HEMATOLOGY

Recent years have seen major advances in diagnostic approaches in CLL, and disease assessment may now include analysis of multiple genetic mutations in addition to recurrent cytogenetic changes. Furthermore, with the development of novel treatment approaches, the significance of prognostic markers is shifting.

Overall survival was extended for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma by nearly 8 months with the combination of carfilzomib, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone compared with lenalidomide and dexamethasone alone in results from the phase III ASPIRE trial.

Based on supporting data from the phase III DUO trial and the phase II DYNAMO study, duvelisib has been submitted to the FDA for a full approval for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma and an accelerated approval for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma.

Matthew S. Davids, MD, Associate Director, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Center for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, discusses a multicenter study of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) plus FCR as a frontline therapy for younger patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).&nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;

Lymphoma expert Andrew M. Evens, DO, MSc, FACP, has joined Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey as associate director. He is also serving as medical director of the oncology service line at RWJBarnabas Health. Evens will focus on integrated cancer care delivery in his roles across both institutions.

Patients with relapsed/refractory myeloma&nbsp;who had prior exposure to lenalidomide (Revlimid) experienced a significant improvement in&nbsp;progression-free survival with pomalidomide (Pomalyst) added to the combination of bortezomib (Velcade) and low-dose dexamethasone,&nbsp;according to findings from the phase III OPTIMISMM trial.

Matthew S. Davids, MD, MMSc, recently discussed the treatment choices for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and the factors he considers when choosing a treatment, based on 2 patient cases.

Progression-free survival was improved by nearly 15% with CHOP-RIT compared with R-CHOP alone in previously untreated patients with follicular lymphoma,&nbsp;according to findings from the phase III SWOG-S0016 trial published in the <em>Journal of Clinical Oncology</em>.

Four US studies of&nbsp;BPX-501 have been halted by the FDA after&nbsp;3 patients developed encephalopathy possibly related to treatment with the&nbsp;novel cellular immunotherapy for cancers and orphan inherited blood disorders.

Anna Sureda, MD, PhD,&nbsp;Head of the Clinical Hematology Service at the Institut Catal&agrave; d&#39;Oncologia &ndash; Hospitalet de Llobregat in Barcelona, discusses the phase III ECHELON-1 study exploring brentuximab vedotin plus doxorubicin, vinblastine, dacarbazine (A+AVD) versus ABVD in patients with previously untreated stage III or IV Hodgkin lymphoma.&nbsp;

Phyllis McKiernan, a nurse practitioner at John Theurer Cancer Center, Hackensack Medical Center, discusses a study of outcomes of autologous stem cell transplantation in very elderly patients with multiple myeloma.

Pfizer has announced that PF-05280586, a biosimilar for rituximab, has delivered positive top-line results, meeting its primary endpoint for overall response rate in the&nbsp;in the phase III REFLECTIONS B3281006 trial for patients with follicular lymphoma.

The Therapeutic Approach for Relapsed CML

Saad Z. Usmani, MD, Chief of the Plasma Cell Disorders Program, Levine Cancer Institute/Carolinas HealthCare System, discusses the MMprofiler in multiple myeloma.

Based on findings from the&nbsp;ALCYONE study,&nbsp;which were published in the <em>New England Journal of Medicine</em> and presented at the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting,^&nbsp;the FDA has granted a priority review designation to&nbsp;daratumumab (Darzalex) in combination with bortezomib (Velcade), melphalan, and prednisone for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant.

Peter Martin, MD, discusses a phase I, open-label, multicenter trial of oral azacitidine (Vidaza) plus R-CHOP in people with high-risk, previously untreated DLBCL, grade 3B follicular lymphoma, or transformed lymphoma.

The FDA has issued its approval for overall survival data from the&nbsp;phase III ENDEAVOR trial to be added&nbsp;to the&nbsp;carfilzomib (Kyprolis) label&nbsp;for use in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Jane N. Winter, MD,&nbsp;discusses recent updates in the field of follicular lymphoma, the importance of finding ways to identify patient populations, and challenges that still lie ahead.

Peter Martin, MD,&nbsp;assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Weill Cornell Medical College, Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, discusses a phase I, open-label, multicenter trial of oral azacitidine (CC-486) plus R-CHOP in patients with high-risk, previously untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, grade 3B follicular lymphoma, or transformed lymphoma.

Mitchell R. Smith, MD, PhD, recently shared both the more and less intensive treatment considerations he makes when treating patients with MCL and the major factors that influence them. Smith explained such considerations based on 2 case scenarios during a <em>Targeted Oncology</em> live case-based peer perspectives presentation.