LEUKEMIAS

Disease-free survival  is maintained in women with postmenopausal hormone receptor-positive breast cancer treated with aromatase inhibitors, even when the treatment is only given for 2 years in comparison with the standard 5 years of additional aromatase inhibitor therapy, according to findings from the phase III ABCSG-16 trial presented at the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. 

Jacqueline C. Barrientos, MD, associate professor, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, discusses venetoclax (Venclexta) for the treatment of elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). 

Kanti R. Rai, MD, professor, The Karches Center for Oncology Research, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, director, Center for Oncology and Cell Biology, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, professor, Medicine and Molecular Medicine, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, discusses optimal treatment sequencing for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has awarded Barbara Savoldo, MD, PhD, with a $600,000, 3-year grant in support of her promising research into a CAR T-cell treatment with a “safety switch” that could alleviate potential side effects for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia being treated with the immunotherapy.

The American Society of Hematology has announced that James R. Downing, MD, of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will be awarded the 2017 E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize for his discoveries related to the hematopathology and molecular biology of childhood leukemia.

Richard M. Stone, MD, director of the Adult Leukemia Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, discusses monitoring minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

William G. Wierda, MD, PhD, medical director of the Leukemia Center at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses sequencing agents in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Gilteritinib has been granted Fast Track designation by the FDA for adult patients with FLT3 mutation-positive relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia, according to Tokyo-based Astellas Pharma.

Javier Pinilla-Ibarz, MD, PhD, associate member, Malignant Hematology and Immunology Program at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses how ibrutinib has transformed the treatment landscape of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Results of a small, single-arm study reported at the 2017 Society of Hematologic Oncology meeting showed patients with refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia achieved a high response rate with CD19-targeted CAR T-cell therapy.

Midostaurin has received approval from the European Commission as a treatment for adults with newly diagnosed <em>FLT3</em>-positive acute myeloid leukemia and advanced systemic mastocytosis, including aggressive systemic mastocytosis, SM with associated hematological neoplasm, and mast cell leukemia.

Understanding of the role of BCL-2 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) continues to evolve, even as BCL-2&ndash;targeted therapy improves outcomes in the disease, AML specialist Daniel Pollyea, MD, MS said at the 2017 Society of Hematologic Oncology Annual Meeting in Houston, Texas.

Initial results from a phase III trial indicated that patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia treated with bosutinib (Bosulif) achieved response faster than patients treated with imatinib (Gleevec).

Efforts to improve outcomes in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia should follow leads provided by next-generation sequencing and appropriate use of minimal residual disease criteria, a pediatric hematologist said at the 2017 Society of Hematology Oncology Annual Meeting in Houston.

A historic approval of the first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has been issued by the FDA, authorizing the use of tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah) for the treatment of patients up to 25 years of age with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia that is refractory or in second or later relapse.

Results from a recent retrospective study published in the<em> Journal of Clinical Oncology</em>^&nbsp;revealed hospice enrollment is low and use of aggressive treatment is high for elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Eunice Wang, MD, discusses a study examining the biology of newly diagnosed patients with <em>FLT3</em>-positive acute myeloid leukemia who achieved a response to the FLT3 TKI crenolanib combined with chemotherapy.

Inotuzumab ozogamicin (Besponsa) has received FDA approval for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), based on findings from the phase III INO-VATE trial.

Development of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies is in the works for both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors, but the most promising results to date have been seen with CD19-targeted CAR T cells in the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

CPX-351 (Vyxeos), a fixed-combination of daunorubicin and cytarabine, has been approved by the FDA for adult patients with newly diagnosed therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (t-AML) or AML with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC), based on an improvement in overall survival (OS) in a phase III study.

Enasidenib (Idhifa) has been approved by the FDA as a treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory <em>IDH2</em>-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML), based on findings from a phase I/II study. A companion diagnostic, the RealTime IDH2 Assay, was also approved for the detection of the <em>IDH2</em> mutation.

The FDA has granted breakthrough therapy designation to venetoclax (Venclexta) for use in combination with low dose cytarabine (LDAC) in treatment-na&iuml;ve elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy, according to Roche, which is codeveloping the BCL-2 inhibitor with AbbVie.

Midostaurin (Rydapt) has been recommended for approval by the European Medicines Agency&#39;s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) to treat adults with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are FLT3 mutation&ndash;positive.

The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 10-0 today to recommend approval of a biologics license application for tisagenlecleucel for the treatment of patients aged 25 or younger with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

In a 6-1 vote, the FDA&rsquo;s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) voted in favor of approving gemtuzumab ozogamicin in combination with daunorubicin and cytarabine for the treatment of patients with newly-diagnosed CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia.