Hematologic Oncology

Geriatric consultations vs standard of care for patients with hematologic malignancies who were pre-frail or frail did not significantly improve survival at 1 year but did increase discussions on end-of-life goals of care.

A panel of experts in stem cell transplant and cellular immunotherapy builds a lively discussion on current and emerging treatment options for the management of acute and chronic graft versus host disease.

Alina Markova, MD, discusses the rationale for assessing topical ruxolitinib INCB018424 phosphate 1.5% cream in patients with non-sclerotic and superficially sclerotic chronic cutaneous graft-versus-host disease.

In a discussion on the use of ruxolitinib in GVHD, experts consider the potential role of dose reductions or dose holds to mitigate toxicity and comment on experiences with combining or sequencing therapies in later lines of treatment.

Expert panelists comment on additional treatment options for significant steroid-refractory chronic GVHD following initial therapeutic intervention, including rechallenging with prophylactic agents or initiating B-cell therapy.

Uday R. Popat, MD, spoke about the decision to use post-transplant cyclophosphamide vs tacrolimus plus methotrexate to prevent graft-vs-host disease.

Alina Markova, MD, highlights important findings from a study assessing topical ruxolitinib INCB018424 phosphate 1.5% cream as a treatment for non-sclerotic and superficially sclerotic chronic cutaneous graft-versus-host disease.

Investigators identified that in pivotal clinical trials supporting FDA approvals of CAR T-cell therapies for patients with hematologic cancer, Black patients were significantly underrepresented.

A panel of experts shares key insights into the role of photopheresis when patients with GVHD progress following initial treatment and emphasize its potential for patients with high skin involvement.

Key opinion leaders in stem cell transplant and cellular immunotherapy review therapeutic considerations for the clinical scenario of a patient with steroid-refractory chronic GVHD.

Investigators observed low enrollment of Black patients on CAR T-cell therapy clinical trials that supported FDA decisions in hematologic malignancies, especially in multiple myeloma.

Panelists consider the importance of studying trial drugs in a blinded, randomized fashion to mitigate physician and patient bias regarding patient-reported outcomes for GVHD therapies.

John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD, presents the clinical scenario of a 71-year-old patient postmatched unrelated donor HSCT, and the panel discusses first- and second-line treatment approaches including topical and systemic therapies.

Patients with chronic graft-vs-host disease who were administered full series of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine displayed varied immune responses, regardless of baseline characteristics.

Patients with hematologic cancer experienced a low incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease after receiving a regimen consisting of myeloablative hematopoietic cell transplantation and total body irradiation plus prophylactic post-transplant cyclophosphamide, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil.

In the phase 1b EQUATE trial, patients with acute graft-versus-host disease had decreased levels of cell-surface CD6 when treated with itolizumab.

Serious graft-versus-host disease may be prevented with the prolonged use of ruxolitinib after hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Topical ruxolitinib cream resulted in benefit to patients with cutaneous chronic graft-vs-host based on results of a trial that were presented at the 2022 Tandem Meeting.

Findings from a phase 1 study indicate that belimumab could be a safe prophylactic option to prevent chronic graft-versus-host disease in adult patients undergoing allogenic transplant.

Findings from a phase 2 clinical trial identified a differentially expressed gene profile in those diagnosed with nonsclerotic and superficially sclerotic chronic graft-vs-host-disease who responded to topical ruxolitinib.

A phase 2 trial reported a reduction in steroid-refractory chronic graft versus host disease and prednisone use following treatment with abatacept after stem cell transplant.

A unanimous vote cast by the FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Panel highlighted a need for randomized clinical trial data to support FDA approvals of PI3K inhibitors for patients with hematologic malignancies.

Yi-Bin Chen, MD, reviews factors affecting treatment selection among available pharmacological and ex vivo prophylaxis approaches for GVHD.

Thought leaders in stem cell transplant and cellular immunotherapy share insights into how they counsel patients about the challenges associated with the long-term management of chronic GVHD.

Panelists consider key risk factors for chronic GVHD, including the degree of donor transplant matching, patient age, intensity of conditioning, use of ablative doses of total-body radiation, and presence of acute GVHD.