Citations 100

Fifteen year overall survival rates after autologous stem cell transplantation for AL amyloidosis

American Journal of Hematology | June 29, 2019 | Volume: 94 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 1020-1026

10.1002/ajh.25566 | PMID 31254301

Abstract In appropriately selected patients with AL amyloidosis, autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) is an established treatment modality with excellent outcomes and decreasing transplant related mortality (TRM) over time. We report on 15‐year overall survival (OS) in 159 patients undergoing ASCT from 1996 to 2003, with median follow up of 17.1 years. Day 100 TRM was 13.2% (n = 21). The OS of ≥15 years was observed in 30% (47/159) of patients. Patients surviving ≥15 years were younger (53 vs 56 years, P = .02), less likely to have lambda as the involved light chain (62% vs 78%, P = .03) and were less likely to have heart involvement (32% vs 56%, P = .005). Median OS of patients with heart involvement vs not was 4.0 vs 11.1 years, P = .006 and actuarial 15‐year OS was 23% vs 43%, respectively. A higher proportion of patients with OS ≥15 years received full‐dose melphalan conditioning (81% vs 61%, P = .01), and achieved day 100 complete response (CR) (64% vs 24%, P < .001). Median OS amongst patients who achieved CR vs not was 19.3 vs 5.4 years, P < .001. Heart involvement, receiving full‐dose melphalan and achieving CR remained independent predictors of OS. AL amyloidosis and related complications were the cause of death in 52% of patients overall (1‐5 years post‐transplant: 81%; 5‐10 years: 62% and 10‐15 years: 55%). These results reinforce the key role of ASCT in AL amyloidosis. With improvements in TRM and more options for relapsed disease, we expect the long‐term survival post‐transplant to improve significantly in the future.
Quality of life (QOL) in patients undergoing CAR-T therapy versus stem cell transplant (SCT).

Journal of Clinical Oncology | May 27, 2019 | Volume: 37 | Issue: 15_suppl | Pages: 6594-6594

10.1200/jco.2019.37.15_suppl.6594

6594 Background: Given the significant short-term adverse effects of CAR-T cell therapy, it is important to evaluate its impact on QOL of patients in addition to efficacy, compared with established forms of cellular therapy like SCT. Methods: QOL was evaluated prospectively in patients undergoing CAR-T therapy, autoSCT & alloSCT for hematologic malignancies. QOL was assessed with FACT-G at baseline, 2 weeks and monthly for 6 months thereafter. Functional well-being (FWB), physical WB (PWB) emotional WB (EWB) & social WB (SWB) and change over time were compared across groups. Results: 45 patients were recruited (CAR-T: 10; Auto SCT: 22; Allo SCT: 13) with follow up for 2 weeks & 1 month available for 23 &15 patients, respectively (Table). There was no statistically significant difference in baseline total QOL scores (p=0.13), though scores were lower in the alloSCT group (85,84,68). EWB &FWB were numerically higher in the CAR-T group, followed by autoSCT group. At 2 weeks, overall QOL decreased by only 2 points in CAR-T group vs. 22 & 18 points in auto & alloSCT groups (p=0.09). Change in PWB vs. baseline was less pronounced in the CAR-T group (-1, -9, -13, p=0.03). At 1 month, overall QOL was 6 points lower than baseline in CAR-T group vs. 3 and 14 points lower in auto & alloSCT groups, respectively (p=0.34). Importantly, PWB had at least returned to baseline in the CAR-T group. Conclusions: Preliminary data show that patients undergoing CAR-T cell therapy do not experience a more significant decline in QOL compared with auto & allo SCT, and may experience fewer physical side effects in the short-term. Accrual & follow-up are ongoing. [Table: see text]
QIM19-136: Developing an Ideal CAR-T Cell Therapy Patient Experience Through Human-Centered Design and Innovation

Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network | March 26, 2019 | Volume: 17 | Issue: 3.5 | Pages: QIM19-136

10.6004/jnccn.2018.7187

Background: The patient/caregiver experience during CAR-T therapy is stressful, overwhelming, terrifying, and often a patient’s last treatment option. The Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery Innovation and Design team has worked with the CAR-T therapy clinical team to develop a patient experience that provides patients with a sense of caring, supportive environment, timely knowledge, and realistic expectations. Using a human-centered design approach, the Innovation and Design team worked with patients and caregivers to understand latent and unspoken needs in order to develop an ideal CAR-T therapy patient journey. Methods: With qualitative interviewing techniques, patient observation, and low fidelity experimentation, 21 patients/caregiver pairs were interviewed throughout their CAR-T therapy experience in 2018. Patients were interviewed at several touch points as well as encouraged to reach out to the Innovation and Design team at any point with reflections on their experiences. Patients were recruited as they began their evaluation phase for CAR-T therapy. The interviews were unscripted to allow for a breadth of discovery by not constraining the conversations to previously developed themes. As themes emerged from patient/caregiver interviews, artifacts and interventions were designed to alleviate pain points and improve the patient/caregiver experience. These artifacts and interventions were integrated into the clinical processes in real time and patient/caregivers were interviewed to understand the impact of these activities. Results: Several themes emerged from qualitative interviews with patients and caregivers. From the themes, interventions were developed. We were able to demonstrate a qualitative improvement in patient/caregiver experience through these interventions (Figure 1). Conclusions: Patients/caregivers undergoing CAR-T therapy have unique issues surrounding the logistics of care, emotional burden, and physical effects of treatment. We implemented processes to address these issues and observed a qualitative improvement via patient interviews/feedback. Ongoing work includes optimizing remote monitoring, digital platforms for patient education, and a quantitative study looking at patient reported outcomes (PROs) in such patients. To our knowledge, this is the first report for care delivery optimization in real-world practice for this new therapy.
Clinical features, laboratory characteristics and outcomes of patients with renal versus cardiac light chain amyloidosis

British Journal of Haematology | March 6, 2019 | Volume: 185 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 701-707

10.1111/bjh.15832 | PMID 30836444

SummaryThis study evaluated the differences in clinical features of 1077 newly diagnosed AL amyloidosis patients with renal involvement (n = 229, 21%), both cardiac and renal involvement (n = 443, 41%) and cardiac involvement (n = 405, 38%). Significant differences in dFLC (difference in involved and uninvolved light chains) were noted (renal, both, cardiac median: 83, 234 and 349 mg/l, P < 0.001). The proportion of patients with ≥ 10% bone marrow plasma cells (BMPCs) was lowest in renal only patients: 44%, 57%, 64%, respectively, P < 0.001. In a multivariate linear regression model incorporating organ involvement type and BMPCs ≥10%, organ involvement was a significant predictor of dFLC (P < 0.001). Median overall survival (OS) across the three groups was 83 vs. 19 vs. 16 months (P < 0.001) in patients not undergoing transplant and 5‐year OS in patients undergoing transplant was 90% vs. 75% vs. 64% (P = 0.007), respectively. In conclusion, renal involvement alone or renal + cardiac involvement in AL amyloidosis is associated with lower circulating light chain burden, which cannot be fully explained by BMPC burden alone. Increased sensitivity of the kidney to light chains, given significant interactions with the renal tubular system and secretion of modified light chain products may play a role in pathogenesis of renal AL amyloidosis and warrants further investigation.
Outcomes with early response to first-line treatment in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma

Blood Advances | March 1, 2019 | Volume: 3 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 744-750

10.1182/bloodadvances.2018022806 | PMID 30824418

Abstract We evaluated the impact of achieving a rapid response in 840 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients from 2004 to 2015. Rates of very good partial response (VGPR) or better were 29% (240/840) after 2 cycles of treatment, 42% (350/840) after 4 cycles of treatment, and 66% (552/840) as best response. Early responders after 2 cycles of treatment had higher rates of light chain disease, anemia, renal failure, International Staging System (ISS) stage III disease, and high-risk cytogenetics, especially t(4;14), and were more likely to have received triplet therapy and undergo transplant. Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were not different among patients with ≥VGPR and &lt;VGPR after 2 cycles (PFS, 28 vs 30 months, P = .6; OS, 78 vs 96 months, P = .1) and 4 cycles (PFS, 31 vs 29 months; OS, 89 vs 91 months, P = .9), although both were improved, with ≥VGPR as best response (PFS, 33 vs 22 months, P &lt; .001; OS, 102 vs 77 months, P = .003). On multivariate analysis stratified by transplant status, achievement of ≥VGPR after 2 cycles was not associated with improved PFS (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]; transplant cohort, 1.1 [0.7-1.6]; nontransplant cohort, 1.2 [0.8-1.7]) or OS (transplant cohort, 1.6 [0.9-2.9]; nontransplant cohort, 1.5 [1.0-2.4]). Covariates in the model included high-risk cytogenetics, ISS stage III, triplet therapy, creatinine ≥2 mg/dL, light chain disease, and age. Although patients with high-risk disease are more likely to achieve early response, a rapid achievement of a deep response by itself does not affect long-term outcomes.
Tetraploidy is associated with poor prognosis at diagnosis in multiple myeloma

American Journal of Hematology | January 25, 2019 | Volume: 94 | Issue: 5 | Pages: No page available

10.1002/ajh.25420 | PMID 30680770

Rapid assessment of hyperdiploidy in plasma cell disorders using a novel multi‐parametric flow cytometry method

American Journal of Hematology | December 28, 2018 | Volume: 94 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 424-430

10.1002/ajh.25391 | PMID 30592078

AbstractTrisomies of odd numbered chromosomes are seen in nearly half of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and typically correlate with a hyperdiploid state and better overall survival (OS). We compared DNA ploidy of monoclonal plasma cells (as a surrogate for the presence of trisomies) assessed simultaneously by PCPRO (plasma cell proliferative index), a novel method that estimates DNA index by multi‐parametric flow cytometry to fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in 1703 patients with plasma cell disorders. The distribution of ploidy was hyperdiploid: 759 (45%), diploid 765 (45%), hypodiploid: 71 (4%), tetraploid/near‐tetraploid: 108 (6%). FISH identified trisomies in 82% (621/756) of patients with hyperdiploidy by PCPRO and no trisomy by FISH was observed in 88% (730/834) of patients without hyperdiploidy. 95% (795/834) of patients without hyperdiploidy on PCPRO had one or less trisomy by FISH. Sensitivity and specificity of PCPRO for detecting hyperdiploidy was 86% (621/725) and 84% (730/865), respectively. Sensitivity increased to 94% (579/618) for patients with more than one trisomy. Newly diagnosed MM patients with hyperdiploidy on PCPRO (147/275) had better OS compared to nonhyperdiploid patients (median not reached vs 59 months, P = 0.008) and better progression free survival (median: 33 vs 23 months, P = 0.03). Within the hyperdiploidy group, patients with high‐hyperdiploidy (DNA index: 1.19‐1.50) versus those with low‐hyperdiploidy (DNA index: 1.05‐1.18) had superior OS (3 year OS of 88% vs 68% P = 0.03). Ploidy assessment by flow cytometry can provide rapid, valuable prognostic information and also reduces the number of copy number FISH probes required and hence the cost of FISH.
Type 1 monoclonal cryoglobulinemia: Clinical presentation and outcomes.

Journal of Clinical Oncology | September 6, 2018 | Volume: 34 | Issue: 15_suppl | Pages: 8062-8062

10.1200/jco.2016.34.15_suppl.8062

Outcomes according to involved free light chain (FLC) levels in patients with normal FLC ratio after initial therapy in light chain amyloidosis (AL).

Journal of Clinical Oncology | September 6, 2018 | Volume: 35 | Issue: 15_suppl | Pages: 8049-8049

10.1200/jco.2017.35.15_suppl.8049

8049 Background: Complete response in AL is defined as normal FLC ratio with negative serum and urine immunofixation. It is not clear if high involved serum FLC (hIFLC) in a patient with normal ratio may contribute to ongoing amyloid formation and hence affect outcomes. Methods: Data of 1308 patients (pts) with systemic AL seen within 90 days of diagnosis, at Mayo Clinic between 2006-2015, was analyzed retrospectively. Among these, 369 pts had 2 consecutive normal FLC ratio values after 1st line treatment and form the study population. Log rank test was used to estimate survival differences. Results: Among these 369 pts, pts with hIFLC at 1streading of normal FLC ratio (hIFLC1; n=170; 46.1%) were compared to those who did not (n=199; 53.9%). At diagnosis, the median age [61.5 vs 60.8 years (y); p=0.2], proportion of males (62.4 vs 58.3%; p=0.4), percentage of pts with renal involvement (73.5 vs 64.8%; p=0.07), in mayo stage I / II / III / IV (32.9% / 23%/ 27.3% / 16.8% vs 43.6 %/ 22.9% / 18.1% / 15.4%; p=0.1), with bone marrow plasma cells >10% (24.2 vs 30%; p=0.2) and with presence of t(11; 14)(48.4 vs 60; p=0.08) was similar, while cardiac (67.5 vs 53.3%; p=0.006) and hepatic (18.2 vs 9.1%; p=0.01) involvement was higher in hIFLC1 group. The median follow-up from diagnosis was 6.1 y (95% CI; 5.6, 6.8). The median progression free survival (PFS) in pts who had hIFLC1 was lower than for those who did not; 2.6 y (95% CI; 1.9, 4.5) vs 5.2 y (95% CI; 4.6, 6.4), p<0.0001, as was the median overall survival [OS; 6.7 y (95% CI; 4.5, 8.3) vs not reached (NR), p<0.0001]. We performed a more stringent comparison for pts with 2 consecutive hIFLC values (hIFLC2; n=112; 30.4%) versus not (n=257; 69.6%). The median PFS (3.2 y; 95%CI; 2.2, 4.5 vs 5.6 y; 95% CI; 4.7, 7.1; p<0.0001) and OS (7.8 y; 95% CI; 6.4, NR vs NR; 95%CI; 9.5, NR; p<0.0001) were significantly reduced in pts with hIFLC2 versus not as well. A multivariate analysis confirmed an impact of hIFLC1 and hIFLC2 on PFS/OS independent of serum creatinine. Conclusions: In pts with systemic AL, persistent elevation of the involved FLC predicts for poor prognosis (independent of serum creatinine) even among those who achieved normal FLC ratio after 1st line treatment.
Factors predicting organ response in light chain amyloidosis (AL).

Journal of Clinical Oncology | September 6, 2018 | Volume: 35 | Issue: 15_suppl | Pages: 8048-8048

10.1200/jco.2017.35.15_suppl.8048

8048 Background: Organ response (OR) in AL is often delayed and difficult to predict early. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 1308 patients (pts) with newly diagnosed AL from 2006 – 2015 to determine factors which could predict for OR. Results: Median age was 64 years (yr) and Mayo Stage was: 1 (22%); 2 (23%); 3 (25%); 4 (31%). Organ involvement was: cardiac (74%, n=932); renal (59%, n=738), liver (16%, n=205); gut (24%, n=310) and autonomic (12%, n=152). 59% (n=765) had > 1 organ involved, including 43% (n=567) with > 1 critical organ (heart, kidney, liver) involved. Treatment was: ASCT based (28%, n=330, N=1186), bortezomib based (24%, n=281), alkylator based (33%, n=392), others (5%, n=54) and none (10%). In evaluable pts, VGPR or better rates were: 53% at 6 months (m) (N=625), 72% at 12 m (N=465) and 57% overall (N=688). Table 1 lists OR at various time points. Complete OR in all involved critical organs was seen in: 51% (n=308, N=600), partial response (at least 1 OR when >1 organ involved) in 12% (n=73) and none in 37% (n=219). Complete OR was associated with better overall survival (OS) than partial or no OR (median OS: not reached vs 42 m vs 29 m; P <0.0001). In multivariate model the following variables at baseline or 1 yr mark were predictive of complete OR: lower Mayo Stage (p=0.01), fewer critical organs involved (p=0.007), higher baseline GFR (p=0.03), female sex (Complete OR 60% vs 47%; p=0.04) and VGPR at 1 yr (Complete OR 70% vs. 36%; p <0.0001). Other factors included in the model were age (p=0.9), bilirubin (p=0.1) and transplant (p=0.2). All aforementioned factors were significant in univariate analysis. Conclusions: Achievement of response in all involved critical organs is associated with better survival in AL pts than partial or no OR. Various baseline factors and VGPR at 1 yr can predict for achieving complete OR, with 70% pts who achieve VGPR at 1 yr having a complete OR. [Table: see text]