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PURPOSE Palbociclib is a cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitor approved for advanced breast cancer. In the adjuvant setting, the potential value of adding palbociclib to endocrine therapy for hormone receptor–positive breast cancer has not been confirmed. PATIENTS AND METHODS In the prospective, randomized, phase III PALLAS trial, patients with hormone receptor–positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–negative early breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive 2 years of palbociclib (125 mg orally once daily, days 1-21 of a 28-day cycle) with adjuvant endocrine therapy or adjuvant endocrine therapy alone (for at least 5 years). The primary end point of the study was invasive disease-free survival (iDFS); secondary end points were invasive breast cancer–free survival, distant recurrence-free survival, locoregional cancer-free survival, and overall survival. RESULTS Among 5,796 patients enrolled at 406 centers in 21 countries worldwide over 3 years, 5,761 were included in the intention-to-treat population. At the final protocol-defined analysis, at a median follow-up of 31 months, iDFS events occurred in 253 of 2,884 (8.8%) patients who received palbociclib plus endocrine therapy and in 263 of 2,877 (9.1%) patients who received endocrine therapy alone, with similar results between the two treatment groups (iDFS at 4 years: 84.2% v 84.5%; hazard ratio, 0.96; CI, 0.81 to 1.14; P = .65). No significant differences were observed for secondary time-to-event end points, and subgroup analyses did not show any differences by subgroup. There were no new safety signals for palbociclib in this trial. CONCLUSION At this final analysis of the PALLAS trial, the addition of adjuvant palbociclib to standard endocrine therapy did not improve outcomes over endocrine therapy alone in patients with early hormone receptor–positive breast cancer.

Abstract Introduction: Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is an effective treatment that has transformed hematologic malignancy management. However, its significant short-term toxicities, mainly cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity, require frequent monitoring almost universally achieved via prolonged inpatient admissions. We have reported our institution's specialized, multi-disciplinary hospital-based outpatient (HBO) CAR-T service and experience (Bansal et.al, ASCO 2021). To enhance the HBO practice, we implemented a remote patient monitoring (RPM) program, comprised of in-home, electronic health record-integrated technology to monitor vital signs and neurologic symptoms for 30 days post CAR-T infusion. The RPM program's triaging algorithm generates alerts based on predetermined parameters to guide escalation of care if needed. In this report, we describe the characteristics of RPM program patients (pts), focusing on the alerts received within 48 hours (h) of first hospitalization in the post-CAR-T setting. Methods: Pts undergoing commercial CAR-T cell therapy at Mayo Clinic Rochester were enrolled in the RPM program as part of our standard of care from 06/2020 to 05/2021. Pts with detailed RPM data available were included in this analysis. Patient characteristics, health care utilization, inpatient interventions, and RPM alert data were reviewed. Wilcoxon test was used for continuous variables, chi-squared test was used for categorical variables. Results: Baseline characteristics are summarized in Table 1. Of 20 pts in this analysis, 13 had RPM alerts in the 48h preceding the first hospitalization post CAR-T. For the remaining 7 pts without RPM alerts, 3 were hospitalized within 24h of CAR-T infusion without significant RPM data, 1 patient hospitalized with acute pancreatitis (day +8 post CAR-T infusion), 1 for doubling of CRP (day +10), 1 for acute pain crisis (day +5), and 1 with neutropenic fever (day +5) with not reporting RPM data. The median RPM program duration was 18 days (range 3-32) which accounts for interruptions in the RPM monitoring while pts are hospitalized. The median number of data points per patient was 231 (range 22-532), with a median of 20 alerts per patient (range 2-81). The median missing data points per patient were 20 (10%) (range 0-95). Of the 13 pts with RPM alerts within 48h of first hospitalization, alerts met our definition of urgent criteria in 6 pts [temperature (temp) > 100F (n=3), temp > 100F + tachycardia (n=1), temp > 100F + hypoxia (n=1), and hypoxia (n=1)]. In the remaining 7 pts, the RPM alerts met our routine criteria definition [temp 99-100 (n=2), tachycardia + hypertension + weight loss (n=2), hypertension (n=2), new incontinence (n=1)]. CRS was reported in 12 pts [grade 1-2 (n=11), grade 3-4 (n=1)] and neurotoxicity in 8 pts [grade 1-2 (n=7), grade 3-4 (n=1)]. The median post CAR-T first hospitalization day was day +4 (range day +2-10), Figure 1. The median time from the last RPM alert to hospitalization was 5.8h for pts meeting urgent criteria vs 10.8h for those meeting routine criteria (p=0.13). Tocilizumab was used in 5 pts during the first hospitalization [3 (50%) in the urgent criteria group and 2 (28%) in the routine criteria group], with a median time from admission to tocilizumab of 12h in the urgent criteria group vs 43h in the routine criteria group (p=0.05). Early hospitalization (≤ 3 days) post CAR-T infusion was associated with later need for tocilizumab [median 51h (range 30-57) vs. 11.5h (range 6-33) from admission, p=0.03] than late hospitalization (> 4 days post CAR-T). Upon admission, oxygen supplementation was started on both pts with hypoxia noted in the RPM alerts. Only 1 patient (routine criteria group) required use of vasopressors while hospitalized, initiated more than 48h after admission. Conclusion: A CAR-T RPM program can identify adverse symptoms and vital sign changes in CAR-T pts managed in the outpatient setting. In this pilot implementation, the CAR-T RPM triaging algorithm identified pts requiring expedited hospitalization and facilitated early initiation of tocilizumab. The intermittent monitoring and proportion of missing data are the main limitations of the RPM in the acute care setting post-CAR-T infusion. Incorporation of wearable devices for continuous remote monitoring is being explored as a mitigating strategy to these limitations. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Paludo: Karyopharm: Research Funding. Dingli: Apellis: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; GSK: Consultancy; Novartis: Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy; Alexion: Consultancy. Kapoor: Glaxo SmithKline: Research Funding; Sanofi: Consultancy; Amgen: Research Funding; AbbVie: Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Research Funding; Ichnos Sciences: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Takeda: Research Funding; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy; Cellectar: Consultancy; BeiGene: Consultancy. Gertz: Aurora Biopharma: Other: Stock option; Ionis Pharmaceuticals: Other: Advisory Board; Akcea Therapeutics, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc, Prothena: Consultancy; AbbVie Inc, Celgene Corporation: Other: Data Safetly & Monitoring; Akcea Therapeutics, Ambry Genetics, Amgen Inc, Celgene Corporation, Janssen Biotech Inc, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Pfizer Inc (to Institution), Sanofi Genzyme: Honoraria. Wang: InnoCare: Research Funding; LOXO Oncology: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; MorphoSys: Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Eli Lilly: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Kenderian: Humanigen, Inc.: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Kumar: Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Novartis: Research Funding; Astra-Zeneca: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Takeda: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Amgen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Oncopeptides: Consultancy; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Roche-Genentech: Consultancy, Research Funding; Carsgen: Research Funding; Antengene: Consultancy, Honoraria; Adaptive: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Merck: Research Funding; Bluebird Bio: Consultancy; Beigene: Consultancy; Tenebio: Research Funding; KITE: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding. Bennani: Purdue Pharma: Other: Advisory Board; Daichii Sankyo Inc: Other: Advisory Board; Kyowa Kirin: Other: Advisory Board; Vividion: Other: Advisory Board; Kymera: Other: Advisory Board; Verastem: Other: Advisory Board. Ansell: Bristol Myers Squibb, ADC Therapeutics, Seattle Genetics, Regeneron, Affimed, AI Therapeutics, Pfizer, Trillium and Takeda: Research Funding. Lin: Merck: Research Funding; Vineti: Consultancy; Gamida Cell: Consultancy; Juno: Consultancy; Bluebird Bio: Consultancy, Research Funding; Legend: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Sorrento: Consultancy; Takeda: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Kite, a Gilead Company: Consultancy, Research Funding.

Purpose of review Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogen incriminated in skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) becoming the predominant cause and representing a significant burden to the healthcare system. The last updated Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) guidelines concerning MRSA infections and SSTIs management were published in 2011 and 2014, respectively. The UK updated guidelines for MRSA infection treatment were published in 2021. Older treatment options may be associated with toxicity and require frequent dosing. There is a paucity of recent reviews on the armamentarium of new agents for MRSA SSTIs treatment. Recent findings Since 2005, several new antibiotics received a fast-track approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for SSTI treatment. These drugs include delafloxacin, omadacycline, tedizolid, ceftaroline, dalbavancin, oritavancin and telavancin. In this manuscript, we will review the data that led to these new drugs approval and discuss their advantages and disadvantages in MRSA SSTIs management. Summary MRSA is a major cause of SSTIs. Several novel therapies covering MRSA were FDA-approved for SSTIs. However, the current IDSA guidelines for MRSA infection and SSTIs as well as the recently published UK guidelines on MRSA treatment only consider these drugs as alternative choices or do not mention them at all.

Objective: We evaluated a protocolized endoscopic necrosectomy approach with a lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) in patients with large symptomatic walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WON) comprising significant necrotic content, with or without infection. Summary Background Data: Randomized trials have shown similar efficacy of endoscopic treatment compared with surgery for infected WON. Design: We conducted a regulatory, prospective, multicenter single-arm clinical trial examining the efficacy and safety of endoscopic ultrasound -guided LAMS with protocolized necrosectomy to treat symptomatic WON ≥6 cm in diameter with >30% solid necrosis. After LAMS placement, protocolized WON assessment was conducted and endoscopic necrosectomy was performed for insufficient WON size reduction and persistent symptoms. Patients with radiographic WON resolution to ≤ 3 cm and/or 60-day LAMS indwell had LAMS removal, then 6-month follow-up. Primary endpoints were probability of radiographic resolution by 60 days and procedure-related serious adverse events. Results: Forty consecutive patients were enrolled September 2018 to March 2020, of whom 27 (67.5%) were inpatients and 19 (47.5%) had clinical evidence of infection at their index procedure. Mean WON size was 15.0 ± 5.6 cm with mean 53.2% ± 16.7% solid necrosis. Radiographic WON resolution was seen in 97.5% (95% CI, 86.8%, 99.9%) by 60 days, without recurrence in 34 patients with 6-month follow-up data. Mean time to radiographic WON resolution was 34.1 ± 16.8 days. Serious adverse events occurred in 3 patients (7.5%), including sepsis, vancomycin-resistant enterococcal bacteremia and shock, and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. There were no procedure-related deaths. Conclusions: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage with protocolized endoscopic necrosectomy to treat large symptomatic or infected walled-off necrotic pancreatic collections was highly effective and safe. Clinicaltrials.-gov no: NCT03525808.

The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to worsen the global problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). There is a heightened interest in understanding this effect and to develop antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions accordingly to curb this threat. Our paper aims to evaluate the potential magnitude of COVID-19 on AMR and AMS with a focus on the countries of the Arab league, given the social, political, and economic environments. We also evaluate obstacles in applying the rational use of antibiotics, monitoring resistance trends in the midst of the pandemic, and evaluating the impact of the economic crisis in some countries. We aim to raise awareness about the potential effects of antibiotic overuse during the pandemic and to propose practical approaches to tackle this issue.

AbstractBackgroundCerebral sinus venous thrombosis (CSVT) is one of the many side effects encountered during acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapy. Due to the rarity of cases, lack of data, and consensus management, no recommendations exist to target the population at risk.MethodsThis is a retrospective chart review of 229 consecutive patients diagnosed with ALL with an age range of 1–21 years, treated at the Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon between October 2007 and February 2018.ResultsThe incidence of CSVT was 10.5%. Using univariate analysis, increased risk of CSVT was observed with male gender, age >10 years, T‐cell immunophenotype, intermediate/high‐risk disease, maximum triglyceride (TG) level of >615 mg/dl, presence of mediastinal mass, and larger body surface area (BSA). With multivariate analysis, the only statistically significant risk factors were maximum TG level, BSA, presence of mediastinal mass, and risk stratification (intermediate/high risk).ConclusionOur study was able to unveil TG level of >615 mg/dl, mediastinal mass, and a larger BSA as novel risk factors that have not been previously discussed in the literature.

Axillary Impella devices are increasingly employed for long-term support of patients with systolic heart failure and shock. Axillary access allows for awake support and ambulation, which carries an inherent risk of disconnection or malposition. We report a series of two cases where device replacement due to dysfunction and malposition can be completed safely through the original axillary graft using axillary graft thrombectomy, given that the clot burden could be a major source of morbidity to the patient.