How the coronavirus pandemic has affected the clinical management of Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms in Italy—a GIMEMA MPN WP survey

Since early 2020, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has a massive impact on health care systems worldwide. Patients with malignant diseases are assumed to be at increased risk for a worse outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and therefore, guidance regarding prevention and management of the infection as well as safe administration of cancer-therapy is required. Here, we provide recommendations for the management of patients with malignant disease in the times of COVID-19. These recommendations were prepared by an international panel of experts and then consented by the EHA Scientific Working Group on Infection in Hematology. The primary aim is to enable clinicians to provide optimal cancer care as safely…

Transfusion-dependency at presentation and its acquisition in the first year of diagnosis are both equally detrimental for survival in primary myelofibrosis - prognostic relevance is independent of IPSS or karyotype

The International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) and karyotype are useful tools for risk stratification in primary myelofibrosis (PMF). We examined the additional prognostic impact of red blood cell transfusion need among 254 consecutive patients (median age, 59 years). Sixty-two patients ( approximately 24%) required transfusions at diagnosis whereas 22 ( approximately 9%) became transfusion-dependent and 170 remained transfusion-independent during the first year postdiagnosis; after a median follow-up of 55 months, the respective median survivals were 35, 25, and 117 months (P < 0.01). Multivariable analysis confirmed the IPSS- and karyotype-independent prognostic weight of transfusion …

Real-World Management of Myelofibrosis with Ruxolitinib: Initial Analysis of an Italian Observational Study (ROMEI)

Abstract Introduction ROMEI (CINC424AIT04 Ruxolitinib Observational study in Myelofibrosis treated patiEnts in Italy) is a prospective observational study that aims to bridge the knowledge gap between the clinical experience of registration trials and routine patient management by following roughly 200 myelofibrosis (MF) patients (pts) treated with ruxolitinib in everyday clinical practice. Enrollment began in April 2017 and ended in May 2018. Methods The primary endpoint is to evaluate changes in symptoms and quality of life during treatment with ruxolitinib through the Myeloproliferative Neoplasm 10 (MPN-10) disease-specific questionnaire and EuroQoL-5D-5L (EQ-5D-5L) general health questi…

Bone Marrow Biopsy Revision According to WHO Criteria in 272 Patients of the Registro Italiano Trombocitemia (RIT): Preliminary Report On Clinical and Histopathological Implications.

Abstract Abstract 4974 Background The bone marrow trephine biopsy (BMB) has a crucial role for the diagnosis of essential thrombocythemia (ET), both according to the PVSG and the WHO criteria. The WHO 2001 criteria enhanced the role of BMB also by distinguishing the true-ET (ET) from the prefibrotic and the early fibrotic chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis. The WHO 2008 criteria, in the JAK2 era, confirmed the diagnostic and prognostic relevance of the histopathological features in ET as well as in the other Ph-neg myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). Otherwise, only few validated data are presently available, and the reproducibility in the evaluation of some morphological details is still con…

Interim 18f-PDGPET for Aggressive Non-Hodgking's Lymphoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Abstract 5183 Background: The advantage of using interim 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron-emission tomography (PET) scan in the clinical work-up of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NLH) is unclear. Data from meta-analyses are inconclusive, mainly because of the low number of patients evaluated and heterogeneity among studies. New clinical investigations, focused on this topic, have been recently published. We conducted an updated systematic review on the role of 18PDG-PET for the interim evaluation in patients with aggressive lymphomas. Materials and Methods: Medline, Embase, Scopus and Databases were searched for relevant studies through March 2011. We included studies t…

European Bone Marrow Working Group trial on reproducibility of World Health Organization criteria to discriminate essential thrombocythemia from prefibrotic primary myelofibrosis: Haematologica 2012;97(3):360-5 - Comment

Any study of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) that lacks adequate clinical input is doomed to cause diagnostic uncertainty and increased controversy. In the paper by Buhr et al. published in Haematologica,[1][1] the authors studied 102 cases of essential thrombocythemia (ET) and early primary

A phase 1b, dose-finding study of ruxolitinib plus panobinostat in patients with myelofibrosis.

7022^ Background: Myelofibrosis (MF) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by dysregulation of the Janus kinase (JAK) pathway resulting in bone marrow fibrosis, splenomegaly, and debilitat...

Efficacy, Safety, and Confirmation of the Recommended Phase 2 Starting Dose of the Combination of Ruxolitinib (RUX) and Panobinostat (PAN) in Patients (Pts) with Myelofibrosis (MF)

Abstract BACKGROUND: MF is a myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by bone marrow (BM) fibrosis, splenomegaly, and debilitating constitutional symptoms. RUX is a potent JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor that has demonstrated superiority in spleen volume reduction, symptom improvement, and survival in the phase 3 COMFORT studies compared with placebo and best available therapy. PAN, a potent pan-deacetylase inhibitor, inhibits JAK signaling by disrupting the interaction between JAK2 and heat shock protein 90, a protein chaperone. PAN has demonstrated reductions in splenomegaly and improvement of BM fibrosis in phase 1/2 studies. The combination of RUX and PAN demonstrated synergistic activity in precl…

Italian survey on clinical practice in myeloproliferative neoplasms. A GIMEMA Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Working Party initiative

Transfusion Need at Diagnosis or Its Development During the First Year of Diagnosis in Primary Myelofibrosis: Effect On Survival and Correlation with JAK2 and TET2 Mutational Status.

Abstract Abstract 1909 Poster Board I-932 Background: The International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) for primary myelofibrosis (PMF) utilizes five independent predictors of inferior survival; of these, a hemoglobin level &lt;10 g/dL has the highest impact on survival (Cervantes et al. Blood 2009;113:2895). In the current study, we examined the additional prognostic impact of transfusion need at diagnosis or becoming transfusion-dependent in the first year of diagnosis. These events were also correlated with JAK2 or TET2 mutational status. Methods: Patients were selected from the Mayo Clinic PMF database based on availability of bone marrow histology and IPSS-relevant information at diag…

Efficacy, Safety, and Confirmation of the Recommended Phase 2 Dose of Ruxolitinib Plus Panobinostat in Patients with Intermediate or High-Risk Myelofibrosis

Abstract Background: Myelofibrosis (MF) is a clonal neoplastic disease resulting in bone marrow fibrosis, splenomegaly, and debilitating constitutional symptoms. The Janus kinase (JAK) pathway is often dysregulated in MF, and agents targeting this pathway have demonstrated efficacy in this disease. Ruxolitinib (RUX), a potent JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, demonstrated superiority in spleen volume reduction, symptom improvement, and survival compared with the control arm in the phase III COMFORT-I and COMFORT-II studies. Panobinostat (PAN), a potent pan-deacetylase inhibitor (pan-DACi), inhibits JAK signaling through disruption of the interaction of JAK2 with the protein chaperone heat shock protein …

Bone marrow evaluation according to the PVSG and WHO criteria in 90 essential thrombocythemia (ET) patients treated with PEG interferon alpha-2b. Preliminary results

Abstract Ninety ET patients diagnosed according to the PVSG criteria were enrolled in a phase II study (sponsored by the Schering-Plough Company) designed to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of a two years treatment with PEG Interferon alpha-2 b (PEG Intron). The patients, observed in 16 Italian Centres belonging to the GIMEMA Cooperative Group and judged at high risk, had been previously treated with cytoreductive (97%) and antiplatelet (91%) drugs. At the study start the patients, 60 F and 30 M, mean age 45 years, showed splenomegaly in 22% of cases. The Hematological Response (HR: PLT&amp;lt;500 x109/L) was observed in 64/81 (79%) and 48/55 (87%) of the patients on PEG Intr…

COVID-19 in Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative disorders: a GIMEMA survey

Adherence to ruxolitinib, an oral JAK1/2 inhibitor, in patients with myelofibrosis: interim analysis from an Italian, prospective cohort study (ROMEI).

ROMEI, a prospective, observational study in patients with myelofibrosis receiving the oral JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib in real-world practice, assesses treatment adherence based on the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). Here, we present MMAS-8 results at week 24. Overall, 101 of 188 evaluable patients completed the questionnaire at every visit (full completers). Mean (±standard deviation) total MMAS-8 scores remained stable from week 4 to week 24 in the overall population (7.54 ± 0.77 and 7.67 ± 0.70, respectively) and full completers (7.53 ± 0.79 and 7.67 ± 0.73, respectively). Rates of low (MMAS-8 ˂6) or medium (MMAS-8 ≥ 6 to ˂8) adherence were 25–40% and 26–36%, respec…

Adherence to Treatment in Myelofibrosis Patients: Preliminary Results from Italian Romei Observational Study

Background: Non-adherence to medications is recognized as one of the most important and costly worldwide healthcare problems in the 21st century; according to an EU report, non-adherence to therapies is responsible for 194,500 deaths and costs €125 billion annually. Taking into account those data, the use of adherence measurements in clinical trials could be extremely useful, in order to better understand patients (pts) behaviours and outcomes. The 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8, Morisky DE et al, J Clin Hypertens,2008 - Krousel-Wood MA et al, Am J Manag Care 2009- Morisky DE et al, J Clin Epidemiol. 2011) is a widely used questionnaire to asses indirectly pts adherence t…

A Phase 1b, Dose-Finding Study Of Ruxolitinib Plus Panobinostat In Patients With Primary Myelofibrosis (PMF), Post–Polycythemia Vera MF (PPV-MF), Or Post–Essential Thrombocythemia MF (PET-MF): Identification Of The Recommended Phase 2 Dose

Abstract Background Myelofibrosis (MF) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm associated with progressive, debilitating symptoms that impact patient quality of life (QoL) and reduce survival. Ruxolitinib (RUX), a potent dual JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, demonstrated superiority in spleen volume and symptom reduction, improved health-related QoL measures, and prolonged survival compared with traditional therapies or placebo in the phase 3 COMFORT studies. Panobinostat (PAN) is a potent oral pan-deacetylase inhibitor (DACi) that inhibits JAK pathway signaling through increased acetylation of the JAK2 protein chaperone HSP90. In phase 1/2 studies in MF, PAN has shown reduction in splenomegaly and JAK2 V617F…

Survival in young patients with intermediate-/high-risk myelofibrosis: Estimates derived from databases for non transplant patients

Recent studies have suggested that allogenic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) might be a better treatment option, compared to drug therapy, for young patients with high-/intermediate-risk primary myelofibrosis (PMF). However, there are no controlled studies that validate this contention and allo-SCT is associated with a substantial risk of procedure-related mortality and morbidity. In a retrospective analysis of nontransplant PMF patients, who were both young (age <60 years) and with high-/intermediate-risk disease, 1- and 3-year survival estimates were 87% and 55%, 95% and 77%, 71% and 58%, respectively, involving patients seen at three different centers with expertise in PMF; these da…