The role of radiotherapy in patients with refractory Hodgkin’s lymphoma after treatment with brentuximab vedotin and/or immune checkpoint inhibitors

Background:Approximately 10%–30%of patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma(HL)experience relapse or refractory(R/R)disease after first-line standard therapy.Brentuximab vedotin(BV)and immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)have important roles in the salvage treatment of R/R HL.However,subsequent treatment for HL refractory to BV and/or ICI treatment is challenging.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed patients in two institutions who had R/R HL,experienced BV or ICI treatment failure,and received radiotherapy(RT)thereafter.The overall response rate(ORR),duration of response(DOR),progression-free survival(PFS),and overall survival(OS)were analyzed.Results:Overall,19 patients were enrolled.First-line systemic therapy comprised doxorubicin,bleomycin,vinblastine,and dacarbazine(ABVD,84.2%);AVD plus ICIs(10.5%);and bleomycin,etoposide,doxorubicin,cyclophosphamide,vincristine,procarbazine,and prednisone(BEACOPP,5.3%).After first-line therapy,15(78.9%)and four patients(21.1%)had refractory disease and relapsed,respectively.After R/R HL diagnosis,six(31.6%),two(10.5%),and 11(57.9%)patients received BV and ICIs concurrently,BV monotherapy,and ICI monotherapy,respectively.All patients received intensity-modulated RT(n=12,63.2%)or volumetric modulated arc therapy(VMAT;n=7,36.8%).The ORR as well as the complete response(CR)rate was 100%;the median DOR to RT was 17.2 months(range,7.9–46.7 months).Two patients showed progression outside the radiation field;one patient had extensive in-field,out-of-field,nodal,and extranodal relapse.With a median follow-up time of 16.2 months(range,9.2–23.2 months),the 1-year PFS and OS were 84.4%and 100%,respectively.PFS was associated with extranodal involvement(P=0.019)and gross tumor volume(P=0.044).All patients tolerated RT well without adverse events of grade≥3.Conclusion:RT is effective and safe for treating HL refractory to BV or ICIs and has the potential to be part of a comprehensive strategy for HL.

Sternal Hodgkin’s lymphoma: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Sternal tumors are difficult to diagnose, and usually need to be differentiated from other diseases such as tuberculosis, osteosarcoma, intrathoracic thyroid and thymoma. The sternum is a rare site of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is often misdiagnosed as tuberculosis on routine histopathology.CASE SUMMARY We reported a 47-year-old female patient with chest pain in the upper sternum for 1 mo. Chest computed tomography found a mass in the upper sternum.Pathology and immunohistochemistry of the biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of typical Hodgkin’s lymphoma(mixed cellularity subtype). Patient was diagnosed with primary sternal Hodgkin’s lymphoma and administered 6 cycles of adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine chemotherapy. Patient had no tumor recurrence and progression at a follow-up visit 2 years later.CONCLUSION This study highlights the rarity of primary sternal Hodgkin’s lymphoma and the challenges of its diagnosis. A Pub Med and Web of Science search revealed 10 reported cases of sternal involvement in Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Metachronous mixed cellularity classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma and T-cell leukemia/lymphoma: A case report

BACKGROUND The development of peripheral T-cell lymphoma(PTCL)after chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s lymphoma(HL)is rare,and highly aggressive TCL/leukemia has not been reported to date.The relationship between HL and PTCL needs further exploration to understand the pathogenesis of metachronous lymphoma(ML)and find effective treatment options.We report a patient with ML,whose biopsy of a right cervical lymph node initially confirmed classical HL(CHL).CASE SUMMARY We report a patient with ML,whose biopsy of a right cervical lymph node initially confirmed CHL,with typical reed–sternberg cells expressing CD30 and PAX-5.T-cell leukemia/lymphoma occurred 3 years after treatment,and a lymph node biopsy at the onset confirmed PTCL,nonspecific type,expressing CD3,CD4 and CD8.The patient was treated with standard doses of chemotherapy,programmed cell death-ligand 1 monoclonal antibody,and chidamide,all of which failed to achieve complete remission.The patient was diagnosed with refractory state,and eventually died of leukocyte stasis.CONCLUSION The accuracy of the diagnosis needs to be confirmed when chemotherapeutic drugs are not effective.

Ultrasound features of primary non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of the palatine tonsil:A case report

BACKGROUND Lymphomas are the second most common malignancy of the head and neck.In this region,the vast majority of extranodal lymphomas are located in the palatine tonsil,accounting for about 51%.Tonsillar lymphomas are aggressive tumors with intermediate-or high-grade histology.We here report a case of primary non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of the palatine tonsil and analyze its ultrasound features.CASE SUMMARY A 40-year-old man presented with right palatine tonsil swelling for 2 mo after a cold,accompanied by dysphagia,snoring,and suffocation.He had no sore throat,fever,or history of upper respiratory tract infection or tuberculosis.The patient was generally in good health and denied other diseases.He was diagnosed with acute tonsillitis initially and treated with antibiotics for 7 d.However,there was no improvement with the treatment.Tonsil biopsy and ultrasound-guided biopsy of the biggest lymph node of the right neck showed the typical pathology of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.CONCLUSION Primary lymphoma of the tonsils is rare,and its diagnosis is challenging.Ul-trasound is a useful modality in diagnosing oropharyngeal diseases,and can clearly show the features of this tumor,but the final diagnosis should be estab-lished by histology.

Primary Ovarian Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: Retrospective Study of 16 Patients

Background: Primary non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (PONHL) of the ovary is rare disease. Ovarian involvement by NHL is usually secondary, as a part of systemic disease. It is frequently diagnosed as ovarian carcinoma which causes a significant delay in diagnosis and management. Objective: To analyze, to report and to better understand the clinico-pathologic features and results of treatment, and prognostic factors of these tumors. Material & methods: This was a retrospective single institutional work that included 16 cases of primary ovarian non-Hodgkin lymphoma (PONHL) treated in National Cancer Institute-Cairo University from January 2010 till January 2015. All available medical data including the clinical and pathological characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of patients with PONHL are analyzed. Results: Data from 16 patients are obtained. The patient’s age ranges from 14 to 55 years (mean 28 years). Ascites is the most common manifestation (75%). Tumor size ranges from 5 to 24 cm (mean 13.1). LDH is elevated in all cases (mean 644 U/L) and CA-125 is elevated in only 4 cases (25%) especially when there is an extensive peritoneal irritation. Ten cases (62.5%) are bilateral with stage IV-E according to the Ann Arbor staging system. The remaining six cases (37.5%) are unilateral with Ann Arbor stage I-E. There are no stage II-E or III-E in the current study. Tumors are classified according to the World Health Organization as follows: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (10 cases) (62.5%), Burkitt’s lymphoma (5 cases) (31%) and only one case of B-lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia. All the tumors are of B-cell lineage and are all CD20 positive. All Burkitt’s lymphoma cases show higher Ki67 index (4 cases are 100% and one is 88%). The case of B-lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia is positive for TDT & CD 10. Surgery is the main treatment modality for primary diagnosis and for staging, although chemotherapy should have been the primary treatment because it is one of the most chemosensitive tumors. Follow-up period ranges from 3 months to 5 years (mean 33 months). Ten patients are alive without disease. Two cases experienced relapse and one case died during chemotherapy treatment. The remaining three cases died from other causes than disease. The median overall survival time was not reached yet;however, the mean overall survival was 46.8 monthes;median progression free survival was 36 months. Conclusion: Most patients with PONHL present with symptoms attributable to an ovarian mass which necessitates extensive surgical staging that is not mandatory for lymphomas. More studies will be needed to better define and treat this rare entity.

Prognostic Value of Semi-Quantitative 18F-FDG PET/CT Parameters in Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Objective:To assess the prognostic value of maximum standardized uptake value(SUVmax),metabolic tumor volume(MTV),and total lesion glycolysis(TLG)determined by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography(18F-FDG PET/CT)imaging in Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients.Methods:A total of 148 Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients diagnosed with lymph node biopsy from October 2014 to October 2015 were retrospectively analyzed followed by categorizing into good(125 cases)and poor(23 cases)prognosis groups.The chi-squared test was used to analyze the clinicopathological characteristics of Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients with the semi-quantitative 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters;the Spearman method was used to analyze the correlation between the semi-quantitative parameters and clinicopathological features of Hodgkin’s lymphoma;receiver operating characteristic curve was used to analyze the predictive value of the semi-quantitative parameters for poor prognosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients.Results:Mean SUVmax,MTV,and TLG of the 148 cases of Hodgkin’s lymphoma were 7.26±2.38,12.46±3.14 cm3,and 76.83±18.56 g,respectively.Significant variations in the Ann Arbor stage and clinical classification were observed with different levels of semi-quantitative parameters(P<0.05).The semi-quantitative parameters were not correlated with age and gender(P>0.05)but positively correlated with Ann Arbor stage and clinical classification(P<0.05).These parameters in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of SUVmax,MTV,and TLG in predicting the poor prognosis group was 0.881,0.875,and 0.838,with cut-off values of 7.264,12.898 cm3,and 74.580g,as well as specificity of 88.8%,84.0%,and 78.4%,and sensitivity of 87.0%,87.0%,and 78.3%,respectively;the AUC of the combined prediction was 0.986,with a specificity of 97.6%and sensitivity of 86.3%.Conclusion:The semi-quantitative 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters provide valuable insights for Hodgkin’s lymphoma prognosis assessment.

Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma with Right Atrial Intra Cardiac Metastases

Background: Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most variant of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) and also the most common variant with secondary intracardiac masses. Case summary: 7 years old child presented to emergency with acute decompensated cardiac failure, ascites and tender hepatomegaly. 2D echo evaluation was suggestive of large intracardiac mass in the right atrium almost completely obstructing Tricuspid valve orifice, gross pericardial effusion and dilated Inferior Vena Cava (IVC). Emergency tumor excision surgery was performed which revealed 4 × 4 cm pinkish firm mass arising from anterior Tricuspid annulus which was completely excised. Child was extubated on postoperative day (POD) 0 and was on minimal inotropic support. Ascites reduced significantly on POD1 allowing abdominal palpation which revealed a mass in the epigastric region. This prompted evaluation by pediatrician and oncology workup suggestive of increased 18-Flouro Deoxy Glucose (18-FDG) uptake in the mediastinum, abdomen, bilateral proximal thighs, all mediastinal lymph nodal stations, bilateral lung hilar stations 10R, 10L involving all encasing the heart and great vessels with pleural deposits, Celiac trunk, superior Mesenteric Artery (SMA), Portal vein, IVC and abdominal aorta. Histo pathology Examination (HPE) and Immuno Histo Chemistry (IHC) of intracardiac mass revealed DLBCL which is metastatic in nature. Chemotherapy was started as per (French American British Lymphomes Malins B) FAB LMB-96 protocol with the child currently in the Induction phase having poor prognosis and less survival interval. Conclusion: Surgery can be considered a treatment option for metastatic intracardiac masses during emergency scenarios like cardiogenic shock to relieve obstruction along the pathway of blood flow in the heart even though we may not be able to completely excise the tumor surgically.

Clinical Outcomes of 67 Patients Treated with Chemoradiotherapy for Primary Thyroid Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in Osaka Medical College

Background: The reports of clinical outcomes of patients treated with chemoradiotherapy for primary thyroid non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma are rare. We report our results of chemoradiotherapy for primary thyroid non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Materials and Methods: The subjects were 67 patients with thyroid non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma among 269 patients with malignant lymphoma who received radiotherapy in our hospital during a period between May 1990 and June 2005. The patients included 16 men and 51 women, with a mean age of 66.2 ± 10.7 years (30 - 84 years). The disease stage was stage I in 42 patients, stage II in 24, and unclear in 1. The histologic type was B-cell lymphoma in 66 patients, MALT in 9, diffuse type in 52, follicular type in 5, and diffuse and follicular type in 1. CHOP chemotherapy regimen for malignant lymphoma patients was as follows. Intravenous drip infusion of cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m2, (drip) infusion of doxorubicin 50 mg/m2, and intravenous injection of vincristine 1.4 mg/m2 were administered on day 1, followed by 5 consecutive days of oral prednisolone 100 mg/m2. This regimen was repeated every 3 weeks (21 days) in 6 to 8 courses. Modified CHOP chemotherapy regimen was as follows. Intravenous drip infusion of cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2, intravenous (drip) infusion of doxorubicin 40 mg/m2, intravenous infusion of vindesine 3 mg/m2, and intravenous drip infusion of prednisolone 60 mg/body were administered on day 1, and intravenous prednisolone was changed to oral prednisolone with the dose tapered gradually. After completing one course of this regimen, two courses of radiotherapy (a total of 36 Gy) were performed, followed by 6 courses of the chemotherapy regimen at lower doses (80% of the initial doses) repeated once a month. Results: Results of chemoradiotherapy in all patients were excellent. The 15-year survival rate was over 80%. Although there were no significant differences in the results of chemoradiotherapy among different histologic types of thyroid malignant lymphoma, the survival rate was 100% for MALT type, as compared with poor results for diffuse large type or diffuse mixed type. The analysis of the results of chemoradiotherapy according to the stage of malignant thyroid lymphomas revealed that therapeutic results were significantly better in stage I than in stage II. Conclusion: The CHOP chemoradiotherapy regimen and modified CHOP chemoradiotherapy regimen were excellent for primary thyroid non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Epstein Bar Virus——The Cause of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Objective: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a herpes virus which persists in memory B cells in the peripheral blood for the lifetime of a person, is accused to be associated with several malignancies. Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) has long been suspected to have an Epstein-Barr virus infection as a causal agent. Some recent studies identified an EBV latent infection to a high degree in Hodgkin’s lymphoma. However, despite intensive study, the role of Epstein-Barr virus infection in Hodgkin lymphoma remains enigmatic. Methods: To explore the cause-effect relationship between EBV and HL and so to understand the role of EBV in HL etiology more clearly, a systematic review and re-analysis of studies published is performed. The method of the conditio per quam relationship was used to proof the hypothesis if Epstein-Barr virus infection (DNA) in human lymph nodes is present then Hodgkin lymphoma is present too. The mathematical formula of the causal relationship k was used to proof the hypothesis, whether there is a cause effect relationship between an Epstein-Barr virus infection (EBV DNA) and Hodgkin lymphoma. Significance was indicated by a p-value of less than 0.05. Result: The data analyzed support the Null-hypotheses that if Epstein-Barr virus infection (EBV DNA) is present in human lymph nodes then Hodgkin lymphoma is present too. In the same respect, the studies analyzed provide highly significant evidence that Epstein-Barr virus the cause of Hodgkin lymphoma. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that Epstein-Barr virus is the cause of Hodgkin’s lymphoma besides of the complexity of Hodgkin’s disease.

LMP1 Immunohistochemistry in Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma of Sudanese Cases

Back ground: Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) with its different subtypes is strongly related to Epstein Bar virus (EBV) infection mainly Burkitt’s lymphoma in Africa. Studies proved the role of EBV in tumor-genesis and linked it to prognosis and therapy of patients. Objectives: To determine the frequency of EBV in non-Hodgkin lymphomas using EBV latent membrane protein 1 (EBV-LMP1) immunohistochemical stain. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at radio-isotope centre of Khartoum (2012-2014). A total of 75 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma paraffin embedded sections were stained for EBV LMP1 antibody. Data were analyzed by SPSS 16 and statistical cross linking of the results of immune staining with other data was done. Results: Out of 75 patients of non Hodgkin’s lymphoma (74.7%) were males. EBV-LMP1 Immune-staining was positive in (17.3%) with predominance of Burkitt’s lymphoma (33.3%), followed by diffuse large B cell lymphoma (17.9%). Conclusion: Burkitt’s lymphoma expressed the highest percentage of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma positive cases (46.2%) out of the total (17.3%) positive cases. Different methods need to be used in studying Burkitt’s lymphoma expression of EBV and its effects on the treatment and prognosis of cases.

A case of primary isolated non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of the esophagus in an immunocompetent patient

Primary non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma of the esophagus is a rare disease.A case of primary isolated nonHodgkin’s lymphoma of the esophagus in a 77-yearold man without acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is presented.We describe the clinical features and the imaging findings(barium swallow,endoscopic ultrasonography and CT)of a biopsy proven B-cell lymphoma with diffuse transmural involvement of the esophagus wall,which was discovered incidentally.We also briefly review the literature.

Epidemiology of hodgkin’s lymphoma

The epidemiology of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (HL) varies with age at clinical onset. In developing countries, the disorder appears predominantly during childhood and its incidence decreases with age, while in industrialized countries, the incidence rate increase with age. There has long been a view that the differences in descriptive epidemiology of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma around the world, and also between children, young adults and older adults may reflect differences in etiology between them. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma has long been suspected to have an infectious precursor, and indirect evidence has implicated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), as a causal agent. The etiology of EBV-negative cases remains obscure. Epidemiological investigation of the etiology of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is making steady progress, and it leads to a better understanding and hence prevention. This review considers in detail the descriptive and the etiological epidemiology of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Preliminary outcome of rituximab-containing salvage regimens on relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma: single institution experience

Objective： The prognosis of relapsed or refractory B-cell lymphoma is poor, with a short-term survival after conventional second-line chemotherapy, Rituximab, a chimeric anti-CD20 antigen, in combination with CHOP or CHOP-like chemotherapy may improve both disease free survival （DFS） and overall survival （OS） of naive patients, but its role in the second-line therapy for relapsed non-Hodgkin＇s Lymphoma （NHL） remains to be defined, This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of rituximab-containing salvage regimens for relapsed or refractory NHL, and observe the toxicities. Methods： The clinical data of 54 patients, who were with relapsed or refractory NHL and treated in the Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University, were analyzed retrospectively, Of the 54 patients, 29 were man, 25 were women, with a median age of 52.5 years old （range 18 to 75）; 50 patients （92.6%） scored 0-1 for the ECOG performance status; for second-line international prognostic index （slPI）, 21 （38.9%） scored 0-1,30 （55.6%） scored 2 to 3, and 3 （5.6%） scored 4-5; 40 cases were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma （DLBCL）, accounting for 74.1% of all subtypes, Rituximab was administered intravenously at a dose of 375 mg/m^2 at the day before each chemotherapy cycle, The second or third-line salvage regimens included EPOCH, CHOP, DHAP, DICE, IVAC, IMVP-16 and FND, Results： Of the 54 patients, 49 received retuximab-containing salvage regimens, The objective response rate of the 45 evaluable cases was 68,8%, with a complete remission （CR） rate of 37.7%; 3 patients achieved CR after radiotherapy following rituximab-based regimens and 3 achieved CR after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, The most frequent adverse events were leucopenia, nausea and alopecia. The addition of rituximab to chemotherapy only elevated the occurrence of mild infusion-related reactions, such as chills, fever and pruritus. The median follow-up time was 18 months （range 2-86 months）; 5 patients were lost, 24 were dead （23 died of lymphoma, and 1 died of severe hepatitis）, the other patients remained alive. The median survival time was 32 months （range 2-86 months, 95% confidential interval 16-48 months）. The 1-, 2- and 3-year OS rates were 70.6%, 53,6% and 41,5%, respectively, The median TTP was 6 months （range 0-52 months）, The median PFS was 10 months （range 0-47 months, 95% CI 0-26 months）, The 1- and 2-year PFS were 49,3% and 41,3%. Conclusion： Rituximab-containing salvage regimens are effective and well tolerated therapy for patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell NHL, even those were extensively treated.

‘Les liaisons dangereuses’: Hepatitis C, Rituximab and B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas

Rituximab has provided a revolutionary contribution to the treatment of B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL). A high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been described in B-cell NHL patients. Cases of liver dysfunction in HCV-positive patients have been reported with Rituximab-containing regimens. In this paper we review the recent data regarding the effects of Rituximab in NHL patients with HCV infection. We also added a section devoted to improving communication between oncohaematologists and hepatologists. Furthermore, we propose a common methodological ground to study hepatic toxicity emerging during chemotherapy.

Involved Nodal Radiotherapy vs. Involved Field Radiotherapy after Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Early Stage Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Aim of work: This study is a prospective randomized trial aiming to investigate whether radiotherapy volume can be reduced without loss of efficacy from involved field radiotherapy (IFRT) to involved node radiotherapy (INRT) after four cycles of ABVD chemotherapy in the treatment of early stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Patients and Methods: Between September 2009 and January 2012, all patients with newly diagnosed early-stage favorable and unfavorable Hodgkin’s lymphoma attending to the Clinical Oncology department of Cairo University, faculty of medicine were enrolled into this study after a written consent was obtained from those cases enrolled. Patients were assigned to receive (ABVD) for four cycles followed by randomization for radiotherapy into two arms one arm of 30 Gy INRT +/– 6 Gy to residual disease or another arm of 30 Gy IFRT +/– 6 Gy to residual disease. Results: 35 patients were enrolled in this study: 16 patients in the INRT arm and 19 patients in the IFRT arm. The median observation time was 25 months. The overall survival for all eligible patients was 97% and freedom from treatment failure was 85.7%. Survival rates at the end of the study revealed no differences between INRT and IFRT arms. Also, in terms of complete remission post radiotherapy (14 versus 15), relapse (1 versus 4), and death (0 versus 1) respectively the outcome was similar in both arms. As regard acute and sub-acute toxicities no significant difference could be detected between both arms except that IFRT arm was associated with a higher incidence of radiation pneumonitis (4 versus 1 patient). Conclusion: Radiotherapy volume size reduction from IFRT to INRT after ABVD chemotherapy for four cycles produces similar results and less toxicity in patients with early-stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma especially in patients with mediastinal disease.

Low Dose Total Body Irradiation for Relapsed Low Grade Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma: Experience of National Cancer Institute, Cairo

Background and Purpose: The relapsed low grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (LG-NHL) is currently?incurable disease and the optimal treatment regimen has not determined yet. Low dose total body irradiation (LTBI) provides an alternative mechanism of action against cancer cells rather than direct cell kill. The mode of action of LTBI is immune-modulatory effect, induction of apoptosis and?hypersensitivity to low radiation doses. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effect of LTBI on relapsed?LG-NHL and reporting our experience at National Cancer Institute, Cairo (NCI, Cairo). Material and Methods: Fifty eight patients with relapsed LG-NHL and received LTBI studied retrospectively.?LTBI dose was 1.6 Gy/8 fractions divided on 2 courses;each course 4 fractions treated over 4 days with 2 weeks rest between the 2 courses. Results: The median age is 54 years;65% of the patients are men. Forty (69%) patients had performance status of 2 or more. Twenty seven patients were stage II/III and 31 patients (53%) had stage IV disease. Twenty six (45%) patients had bulky disease more than 10 cm and 22 (38%) patients had B symptoms at the time of relapse. The?extranodal disease was present in 17 patients (29%) and 78% of the patients received?>3 regimens of chemotherapy before referral to LTBI. Twenty three patients received IFRT (mean dose 32 ± 4 Gy) to initially bulky sites after LTBI. Fourteen patients (24%) achieved complete remission (CR) while 45%, 21% and 10% had partial remission (PR), stable disease (SD) and progressive disease (PD) respectively. The median PFS duration was 14 months and the median OS duration?was 39 months. Stage VI,?>3 regimen of chemotherapy and bad response to LTBI (SD) affected?progression duration adversely (0.03, 0.05 and 0.01 respectively). The response to LTBI is the only factor affected the OS duration significantly. The 3-year PFS was 19% ± 9%, and 3-year OS was 45% ± 8%. Stage IV was the only factor affected the 3-year PFS significantly with p value 0.03. The hematological toxicity was the main side effect of LTBI. Eleven patients developed G3/4 anemia while 8 patients only developed G3/4 thrombocytopenia and 13 patients developed G3/4 leucopenia. Conclusion: The use of LTBI in patients with relapsed low grade NHL is a feasible, effective and tolerable treatment that is worthy of testing in a future with chemotherapy and Rituximab maintenance.

Post-Therapy Profile of BMI-for-Age of Indian Survivors of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Background: Obesity in pediatric ALL survivors is a well recognized late effect. Hence the present study examines the BMI-for-age of Indian childhood ALL and NHL survivors. Method: A retrospective study of 118 ALL/NHL survivors and 138 age sex matched was carried out. From the recorded heights and weights were body mass index (BMI) was computed. The survivor data was compared with 138 controls from the data set collected by investigators previously. Results: 82.8% of patients had BMI-for-age in 5th-84th percentile (healthy) at time of diagnosis and at inclusion in the study. Comparison of BMI of survivors with matched controls was not significant. However, The mean BMI-for-age for younger patients (3 to 12 years) was significantly higher than mean BMI-for-age of matched controls. Distribution of data by time elapsed from therapy was significant. Overweight/obesity was observed among the survivors who were off therapy for two years with increase in after four years post-therapy. Conclusion: Our preliminary study indicates late effects of therapy and points to the need of long term assessment of the survivors, even though majority of them were within the normal weight range.

Long-term results of the treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in a resource-constrained setting:Real-world data from a single center

BACKGROUND The outcomes of Hodgkin's lymphoma(HL)in Mexico have not been widely reported.Simplified and affordable treatments have been adopted in middleincome countries.AIM The aim was to evaluate long-used therapies for HL in Mexico in a long-term basis.METHODS In a 34-year time period,88 patients with HL were treated at a single institution in Mexico.Patients were treated with adriamycin bleomycin vinblastine and dacarbazine(ABVD)or mechlorethamine,vincristine,procarbazine,and prednisone(MOPP).Relapsed or refractory patients were given ifosfamide,carboplatin,and etoposide(ICE)followed by autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplants.RESULTS Thirty-seven women and 51 men were included;the median age was 29 years.Patients were followed for a mean of 128 mo.The 310-mo overall survival(OS)was 83%for patients treated with MOPP and 88%for those treated with ABVD.The OS of patients who received autologous stem cell transplantation was 76%(330 mo)vs 93%(402 mo)in those who did not.CONCLUSION HL may be less aggressive in Mexican population than in Caucasians.Combined chemotherapy renders acceptable results,regardless of clinical stage.

Unusual Case of Idiopathic Membranous Later Developing Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

A 30-year-old male presented to nephrology services as a case of nephrotic syndrome and membranous nephropathy was found on renal biopsy. He was treated for this pathology with steroid and cytotoxic drugs and remained in remission for 3 years and then presented with non Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Cost-Minimization and Budget Impact Analysis of Rituximab SC VS Rituximab IV for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHLs) in Greece

Background: Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHLs) is a prevalent type of cancer for which Intravenous (IV) Rituximab is a widely used treatment option. Nevertheless, IV infusions can lead to intense resource use and, subsequently, costs. Given that a subcutaneous (SC) therapeutically equivalent formulation of the drug is currently available, this study aimed to examine the potential clinical and economic value of the introduction of the SC formulation for the Greek healthcare setting. Methods: A cost-minimization and budget-impact analysis contributed to comparing staff, patient time and resource utilization and estimating the clinical effects and associated costs in the IV and SC administration. A questionnaire-based survey was used to provide data regarding the local treatment patterns and the resource use associated with each treatment in the Greek NHS. The analysis followed the third-party payer perspective, and cost data relevant to personnel salaries, pharmaceuticals and resource utilization were obtained from official government sources. Results: SC administration was associated with time savings in activities such as pre-medication administration (3 minutes saved with the SC use), monitoring during infusion (12 minutes for physicians and 3 minutes for nurses) as well as time-savings in the preparation of the drugs, the actual dispensing process and the post-injecting monitoring processes. A significant decrease was observed in the nursing and chair time (57% and 90% per case, respectively) and a higher level of services could be secured in terms of hospital capacity with the SC use. SC administration was found to generate budget savings of 618,708€ per 1000 patients/3 years over the full course of treatment. Conclusions: Switching IV to SC administration, as demonstrated in the case of Rituximab for NHLs in Greece, can reduce staff time and administration costs, improve the capacity of the system and, possibly, improve resource allocation in the healthcare system.