Martin, Peter

Abstract Introduction: THRLBCL is a rare disease accounting for less than 10% of all diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) subtypes. THRLBCL was associated with poor outcomes in the pre-rituximab era, with limited contemporaneous data. Optimal frontline treatment remains unclear with some studies advocating for intensive regimens. The goal of this international study is to analyze the survival and treatment-related outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed THRLBCL treated with rituximab-containing chemotherapy and to compare with a DLBCL, not otherwise specified (NOS) cohort. Methods: THRLBCL and DLBCL patients prospectively enrolled in the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) (NCT02736357) (7/2015 to 5/2020), Molecular Epidemiology Resource (1/2010 to 6/2015), and Czech Lymphoma Study Group project (NiHiL) (NCT03199066) (2/2010 to 11/2023) were analyzed. Diagnosis was made in dedicated hematopathology centers in both registries. We excluded patients with prior nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma, central nervous system involvement, and not treated with rituximab-containing therapy. Event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by Kaplan-Meier.Univariate associations were derived via Cox model and multivariate models were constructed by forward selection of significant variables with P≤0.05. Propensity score matching (1:5, caliper 0.2) between THRLBCL and DLBCL NOS patients was performed using IPI score components and treatment as covariates. Results: We identified 158 patients (LEO: 67 and NiHiL: 91) with THRLBCL. Among them, 140 patients received rituximab-containing regimens and were included in this analysis. Median age was 58 years (range, 19-89) with 57% aged ≤60 years. Most patients were male (n= 88; 63%) and had ECOG performance status (PS) of 0-1 (n= 111; 79%), stage III-IV (n= 111; 79%), elevated LDH (n= 92; 66%), and B symptoms (n= 84; 60%). Fifty (36%) patients had ≥2 extranodal (EN) sites, mostly liver (n= 39; 28%) and lung (n= 16; 11%), bone marrow (BM) involvement was observed in 26% (n= 37). Bulky disease (≥7.5cm) was present in 50 (36%) and IPI score ≥3 in 68 (48%) patients. The median diagnosis-to-treatment interval was 23 days (IQ range, 13-38.5). Frequent regimens were R-CHOP (n= 106; 75.7%), followed by intensive regimens such as R-MegaCHOP/ESHAP, R-HyperCVAD/MA, and R-CODOX-M/IVAC (n= 15; 10.7%), and R-CHOEP/EPOCH-R (n= 10; 7.14%). With a median follow-up of 3.92 years, the 4-year EFS & OS were 71% and 80%, respectively. Lymphoma was the main cause of death (n= 15; 11%) among 30 events. No difference in 4-year EFS (70% vs. 76%; P= 0.55) & OS (80% vs 82%; P= 0.96) were observed between R-CHOP and intensive regimens. Factors associated with shorter EFS and OS in univariate analysis for THRLBCL were ECOG PS 2-4: (HR= 3.3; P<.001 & HR= 5.97, P<.001, respectively); ≥2 EN sites (HR= 1.85, P= 0.043 & HR= 2.54, P= 0.014, respectively); B symptoms (HR= 2.35, P= 0.014 & HR= 2.84, P= 0.023) and IPI score (HR= 1.5, P= 0.002 & HR= 2.16, P<.001). Stage III-IV and BM involvement were associated with shorter OS only (HR= 7.36, P= 0.05 & HR= 2.18, P= 0.036, respectively). Among them, only ECOG PS 2-4 (OS: HR= 3.6, P= 0.003) and B symptoms (EFS: HR= 2.3, P= 0.046) were independent predictors of survival in multivariate analysis. Finally, we compared baseline characteristics and survival between THRLBCL (n= 140) and DLBCL NOS (n= 6099; LEO/MER: 2069 & NiHiL: 4030) treated with rituximab-containing regimens. Patients with THRLBCL were younger (≤60 years: 57% vs. 38%; P<.001), more frequently had ECOG PS 0-1 (79% vs 76%; P= 0.012), stage III-IV (79% vs 63%; P<.001), B symptoms (60% vs 38%; P<.001), and liver involvement (28% vs 7%; P<.001), compared to DLBCL NOS. Subtype was not associated with survival (OS HR= 0.79, P= 0.262 & EFS HR= 0.93, P= 0.662) when adjusted for IPI score. With a median follow-up of 4.89 years in the DLBCL NOS cohort, we observed similar 4-year EFS (71% vs 67%; P= 0.197) & OS between histologies (80% vs 77%; P= 0.125). These results were confirmed in propensity matching for EFS (HR= 0.98, P= 0.897) and OS (HR= 1.07, P= 0.732). Conclusions: In this large international analysis of patients with newly diagnosed THRLBCL contemporaneously treated, we observed similar survival rates compared to DLBCL NOS treated with R-CHOP and intensive regimens. ECOG PS and the presence of B symptoms were independent factors associated with survival.

Abstract Introduction Although chemo-free regimens are increasingly used in elderly patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL), most still receive conventional chemoimmunotherapy. Patients up to 75–80 years old are usually treated with full-dose R-CHOP, while 80+ patients receive the attenuated R-miniCHOP regimen as standard of care. Prior studies have shown that in patients aged 65+ years, R-CHOP was associated with improved survival based on propensity score matching (PSM) analysis (Al-Sarayfi, Am J Hematol, 2023), though this did not include comorbidity data. Furthermore, no formal studies have focused specifically on 80+ patients. We aimed to perform a PSM comparison of R-CHOP versus R-miniCHOP to better inform treatment decisions in this population. Methods We harmonized and pooled data from 237 LBCL patients receiving chemotherapy with rituximab (out of all 263 80+ patients) from the prospective LEO cohort (USA, n=147; 2015–2020) and NiHiL registry (Czech Republic, single center, n=116; 2010–2023). Of them, 205 (86%) receiving anthracycline(A)-based regimens were included. Baseline characteristics, comorbidities, treatments, and outcomes were collected. PSM (1:1, caliper 0.2) was performed to compare R-CHOP and R-miniCHOP using age, ECOG performance status (PS), clinical stage, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and major comorbidities (heart disease, history of stroke, and other recent cancer) as matching variables. The endpoints were overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and lymphoma-specific survival (LSS, defined as death attributed to lymphoma progression). Results Among 205 A-treated patients, median age was 83 years (range 80–99); 30% had ECOG PS 2–4, 67% clinical stage III–IV, 34% ≥2 involved extranodal sites, 59% elevated LDH, and 58% had International Prognostic Index (IPI) scores 3–5. Median follow-up was 5.5 years; median OS and EFS were 4.1 and 3.4 years, resp. A-based regimens comprised full-dose R-CHOP-like (n=79; 39%; R-CHOP n=74, DA-EPOCH-R n=5) and R-miniCHOP (n=126; 61%). Patients receiving R-CHOP-like regimens had more favorable baseline characteristics (median age 82 vs 83 years, P=0.04; ECOG PS 2–4: 16% vs 39%, P<0.01; IPI 3–5: 46% vs 66%, P=0.03) and a lower, though not statistically significant, comorbidity burden (mean 1.14 vs 1.39; heart disease 35% vs 45%, P=0.22; history of stroke 4% vs 6%, P=0.64; other cancer 6% vs 5%, P=0.87). R-CHOP-like regimens vs R-miniCHOP had superior OS (median 6.3 vs 3.4 years; HR=0.61, 95% CI 0.42–0.90; P=0.01) and EFS (median 5.3 vs 2.1 years; HR=0.58, 95% CI 0.40–0.83; P<0.01), with no significant difference in LSS (2-year 89% vs 82%, HR=0.77, 95% CI 0.39–1.54, P=0.46). To mitigate selection bias, we performed PSM on patients with available baseline characteristics treated with R-CHOP (n=69) and R-miniCHOP (n=121), resulting in 63 matched pairs. Matched cohorts were well-balanced on age (median 82 years in both cohorts; P=0.68), ECOG PS 2–4 (17% vs 19%; P=0.82), IPI 3–5 (52% vs. 59%; P=0.41), and comorbidity burden (mean 1.10 vs. 1.29; P=0.30). The presence of heart disease (40% in both cohorts), history of stroke (5% vs 6%), and cancer (5% vs 6%) were similar. Survival modestly favored R-CHOP, but differences were not significant: median OS 5.3 vs 3.5 years (HR=0.73; 95% CI 0.46–1.15; P=0.17), median EFS 3.8 vs 2.8 years (HR=0.76; 95% CI 0.49–1.18; P=0.23), and 2-year LSS 88% vs 84% (HR=1.09; 95% CI 0.45–2.63; P=0.85). Treatment-related mortality was similar in both cohorts (16%). Among R-miniCHOP patients, survival outcomes did not differ between matched (n=63) and unmatched (n=63) groups (OS P=0.72; EFS P=0.23; LSS P=0.27). Unmatched (n=16) R-CHOP patients had a trend toward improved survival compared to matched (n=63) individuals (OS P=0.10; EFS P=0.049; LSS P=0.24). Conclusion This is the first PSM-based analysis comparing R-CHOP and R-miniCHOP in LBCL patients 80+ years old. Despite inherent limitations of a non-randomized design and limited number of matched patients, our findings – derived from two prospective cohorts – suggest that R-miniCHOP may offer outcomes comparable to R-CHOP, particularly with respect to LSS. While these results support R-miniCHOP as an appropriate frontline option, treatment decisions remain highly individualized. These data may help inform clinical decision-making and provide a basis for designing future trials targeting this population, where R-miniCHOP could serve as a comparator arm. Funding: NU21-03-00411, U01 CA195568.

Abstract Introduction: cBTKi have made a substantial impact in pts w/ MCL, but pts who develop PD while on treatment w/ cBTKi have historically had poor responses to subsequent lines of therapy (LOT). Brexucel, lisocel, and the non-covalent BTKi pirto have been approved in this population. While two RW studies have substantiated the benefit of brexucel, similar data for pirto are lacking. Accordingly, we aimed to evaluate the outcomes of pts treated w/ pirto in the RW setting. Methods: We performed a multi-center retrospective cohort study of adult pts w/ a diagnosis of MCL who experienced PD after any approved cBTKi and subsequently received pirto. Pts who received pirto w/ bridging intent and those who switched to pirto due to intolerance of cBTKi were excluded. The 95% exact binomial confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for overall response rate (ORR) and complete response rate (CRR). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were defined as the time from pirto start to PD or death, whichever occurred first, and the time from pirto start to death, respectively, and calculated w/ the Kaplan-Meier method. The log-rank test was used to compare survival curves. A multivariate (MV) Cox proportional hazard model was built to calculate adjusted hazard ratio (aHR). Analyses were performed w/ SAS, version 9.4. Results: Data on 111 pts w/ MCL treated across 21 institutions were collected. Median (mdn) age was 72 (range 33 – 93) years. Twenty-seven pts (24%) were female, 3 (3%) were Asian, 5 (5%) Black, 9 (8%) Hispanic, 86 (77%) White. Among the 53 (48%) pts w/ available MIPI-c at diagnosis, 28 (53%) pts were high-risk. Ki67 at diagnosis was available in 84 (76%) pts: of those, 58 (69%) had a Ki67 ≥30%, and 41 (49%) ≥50%. TP53 mutational status was available in 70 (63%) pts: 33 (47%) had documented TP53 mutation and 10/52 (19%) pts had a disease w/ complex karyotype. Pts had a mdn of 3 (range 1 – 9) prior LOT (n=106). Ninety-one pts (86%) received chemo-immunotherapy (CIT), 16 (15%) autologous stem cell transplant, 19 (18%) venetoclax (ven), 29 (27%) chimeric antigen receptor T-cell, 4 (4%) allogeneic stem cell transplant. For cBTKi, 39 (35%) pts received ibrutinib, 56 (50%) pts acalabrutinib, 33 (30%) pts zanubrutinib, and 17 (15%) pts received more than one cBTKi. The mdn time from the last dose of cBTKi to pirto start was 55 (range 0 – 2587) days, w/ 51 (46%) pts who switched from a cBTKi directly to pirto. Thirty (27%) pts had no response (stable disease or PD as best response) to cBTKi, and 40 (36%) pts had no response to the last LOT. Two (2%) pts received pirto in combination w/ CIT, 8 (7%) w/ an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb), 11 (10%) w/ ven ± a mAb, while 86 (77%) pts as single agent. In 104 (94%) pts, pirto was given at full dose, 10 (9%) pts had a subsequent dose reduction. A total of 35 serious (grade ≥3) adverse events (AE) were documented in 27 (24%) pts: 4 (4%) pts had a serious bleeding AE, 5 (5%) pts a serious cardiac AE, 10 (9%) a serious GI AE, and 16 (14%) a serious infectious AE. Ninety-eight (88%) pts were evaluable for response. The ORR was 40% (95% CI 30% – 50%) w/ a CRR of 29% (95% CI 20%– 39%). At the last follow-up, 29 (26%) pts remained on pirto w/ a mdn treatment duration of 15.1 months (range 0.4 – 26). Fifty-eight (52%) pts died, 35 (78%) because of PD. At a mdn follow-up of 15.8 (range 0.4 – 26) months among survivors, the mdn PFS was 4.7 months (95% CI 3.3 – 8.2) and the mdn OS was 13 months (95% CI 9.2 – not available). Using the log-rank test, age (quartile groups), number of LOT (1-2 vs. 3-4 vs. 5+), time from cBTKi to pirto (quartile groups), Ki67≥30%, and high MIPI-C did not result in a statistically significant difference in PFS (p>0.05). Presence of TP53 mutation was associated w/ a non-statistically significant adverse trend in PFS (p=0.0585). No response to cBTKi and Ki67≥50% were associated w/ a statistically significant inferior PFS in log-rank test (p=<0.05), which persisted in a MV Cox regression model (aHR 2.4, 95% CI 1.4-4.2, and aHR 2.6, 95% CI 1.6-4.4, respectively). Conclusions: This is the first RW report on pirto in MCL pts. In this high-risk population, ORR to pirto was comparable to the BRUIN trial, while PFS was significantly worse, especially in pts w/ no response to cBTKi and w/ a high Ki67. However, prolonged remissions were seen in a subset of pts, suggesting that a better characterization of this population w/ durable benefit from pirto is needed.

Abstract Background: Prognostication for patients with non-transformed relapsed/refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL) is not well defined. Progression of disease within 24 months (POD24) and number of lines of prior therapy are commonly used to benchmark outcomes and for trial eligibility in this space. However, a comprehensive model for risk prediction in R/R FL is lacking. Here we utilize patients from the LEO Consortium for Real World Evidence (CReWE) and Iowa/Mayo Clinic Lymphoma SPORE MER to develop a clinical prediction model for R/R FL. Methods: Patients with grade 1-3A FL were prospectively enrolled at diagnosis in the MER and/or initiated second line or later therapy (2L+) for non-transformed FL at one of the 8 LEO Centers from a previous LEO CReWE study (Casulo et al, Lancet Haem 2022). All available lines of therapy were abstracted; lines of therapy after histologic transformation were not used in the analyses. A management plan of observation was considered as a type of therapy in the 1L setting but not in the 2L+ setting. Clinical variables and outcomes were abstracted at each line of therapy. Variables considered for modeling included demographics, clinical labs, treatment history, and pertinent clinical variables (including FLIPI and FLIPI24 components). Multiple imputation was used to address missing data in modeling; beta-2 microglobulin (B2M) was unable to be imputed due to the amount of missing data. Index therapy was defined as the date of initiation of a line of therapy (2L, 3L or 4L) for non-transformed FL. The primary endpoint for model development was the time from index therapy until the histologic transformation or lymphoma-related death (HT/LD). Cox proportional hazards models were used for model development. Modeling was first performed separately for each line of therapy and then evaluated across lines. Bootstrapping on imputed datasets was used to assess optimism in model performance. Results: N=1001 patients initiated 2L+ therapy and were utilized for modeling. Of these patients, N=654 initiated 3L and N=344 initiated 4L therapy. Median age at index therapy was (60, 61, and 62) for lines 2-4, respectively. Median follow-up by line of therapy was 8.2, 6.1, and 6,1 years and number of HT/LD events for modeling was 272, 154, and 88, respectively. Observed outcomes decreased modestly as the line therapy increased: median event-free (1.6, 1.5, and 1.2 years) and overall survival (17.6 years, 14.5 years, and 12.3 years), for lines 2-4, respectively. 5-year estimates of HT/LD by line of therapy were 21.6% (95% CI: 18.9-24.3), 23.7% (95% CI: 19.9-27.4) and 29.3% (95% CI: 23.3-34.7), respectively. A clinical prediction model was independently developed for each line of therapy; the final model for each line consisted of the same variables: increasing age, male sex, higher LDH, lower hemoglobin, higher white blood cell count, prior immunochemotherapy exposure, and shorter time since initial diagnosis. The parameter estimates for these variables were broadly similar across the different lines of therapy. The model output is an individual patient's risk of HT/LD. Patients with high-risk FLP-R, as defined using the upper quartile of FLP-R risk scores for each line, had observed 5 year HT/LD rates of 43%, 44% and 51% in lines 2-4, respectively. In contrast, patients with the lower quartile of FLP-R risk scores had observed 5 year HT/LD rates of 10%, 6% and 8% in lines 2-4, respectively. The optimism-corrected c-statistic for the FLP-R model across all lines of therapy was 0.685. This added significant information beyond FLIPI diagnosis (c=0.533) FLIPI at index line (c=0.563), the line of therapy (c=0.525), POD24 status (c=0.578), or all 4 variables combined (c=0.614). Conclusions: The FLP-R model identifies a group of patients with non-transformed FL in the R/R setting who are at very high risk of transformation and/or lymphoma-related death across lines of therapy. FLP-R features 4 of the 5 components of the 1L FLIPI24 prediction model (B2M was unavailable for modeling) with the addition of sex, treatment history and time since initial diagnosis. The number of prior therapies is not sufficient to identify high-risk populations for clinical trial enrichment in the R/R FL setting and model discrimination for FLP-R was greatly improved over FLIPI and/or POD24 across lines of therapy. A Shiny app will be provided for model implementation; external validation is planned.

PURPOSE Although most patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) can expect an indolent course, progressive lymphoma remains the primary cause of death during the first decade after diagnosis. Progression of disease within 24 months (POD24) of starting first-line (1L) immunochemotherapy defines a high-risk population with poor survival, but better risk stratification at diagnosis is needed. METHODS The FLIPI24 model was developed and internally validated to predict 24-month event rates using individual data from 4,485 patients treated with 1L immunochemotherapy from 10 observational cohorts of FL. Overall and cause-specific survival was further evaluated in FLIPI24 risk groups. External validation in the 1L immunochemotherapy setting was performed using the prospective observational Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) cohort (N = 565) and three randomized phase III trials (N = 3,192); extension to all patients with FL (any 1L therapy) was performed in the LEO cohort (N = 1,445) and its Molecular Epidemiology Resource subcohort (N = 1,074). RESULTS The FLIPI24 model uses age and four blood-based variables (hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, beta-2 microglobulin, and WBC count). FLIPI24 showed consistent performance across validation and extension data sets, which was superior to existing prognostic tools. Across the four external immunochemotherapy validation data sets, patients with high-risk FLIPI24 (23%-32% of patients) had significantly higher 24-month event rates (22%-35%) and inferior 5-year overall survival (77%-83%) compared with patients with low-risk FLIPI24 (29%-31% of patients, 24-month event rates: 10%-12%; 5-year OS: 96%-97%). Results were consistent when evaluating lymphoma-related death and when extended to all patients with FL. CONCLUSION The FLIPI24 model robustly stratifies, at diagnosis, patients with FL at increased risk of lymphoma-related death versus patients with very low lymphoma-related mortality during the first decade after diagnosis. FLIPI24 can be used to enrich future clinical trial designs in newly diagnosed FL.

ABSTRACT Newly diagnosed patients with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) often have a history of other diseases, and these comorbidities can impact patient treatment and management options, as well as overall survival (OS). We developed the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) comorbidity index (LCI) as a sum of 10 comorbidities adapted from the Self‐Report‐Generated Charlson Comorbidity Index (SRG‐CCI) for use in the LEO cohort, a national prospective study of newly diagnosed NHL. Of the 5502 participants with self‐reported comorbidity data, 3107 (56.4%) were male and the mean age at diagnosis was 60.9 years (range, 18–99 years). The LCI ranged from 0 to 6, with 48.6% having 0, 30.2% having 1, 21.2% having 2 or more comorbidities. With a median follow‐up of 62.4 months among surviving participants, 2099 patients had an event and 1219 died. Continuous LCI similarly predicted both 1‐year mortality (c‐statistic = 0.654) and OS (c‐statistic = 0.655), while it showed a weaker but still statistically significant predictive ability for lymphoma‐specific (c‐statistics = 0.617) and event‐free (c‐statistic = 0.574) survival. Participants with 1 (HR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.05–1.39) and 2+ (HR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.56–2.08) comorbidities had inferior OS compared to those with no comorbidities after adjustment for age and sex (c‐statistic = 0.654), and performance strengthened after adjustment for the International Prognostic Index (c‐statistic = 0.672). LCI predicted OS most strongly in marginal zone (c‐statistics = 0.748) and weakest in T‐cell (c‐statistic = 0.579) lymphoma. The cumulative incidence of death due to lymphoma, lymphoma treatment, and other causes all increased with increasing comorbidities, with the greatest increase observed for death due to other causes. The LCI performs comparable to other published comorbidity indices, supporting its use in the LEO cohort to better model real‐world outcomes and more generally providing an approach to implementing comorbidity indices in cancer survivorship cohorts.

Abstract Purpose Data regarding the incidence, onset, and management of complex outpatient antimicrobial therapy–induced neutropenia (COIN) are limited, and pharmacist involvement in COIN management has not been reported. This report describes the incidence, onset, and management of COIN at a large academic medical center. Methods This multisite retrospective cohort study examined adult patients undergoing serum laboratory monitoring for antimicrobials over a 4-year period. Patients receiving chemotherapy or immunosuppressants were excluded. Data collected included the antimicrobial regimen, complete blood count, duration of antimicrobial therapy until outcome occurrence, infectious syndrome, type of intervention, outcome, and pharmacist involvement. Logistic regression was used to assess risk factors for COIN incidence. The primary outcome was the incidence of COIN by antimicrobial drug. Results From 4,261 treatment episodes, 161 cases of COIN were identified (3.8% COIN incidence). The most common antimicrobials associated with COIN were intravenous piperacillin/tazobactam, cefepime, and meropenem. The majority of COIN events were attributed to a combination of at least 2 antimicrobials. Piperacillin/tazobactam was significantly associated with higher odds of developing COIN (odds ratio [OR], 1.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-3.34; P = 0.038), whereas ertapenem was associated with significantly lower odds of COIN (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.24-0.77; P = 0.005). The median time to neutropenia diagnosis was 22 days (interquartile range, 14-29 days) from the time of inpatient antimicrobial start. Intervention for COIN occurred in 66.5% of cases, with neutrophil count recovering in 96.9% of these patients. Clinical pharmacists initiated 74.8% of interventions. Conclusion COIN can be effectively identified and managed by a multidisciplinary team reviewing routine laboratory monitoring, enabling most patients to safely complete antimicrobial treatment.

ABSTRACT Rituximab, gemcitabine, and oxaliplatin (R‐GemOx) is a commonly used chemoimmunotherapy regimen for relapsed or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL), but there are limited real‐world data. In a multicenter retrospective study from a cohort of eight US academic centers (LEO CReWE), we evaluated 183 patients with R/R DLBCL and high‐grade B cell lymphoma treated with R‐GemOx, including subgroups treated without intent for consolidation with autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy ( n = 100), those utilizing R‐GemOx as a bridge to ASCT or CAR T ( n = 83), and those aged 70 and older ( n = 71). Overall response rates (ORRs) for all patients treated with R‐GemOx were 45% with a complete response (CR) rate of 29%. The median event‐free survival (EFS) was 2.3 months, and the median overall survival (OS) was 13.5 months. Patients receiving R‐GemOx without intent for ASCT or CAR T had ORR and CR rates of 33% and 18%, respectively, with median EFS and OS of 2.0 and 9.5 months, respectively. Patients receiving R‐GemOx as a bridge to ASCT or CAR T had ORR and CR rates of 57% and 36%, respectively, with median EFS and OS of 3.5 and 17.4 months, respectively. Patients receiving R‐GemOx aged 70 and older had ORR and CR rates of 53% and 33%, respectively, with median EFS and OS of 2.2 and 13.9 months, respectively. These data provide a benchmark for R‐GemOx in the rapidly evolving landscape of R/R DLBCL therapies.

Background: Rituximab, gemcitabine, and oxaliplatin (R-GemOx) is a commonly utilized chemoimmunotherapy regimen for relapsed or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), especially for patients ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) or chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR T). R-GemOx is used as a comparator arm in several active phase III clinical trials for R/R DLBCL, including the POLARGO (polatuzumab vedotion and R-GemOx), STARGLO (glofitamab and GemOx), SUNMO (mosunetuzumab and polatuzumab vedotin), LOTIS-5 (loncastuximab tesirine and rituximab), and EPCORE DLBCL-1 (epcoritamab) studies. However, real-world data are limited to understand the patterns of use and outcomes of R-GemOx in the US. Methods: We developed a retrospective multicenter US cohort (known as LEO CReWE) of patients with R/R DLBCL and other aggressive B-cell lymphomas at the eight US academic centers participating in the LEO Cohort Study (NCT02736357). Patients first diagnosed with DLBCL (including transformed and high-grade B-cell lymphoma) from 2007 - 2022 who received second line (2L) or later therapy for R/R DLBCL with R-GemOx were included. Baseline characteristics, treatment, and follow-up data were abstracted by chart review. Index line of therapy was defined as the first receipt of R-GemOx therapy in the 2L or later setting. Intent for CAR T and/or ASCT was evaluated at each line of therapy based on medical records at the time of treatment initiation. Subgroup analyses were pre-planned in groups of special interest, including those treated with R-GemOx without intent for ASCT or CAR T, those treated as a bridge to CAR T, and those aged 70 and older. Results: 183 patients with R/R DLBCL treated with R-GemOx were included. At time of initiation of R-GemOx, median age was 68 years (range 21-88), with 71 patients (39%) aged 70+ and 18 (10%) aged 80+. Many patients had high risk features including 13% with high grade B-cell lymphoma and 56% with IPI 3 or greater. 21% had an ECOG performance status of 2 or greater. Patients received a median of 2 lines of therapy prior to the index line of R-GemOx (range 1-7). 52% of patients did not achieve a complete response (CR) to first-line therapy, and 20% relapsed <12 months from an initial CR. In all patients receiving R-GemOx, the overall response rate (ORR) was 45% (29% CR). At a median follow-up of 39 months, median EFS was 2.3 months (95% CI: 1.8-3.2), with 12-month EFS of 21% and a 24-month EFS of 15%. Median OS was 13.5 months (95% CI: 9.6-18.1), with a 12-month OS of 52% and a 24-month OS of 38%. In patients treated without intent for ASCT or CAR T, ORR was 33% (18% CR). Median EFS was 2.0 months (95% CI: 1.6-2.5) with 12- and 24-month EFS of 14% and 9%, respectively. Median OS was 9.5 months (95% CI: 6.6-16.1) with 12- and 24-month OS of 45% and 29%, respectively. In patients receiving R-GemOx as bridging to ASCT or CAR T, ORR was 57% (35% CR). 35% received CAR T and 14% received ASCT, while the remainder did not receive the intended therapy as part of this line. Median EFS was 3.6 months (95% CI: 1.8-5.2) with 12- and 24-month EFS of 28% and 25%, respectively. Median OS was 17.4 months (95% CI: 13.4-NR); 12- and 24-month OS were 61% and 50%, respectively. In patients aged 70+, ORR was 53% (33% CR). Median EFS was 2.3 months (95% CI: 1.6-5.2), with 12- and 24-month EFS of 20% and 18%, respectively. Median OS was 13.9 months (95% CI: 8.6-30.2); 12- and 24-month OS were 57% and 39%, respectively. Conclusion: This study represents the largest reported cohort of patients treated with R-GemOx in US academic centers to date. The ORR of 45% and CR rate of 29% CR, as well as median EFS and OS of 2.3 and 13.5 months, respectively, are consistent with findings from previous phase II studies; these results highlight that responses to R-GemOx are not durable and the vast majority of patients require additional therapy. This study demonstrates real-world evidence of the efficacy of R-GemOx in a large cohort of patients with R/R DLBCL from the US over a long period, including both transplant-eligible and -ineligible patients, and patients treated in the CAR T era. These data aid in providing a benchmark for active clinical trials in the rapidly evolving landscape of R/R DLBCL therapies and allow potential comparison to a real-world cohort of patients with a broad range of clinical characteristics.

Background: Financial toxicity (FT), or the negative impact of medical expenses experienced by patients, is a known adverse effect of cancer treatment that result in worse health outcomes for patients. However, there is limited literature investigating FT in lymphoma with even less data on predictors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic factors. As lymphoma treatment options expand, it is vital to understand the impact of these treatments on patients' financial well-being. We investigate FT through patient reported outcomes from the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO), a large multi-institution prospective cohort study of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed NHL were enrolled into the LEO cohort from 2015-2020. Clinical, pathology and treatment data were abstracted from medical records, and participants were offered self-administered surveys at enrollment and selected follow-up time points. Participants were included if they completed at least four of six survey questions on FT adapted from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) within the first year after diagnosis. Questions focused on either material hardship (unable to cover costs; file for bankruptcy; borrow money; work extra job or hours) or psychological stress (worried about paying large medical bills). We evaluated FT as answering positively to any question (any vs none). Associations with FT were evaluated using chi-squared tests. All analyses were performed using R (v4.2.2). Results: 3202 patients completed at least four survey questions relating to FT. Mean age at diagnosis was 62 years (18-94), 56% were male, and majority identified as white (90%). Characteristics associated with FT are reported (p<0.001). FT was more likely in younger patients: 18-25 years (64%, 30/47), 26-44 years (73%, 299/313), and 45-64 years (58%, 799/1375) as compared to those 65-79 years (36%, 459/1272) and ≥80 years (35%, 69/195). FT was highest in patients without a high school diploma (54%, 45/84), followed by patients with a high school diploma (52%, 209/402), and an associate's degree (57%, 358/627). It was lowest in patients with a bachelor's (45%, 224/296) or post-graduate degree (39.6%, 216/545). Higher FT was seen in those receiving disability income (65%, 47/72); whereas less FT was seen in retired patients (36%, 299/828). FT rates inversely correlated with income: 65% for income < $21,000 (184/283), 61% for $21,000- $39,999 (224/370) and 60% for $40,000-$65,999 (293/491). Lower FT noted for income range of $66,000-$106,000 (47%, 323/681) or > $106,000 (37%, 324/872). Patients separated from a partner (82.9%, 19/23) had the highest FT, followed by patients living with a partner (64%, 48/75), divorced (56%, 103/184), and never married (53.4%, 79/148). Patients who were married (47%, 793/1672) or widowed (41%, 60/146) reported the lowest FT. Higher FT was reported in DLBCL (55%, 631/1146), MCL (55%, 172/315), and TCL (53%, 119/226) when compared to FL (44%, 327/746), MZL (44%, 137/316), and other NHL (44%, 200/453). This is likely related to treatment as more FT was seen in patients who received an anthracycline and/or alkylator containing therapy (54%, 1066/1963) versus non-systemic (43%, 120/278) and observation (35%, 168/483). In multivariable analyses, FT strongly correlated with age at diagnosis, household income, and treatment type. The odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals for the most significant category within each variable are as follows: age per 1 year (0.96, [0.95-0.97]), income > $106,000 vs < $21,000 (0.28, [0.21-0.38]), and observation vs anthracycline and/or alkylator (0.56, [0.44-0.71]). Conclusion: Nearly 50% of patients with lymphoma experience FT, seen as material hardship and psychological stress, within the first year of diagnosis. Patients with a younger age (18-44), less education, and lower household income reported higher levels of FT; whereas those who were retired or married/widowed reported lower FT. Lymphoma subtypes that require more anthracycline and/or alkylator containing therapy imposed higher FT. Understanding these risk factors can help clinicians identify patients who may benefit from additional resources during lymphoma management.