrow examination were taken. All patients were made to take anti-H. pylori therapy for 14 days. Tumoral response was assessed by endoscopy every 3 months till CR and every 6 months after achieving CR. RESULTS: Among 90 treated patients, 85 (94.4%) reached CR. The median interval to CR was 3 months (range, 1-24). Seventy-nine (92.9%) patients were in CR at 12 months. Median follow-up period after CR was 45 months (range 15-109). Among 77 patients who were followed-up after CR, 8 (10.4%) patients were proved with recurrence of MALT lymphoma. Cumulative recurrence rate was 2.7, 11.5, and 12.2% at 1, 2, and 3 years. The presence of H. pylori was only a significant risk factor affecting recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The status of H. pylori is the most important risk factor affecting recurrence. Therefore, adequate eradication regimen and accurate regular evaluation for H. pylori status are needed during follow up of primary gastric low-grade B-cell MALT lymphoma.     

The role of abdominal CT scan as follow-up after complete remission with successful Helicobacter pylori eradication in patients with H. pylori-positive stage I(E1) gastric MALT lymphoma

Background: Eradication of Helicobacter pylori with antibiotics is the established initial treatment of patients with localized gastric mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. However, there are few reports on follow‐up modalities to identify sustained remission in patients who achieve complete remission (CR). We therefore investigated the role of abdominal computed tomography (CT) as follow‐up after CR with H. pylori eradication. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 122 patients with H. pylori‐positive stage I_E1 gastric MALT lymphoma who achieved CR with successful H. pylori eradication. Results: The median follow‐up after CR was 35 months (range 3–140months). At a median of 17 months (range 12–21 months) after CR, 7 of 122 patients (5.7%) experienced lymphoma recurrence, all cases of which were confined to the gastric mucosa and were detectable only by endoscopy with multiple biopsies. At the time of recurrence, four of seven patients showed re‐infection by H. pylori. Eradication therapy was successful in these patients, resulting in both bacterial eradication and tumor regression. Three patients who experienced histologic recurrence without H. pylori re‐infection were observed by a watch and wait strategy and again achieved CR. Conclusions: None of the patients with H. pylori‐positive stage I_E1 gastric MALT lymphoma who experienced tumor recurrence after CR with successful H. pylori eradication showed recurrence at extragastric sites, including lymph nodes without gastric mucosal lesion. These findings indicate that endoscopic biopsies without abdominal CT scans are sufficient to detect recurrence in these patients.     

Combined treatment of rituximab,idarubicin, dexamethasone,cytarabine, methotrexate with radiotherapy for primary central nervous system lymphoma

The overall response rates and long‐term survival of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) are still significantly inferior to the results achieved in similar subtypes of extranodal non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma. It is clearly necessary to investigate new therapeutic methods on PCNSL. We encountered three patients histologically documented PCNSL as diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL). They were treated with R‐IDARAM which comprised rituximab, idarubicin, dexamethasone, cytarabine and methotrexate. Patient 1 received stereotactic brachytherapy (SBT) prior to chemotherapy performed with iodine‐125 seeds (cumulative therapeutic dose 50 Gy). After six cycles of R‐IDARAM at 3‐weekly intervals, radiotherapy was applied at a dosage of 2000–4000 cGy in conventional schedule (180 or 200 cGy/day) to whole brain or spinal cord in all patients. Complete remission (CR) was achieved after first two cycles of R‐IDARAM in all patients. All three patients remained in CR at the time of this report with a median duration of follow‐up of 23 months (ranging from 13 to 41 months). Three patients have been alive for 41, 13, 16 months respectively until now. The patient with the longest survival time was the one given SBT prior to chemotherapy. This study suggests that R‐IDARAM combining with radiotherapy maybe a high effective regimen in PCNSL patients especially those with primary central nervous system DLBCL. A comprehensive treatment combining internal radiotherapy by SBT, modified R‐IDARAM and followed reduced external radiotherapy may be a new treatment concept for PCNSL with higher efficiency and lower toxicity.     

Photopheresis therapy of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: the Yale-New Haven Hospital experience

Over the past two years, the photopheresis treatment program at Yale-New Haven Hospital has treated 32 patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. There were 19 erythrodermic patients who had photopheresis as their first systemic therapy. Five of these cleared 75 percent of their skin and the majority of erythrodermics achieved an improved quality of life. Those with best responses were treated earlier in the course of their disease and had more normal proportions of CD4 and CD8 subsets when compared to patients with poor responses. In addition, patients with tumor stage disease and those patients in relapse after intensive radio- and chemotherapy were treated with photopheresis. These results demonstrate that photopheresis has a role in the management of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.     

Angiocentric T-cell lymphoma

SUMMARY: The CD20+ variant of angiocentric T-cell lymphoma is an unusual type of T-cell lymphomas that present cystic changes in organs because of ischaemic necroses. The purpose of this study was to describe a case of CD20+angiocentric T-cell lymphoma, discussing its clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical features, to analyze its proliferation kinetics and to consider its possible relationship to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) to understand better the pathobiological nature of the disease. METHODS: The clinical, histopathological, immunohistochemical and single-cell DNA cytophotometric features of the case were analyzed. In addition in situ hybridization was performed to detect EBV. RESULTS: The 24 years old woman was admitted to our Institute because of pain in the abdominal region and weight loss. There were enlarged lymph nodes on the neck, and biopsy was done. Histological diagnosis: angiocentric T-cell lymphoma, CD20+ variant. CD3, CD43, CD45RA and CD45R0 antigens were positive in the atypic lymphoid cells of the tumour and in cells infiltrating the vascular wall. DNA index was 0.8589 (hypodiploid). Tumour cells in G1 phase: 47%, S phase: 45.4%, G2 phase: 7.6%. Combined chemotherapy was administered because of clinical stadium IV/B of malignant lymphoma (5 CHOP-Bleo, CEPP, CEP, CMVE treatment). The disease showed gradual progression and the patient died 14 months after the first symptoms had appeared. CONCLUSIONS: In the last 13 years there were 5 cases of angiocentric T-cell lymphoma at our Institute. The CD20+ variant is rare, its clinical symptoms are special, the prognosis is unfavourable. The cause why we demonstrate this case is to call attention to a new treatment for these patients by immunotherapy using monoclonal antibodies against CD20 antigen.     

Durable remissions are rare following high dose therapy with autologous stem cell transplantation for adults with "paediatric" bone and soft tissue sarcomas

BACKGROUND: The role of high dose therapy (HDT) with autologous stem cell transplantation (AuSCT) for the treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcomas remains investigational. There are few reports examining this strategy focusing on the adult population. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our experience of adult patients undergoing HDT and AuSCT for 'paediatric' sarcomas. RESULTS: A total of 17 patients (14 male, 3 female) with median age at transplant of 24 years (range 20 - 41) were identified. The diagnosis was Ewings sarcoma/PNET (10), osteosarcoma (5) and rhabdomyosarcoma (2). Status prior to HDT, following conventional-dose chemotherapy +/- surgery +/- radiotherapy, was complete remission (CR) (6), partial remission (PR) (6), stable disease (1) and progressive disease (4). There was no transplant-related mortality. Two patients remain disease free beyond four years and both received HDT as part of their primary therapy (CR1 and PR1) however, the median progression free survival and overall survival following AuSCT for the entire cohort was only 7 months (range: 2-92 months) and 13 months (range: 2 - 92 months), respectively. CONCLUSION: HDT and AuSCT infrequently achieves prolonged remissions in adult patients and should only be considered in patients who are in a PR or CR following conventional-dose therapy. Further studies are required to define the role of HDT with AuSCT for adult patients with sarcoma.