Hematology

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has been shown to improve health-related quality of life in patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). Currently, CAR T-cell therapies are primarily administered in inpatient settings. In a study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers found CAR T-cell therapy administered to patients with relapsed or refractory LBCL in outpatient settings was associated with lower estimated overall costs.

A new poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows a majority of Americans fear the worst of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is yet to come; reports of blood clots in patients with COVID-19 raise concerns; Veterans' Affairs medical facilities are struggling to cope with the pandemic.

Identifying patients with smoldering multiple myeloma is difficult as they often do not have any symptoms, but we could still do a much better job than what we are currently implementing, said Elisabet Manasanch, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma and Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

New research evaluates bortezomib and carfilzomib in an attempt to understand the causes of neurotoxicity in the former. They found the mitochondrial pathway is likely not the problem.

The FDA has announced a relaxing of its restrictions on gay men being allowed to donate blood, in light of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Instead of 1 year, if a male has had sex with another male, he need only wait 3 months to donate blood.

Patients with high-risk multiple myeloma tend to have significantly worse prognoses compared to those in the standard-risk category. A new study offers a potential solution.

I am type O negative. There are only 7% of us in the United States. My blood is red gold, if you will. I am a universal donor, which means that my blood can go to anyone.

Newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who are transplant-ineligible sometimes plan fixed-duration therapy to improve their quality of life. A new study examines the impact of that approach.

Some patients with cancer are more vulnerable than others, said Jeffrey Patton, MD, acting chief executive officer and president of physician services of OneOncology, as well as chief executive office of Tennessee Oncology, which is down to its last 14-day supply of personal protective equipment.

In adolescent patients with sickle cell disease, hydroxycarbamide therapy was associated with improvements in neurocognition variables such as working memory, verbal memory, and nonverbal IQ, according to study findings.

There are studies exhibiting progression within treatment for smoldering multiple myeloma, but nothing has been FDA approved yet, said Elisabet Manasanch, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma and Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

When patients present to the emergency department (ED) with sickle cell disease (SCD)–related pain, they often have been experiencing that pain for days, said C. Patrick Carroll, MD, director of psychiatric services, Sickle Cell Center for Adults, associate professor of psychiatry, Johns Hopkins Medicine.

In children and adolescents with sickle cell disease, those who lacked ample vitamin D were hospitalized more often, had longer hospital stays, and made more frequent visits to the emergency department, according to study findings.

A year after being only the second person to be cured of HIV, the “London Patient” revealed his identity; BMS announced today that its combination therapy for multiple myeloma—elotuzumab, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone—failed its primary endpoint of progression-free survival in its phase 3 ELOQUENT-1 trial; Biocon and Mylan N.V. announced that the FDA accepted their biologics license application (BLA) for MYL-14020, a proposed biosimilar to bevacizumab (Avastin), for review.

Isatuximab-irfc, sold as Sarclisa, in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone, was approved this week by the FDA for the treatment of adults with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least 2 prior therapies.

More data is needed to get wider acceptance of the use of palliative care services for patients with blood cancers, said Adam Olszewski, MD, associate professor of medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

For patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, higher diversity of intestinal microbiota at the time of neutrophil engraftment was linked with lower mortality, according to study findings published today.

In a major study of a Chinese medical insurance database, investigators found the prevalence and incidence of the disease in China is similar to those of its neighbors, but lower than countries in the West.

Patients with sickle cell disease already face suspicion and biases based on their need for opioids, and African American patients also face additional racial biases, said C. Patrick Carroll, MD, director of psychiatric services, Sickle Cell Center for Adults, associate professor of psychiatry, Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Predicting T-cell toxicity is a key factor when it comes to successfully using CAR T-cell therapy, said Reona Sakemura, MD, PhD, postdoctoral researcher at the Mayo Clinic.

Sickle-cell trait (SCT) and disease (SCD) among African American patients were associated with faster kidney function decline, with SCD contributing to a more rapid decline, according to study findings.

Primary and acquired resistance to bortezomib can increase recurrence rates in patients with multiple myeloma. A new strategy could help reduce resistance.

Evidence is showing that early palliative care can be beneficial for patients with blood cancers, who receive very intense treatments that impact quality of life, said Adam Olszewski, MD, associate professor of medicine at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

Researchers describe results of carfilizomib and bendamustine in a phase 1/2 study.

Based on positive data from the phase 3 CANDOR study presented at the 2019 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, Janssen announced yesterday the submission of a supplemental biologics license application to the FDA seeking approval of daratumumab in combination with carfilzomib and dexamethasone for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.