ASH 2016 – Wrap-up

The investigational chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy KTE-C19 achieved complete responses that were durable for >1 year in more than 75% of patients with aggressive lymphomas who had no other effective treatment options, according to results from the phase 2 pivotal clinical trial ZUMA-1 that were presented by Sattva S. Neelapu, MD, Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, at the 2016 American Society of Hematology meeting. Read More ›

Treatment of elderly and/or unfit chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients with chlorambucil plus rituximab was associated with low toxicity, a high overall response rate, and durable progression-free survival, suggesting that in low-risk unfit patients, this combination may be an optimal therapeutic option taking into consideration safety, efficacy, and cost. Read More ›

Healthcare utilization of elderly chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who remain on bendamustine-rituximab (BR) is significantly lower than patients who remain on fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR), with FCR-treated patients experiencing significantly more days of hospitalization, outpatient visits, and emergency department visits than BR-treated patients. Read More ›

In an effort to determine whether lower peripheral neuropathy rates could be achieved, this study evaluated the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous bortezomib in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Read More ›

Using a novel electronic health record database that included nearly 800 chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients, recent treatment patterns in the United States showed a decline in the use of fludarabine-, bendamustine-, and rituximab-containing regimens and a significant increase in the use of obinutuzumab and ibrutinib, either as monotherapy or in combination regimens. Read More ›

Compared with standard-of-care therapies delivered in a real-world setting, daratumumab monotherapy extends overall survival in patients with heavily pretreated and highly refractory multiple myeloma. Read More ›

High response rates with the combination of elotuzumab (Empliciti), lenalidomide (Revlimid), and dexamethasone in the treatment of patients with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma suggest that early intervention may be worthwhile in this patient population, based on results from a phase 2 study, said Irene M. Ghobrial, MD, Attending Physician, Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, at the 2016 American Society of Hematology meeting. Read More ›