Hematologic Oncology

The FDA has approved defibrotide sodium (Defitelio) for the treatment of hepatic veno-occlusive disease following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in both adults and children.

Patients with CML who are treated with dasatinib commonly experience lymphocytosis, and the condition is associated with higher response rates and increased survival in patients who are refractory or intolerant of imatinib.

The FDA has approved two indications of a new formulation of melphalan hydrochloride called Evomela for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

The injectable drug APO866, designed to induce apoptosis, did not have efficacy against cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, according to the results of small study.

Elevated levels of TGF-α and IL-6 in newly diagnosed chronic-phase chronic myeloid leukemia patients were predictive of failure to achieve molecular response.

Early relapse after stem cell transplant was linked with worse overall survival in multiple myeloma patients who received a novel agent prior to transplant.

A study found an increased incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, but no other secondary malignancies, in chronic myeloid leukemia patients treated with imatinib.

Temsirolimus produced some responses in patients with relapsed/refractory primary central nervous system lymphoma, but the responses tended to be short-lived.

Patients with chronic phase CML and pre-existing mild to moderate liver and/or renal dysfunction can be safely treated with frontline nilotinib or dasatinib, according to a new study.

Higher levels of the hormone adiponectin may protect against the development of multiple myeloma in overweight and obese individuals.

Baseline serum levels of the inhibiting inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) were predictive of prognosis in a group of patients with multiple myeloma.

In light of the recent announcement by Vice President Joe Biden to infuse the US cancer research program with $1 billion, a so-called “Moon Shot” program, we are speaking today with Giulio Draetta, a clinician and cancer researcher at MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas in Houston, who leads that center’s Moon Shots program.

Although a child’s socioeconomic status did not seem to significantly affect 5-year overall survival ALL, those children who were from high-poverty areas experienced early relapse compared with children who were from low-poverty areas.

Individuals with increased height or body mass index during adolescence showed an increased association with a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

A phase I trial found that blinatumomab, a bispecific T-cell engager antibody, is feasible with regard to safety for treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

A new personalized DNA-based assay can detect very low levels of persistent disease in chronic myeloid leukemia patients thought to be in deep remission.

Despite similar survival, multiple myeloma patients treated with lenalidomide experienced lower rates of neurologic toxicity than those treated with thalidomide.

Researchers have uncovered the mechanism that causes about one-third of myeloma cases associated with Gaucher disease, showing that myeloma cells target certain lipids that are elevated in the blood of a subset of patients.

A number of clinical and sociodemographic factors, including age and gender, were found to be independently associated with fatigue and depression among cancer patients who were treated with hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Five-year results of the randomized phase III ENESTnd trial show a positive risk-benefit profile for nilotinib in patients with CML, as compared to imatinib.

Treatment with the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors dasatinib, nilotinib, and ponatinib was associated with increased risk for vascular occlusive events in patients with CML compared with imatinib.

Older patients with AML who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy achieved improved overall survival when assigned to low-dose gemtuzumab ozogamicin.

Laboratory studies of mice and human cells found that a protein called Metastasis suppressor 1 (Mtss1) is downregulated in hematopoietic and progenitor cells when chronic myeloid leukemia is present. Mtss1 levels are restored when complete remission is achieved, suggesting the pathway might represent a new therapeutic target.

The FDA granted approval to ofatumumab for the treatment of patients with recurrent or progressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia who are in complete or partial remission after two or more lines of prior therapy.