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Swaika, Abhisek

Mayo Clinic

Northwell Health

Citations 25

Survival trends in young patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia: Over five decades of experience
Chohan, Karan , Vallumsetla, Nishanth, King, Rebecca L. , He, Rong , Gonsalves, Wilson I. , Inwards, David J. , Witzig, Thomas E. , Swaika, Abhisek, Reeder, Craig B. , Lacy, Martha Q. , Kumar, Shaji , Kyle, Robert A. , Ansell, Stephen M. , Kapoor, Prashant , Witzig, T.E. , Chohan, Karan L , Paludo, Jonas , He, Rong , Gonsalves, Wilson , Inwards, David J , Jain, Tania , Leung, Nelson , Ailawadhi, Sikander , Rajkumar, S Vincent , Kumar, Shaji K , Gertz, Morie A , Ansell, Stephen M , Paludo, Jonas , Larson, Dirk R. , Jain, Tania , Leung, Nelson , Ailawadhi, Sikander , Rajkumar, S. Vincent , Gertz, Morie A.

American Journal of Hematology | January 2, 2023 | Volume: 98 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 432-439

10.1002/ajh.26807 Get It

AbstractWaldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare, indolent lymphoma, that predominately affects the elderly. We report the outcomes of young WM patients, evaluated over five decades, compared to their older counterparts, matched for the time of diagnosis. Between January 1, 1960 and October 31, 2013, 140 (11.8%) WM patients were ≤50 years of age at diagnosis in our database, and their estimated 10‐year overall survival (OS) was 74%, with death attributable to WM in a higher proportion of patients compared to their older (≥65 years) counterparts (91% vs. 58%, p = .0001). Young patients were grouped into three cohorts based on the timing of the initiation of therapy: Group 1 (1960–1977, n = 12), Group 2 (1978–1995, n = 48), and Group 3 (1996–2013, n = 74). Among young patients, there was no disease‐specific survival (DSS) difference across the three periods, [median DSS at 13 years (95% CI 5–23), 16 years (95% CI 14–22), and 15 years (95% CI 10‐NR; p = .41), respectively]. However, DSS for the older cohort incrementally improved (Group 1, median 5.2 years, Group 2: 9.6 years, Group 3: 12 years; p = .05) over these periods. The estimated average years‐of‐life lost for the young cohort was 11.2 years from diagnosis, based on the expected survival for a normal age‐ and sex‐matched population. Despite a protracted disease course, nearly all young patients succumb to their disease. In contrast to the improved survival of the elderly patient population, the evolving treatment strategies in WM have not impacted the outcome of young patients; however, the impact of Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors on this unique patient population remains to be determined.
Awareness of myeloma care and the global impact of treatment: An international internet-based prospective study
Ailawadhi, Sikander , Swaika, Abhisek, Advani, Pooja , Hodge, David O. , Paulus, Aneel , Khera, Nandita , Hashmi, Shahrukh K. , Alegria, Victoria R., Abdulazeez, Mays F , Bodepudi, Srilekha, Jamwal, Khushi, Sher, Taimur , Chanan‐Khan, Asher , Ailawadhi, Meghna, Hodge, David, Abdulazeez, Mays, Chanan-Khan, Asher, Ailawadhi, Sikander , Paulus, Aneel , Roy, Vivek

Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice | March 10, 2021 | Volume: 28 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 425-433

10.1177/10781552211001928 Get It

Objective Outcomes in multiple myeloma (MM) have significantly improved necessitating focus on survivorship. Methods We undertook a web-based survey in collaboration with International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) to explore patient awareness and psycho-physical impacts of MM. The survey was viewed on the IMF website by 1,324 individuals from 32 countries. Results The survey responses were available from 959 individuals, with 62% who completed the survey. Treating doctors were the most frequent source of MM-related information. Only 56% patients admitted full compliance with treatment. Treatment side effects bothered 86% responders, including >50% admitting to pain, peripheral neuropathy and asthenia. Majority (57%) reported some degree of depression, 82% had discontent with their quality of life and only 35% reported being satisfied with their coping mechanisms. Patients ≥65 years of age reported more peripheral neuropathy (p = 0.007) and difficulty with ability to work (p = 0.015). Conclusions We report the prevalence of psychologic, social and physical domains as well as patient-physician relationship dynamics. This knowledge can help improve MM survivorship.Introduction
Trends in Disease Presentation, Management, Cost of Care and Outcomes: A Comprehensive Look at Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma (MM)
Frank, Ryan D. , Sharma, Mayank , Menghani, Richa, Temkit, M’hamed , Paulus, Shumail M., Khera, Nandita , Hashmi, Shahrukh K. , Advani, Pooja , Swaika, Abhisek, Paulus, Aneel , Aslam, Nabeel , Colón‐Otero, Gerardo , Chanan‐Khan, Asher , Paulus, Aneel , Ailawadhi, Sikander , Roy, Vivek

Blood | November 17, 2019 | Volume: 128 | Issue: 22 | Pages: 3544-3544

10.1182/blood.v128.22.3544.3544 Get It

Abstract Background: Disparities in MM survival among different racial groups persist despite improvements in overall survival (OS). We report a comprehensive review of the SEER Medicare database to elucidate the causes of differences in disease presentation, management practices, cost of care and their relationships to outcomes among the MM patients (pts) from different racial groups. Methods: Pts diagnosed with MM between 1991-2010 with continuous Medicare coverage (1 year prior to diagnosis-date of death/end of 2012) were included. MM complications (MM-C); hypercalcemia (C), renal dysfunction (R), anemia (An), bone fractures (B), dialysis (D) occurring prior to/within 30 days of MM diagnosis (at diagnosis; AT-D), or any time later (after diagnosis; AF-D) were summarized. Demographics, survival (PEDSAF files) and disease characteristics, drug/stem cell transplant (SCT) utilization (NCH, OUTSAF, PDESAF files) were obtained. Trends in incidence of MM-C, treatment type over time (proportional odds) and their association with race (logistic regressions) were compared. Associations between race, MM-C AT-D and MM related death using Fine and Gray's competing risk methods were analyzed. Medicare claims adjusted for inflation (2013) within the first 6 months (mth)/total MM care were summed by drug and total charges. Median cost of care by race and year of diagnosis were evaluated by Kruskal-Wallis (univariate) and proportional odds models (multivariate). Results: A total of 35842 pts (52.1% males) with median age of 76 yr (range 18-104) were included. Mutually exclusive racial subgroups were: White (W, 72%), Hispanic (H: 7.3%), African-American (AA, 16.2%), Asian (A, 4.1%), other (0.3%). A significantly increasing trend in the prevalence of all MM-C AT-D was seen over time (all p<0.001). For AF-D, all MM-C initially increased but decreased from 2006-2010 except D that showed continued increase (Fig 1A). For race, MM-C were significantly different, with AA having the most C, R, An and D while W having the most B (Fig 1B). Inferior OS was seen with male gender (p=0.006), increasing age, earlier years of diagnosis, belonging to W or H race, C, R and B (all p<0.001), but not with An (p=0.298) or D (p=0.378). Trends in OS over time showed a significant interaction with race in 1991-1995 (p<0.001), 1996-2000 (p=0.004) and 2001-2005 (p<0.001) but not in 2006-2010 (p=0.182), possibly due to shorter follow up. Medicare claims analysis showed that pts receiving any treatment increased from 12.8% in 1991-1995 to 59.3% in 2006-2010 (p<0.001). Specific therapy utilization, including SCT and all drug classes/agents evaluated increased except for cytotoxic chemotherapy utilization (melphalan/cyclophosphamide), which decreased (Fig 2A). Any therapy utilization was significantly different by race (p<0.001) with highest for H (36.5%) and lowest for AA (31.6%). Specific treatments differed significantly by race (Fig 2B). Cost of care analysis showed significant increase over years for median drug claims (0.23k to 3.63k) and total claims (5.11k to 27.8k) during first 6 mth as well as for any time after MM diagnosis (drug: 1.3k to 9.9k, total: 21.9k to 84k) (p<0.001 for all). Median drug claims in first 6 mth were highest among AA (1.3k) and lowest among A (0.63k) (p<0.001). Same was true for total claims in first 6 mth (p<0.001). For any time after diagnosis, H had the highest drug (p<0.001) and total (p=0.081) claims. There were significant interactions between year of diagnosis, race and cost of care with H seeing the highest increase in drug claims in first 6 mth (p<0.001) and any time (p=0.002). Conclusion: MM-C have generally decreased AF-D due to improved therapeutics although AA continue to have the highest rates of MM-C. Our data shows that utilization and cost of MM care have increased tremendously with resulting improved outcomes, but significant racial disparities persist. These disparities may be in part due to impaired access to new agents from lack of supplemental insurance for certain racial groups. Drug utilization and cost of care disparities may also be due to differences in co-morbidities, MM-C or access leading to differential healthcare utilization and should be explored in order to ameliorate disparities in outcomes. Disclosures Ailawadhi: Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Amgen Inc: Consultancy; Takeda Oncology: Consultancy.
Outcome Disparities in T-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and the Lack of Significant Improvement over the Years: A SEER Database Review
Crozier, Jennifer A. , Sher, Taimur , Swaika, Abhisek, Foran, James M. , Colón‐Otero, Gerardo , Chanan‐Khan, Asher , Yang, Dongyun , Tun, Han W. , Ailawadhi, Sikander

Blood | November 17, 2019 | Volume: 124 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 2597-2597

10.1182/blood.v124.21.2597.2597 Get It

Abstract Background: As of 2013, approximately 558,340 people are living with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Outcome disparities have been reported in lymphoid malignancies but a comprehensive analysis, especially with expanding ethnic minorities is necessary. We undertook a large Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) based analysis to describe outcome disparities in different subgroups of T-cell and B-cell NHL patients (pts), with a focus on various ethnicities. Methods: The SEER 18 Registry data (1973-2011) was utilized for pts with a confirmed diagnosis of T-cell or B-cell NHL. Cases that received a diagnosis at death certificate or autopsy, no follow-up records, no documented age at diagnosis, sex, or race/ethnicity were excluded. Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for gender, age, race, year (yr) of diagnosis, and stratified by SEER registries were used to evaluate association between pt characteristics and survival. All statistical tests were two-sided and utilized the SAS software (v9.4) with a two-sided significance level of 0.05. Results: The final analysis included 7,662 pts with T-cell NHL and 84,910 pts with B-cell NHL. The pt demographics are shown in Table 1. Pts were stratified based on yr of diagnosis to study the impact of therapeutic developments on pt outcomes (Table 1). Pts were also divided by T-cell NHL subtype: mature T-cell (9702/3) 51%, angioimmunoblastic T-cell (9705/3) 16%, anaplastic large cell (ALCL) (9714/3) 32%, and hepatosplenic gamma-delta cell (HSϒd) (9716/3) 0.8%. Median age at diagnosis was youngest for AA pts (54 yrs) and oldest for Asian pts (65 yrs) (Figure 1 A). Survival analysis revealed that females had a better median OS than males (3.3 yrs vs. 2.3 yrs, HR 0.876; 95% CI 0.824, 0.932; p<0.001). Increasing age was an independent predictor of worse overall survival, with pts age 18-44 having a median OS 9.4 yrs (HR 0.345; 95% CI 0.312, 0.382) and pts age ≥75 having a median OS of 1.0 yr (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference seen in median OS for pts with respect to yr of diagnosis (p=0.081). Among the different T-cell NHL subtypes, pts with ALCL had the best (3.8 yrs, HR 0.766; 95% CI 0.714, 0.822) and pts with HSϒd had the worst median OS (0.7 yrs HR 1.959; 95% CI 1.424, 2.695) (p<0.001). AA pts (1.7 yrs, HR 1.292; 95% CI 1.176, 1.419) and Hispanic pts (1.9 yrs, HR 1.215; 95% CI 1.087, 1.357) had significantly worse OS compared to White pts who had the longest median OS (3.1 yrs) (p<0.001) (Figure 1 B). To compare and contrast with aggressive B-cell NHL, similar analyses were performed using diffuse large B-cell (DLBCL) NHL (9680/3). DLBCL showed similar trends regarding sex, age and race. Ethnic minorities had significantly worse median OS including Hispanic (2.8 yrs, HR 1.154; 95% CI 1.111, 1.198) and AA pts (3.3 yrs, HR 1.261; 95% CI 1.212, 1.312) compared to White pts with a median OS of 5.8 yrs (p<0.001). B-cell NHL pts had a significant improvement in median OS over time with pts diagnosed in 2007-2011 having more than 3 times the median OS of pts diagnosed in 1973-1991 (7 yrs vs. 2.4 yrs; p<0.001). Conclusions: Studies of outcome disparities are important for evaluating disease characteristics and their relationship to specific pt populations over time. We have performed the largest population-based analysis for T-cell and B-cell NHL including various ethnicities in the novel therapeutic agent era. We observed that males, older pts and ethnic minorities had worse median OS for both T-cell and B-cell NHL. Despite novel therapeutics targeting T cells there has been no statistically significant improvement in OS over time. In contrast, significant improvement in B-cell NHL OS has been noted, presumably due to the advent of monoclonal antibodies. These results underline the urgency for the development of novel therapeutics as well as aggressive studies of disease biology and healthcare utilization for better triage of healthcare resources, especially for ethnic minorities. Table 1. Table 1. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Behavioral Patterns and the Role of Ethnicity in Patient Awareness of Multiple Myeloma and the Psychophysical Impact of Its Treatment
Advani, Pooja , Swaika, Abhisek, Alamgir, Ahsan, Chung, Brian , Duran, Christine, Groshen, Susan , Bola, Savrina, Chanan‐Khan, Asher , Tsao-Wei, Denice D , Chung, Brian, Ailawadhi, Sikander

Blood | November 17, 2019 | Volume: 124 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 2622-2622

10.1182/blood.v124.21.2622.2622 Get It

Abstract Background: There is a significant variation in disease incidence and outcomes among Multiple Myeloma (MM) patients (pts) from different ethnic backgrounds. Currently, there is a paucity of data regarding the influence of demographics and ethnicity on behavioral patterns of pts, their attitudes, beliefs, and knowledge about MM and its treatment, which could in turn affect outcomes. We conducted a questionnaire-based study to examine behavioral patterns of MM pts, especially focusing on ethnic minorities and how this may impact patient awareness and symptom complex related to the disease and its treatment. Methods: Apaper-basedquestionnaire consisting of 61 questions encompassing four broad categories was provided to participating pts at the University of Southern California Medical Centers. These included demographics, disease/treatment related quality of life (QoL), satisfaction regarding treatment, and satisfaction regarding treating physician/healthcare staff. Information on clinical characteristics and MM-related treatment was collected through an IRB-approved protocol. Pts were stratified by age, gender, and ethnicity (Hispanics vs. Non-Hispanics). Any missing patient responses were withdrawn from the final analysis of that question. Categorical and continuous variables were compared among groups using Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests, respectively. All statistical analysis utilized SAS software (v9.3) with a two-sided significance level of 0.05. Results: A total of 89 pts (males: 40, females: 49) from March 2012 to October 2013 responded to the questionnaire of the 100 pts that were consented (81%). Median age was 59 (range: 23-81) years and 43 (48%) pts were Hispanic while 46 (52%) were Non-Hispanic. Baseline clinical characteristics are shown in Table 1A. As compared to Non-Hispanics, Hispanic pts were less likely to have completed college (70% vs. 30%, p<0.001), attend myeloma support groups (90% vs. 10%, p=0.026), feel they had sufficient disease/treatment-related information (72% vs. 22.5%, p<0.001). Hispanic pts were more likely to report being unemployed/without any income (57.5% vs. 9%, p<0.001), have 3-4 people living in the house (57.5% vs. 26 %, p=0.009), feeling ill (43% vs. 21%, p=0.029), have concern about deterioration in clinical condition (66% vs. 41%, p=0.022), and inability to work due to symptoms from MM or its treatment (38.6% vs. 11.9%, p=0.005) when compared to Non-Hispanics. With respect to MM treatment, Hispanic pts were less likely to report that side effects were as expected (34% vs. 57%, p=0.036) and believe that treating staff worked towards the same goal (88% vs. 100%, p=0.020) as them. Hispanic pts also reported a lower level of satisfaction with their doctor /treatment staff, as compared to Non-Hispanic pts and this difference was statistically significant as shown in Table 1B. Using gender as the stratification factor, we noted that female pts were more likely to report lack of energy (p=0.037), pain (p=0.010), satisfaction with discussion on emotional health (p=0.012) as compared to males. With age as the stratification factor, patients < 60 years of age were less likely to report expected effectiveness from treatment (p=0.031), satisfaction regarding appropriateness of treatment (p=0.008) or explanation of test results by their doctor (p=0.036), and were more likely to worry about deterioration in their condition (p=0.014). We did not find a statistically significant association between age, gender, or ethnicity and response to initial myeloma treatment. Conclusions: We found a significant association between MM patient ethnicity and the pts responses to questions pertaining to their QoL, satisfaction with treatment and treating physician. This difference in disease/treatment related knowledge and attitudes may be related to socio-cultural and behavioral patterns and may contribute to factors such as treatment compliance, effectiveness and symptom complex burden amongst others, that can impact outcomes among ethnic subgroups of MM pts. Efforts to mitigate these differences should focus on improving methods of patient education, spread more awareness among ethnic minorities, integration of psychosocial care into cancer therapy and promoting health psychology research. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
VLX1570, a First in Class Dub Inhibitor, Modulates BCR Signaling and CXCR4 Expression and Demonstrates Significant In Vivo Antitumor Activity in a Murine Model of Human Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia
Samuel, Kelara, Yousaf, Hassan, Cogen, Davitte , Jiang, Jennifer , Swaika, Abhisek, Novak, Anne J. , Ansell, Stephen M. , Kyle, Robert A. , Martin, Peter , Coleman, Morton , Gullbo, Joachim, Linder, Stig, Otero-Colon, Geraldo, Chitta, Kasyapa S., Chanan‐Khan, Asher , Paulus, Aneel , Akhtar, Sharoon , Gertz, Morie A. , Witzig, Thomas E. , Weiner, George J. , Ailawadhi, Sikander , Roy, Vivek

Blood | October 12, 2019 | Volume: 126 | Issue: 23 | Pages: 703-703

10.1182/blood.v126.23.703.703 Get It

Abstract Background: Aberrant B-cell receptor (BCR) and MYD88 signaling cooperatively drive Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) tumor cell survival. To sustain BCR-driven growth and maintain optimal cellular homeostasis, WM cells upregulate proteasome function. We have recently described the role of two distinct 19S proteasome-associated deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), USP14 and UCHL5, in maintaining WM-cell viability. Pharmacologic inhibition with b-AP15 (commercial compound) results in WM-cell death and accumulation of high molecular weight ubiquitinated protein conjugates; an event that is phenocopied by siRNA knockdown of USP14 and UCHL5. VLX1570 is a lead-optimized clinical grade analog of b-AP15 with enhanced solubility, stability and target residence time. We investigated the effect of VLX1570 on BCR components, WM cell survival proteins and its in vivo activity in a human xenograft model of WM. Materials: VLX1570 was obtained from Vivolux AB and bortezomib from Sellekchem. Human WM cell lines (BCWM.1, MWCL-1 and RPCI-WM1) and their drug-resistant derivatives were used (total n=12). Bone marrow aspirates from WM-patients and from healthy donors were obtained from the Mayo Clinic biospecimens core. PBMCs from healthy donors were used as comparators where needed. NOD/SCID mice were obtained from Taconic Labs and used for profiling the in vivo properties of VLX1570. Results: We first examined for USP14/UCHL5 protein expression by immunohistochemical analysis in primary tumor tissue from WM patients and compared it to healthy donor cells. WM patient-derived cells exhibited greater staining intensity of both DUBs. Preferential binding of VLX1570 to USP14 and UCHL5 in WM cells was probed in a WM cell using an enzyme-based competition assay (HA-Ub-Vs), which demonstrated time-dependent decrease in labeled USP14 and UCHL5 after treatment with VLX1570. In drug-resistant (bortezomib or ibrutinib-resistant) WM cells, VLX1570 induced >50% tumor-specific apoptosis and displayed synergistic activity with ibrutinib (median CI: 0.5). In addition to ER stress markers, we had previously observed that gene expression of BCR-signalosome components were reduced in VLX1570-treated WM cells (NanoString platform) and this was substantiated at the protein level where p-SYK, SYK and BTK decreased in a time-dependent manner. BCR end-effectors were probed in response to VLX1570 and a decrease in nuclear translocation of NFkB (p65) was noted. USP14 has been shown to control the availability of the chemokine receptor CXCR4, which regulates homing of WM cells to bone marrow. After VLX1570 treatment, we noted a significant decrease in CXCR4 surface receptor expression in all WM cell lines tested and primary WM cells. Lastly, to determine the in vivo anti-WM effects of VLX1570, we injected NOD/SCID mice (xenotransplanted with RPCI-WM1-Luc cells) with VLX1570 (I.P. route, 4.4mg/kg every other day) and measured tumor burden along with pharmacodynamic indicators. VLX1570-treated mice (n=7) demonstrated significantly lower tumor volumes by caliper measurement and bioluminescent signal (p=0.01 - 0.003) as well as reduced serum human-IgM, compared to vehicle-treated mice (n=7). Importantly, mice treated with VLX1570 survived longer vs. vehicle-treated mice (median survival, 62 vs. 44 days, respectively, p=0.0008). No unforeseen toxicities were noted and weight of the mice in vehicle vs. VLX1570-treated mice did not significantly change. IHC analysis in mice tumor tissues demonstrated reduced CXCR4, human-IgM, Ki67 and increased cleaved caspase-3 and ubiquitinated (k48-linked) protein level, the latter serving as a more specific indicator of USP14/UCHL5 inhibition. Conclusions: We provide substantial in vitro and in vivo evidence on the anti-WM effects of a novel first-in-class clinical grade USP14/UCHL5 inhibitor, VLX1570. In addition to anticipated induction of ER stress machinery, we describe for the first time VLX1570-mediated modulation of BCR components and WM cell survival proteins as well as demonstrate its robust activity in an aggressive human xenograft model of WM. These data provide the rationale for a clinical trial of single agent VLX1570 in patients with symptomatic WM. Disclosures Martin: Janssen: Consultancy, Honoraria; Acerta: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy. Gullbo:Vivolux AB: Other: Shareholder. Linder:Vivolux AB: Other: Shareholder.
Survival Trends in Young Patients with Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia: Over 5 Decades of Experience
Vallumsetla, Nishanth, Ansell, Stephen M. , Swaika, Abhisek, Jain, Tania , Reeder, Craig B. , Kumar, Shaji , Lacy, Martha Q. , Thompson, Carrie A. , Hayman, Suzanne R. , Kyle, Robert A. , Kapoor, Prashant , Jain, Tania , Paludo, Jonas , Ailawadhi, Sikander , Habermann, Thomas M. , Witzig, Thomas E. , Go, Ronald S. , Buadi, Francis K. , Gonsalves, Wilson I. , Dispenzieri, Angela , Dingli, David , Rajkumar, S. Vincent , Gertz, Morie A.

Blood | October 12, 2019 | Volume: 128 | Issue: 22 | Pages: 1810-1810

10.1182/blood.v128.22.1810.1810 Get It

Abstract Background Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is an IgM-associated lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, first described over seven decades ago. Although WM is typically a disease of the elderly, with a median age at diagnosis of ~ 67 years, approximately 10% of patients are ≤50 years (y) of age at diagnosis. Data for young patients are sparse and the few available studies demonstrate inconsistent findings, with potential overestimation of survival owing to inclusion of patients with smoldering WM. In this case-control study, we evaluate outcomes, prognostic features and impact of changing therapies in a large cohort of young symptomatic WM patients compared to matched older patients seen over the course of the past five decades. Methods The medical records of all WM patients seen consecutively at Mayo Clinic from 01/1960 to 10/2013 were reviewed. Of 1181 patients, 140 (11.8%) were ≤ 50 y of age at diagnosis. A cohort of patients 65 y or older at diagnosis, matched 1:1 by the time of diagnosis, served as the control population. The patients were divided into 3 groups based on the timing of initiation of therapy: Group 1 (1960-1977), Group 2 (1978-1995) and Group 3 (1996-2013). The baseline characteristics were compared. Initiation of frontline therapy was used for all time-to-event analysis using the Kaplan Meier method. Results Younger patients were more likely to present with adenopathy and splenomegaly, have higher IgM levels and hyperviscosity symptoms (Table 1). The median follow-up from the frontline therapy was similar (10.7 y vs. 10 y for the control population). At the time of analysis, 91% of the deaths for the younger cases were WM-related compared to 58% in the control arm (p=0.0001). Younger patients had a better OS with a median disease-specific survival (DSS) of 15.6 y (95% CI: 13-21; 10-y OS of 77%) vs. 11 y (95% CI: 7.8-12; 10-y OS of 51%) for the older patient (p=0.0003). Among the young patients, there was no difference in the median DSS across the 3 groups (p=0.42). However, the median DSS for the control group incrementally improved (p=0.02) over the 3 time periods (Table 1). In the younger patients, no improvement in DSS was noted with the use of either frontline rituximab-based therapy compared to non-rituximab based regimens [median NR (95% CI: 7.6-NR) vs. 15.8 y (95% CI: 13-22) with other regimens, p=0.30], or frontline chlorambucil-based compared to non-chlorambucil based regimens [median 16 y (95% CI: 12-22) vs 15.6 y (95% CI: 12-NR) with other regimens, p=0.73]. In the control group, however, there was significant difference in DSS among patients who received frontline rituximab-based compared to non-rituximab based regimens [median NR (95% CI: 8.3-NR) vs 9.1 y (95% CI: 5.6-12) with other regimens, p=0.04], or frontline chlorambucil-based vs non-chlorambucil based regimens [8 y (95% CI: 5-12) vs 12.3 y (95% CI: 11-NR) in other regimens; p=0.001]. Conclusion Striking differences in presentation are evident in young WM patients compared to their older counterparts. The incorporation of rituximab to the previously existing anti-WM regimens and the transition to non-chlorambucil based regimens has resulted in substantial survival gains in the older WM population over the past five decades. However, such improvement in outcome has not yet been observed in the young patients. The majority of younger patients, despite a protracted disease course, succumb to their disease. Disclosures Ansell: BMS, Seattle Genetics, Merck, Celldex and Affimed: Research Funding. Ailawadhi:Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; Amgen Inc: Consultancy; Takeda Oncology: Consultancy. Reeder:Novartis: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; BMS: Research Funding; Millennium: Research Funding. Kumar:Kesios: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy, Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy; Onyx: Consultancy, Research Funding; Glycomimetics: Consultancy; Millennium: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Noxxon Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Array BioPharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Skyline: Honoraria, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Dispenzieri:Alnylam: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Prothena: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; GSK: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; pfizer: Research Funding; Jannsen: Research Funding. Kapoor:Celgene: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Amgen: Research Funding.
Appropriate Dose Adjustment of Dexamethasone Does Not Compromise Outcomes in Relapsed Refractory Multiple Myeloma
Swaika, Abhisek, Li, Zhuo , Sood, Neha, Laumann, Kristina, Shreders, Amanda , Kumar, Shaji , Chanan‐Khan, Asher , Lacy, Martha Q. , Roy, Vivek , Mıkhael, Joseph , Ailawadhi, Sikander

Blood | October 12, 2019 | Volume: 126 | Issue: 23 | Pages: 1839-1839

10.1182/blood.v126.23.1839.1839 Get It

Abstract Background: Dexamethasone (dex) is an integral part of various anti-myeloma regimens both in the frontline and relapsed/refractory (RR) setting. Several clinical trials have shown that dex adds to the efficacy of novel therapeutic agents for multiple myeloma (MM). Yet, a substantial number of patients are intolerant to even the standard of care low-dose dex (40 mg weekly), especially in heavily pre-treated RRMM, possibly due to cumulative steroid toxicities and thus, require dex dose adjustments. There is a concern of compromising the efficacy of anti-MM regimens by adjusting the dex dose lower. We describe the frequency of dex dose adjustment, characteristics of patients who required it and its effect on patient outcomes in a large prospective clinical trial of pomalidomide (pom) and dex in RRMM (MC0789). Methods: We utilized data from the Pom-dex trial (MC0789), which treated RRMM patients in different cohorts of pom (2 vs. 4 mg; 21 vs 28 days cycle) with fixed dose dex (40 mg orally weekly). Patients were divided into 2 subgroups, with any dose adjustment/elimination of dex vs. not. Continuous and categorical variables were compared between the two groups using two-sample t-test/Wilcoxon rank sum test or Chi-squared test, respectively. Logistic regression and Cox regression models were used to find the univariate and stepwise multivariate predictors of response to treatment and overall mortality, respectively. Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate overall survival (OS) at 1, 3, and 5 years. All statistical tests were two-sided with the alpha level set at 0.05 for statistical significance. Results: Results from the MC0789 clinical trial have been reported previously. Almost half of all treated patients in this trial had dex dose adjusted (n=175/343; 51%). The median number of cycles for the first dose adjustment in this group was 3 (range 1-62), with 46.5% of patients (n=82) having multiple dose adjustments and majority (58.3%, n=102) within the first 3 cycles of treatment. Patients in the dose adjustment group were significantly older (mean 65 vs 60 years; p=0.0001). Males, Whites and patients diagnosed before 2006 or with normal cytogenetics also had a higher incidence of dex dose adjustment, though this was not statistically significant. Patients with dex dose adjustment had a longer duration of treatment (mean 339 days) as compared to the non-adjusted cohort (mean 123.65 days) (95% CI 160.13, 270.58; p <0.0001). Dex dose adjustment was associated with a higher probability of responding in the clinical trial after a univariate (p<0.001) as well as multivariate (p<0.001) analysis. Patients with dex dose adjustment also had a significantly better OS at 1, 3 and 5 years by univariate (p<0.001) and multivariate (p<0.001) analysis. (Figure 1) The only other significant factor was lesser number of prior regimens (3 or less), associated with a higher probability of response (p=0.002) and survival (p<0.001). Conclusion: Our analysis established that in these heavily pre-treated RRMM patients, appropriate dose adjustment of dex did not compromise their response rates; patients remained on treatment significantly longer and had an improved survival. Majority of patients (58.3%) requiring dex dose adjustment had it instituted early during treatment (<3 cycles), suggesting that early disease progression was less likely to determine dex dose continuation or adjustment. Appropriate dex adjustments should be judiciously employed as they may ensure longer treatment duration with novel anti-MM therapeutic agents, conferring superior response and survival in this difficult to treat MM subgroup. This also paves the path to further optimize dex dose in various anti-MM regimens, especially in these patients who are more likely to be intolerant to it. Disclosures Kumar: Skyline, Noxxon: Honoraria; Celgene, Millennium, Onyx, Janssen, Noxxon, Sanofi, BMS, Skyline: Consultancy; Celgene, Millennium, Onyx, Novartis, Janssen, Sanofi: Research Funding.
Secondary Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia after Primary Solid Organ Malignancy: A SEER Analysis of Incidence and Outcomes
Swaika, Abhisek, Finn, Laura , Chanan‐Khan, Asher , Foran, James M. , Ailawadhi, Sikander , Yang, Dongyun

Blood | October 11, 2019 | Volume: 124 | Issue: 21 | Pages: 935-935

10.1182/blood.v124.21.935.935 Get It

Abstract Background: The incidence of secondary Acute Lymphoblastic leukemia (sALL) after a preceding first primary solid organ malignancy (1M) is not well defined. We undertook a Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-based analysis to describe the occurrence of sALL among adult patients with a history of common 1M's. We also evaluated differences in sALL survival on the basis of age, the site and extent of 1M, and for evidence of any underlying racial/ethnic disparity. Methods: The SEER-18 database (1973-2011) was interrogated for the current study. All confirmed cases of ALL (ICD-O-3 codes: 9811, 9812, 9814-18, 9826-28, 9835-37) in adult patients (age ≥18 years) were identified. De novo ALL vs. sALL was determined by using the SEER variable ‘First Malignant Primary Indicator'. 1M prior to the diagnosis of ALL was identified by merging all SEER databases together by patient ID number. Those with 1M stage of ‘in situ'; sALL cases reported <2 months after the diagnosis of 1M; and those with “unknown” information on 1M (n=471) were excluded. Standard race/ethnicity categories were used. Latency interval (time from diagnosis of 1M to sALL) was calculated for all patients. Overall survival (OS) was calculated as the interval from diagnosis to death, or censored at date of last contact, December 31st 2011, or 5 years after diagnosis, whichever came first. A proportional hazards Cox regression model was performed to evaluate the impact of sALL and latency on OS, adjusting for age at diagnosis, race/ethnicity, marital status, birthplace, SEER registry site, and year of diagnosis. All statistical tests were two-sided and utilized the SAS software (v9.4) with a two-sided significance level of 0.05. Results: A total of n=8,398 adult patients with primary ALL (1ALL) and n=414 with sALL were identified. Patient characteristics were significantly different between 1ALL & sALL (Table). Males comprised 49.8% of sALL patients as compared to 58% with 1ALL. Age at diagnosis of ALL was also significantly different, with 55.5% of sALL patients being ≥65 years as compared to 51.4% of 1ALL observed in the 18-44 years age group. Non-Whites comprised 27.3% of sALL and 40.4% of 1ALL, with Hispanics having the most differential distribution of 13.3% and 24.6%, respectively in the two groups. Distribution of sALL patients by latency from 1M is shown in Table. The majority of sALL patients had a diagnosis of local/regional (rather than advanced stage) 1M (Table). sALL patients had a significantly inferior OS when compared to 1ALL (HR 1.211, 95%CI 1.079-1.359) (Median OS 14 months vs. 18 months, Figure). sALL cases with longer latency interval (>5 year) appeared to have better median OS compared to shorter latency intervals, but this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.53). Conclusion: We have performed the largest population-based analysis identifying sALL after 1M, demonstrating that sALL patients are older and have significantly worse OS than 1ALL. We noted a lower relative incidence of sALL in Hispanics as compared with 1ALL, while the converse was true for Whites. Although detailed treatment data (specifically with respect to chemotherapeutic agents) is not available in SEER, it is possible that treatment for local/regional 1M - presumably adjuvant in nature - may be associated with the risk of sALL. Further analyses are required and are ongoing to confirm the relative incidence after specific 1M's, and the impact of both specific treatment modalities and the era of treatment for 1M on risk of developing sALL. Figure 1 Figure 1. Figure 2 Figure 2. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Socio-Demographic Parameters Including Race, As Predictors of Depression in Patients with Hematologic Malignancies
Shreders, Amanda , Niazi, Shehzad K. , Hodge, David O. , Chimato, Nicolette T., Kureti, Megha, Kirla, Navya, Swaika, Abhisek, Gustetic, Elaine, Foster, Renee, Nelson, Kimberly, Chanan‐Khan, Asher , Ailawadhi, Sikander

Blood | October 10, 2019 | Volume: 126 | Issue: 23 | Pages: 4517-4517

10.1182/blood.v126.23.4517.4517 Get It

Abstract Background: Cancer diagnosis and treatment are important risk factors for developing clinical depression. Validated tools for screening distress and depression, such as Cancer Distress Thermometer (DT) and PHQ9 (Patient Health Questionnaire), are underutilized, despite endorsement by NCCN and Institute of Medicine. We investigated patient and treatment characteristics as well as patient endorsement of depression or anhedonia to predict those at risk of having depression. Methods: The PHQ9 and/or DT were administered prospectively to patients with hematologic malignancies (HM) before they started antineoplastic therapy at Mayo Clinic in Florida. Patient endorsement of depression or anhedonia was collected from the current visit information survey. Patient demographics, disease and treatment characteristics, chronic medication burden, Charlson comorbidity index, living situation, clinic/hospital visit burden in the month prior to screening and number of psychiatric medications for every patient were recorded. Intergroup comparison of categorical and continuous variables was done by Chi-square and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, respectively. Linear or logistic regression models were used to compare PHQ9 score with DT (continuous) or endorsing depression or anhedonia (categorical) respectively. Multivariate models were constructed using the stepwise selection technique using all potential variables in the models. All analyses were completed using SAS v9.3. Results: Final analysis included 246 patients with a median age at diagnosis 64.5 (range: 18-94) years, diagnosed between 6/30/93-10/9/14 and screened between 1/13/11-2/13/15. PHQ9 score of ≥9 and DT score ≥5 suggested a high risk of depression and distress, respectively, as per published literature. Patient characteristics at time of survey and analysis are noted in table 1. PHQ9, DT and answers to two questions about depression and anhedonia were available on 129, 129 and 246 patients, respectively. 63% of patients were chemotherapy naïve. In multivariate analysis, PHQ9 score ≥9 was associated with living alone (p=0.003) (Fig.1a) and non-White race (p=0.043) (Fig.1b), while a DT score ≥5 was associated with being currently married (p=0.048) and female gender (p=0.02). The only characteristic significant on univariate but not on multivariate analysis being chemotherapy naive, associated with a DT score ≥5 (p=0.049). Answering "no" to both the questions regarding depression or anhedonia was significantly associated with a low score on PHQ9 (p=0.007). Age at diagnosis, Charlson comorbidity score, chronic medication or visit burden, daily psychiatric medication use or type of malignancy were not associated with scores on any screen. Conclusions: Causes of depression in patients with HM have not been fully explored. We validated previously known risk factors for depression, such as living alone. We also reported for the first time that non-White race independently predicts depression in these patients. Female patients and those currently married are at a higher risk of psychological distress, possibly due to fear of abandoning family. We also found that simply asking a patient two questions about feelings of depression or anhedonia significantly correlates with the well-established PHQ9. Our analysis provides simple tools and reveals at-risk patient subgroups with HM where depression and distress screening should be aggressively instituted for better resource utilization and survivorship. Table 1. Patient Characteristic N % Gender Male Female 146 100 59.4 40.6 Race White Non-White 216 30 87.8 12.2 Marital Status Married Not married* 180 66 73.2 26.8 Living Situation Alone With others 37 209 15 85 Type of Malignancy Aggressive lymphoid Indolent lymphoid Aggressive myeloid Indolent myeloid 124 94 25 3 50.4 38.2 10.2 1.2 Prior Cancer Treatment Yes No 91 155 37 63 Daily Psych Meds Yes No 52 194 21.1 78.9 Patient Status Alive Dead 191 55 77.6 22.4 *Not currently married=single, divorced, widowed or unknown Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.