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Maurer, Matthew J.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1867-0526

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic

Citations 471

Machine Learning–Based Survival Prediction Models for Progression-Free and Overall Survival in Advanced-Stage Hodgkin Lymphoma
Jørgensen, Rasmus Rask Kragh , Bergström, Fanny , Eloranta, Sandra , Severinsen, Marianne Tang , Smeland, Knut B. , Fosså, Alexander , Christensen, Jacob Haaber , Hutchings, Martin , Dahl‐Sørensen, Rasmus Bo , Kamper, Peter , Glimelius, Ingrid , Smedby, Karin E. , Parsons, Susan K. , Rodday, Angie Mae , Evens, Andrew M. , Rask Kragh Jørgensen, Rasmus , Bjøro Smeland, Knut , E Smedby, Karin , K Parsons, Susan , Maurer, Matthew , Evens, Andrew M , Fosså, Alexander , Maurer, Matthew J. , El‐Galaly, Tarec Christoffer , Jakobsen, Lasse Hjort

JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics | April 12, 2024 | Volume: No volume available | Issue: 8 | Pages: No page available

10.1200/cci.23.00255 Get It

PURPOSE Patients diagnosed with advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (aHL) have historically been risk-stratified using the International Prognostic Score (IPS). This study investigated if a machine learning (ML) approach could outperform existing models when it comes to predicting overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). PATIENTS AND METHODS This study used patient data from the Danish National Lymphoma Register for model development (development cohort). The ML model was developed using stacking, which combines several predictive survival models (Cox proportional hazard, flexible parametric model, IPS, principal component, penalized regression) into a single model, and was compared with two versions of IPS (IPS-3 and IPS-7) and the newly developed aHL international prognostic index (A-HIPI). Internal model validation was performed using nested cross-validation, and external validation was performed using patient data from the Swedish Lymphoma Register and Cancer Registry of Norway (validation cohort). RESULTS In total, 707 and 760 patients with aHL were included in the development and validation cohorts, respectively. Examining model performance for OS in the development cohort, the concordance index (C-index) for the ML model, IPS-7, IPS-3, and A-HIPI was found to be 0.789, 0.608, 0.650, and 0.768, respectively. The corresponding estimates in the validation cohort were 0.749, 0.700, 0.663, and 0.741. For PFS, the ML model achieved the highest C-index in both cohorts (0.665 in the development cohort and 0.691 in the validation cohort). The time-varying AUCs for both the ML model and the A-HIPI were consistently higher in both cohorts compared with the IPS models within the first 5 years after diagnosis. CONCLUSION The new prognostic model for aHL on the basis of ML techniques demonstrated a substantial improvement compared with the IPS models, but yielded a limited improvement in predictive performance compared with the A-HIPI.
What clinicians should know about surrogate end points in hematologic malignancies
Maurer, Matthew J. , Maurer, Matthew , Bommier, Côme , Lambert, Jérôme

Blood | April 11, 2024 | Volume: 144 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 11-20

10.1182/blood.2023022269 Get It

Abstract Use of surrogates as primary end points is commonplace in hematology/oncology clinical trials. As opposed to prognostic markers, surrogates are end points that can be measured early and yet can still capture the full effect of treatment, because it would be captured by the true outcome (eg, overall survival). We discuss the level of evidence of the most commonly used end points in hematology and share recommendations on how to apply and evaluate surrogate end points in research and clinical practice. Based on the statistical literature, this clinician-friendly review intends to build a bridge between clinicians and surrogacy specialists.
International Prognostic Score for Nodular Lymphocyte–Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma
Binkley, Michael S. , Flerlage, Jamie E. , Savage, Kerry J. , Akhtar, Saad , Steiner, Raphaël , Zhang, Xiaoyin , Dickinson, Michael , Major, Ajay , Hendrickson, Peter G. , Hopkins, David , Ng, Andrea K. , Casulo, Carla , Baron, Jonathan , Roberts, Kenneth B. , Alkendi, Jalila , Balogh, Alex, Torka, Pallawi , Specht, Lena , Silva, Ravi De , Pickard, Keir , Henry, M M , Smith, Christine M. , Brady, J.L. , Brennan, Bernadette , Сенченко, М. А. , Reeves, Marie, Terezakis, Stephanie , Fergusson, Paige, Hawkes, Eliza A. , Lee, Denise , Barraclough, Allison , Cheah, Chan Y. , Ku, Matthew , Mutsando, Howard , Gilbertson, Michael , Marconi, Tamara , Viiala, Nicholas , Hoppe, Richard T. , Borchmann, Peter , Fuchs, Michael , Hartmann, Sylvia , Eich, Hans Theodor, Skinnider, Brian, Milgrom, Sarah A. , Alomari, Mohammed H., Advani, Ranjana H. , Metzger, Monika L. , Wirth, Andrew, Smith, Sonali M. , Koenig, Julie L. , Sakthivel, Ku G., Gao, Sarah , Rahbi, Nasser Al, Sridhar, Akshay , Shah, Nimish , Osborne, Wendy , Chang, Isabela , Miall, Fiona , Mikhaeel, G., Penn, Anthony, Pepa, Roberta Della , Opat, Stephen , Tedjaseputra, Aditya , Palese, Monica , Kelly, Kara M. , Binkley, Michael Sargent , Major, Ajay , Hopkins, David , Ng, Andrea , Casulo, Carla , Baron, Jonathan , Roberts, Kenneth B , Al Kendi, Jalila , Ricardi, Umberto , Torka, Pallawi , Specht, Lena , De Silva, Ravindu , Pickard, Keir , Blazin, Lindsay J , Smith, Christine M , Brady, Jessica , Senchenko, Maria Anatolevna , Hoppe, Bradford S , Terezakis, Stephanie A , Hawkes, Eliza , Doo, Nicole Wong , Barraclough, Allison , Cheah, Chan Yoon , Ku, Matthew , Hamad, Nada , Gilbertson, Michael , Marconi, Tamara , Maurer, Matthew , Eichenauer, Dennis A , Hoppe, Richard T , Savage, Kerry J , Advani, Ranjana H , Opat, Stephen , Dickinson, Michael , Flerlage, Jamie E , Prica, Anca A. , Casulo, Carla , Blazin, Lindsay , Henry, Michael, Halperin, Daniel M. , Hoppe, Bradford S. , Talaulikar, Dipti , Picardi, Marco , Kirova, Youlia , Doo, Nicole Wong , Hamad, Nada , Maurer, Matthew J. , Eichenauer, Dennis A. , Hodgson, David C. , Rauf, M. Shahzad , Maghfoor, Irfan , Pinnix, Chelsea C. , Vega, Francisco , Alomari, Mohammed, Collins, Graham P. , Tsang, Richard , Kelsey, Chris R. , McKay, Pamela , Constine, Louis S , Plastaras, John Peter , Levis, Mario , Sridhar, Akshay, Volchkov, Egor Vasilevich , Northend, Michael , Salvaris, Ross , Shankar, Ananth , Natkunam, Yasodha

Journal of Clinical Oncology | March 26, 2024 | Volume: 42 | Issue: 19 | Pages: 2271-2280

10.1200/jco.23.01655 Get It

PURPOSE Nodular lymphocyte–predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) is a rare cancer, and large international cooperative efforts are needed to evaluate the significance of clinical risk factors and immunoarchitectural patterns (IAPs) for all stages of pediatric and adult patients with NLPHL. METHODS Thirty-eight institutions participated in the Global nLPHL One Working Group retrospective study of NLPHL cases from 1992 to 2021. We measured progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), transformation rate, and lymphoma-specific death rate. We performed uni- and multivariable (MVA) Cox regression stratified by management to select factors for the lymphocyte-predominant international prognostic score (LP-IPS) validated by five-fold cross-validation. RESULTS We identified 2,243 patients with a median age of 37 years (IQR, 23-51). The median follow-up was 6.3 years (IQR, 3.4-10.8). Most had stage I to II (72.9%) and few B symptoms (9.9%) or splenic involvement (5.4%). IAP was scored for 916 (40.8%). Frontline management included chemotherapy alone (32.4%), combined modality therapy (30.5%), radiotherapy alone (24.0%), observation after excision (4.6%), rituximab alone (4.0%), active surveillance (3.4%), and rituximab and radiotherapy (1.1%). The PFS, OS, transformation, and lymphoma-specific death rates at 10 years were 70.8%, 91.6%, 4.8%, and 3.3%, respectively. On MVA, IAPs were not associated with PFS or OS, but IAP E had higher risk of transformation (hazard ratio [HR], 1.81; P < .05). We developed the LP-IPS with 1 point each for age ≥45 years, stage III-IV, hemoglobin <10.5 g/dL, and splenic involvement. Increasing LP-IPS was significantly associated with worse PFS (HR, 1.52) and OS (HR, 2.31) and increased risk of lymphoma-specific death (HR, 2.63) and transformation (HR, 1.41). CONCLUSION In this comprehensive study of all ages of patients with NLPHL, we develop the LP-IPS to identify high-risk patients and inform upcoming prospective clinical trials evaluating de-escalation of therapy for patients with low LP-IPS scores (<2).
Matched control analysis suggests that R-CHOP followed by (R)-ICE may improve outcome in non-GCB DLBCL compared with R-CHOP
Bantilan, Kurt S. , Smith, Alexandra N., Maurer, Matthew J. , Teruya‐Feldstein, Julie , Matasar, Matthew J. , Moskowitz, Alison J. , Straus, David J. , Noy, Ariela , Palomba, M. Lia , Horwitz, Steven M. , Portlock, Carol S., Nowakowski, Grzegorz S. , Moskowitz, Craig H. , Hamlin, Paul A , Cerhan, James R , Salles, Gilles A , Nowakowski, Grzegorz S , Zelenetz, Andrew D , Maurer, Matthew , Horwitz, Steven M , Matasar, Matthew , Noy, Ariela , Cerhan, James R. , Habermann, Thomas M. , Salles, Gilles , Zelenetz, Andrew D.

Blood Advances | January 25, 2024 | Volume: 8 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 2172-2181

10.1182/bloodadvances.2023011408 Get It

Abstract Rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) is considered the standard-of-care for patients with advanced-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), despite findings that patients with nongerminal center B-cell like (non-GCB) have significantly worse outcome with this regimen. We evaluated the prognostic significance of baseline risk factors, including cell of origin (COO) classified by the Hans algorithm, within an alternative chemoimmunotherapy program. At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), 151 patients with DLBCL received sequential R-CHOP induction and (R)-ICE (rituximab, ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide) consolidation. Outcome analysis based on COO was validated with a propensity score–matched cohort treated with R-CHOP from the Mayo Clinic component of the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER). Among the patients with GCB (n = 69) and non-GCB (n = 69) at MSK, event-free survival (EFS) of non-GCB was superior to that of GCB (hazard ratio [HR], 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29-0.98). Overall survival (OS) demonstrated an association in the same direction but was not statistically significant (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.33-1.42). Propensity score–matched patients from MSK (n = 108) demonstrated a small attenuation in the HRs for EFS (HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.27-1.18) and OS (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.33-1.79) and were no longer statistically significant. In contrast, the matched MER cohort (n = 108) demonstrated an EFS association (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.70-1.95) and OS association (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.64-2.00) in the opposite direction, but were also not statistically significant. R-CHOP induction and (R)-ICE consolidation may overcome the negative prognostic impact of the non-GCB phenotype, per the Hans algorithm, and can be preferentially selected for this population. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT00039195 and #NCT00712582.
The Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes cohort study: Design, baseline characteristics, and early outcomes
Cerhan, James R. , Maurer, Matthew J. , Link, Brian K. , Feldman, Andrew L. , Habermann, Thomas M. , Jaye, David L. , Burack, Richard , McDonnell, Timothy J. , Vega, Francisco , Chapman, Jennifer R. , Leonard, John P. , Bernal‐Mizrachi, Leon , Alderuccio, Juan Pablo , Riska, Shaun M., Gysbers, Brianna, Lunde, Julianne J. , Reicks, Tanner W., Ayers, Amy , O’Leary, Colin B. , Yost, Kathleen J. , Nowakowski, Grzegorz S. , Ruan, Jia , Koff, Jean L. , Thompson, Carrie A. , Cohen, Jonathon B. , Lossos, Izidore S. , Friedberg, Jonathan W. , Martin, Peter W., Flowers, Christopher R. , Burack, W Richard , Syrbu, Sergei , Vij, Kiran R , Bernal-Mizrachi, Leon , Witzig, T.E. , Weiner, George , Wang, Yucai , Alderuccio, Juan Pablo , Slager, Susan L , Liu, Hongfang , Chihara, Dai , Koff, Jean L , Casulo, Carla , Thompson, Carrie A , Cohen, Jonathon B , Kahl, Brad S , Lossos, Izidore S , Feldman, Andrew L , Maurer, Matthew , Cerhan, James R , Vega, Francisco , Link, Brian K , Habermann, Thomas , Jaye, David L , Syrbu, Sergei , Inghirami, Giorgio , Farooq, Umar , Witzig, Thomas E. , Weiner, George J. , Wang, Yucai , Slager, Susan L. , Larson, Melissa C. , Liu, Hongfang , Chihara, Dai , Casulo, Carla , Kahl, Brad S. , Nastoupil, Loretta J. , Martin, Peter

American Journal of Hematology | January 13, 2024 | Volume: 99 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 408-421

10.1002/ajh.27202 Get It

AbstractTo address the current and long‐term unmet health needs of the growing population of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients, we established the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) cohort study (NCT02736357; https://leocohort.org/). A total of 7735 newly diagnosed patients aged 18 years and older with NHL were prospectively enrolled from 7/1/2015 to 5/31/2020 at 8 academic centers in the United States. The median age at diagnosis was 62 years (range, 18–99). Participants came from 49 US states and included 538 Black/African‐Americans (AA), 822 Hispanics (regardless of race), 3386 women, 716 age <40 years, and 1513 rural residents. At study baseline, we abstracted clinical, pathology, and treatment data; banked serum/plasma (N = 5883, 76.0%) and germline DNA (N = 5465, 70.7%); constructed tissue microarrays for four major NHL subtypes (N = 1189); and collected quality of life (N = 5281, 68.3%) and epidemiologic risk factor (N = 4489, 58.0%) data. Through August 2022, there were 1492 deaths. Compared to population‐based SEER data (2015–2019), LEO participants had a similar distribution of gender, AA race, Hispanic ethnicity, and NHL subtype, while LEO was underrepresented for patients who were Asian and aged 80 years and above. Observed overall survival rates for LEO at 1 and 2 years were similar to population‐based SEER rates for indolent B‐cell (follicular and marginal zone) and T‐cell lymphomas, but were 10%–15% higher than SEER rates for aggressive B‐cell subtypes (diffuse large B‐cell and mantle cell). The LEO cohort is a robust and comprehensive national resource to address the role of clinical, tumor, host genetic, epidemiologic, and other biologic factors in NHL prognosis and survivorship.
Challenges identifying DLBCL patients with poor outcomes to upfront chemoimmunotherapy and its impact on frontline clinical trials
Atallah‐Yunes, Suheil Albert , Khurana, Arushi , Maurer, Matthew J. , Maurer, Matthew , Atallah-Yunes, Albert

Leukemia & Lymphoma | January 5, 2024 | Volume: 65 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 430-439

10.1080/10428194.2023.2298705 Get It

Real-World Impact of Differences in the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification and International Consensus Classification (ICC) Systems on the Diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: An Analysis from the LEO Cohort Study
Abro, Brooj , Chapman‐Fredricks, Jennifer R., Cohen, Jonathon B. , Friedberg, Jonathan W. , Lossos, Izidore S., Martin, Peter , McDonnell, Timothy J. , Riska, Shaun M., Flowers, Christopher R. , Feldman, Andrew L., Maurer, Matthew J. , Habermann, Thomas M. , Burack, Richard , Inghirami, Giorgio , Kahl, Brad S. , Larson, Melissa C. , Link, Brian K. , Lossos, Izidore S. , Nastoupil, Loretta J. , Syrbu, Sergei , Vega, Francisco , Vij, Kiran R , Cerhan, James R. , Jaye, David L. , Feldman, Andrew L.

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 3708-3708

10.1182/blood-2023-179303 Get It

Introduction: The use of standardized, evidence-based classification systems is crucial for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Moreover, standardized classification facilitates research and epidemiologic studies and promotes consistency in communication among healthcare professionals. Since 2016, the revised 4 th edition of the World Health Organization classification (WHO-HAEM4R) has been the global standard for diagnosis of lymphoid malignancies. With the emergence of new data, 2 new classification systems were developed and published in 2022: the 5 th edition of the WHO Classification (WHO-HAEM5) and the International Consensus Classification (ICC). Both WHO-HAEM5 and ICC maintain a shared fundamental concept of disease classification that integrates clinical, pathologic, and molecular data. However, they differ on nomenclature, establishment of new entities, and/or diagnostic criteria for some disease categories. To evaluate the impact of these differences on real-world diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), we examined the diagnostic classification of NHL in the Lymphoma Epidemiology of Outcomes (LEO) Cohort Study (NCT02736357). Methods: Initiated in 2015, LEO is an ongoing prospective observational study of patients aged ≥18 years with newly diagnosed NHL. Patients are enrolled at 8 major U.S. medical centers. Clinical, epidemiologic, pathologic, and treatment data are abstracted at baseline and active follow-up is conducted for all patients. Lymphoma subtype is coded for each case based on expert hematopathology re-review of the diagnostic pathology slides, the pathology report, biomarker data, and clinical data. Of note, NHL subtype distribution is similar to SEER data. We studied all patients enrolled in LEO between 7/1/2016 (the date LEO pathology review started using WHO-HAEM4R diagnostic codes) and 5/31/2020. WHO-HAEM4R diagnoses and additional clinicopathologic data, when relevant, were used to map cases into the corresponding WHO-HAEM5 and ICC diagnoses. Differences between WHO-HAEM5 and ICC were annotated for each case as: None - same disease entity; Minor - difference in nomenclature with similar diagnostic criteria; Major - difference in disease category and/or diagnostic criteria; or Unevaluable - insufficient data to assign WHO-HAEM5 and/or ICC diagnosis. Results: LEO enrolled 6143 patients during the study period. Of these, comparison between WHO-HAEM5 and ICC was evaluable in 5730 (93.3%). Unevaluable cases included those without a specific WHO-HAEM4R diagnosis at enrollment (N=384; e.g., patients with a low-grade B-cell lymphoma that could not be definitively sub-classified) and those with a specific WHO-HAEM4R diagnosis, but with insufficient clinicopathologic data to assign a specific WHO-HAEM5 and/or ICC diagnosis (N=29). Of the 5730 evaluable cases, 5376 (93.8%) showed no difference between WHO-HAEM5 and/or ICC diagnosis, 311 (5.4%) showed minor differences (nomenclature only), and 43 (0.8%) showed major differences (Table 1). The 43 major differences all involved B-cell NHLs; 20 (46.5%) were attributable to different approaches to classifying double-hit lymphomas, 21 (48.9%) to classification of splenic/leukemic B-cell lymphomas, and 2 (4.6%) to classification of B-cell lymphomas occurring at specific anatomic sites (Table 2). Conclusion: In a large, prospective lymphoma cohort reflecting real-world clinical practice at 8 major U.S. medical centers, major diagnostic differences in the classification of NHL using WHO-HAEM5 or ICC classification criteria were seen in 0.8%, whereas the remaining 99.2% of diagnoses were either the same or showed differences in nomenclature only. The existence of 2 concurrent classification systems presents potential for discrepancies in pathologic diagnosis, clinical practice, clinical trials, and other lymphoma research. Furthermore, some of the differences between WHO-HAEM5 and ICC are clinically and potentially therapeutically significant, and their resolution requires further study. Nevertheless, our findings argue that the proportion of patients affected would be small in real-world practice settings. This appears largely related to incidence rates of specific lymphoma subtypes, with major differences between the 2 classifications predominantly affecting rare entities, while there is general concordance on the most common forms of NHL.
Truncating SPEN Mutations Highlight BN2-Subtype DLBCL with Aggressive Biology and Features of Immune Evasion
Wenzl, Kerstin , Serres, MaKayla R., Bock, Allison M. , Hopper, Melissa A. , Dropik, Abigail R. , Laverty, Miranda S., Sarangi, Vivekananda , King, Rebecca L. , Ansell, Stephen M. , Nowakowski, Grzegorz S. , Novak, Anne J. , Walker, Janek S. , Novak, Joseph P. , Manske, Michelle K. , Krull, Jordan E. , Laverty, M., Maurer, Matthew J. , Rimsza, Lisa M. , Link, Brian K. , Habermann, Thomas M. , Witzig, Thomas E. , Cerhan, James R.

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 4140-4140

10.1182/blood-2023-181974 Get It

Introduction: Molecular classifications have been developed to characterize the heterogeneity of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), with activation of BCL6 and Notch signaling pathways acting as driving pathogenic features in C1/BN2 subtype tumors. Among C1/BN2 defining variants are truncating/inactivating SPEN mutations. SPEN regulates the Notch signaling pathway by initiating formation of a repressive complex that facilitates transcriptional repression of Notch target genes. Our group has identified SPEN mutations enriched in DLBCL cases failing to achieve event-free status at 24 months (EFS24). This contrasted with generally favorable outcomes in C1/BN2 tumors, suggesting a potential high-risk molecular feature with unexplored significance. Presenting an opportunity to expand underlying mechanisms and risk stratification in C1/BN2 tumors, we aimed to use a functional genomic approach, combined with clinical data, to characterize the alternative biology stemming from SPEN truncating mutations. Methods: FFPE tumor biopsies from newly diagnosed DLBCL cases (N=444) enrolled in the Mayo Clinic/Iowa Lymphoma Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER) program were analyzed by WES (n=404) and RNA-seq (n=321). Biologic and clinical variables were annotated for all cases. CRISPR/Cas9 introduced truncating mutations to the endogenous SPEN locus in OCI-LY3 & SU-DHL-2 ABC-type human cell lines to establish models of SPEN depletion. Functional in vitro analysis utilized standard methods for RNA-seq, cell proliferation, western blot, and flow cytometry. Results: WES identified 29/404 ndDLBCL (7.2%) harboring SPEN mutations; n=17 missense and n=12 nonsense or frameshift insertions/deletions (truncating variants - [trunc]), the later considered as the focal point of our study. Against all cases, SPEN trunc cases displayed enrichment for high-risk factors including non-GCB COO (p=0.06, OR=3.7, 95% CI [0.9, 22.2]) and primary refractory disease (PTR; p=0.02, OR=5.0, 95% CI [1.05, 19.9]), and demonstrated inferior OS (p=0.06, HR=2.2), where a majority of clinical progression events occurred within 12 months of diagnosis. Leveraging RNA-seq, we observed 11 of 11 SPEN trunc cases exhibiting a double-hit negative gene expression signature, 9/11 cases with inflammatory or depleted microenvironment (LME), and 8/11 with a signature associating with intermediate/high risk of EFS24 failure. Applying the LymphGen algorithm, 5/12 SPEN trunc cases received the BN2 classification, observing co-occurring mutations with CD70 (p&lt;0.01, OR=9.68), BRCA2 (p=0.03, OR=5.84), TET2 (p=0.02, OR=4.91), IRF4 (p=0.02, OR=7.27), and PTPRD (p&lt;0.01, OR=8.31) genes, and were mutually exclusive with ARID1A, BCL2, EZH2, FAS, HLA-B, IRF8, and TMEM30A mutations ( Figure 1A). Isolating SPEN trunc against BN2 cases without SPEN variants (n=14), despite similar clustering of non-GCB COO (p=0.7), PTR was exclusively observed in SPEN trunc cases, accompanied again by inferior OS (p=0.07, HR=4.2; Figure 1B). In the OCI-LY3 SPEN depletion model, GSEA analysis from RNA-seq revealed activation of E2F (NES=2.7; p=9.4E-20) and MYC target genes (NES=2.3; p=4.1E-6), while both OCI-LY3 and SU-DHL-2 models featured depletion of antigen presentation genes (NES= -1.8, p=5.7E-4; NES= -2.2, p=3.8E-7, respectively). A decrease of MHC class II proteins (HLA-DR, HLA-DP) was confirmed by flow cytometry in both models (p&lt;0.01). Hypothesizing loss of SPEN enhances reliance on the BCL6-HDAC3 axis featured in BN2 tumors, we treated both SPEN depletion models with a class-I HDAC inhibitor highly selective for HDAC3, BRD-3308, and indeed observed a 1.4 and 2.4-fold increase in sensitivity compared to WT cells (p=0.07, p&lt;0.01, respectively). Significance: We find SPEN trunc mutations in poor acting DLBCL cases with clinical and biologic characteristics that diverge from C1/BN2 biology. The enhanced rate of clinical progression highlights urgency to better characterize these tumors. Our data suggests loss of SPEN regulatory mechanisms may act cooperatively with C1/BN2 biology to facilitate tumor immune evasion and drive progression through Notch-mediated pathways. Importantly, in vitro evidence shows SPEN deficient lymphoma cells are susceptible to targeted therapeutics against dependent pathways, providing rationale for advancing individualized care strategies for affected patients.
Cumulative Incidence, Predictors, and Outcomes of Transformation to Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma in a Prospective Cohort of Patients with Marginal Zone Lymphoma
Gysbers, Brianna, Khurana, Arushi , Thompson, Carrie A. , Alderuccio, Juan Pablo , Koff, Jean L. , Lossos, Izidore S. , Nowakowski, Grzegorz S. , King, Rebecca L. , Koff, Jean L , Bommier, Côme , Link, Brian K. , Maurer, Matthew J. , Larson, Melissa C. , Wang, Yucai , Chihara, Dai , Feldman, Andrew L. , Habermann, Thomas M. , Cerhan, James R.

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 1672-1672

10.1182/blood-2023-186626 Get It

Background: Although marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) typically exhibits an indolent course, transformation to diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL) is associated with a poorer outcome and remains a clinical challenge in managing patients with MZL. The limited existing literature reports various cumulative incidence rates, ranging from 2.5% and 4.7% (Finnish Cancer Registry, 1995-2018) to 6.6% and 8.4% (Florida Cancer Registry, 1995-2016) at 5 and 10-years, respectively, likely in part driven by varying study designs, ascertainment, and study population. Similarly, reported outcomes after transformed MZL (tMZL) have been variable. We evaluated the cumulative incidence of histological transformation (HT) to LBCL in a well-characterized prospective cohort of MZL patients from the upper Midwest, USA, and overall survival (OS) after transformation. Methods: Patients ≥ 18 years old with newly diagnosed MZL were prospectively enrolled in the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER) cohort from 2002-2015. Clinical and treatment data were abstracted from medical records using a standard protocol. Patients were actively followed for retreatment, transformation, and death through 2022. Pathology was classified according to WHO 4/4R, including all transformations. The cumulative incidence of HT to LBCL was determined using death as a competing risk. Time to HT (TTHT) was defined as time from the date of MZL diagnosis to the date of transformation. We evaluated potential predictors of HT using a stepwise approach, and derived hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) from Cox proportional hazards models. To assess predictors of OS after HT, patients ≥ 18 years old with newly diagnosed tMZL (into DLBCL) at Mayo Clinic between 1995 and 2002 (N=7) were combined with the MER cases. Results: We identified 524 patients with MZL in the MER cohort: 362 extranodal (EMZL; lung 18%, stomach 16%, orbit 13%, parotid 10%, skin 10%), 84 splenic (SMZL), and 78 nodal (NMZL). The median age at diagnosis was 63 years (range 18-92); 56% were female, and 83% were non-Hispanic white. During a median follow-up of 18.8 years (95% CI 16.7, NA), there were 25 HT (including 8 patients under observation) and 158 deaths. Eight Ten-year OS was 67% and 77% in the groups with and without HT, respectively. The overall cumulative incidence of HT was 1.5% at 2 years after diagnosis, 2.9% at 5 years, 4.5% at 10 years, and 5.7% at 15 years (Panel 1). The cumulative incidence of HT varied by subtype (e.g., at 5 years: 2%, 4% and 6%, in EMZL, NMZL and SMZL, respectively; Panel 2). The median time to HT also varied by subtype: 76 months (interquartile range (IQR) 43, 81) for EMZL, 30 months (IQR 16, 52) for SMZL, and 18 months (IQR 14, 23) for NMZL. In univariable analysis, predictors of HT were Stage III/IV (HR=3.4, 95% CI 1.36-8.53, p=0.009), elevated LDH (HR=2.98, 95% CI 1.25-7.12, p=0.014), and presence of ≥2 extranodal sites (HR=2.69, 95% CI 1.22-5.94, p=0.014). In multivariable analysis, elevated LDH was the only non-composite predictor of HT (HR=2.65, 95% CI 1.08-6.52, p=0.034). MALT-IPI score 2-3 (HR=3.61, 95% CI 1.06-12.25, p=0.040) and FLIPI score 3-5 (HR=2.19, 95% CI 1.22-8.22, p=0.018) also predicted HT. We analyzed OS after HT in 32 cases of tMZL (21 tEMZL, 7 tSMZL, 4 tNMZL). At HT, median age was 68 years (range 39-89); 24 (80%) patients presented with stage III/IV disease, 11 (58%) with elevated LDH, 12 (55%) with hemoglobin &lt;12g/dL, 3 (14%) with platelet count &lt;100x10 9/L and 9 (39%) with biopsy-proven bone marrow involvement. Twenty-six (81%) were treated with a systemic therapy, mainly CHOP-backbone therapy (R-CHOP n=13, CHOP n=4, R-EPOCH n=3, lenalidomide-R-CHOP n=1). Among these patients, the overall response rate was 85% (n=22/26). Three of the 4 non-responders died within 1 year. At last follow-up, 18/32 (56%) patients had died, and 6/13 (46%) alive patients had relapsed (MZL 3/6, DLBCL 3/6). After HT, 2-, 4- and 10-year OS were 76%, 55% and 55%, respectively. In univariable analysis, the only predictor of OS at HT was age ≥70 (HR 3.57 ,95% CI 1.34-9.48, p=0.011). Conclusion: In this North American prospective cohort of mainly non-Hispanic White patients, we found a low cumulative incidence of HT in MZL of 2.9% and 4.5% at 5- and 10-year, which was consistent with the Finnish findings (Kalashnikov et al., 2023). At HT, age was associated with OS and there was a high response rate to CHOP-backbone therapies.
Gene Expression Profiling Reveals Two Overarching Types of Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma with Distinct Targetable Biology: An L.L.M.P.P. Study
Dasari, Surendra , Amador, Catalina, Chan, Wing C. , Cook, James R. , Farinha, Pedro , Fu, Kai , Greiner, Timothy C. , Ondrejka, Sarah L. , Ott, German , Rosenwald, Andreas , Slack, Graham W. , Staudt, Louis M. , Wright, George W. , Zeng, Yu , Yoshino, Tadashi, Wu, Xiaojun , Satou, Akira , Perry, Anamarija M. , Ko, Young Hyeh , Jiang, Liuyan , Chen, Weina , Chapman‐Fredricks, Jennifer R., Ansell, Stephen M. , Aljudi, Ahmed, Farinha, Pedro , Wright, George , Feldman, Andrew L. , Rimsza, Lisa M. , Scott, David W. , Oishi, Naoki , Campo, Elı́as , Delabie, Jan , Inghirami, Giorgio , Iqbal, Javeed , Jaffe, Elaine S. , Pittaluga, Stefania , Raess, Philipp W. , Savage, Kerry J. , Slager, Susan L. , Song, Joo Y. , Wang, Hao‐Wei , Wilcox, Ryan A. , Wang, Xueju , Miranda, Roberto N. , Medeiros, L. Jeffrey , Maurer, Matthew J. , Mou, Eric , Karube, Kennosuke , Kahl, Brad S. , Jaye, David L. , Leval, Laurence de , Cerhan, James R. , Barrionuevo, Carlos

Blood | December 1, 2023 | Volume: 142 | Issue: Supplement 1 | Pages: 847-847

10.1182/blood-2023-186969 Get It

Background: Anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCLs) are CD30-positive T-cell lymphomas that share pathologic features but differ in clinical presentation, outcome, and molecular features. The World Health Organization (WHO) and International Consensus Classification (ICC) classify ALCLs by presence or absence of ALK rearrangements (R) and clinical presentation (systemic, cutaneous [c], or breast implant-associated [BIA]). ICC, but not WHO, recognizes DUSP22-R as defining a new genetic subtype of ALK- ALCL. The classifications otherwise do not reflect additional molecular heterogeneity in genetics (e.g., TP63-R) or therapeutic vulnerabilities (e.g., JAK-STAT3 pathway activation). Methods: ALCLs (N=689) underwent expert consensus review (WHO/ICC) through the Lymphoma/Leukemia Molecular Profiling Project (LLMPP). All cases also underwent genetic subtyping (ALK, DUSP22, TP63, and triple-negative [TN]) using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC), as well as IHC for phospho-STAT3 Tyr705 (pSTAT3). RNAseq was performed and evaluable in 393 cases; the remaining cases had insufficient tissue, tumor content, RNA yield or quality, and/or sequencing data quality. Sequenced and non-sequenced sub-cohorts had similar demographics and subtype distribution. Results: Unsupervised gene expression profiling (GEP) identified 2 main molecular types of ALCL. Type I ALCLs predominantly included ALK+ ALCLs, BIA-ALCLs, and a subset of TN ALCLs (designated TN-I), whereas Type II ALCLs predominantly included ALCLs with DUSP22-R, TP63-R, or both (double-hit; DH), and the remaining TN ALCLs (TN-II). Type I ALCLs were strongly associated with pSTAT3 expression (74.2±26.4% positive malignant cells vs 9.9±22.7% for Type II; P&lt;0.0001). An independently derived pSTAT3 staining threshold of 30% assigned Type I vs II with 91% accuracy. A third cluster of ALCLs, mostly cALCL, showed an epithelial GEP signature rather than a lymphoma signature; these cases were assigned to Types I or II based on pSTAT3 IHC. Distinct sub-signatures were identified for ALK+, DUSP22-R, TP63-R, and BIA ALCL (Fig. 1), but not ALK- ALCL or cALCL. Gene set enrichment analysis showed Type I ALCLs to be enriched for JAK-STAT3 signaling genes (normalized enrichment score [NES], 2.22; FDR&lt;0.0001) and related pathways, such as TNFα-NFκB signaling (NES, 2.21; FDR&lt;0.0001). In contrast, Type II ALCLs were enriched for cell cycle, DNA repair, epigenetic, and metabolic pathway genes, but not for major tyrosine kinase-mediated signaling pathway genes. Enriched epigenetic pathways included chromatin modifying enzymes (NES, -1.86; FDR=0.002) and histone methylation (NES, -1.71; FDR=0.002). EZH2 was the most overexpressed gene in Type II ALCLs (fold-change, 7.74; FDR=8.84×10 -306). At the protein level, EZH2 IHC H-scores were 275±45 in Type II and 168±70 in Type I ALCLs (P&lt;0.0001); H3K27me3 H-scores were 170±81 and 76±63, respectively (P&lt;0.001). The top metabolic gene set involved cholesterol biosynthesis (NES, -1.88; FDR=0.002). Overall survival (OS) data were available in 257 systemic ALCL patients (145 sequenced and 112 non-sequenced; cALCL and BIA-ALCL were excluded). Non-sequenced TN ALCLs were assigned to TN-I or TN-II using pSTAT3 IHC. The results supported earlier data indicating favorable prognosis of DUSP22-R ALCL (5 y OS, 95%) and ALK+ ALCL (87%), intermediate prognosis of TN ALCL (TN-I, 52% and TN-II, 38%; P=NS), and poor prognosis of TP63-R/DH ALCL (0%)(P&lt;0.0001; Fig. 2). Conclusions: Two overarching molecular types of ALCL exist, predominantly associated with the presence (Type I) or absence (Type II) of the JAK-STAT3 signaling program. Distinct GEP signatures exist for ALK+ ALCL and BIA-ALCL (predominantly Type I), and DUSP22-R ALCL and TP63-R ALCL (predominantly Type II). TN ALCLs lacking ALK-R, DUSP22-R, and TP63-R can be stratified into TN-I and TN-II subtypes. pSTAT3 IHC has &gt;90% accuracy as a surrogate for GEP-based subtyping. ALK- ALCL and cALCL cluster by molecular subtype rather than by defining GEP signatures. Type II ALCLs are enriched for targetable epigenetic and metabolic pathways, including EZH2/histone methylation and cholesterol biosynthesis. This molecular classification is diagnostically, prognostically, and potentially therapeutically relevant, and can be applied using FISH and IHC in routine practice and in the clinical trial setting.