scholarly journals Diagnosis and Treatment of Childhood Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Hematology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 (1) ◽  
pp. 285-296
Author(s):  
Alfred Reiter

Major advances have been made in the treatment of childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The recognition that different NHL subtypes require different treatment strategies was fundamental to developing successful therapy regimens. Currently established therapy groups are lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) of precursor B- or T-cell type, mature B-cell neoplasms (B-NHL), and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Accurate diagnostic classification is crucial for allocating patients to appropriate treatment groups. Therapy protocols designed to treat children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have proven highly efficacious for treating children with LBL and are associated with event-free survival (EFS) rates up to 80%. For children with B-NHL, a strategy of rapidly repeated short, dose-intense courses proved more efficacious, with EFS rates up to 90%. In patients with ALCL, comparable results are achieved with either strategy, although this group has the highest relapse rate. The price of these efficacious treatments is considerable toxicity. On the other hand, the chance to survive after relapse is still dismal due to the almost complete lack of established salvage regimen. Thus, refinement of the balance between treatment burden and individual patient risk for failure is a major future task. A variety of new treatment options, some already established for treating adult NHL, await evaluation in childhood NHL.

Hematology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 (1) ◽  
pp. 285-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfred Reiter

AbstractMajor advances have been made in the treatment of childhood non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The recognition that different NHL subtypes require different treatment strategies was fundamental to developing successful therapy regimens. Currently established therapy groups are lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL) of precursor B- or T-cell type, mature B-cell neoplasms (B-NHL), and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Accurate diagnostic classification is crucial for allocating patients to appropriate treatment groups. Therapy protocols designed to treat children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have proven highly efficacious for treating children with LBL and are associated with event-free survival (EFS) rates up to 80%. For children with B-NHL, a strategy of rapidly repeated short, dose-intense courses proved more efficacious, with EFS rates up to 90%. In patients with ALCL, comparable results are achieved with either strategy, although this group has the highest relapse rate. The price of these efficacious treatments is considerable toxicity. On the other hand, the chance to survive after relapse is still dismal due to the almost complete lack of established salvage regimen. Thus, refinement of the balance between treatment burden and individual patient risk for failure is a major future task. A variety of new treatment options, some already established for treating adult NHL, await evaluation in childhood NHL.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 3590-3590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kieron Dunleavy ◽  
Stefania Pittaluga ◽  
Nicole Grant ◽  
Seth Steinberg ◽  
Margaret Shovlin ◽  
...  

Abstract Gray zone lymphomas (GZL) are diseases with transitional morphology and immunophenotypic features between Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Their pathological and clinical characteristics are not well studied and the best treatment strategy (using HL or DLBCL regimens) has not been defined. Small previous series of HL-like ALCL, which would include GZL, suggest they have a poor outcome with HL treatments. We present GZL’s treated on studies of DA-EPOCH-R at the National Cancer Institute and describe their clinical and histological features and outcome. Overall, 14 patients with GZL were identified. Characteristics included median (range) age 30 (12–51) years; male sex 10 (71%); stage III/IV 2 (14%) and; elevated LDH 7 (50%). These cases could be divided into three Gray zone groups: classical HL (cHL) and primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) in 9 (64%) patients; cHL and DLBCL in 2 (14%) and; lymphocyte predominant HL (LPHL) and T-cell histiocyte-rich large cell lymphoma (TCRBCL) in 2 (14%). Pathological characteristics are shown below. All but one case was CD 10 negative. Markers of cHL included CD15 in 33–50% and CD30 in 66–100% of cases. Morphologically, Reed-Sternberg like cells were typically seen in GZL with cHL features. Thirteen newly diagnosed patients received DA-EPOCH-R. Of 11 patients evaluable for response (2TE), 10 (91%) achieved CR and 1 PR. At a median follow-up time of 4 years, OS and PFS are is 86% and 57%, respectively. Of 9 patients with GZL between cHL and PMBL, 4 (44%) also required radiation therapy compared to only 3/31 (10%) patients with PMBL to achieve durable remissions. Gray zone lymphomas represent a biological and clinical continuum between HL and B-cell lymphomas. Clinically, they appear to be more resistant to treatment than either HL or DLBCL and may require aggressive treatment strategies including radiation. Accrual continues. Gray Zone Total 14 CD 20 CD 15 CD 30 cHL- PMBL 9 8 (89%) 7 (50%) 9 (100%) cHL-DLBCL 2 2 (100%) 1 (50%) 2(100%) LPHL-TCRBCL 3 3 (100%) 1 (33%) 2 (66%)


2004 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 343-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Szczepa?ski ◽  
Gerard A.M. de Vaan ◽  
Auke Beishuizen ◽  
Jos� Bogman ◽  
Mieke W.J.C. Jansen ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Morandi ◽  
Francesco Frassoni ◽  
Mirco Ponzoni ◽  
Chiara Brignole

Neuroblastoma (NB) and malignant melanoma (MM), tumors of pediatric age and adulthood, respectively, share a common origin, both of them deriving from the neural crest cells. Although NB and MM have a different behavior, in respect to age of onset, primary tissue involvement and metastatic spread, the prognosis for high stage-affected patients is still poor, in spite of aggressive treatment strategies and the huge amount of new discovered biological knowledge. For these reasons researchers are continuously attempting to find out new treatment options, which in a near future could be translated to the clinical practice. In the last two decades, a strong effort has been spent in the field of translational research of immunotherapy which led to satisfactory results. Indeed, several immunotherapeutic clinical trials have been performed and some of them also resulted beneficial. Here, we summarize preclinical studies based on immunotherapeutic approaches applied in models of both NB and MM.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 2016061 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Rossi ◽  
Antonella Anastasia

Follicular lymphoma(FL) is the most common indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma and constitutes 15% to 30% of lymphoma diagnoses. The natural history of the disease is characterized by recurrent relapses and progressively shorter remissions with a median survival of 10yrs. The impossibility of a chieving a definite cure, have prompted investigations into the possible role of more effective and less toxic strategies with innovative therapeutic agents.  Recently Casulo et al demonstrated that approximately 20% of patients with FL actually relapse within 2 years after achieving remission with R-CHOP and have a poor prognosis. It is conceivable that this particularly chemoresistant population would benefit from specifically targeting the biologic and genetic factors that likely contribute to their poor prognosis.Evolving strategies for difficult to treat FL patients have recently considered  immunomodulatory agents, new monoclonal antibodies as well as drugs targeting selective intracellular pathways. The importance of targeting the microenvironment together with the malignant FL cell has been particularly underscored. We review the most promising approaches, such as the combination of anti-CD20 antibodies with immunomodulatory drugs (Lenalidomide), with mAbs directed against other surface antigens such as CD22 and CD23 (epratuzumab, lumiliximab), with immunomodulatory antibodies such as PD-1, or with inhibitors of key steps in the B-cell receptor pathway signaling such as PI3K inibithors(idelalisib, duvelisib). Another highly attractive approach is the application of the bi-specific T-cell engaging (BiTE) antibody blinatumomab which targets both CD19 and CD3 antigens. Moreover, we highlight the potential of these therapies,  taking into account their toxicity. Of course we must wait for Phase III trials results to confirm the benefit of these new treatment strategies toward a new era of chemotherapy-free treatment for follicular lymphoma.


2018 ◽  
Vol 91 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-41
Author(s):  
Horváth Adrienne ◽  
Papp Zsuzsanna Erzsébet

Abstract A broad spectrum of chemotherapy is being used in the therapy of childhood cancers, which may induce liver injury, impairing quality of life and efficacy of the treatment. History of, especially viral, liver diseases may increase toxicity. The aim of the paper is to assess the incidence, type and grade, predisposing factors and treatment options of drug-induced liver injury in children with malignant diseases under cytostatic therapy at the Hemato-Oncology Department of the Pediatric Clinic 2 from Targu-Mures, over a time period spanning from 2012 to 2017. The results of the study may serve as a foundation for such treatment strategies which would enable optimal outcomes with fewer cases of liver toxicity. During this period, we treated 26 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), two patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), one patient with lymphoma and seven with solid tumors. We found liver toxicity in 77% of the patients treated for ALL, mainly during the maintenance therapy (65%) with oral 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate. The most common clinical signs were anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and faltering weight gain. Cholestasis developed in two patients, while hepatocytolysis was the most common observed event (n = 24). Liver fibrosis, hypersplenism, portal hypertension and esophageal varices were found in two patients. One patient required endoscopic ligation of esophageal varices. Elevation of serum bilirubin appeared in two patients, while hypoproteinemia was observed in nine patients. None of the patients developed acute liver failure. We treated liver toxicity with hydration, alkalinization, i.v. Aspatofort, Aminosteril-N Hepa 8%, oral acetylcysteine, silymarin, ursodeoxycholic acid, Liv-52, Sargenor, and Essentiale forte. We found hepatotoxicity in 77% of the ALL patients undergoing chemotherapy, similar results have been published by other authors. Hepatotoxicity may develop through direct hepatic effects of cytostatics, or a preexisting liver disease impairs the metabolism and excretion of the drug, increasing its toxic effects. In our patients hepatotoxicity can be explained mainly by direct liver-injury, previous infections with hepatotropic viruses, such as cytomegalovirus, were detected only in three patients. Liver injury appeared in 77% of our ALL patients; 65% occurred during maintenance therapy with oral 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate. Close followup of liver function during chemotherapy is mandatory for optimal results.


Author(s):  
Jahnavi Sarvepalli ◽  
Rajalakshmi Santhakumar ◽  
Rama Shanker Verma

The incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults are increasing worldwide with impaired repair mechanisms, leading to tissue and organ failure. With the current advancements, life expectancy has improved and has led to search for new treatment strategies that improves tissue regeneration. Recently, stem cell therapy and tissue engineering has captured the attention of clinicians, scientists, and patients as alternative treatment options. The overall clinical experience of these suggests that they can be safely used in the right clinical setting. Ultimately, large outcome trials will have to be conducted to assess their efficacy. Clinical trials have to be carefully designed and patient safety must remain the key concern. At the same time, continued basic research is required to understand the underlying mechanism of cell-based therapies and cell tissue interactions. This chapter reviews the evolving paradigm of stem cell therapy and tissue engineering approaches for clinical application and explores its implications.


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