Rein, Lisa

Background/objectives: Improvements in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) treatment have reduced mortality. While chemoradiation before surgery was previously a standard of care, updated guidelines recommend peri-operative chemotherapy without chemoradiation. Continued investigation into optimal non-operative treatment paradigms for patients who defer surgery or are not candidates for surgery and certain chemotherapy regimens is needed. The impact of induction chemotherapy prior to chemoradiation on survival and surgical outcomes remains unclear. This study assessed survival and surgical outcomes in a real-world cohort of EAC patients receiving induction chemotherapy before chemoradiation. Methods: This single-institution, IRB-approved, retrospective cohort study included patients with newly diagnosed stage II-IVb (oligometastatic for IVb) EAC who received definitive chemoradiation (radiation ≥ 40 Gy and two cycles of chemotherapy) +/− esophagectomy from 2007 to 2022. Patients receiving induction chemotherapy were compared to those who did not. Endpoints included survival and surgical outcomes. Results: A total of 141 EAC patients received definitive chemoradiation; 83 received induction chemotherapy before chemoradiation. Patients receiving induction chemotherapy were younger (p < 0.01) with slightly lower performance status (p = 0.27) and presented at a more advanced stage (p < 0.001). Median OS was 3.5 years in the induction chemotherapy group compared to 2.2 years (p = 0.10). There was no difference in pathologic complete response (p = 0.81), esophagectomy frequency (p = 0.87), or surgical downstaging between treatment groups (p = 0.84). Conclusions: In this real-world, single-institutional patient cohort investigating induction chemotherapy prior to chemoradiation in EAC, patients receiving induction chemotherapy did well but did not have a statistically significant improvement in survival outcomes or surgical outcomes. This study showed that significant numbers of real-world patients may not receive esophagectomy. Thus, prospective, randomized clinical trials are warranted to better delineate the efficacy and selection of patients for induction chemotherapy when non-operative approaches are favored.

Abstract Background Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a rare, indolent B-cell malignancy accounting for ~1% of all lymphoid neoplasms. While purine analogs remain the standard first-line therapy, the increasing use of combination regimens and targeted agents has expanded the therapeutic landscape. Data on long-term outcomes in real-world practice remain limited. Methods This is a retrospective, multicenter cohort study. We included 104 patients aged ≥18 years with a diagnosis of HCL who had at least one oncology visit from January 1, 2010, to July 17, 2025. Patients diagnosed prior to 2010 were left-truncated to account for survivorship bias. Data were abstracted from electronic medical records. Key outcomes included treatment patterns, response rates, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS). Results The median age at diagnosis was 56.9 years (range 32.1–83.8), and 80% were male. Most patients (77%) were diagnosed during or after 2010. The most frequent frontline therapies were cladribine (63%), cladribine with rituximab (12%), rituximab monotherapy (9.7%), vemurafenib-based regimens (7.7%), splenectomy with or without interferon (3.8%), interferon monotherapy (2.9%), and other (1.9%). The overall complete response (CR) rate to first-line therapy was 63%, with 15% achieving a partial response (PR) and 22% having stable or no response. For patients receiving cladribine with rituximab first-line (n = 12), 92% had a CR. For patients receiving cladribine monotherapy first-line (n = 65), 63% had a CR and 12% had a PR. For patients receiving rituximab monotherapy first-line (n = 10), 50% had a CR and 20% had a PR. For patients receiving vemurafenib-based regimens first-line (n = 8), 75% had a CR. Among the 39 patients who received second-line therapy, the most common regimens included cladribine (31%), rituximab (26%), cladribine plus rituximab (18%), and vemurafenib-based regimens (13%). The CR rate after second-line therapy was 72%. For patients receiving cladribine with rituximab second-line (n = 7), 86% had a CR and 14% had a PR. For patients receiving cladribine monotherapy second-line (n = 12), 67% had a CR. For patients receiving rituximab monotherapy second-line (n = 10), 80% had a CR and 10% had a PR. For patients receiving vemurafenib-based regimens second-line (n = 5), 40% had a CR and 20% had a PR. Among the 17 patients who received third-line therapy, the most common regimens included rituximab (41%), cladribine (18%), and vemurafenib-based regimens (18%). The CR rate after third-line therapy was 50%. For patients receiving rituximab monotherapy third-line (n = 7), 43% had a CR and 14% had a PR. For patients receiving cladribine monotherapy third-line (n = 3), 33% had a CR. For patients receiving vemurafenib-based regimens third-line (n = 3), 67% had a CR and 33% had a PR. Overall, treatment-related hospitalizations for first-line therapy occurred in 27% of patients. 50% of patients receiving first-line cladribine with rituximab had treatment-related hospitalizations. 25% of patients receiving first-line vemurafenib-based treatment had treatment-related hospitalizations. 23% of patients receiving first-line cladribine monotherapy had treatment-related hospitalizations. 20% of patients receiving first-line rituximab monotherapy had treatment-related hospitalizations. Overall, after a median follow-up of 6.6 years (range 0.1–46), estimated OS was 96.6% at 5 years, 85.7% at 10 years, and 80.3% at 15 years. The median OS was 24.5 years [95% CI: 18.3, not reached]. Estimated PFS was 95.1% at 1 year, 89.9% at 3 years, 74.8% at 5 years, and 50.8% at 10 years. Median PFS was 12.2 years [95% CI: 7.0, not reached]. Estimated OS for first-line cladribine monotherapy was 100% at 5 years and 86.5% at 10 years. Estimated OS for first-line vemurafenib-based treatment was 85.7% at 5 years and 85.7% at 10 years. Conclusions This large real-world cohort provides important insights into the long-term management of HCL. Cladribine-based regimens remain the predominant first-line approach, with high response rates and durable remissions. However, treatment-related toxicity is common. Outcomes in later lines remain favorable, particularly with re-treatment using purine analogs or combination regimens. These findings underscore the importance of individualized treatment planning and the continued need for real-world evidence to inform care in rare hematologic malignancies.