HEMATOLOGY

&quot;Early-relapsing lymphoma is a problem, there is no debate about that. The hard part is in trying to manage these patients effectively,&rdquo; Jonathon B. Cohen, MD, MS, told an audience at the 2019 Debates and Didactics in Hematology and Oncology conference held in Sea Island, Georgia.<br /> &nbsp;

Chronic myeloid leukemia is a rare type of cancer, and&nbsp;tyrosine kinase inhibitors have become the standard guideline-recommended treatment for patients with <em>BCR-ABL1</em>&ndash;positive or Ph-positive CML.

In an interview with <em>Targeted Oncology</em>, Neil P. Shah, MD, PhD, discussed the latest advancements in the treatment landscape of chronic myeloid leukemia, including the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. He also addressed some of the challenges both oncologists and patients face in this space.<br /> &nbsp;

Gail Roboz, MD, discusses the use of FLT3 inhibitors as treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia, which can be a heterogenous and difficult-to-treat disease. There is a lot of optimism for new drugs and targets in AML, but the disease itself remains tough to treat, according to Roboz.

Rate of response and progression-free survival were superior with venetoclax versus chlorambucil in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who also received obinutuzumab, and this trend was observed across all genetic subgroups.<br /> &nbsp;

Tanya Siddiqi, MD, discusses how she sees acalabrutinib fitting into the treatment landscape for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia following the results from the phase III ASCEND trial.

The presence of novel combinations and oral targeted therapies are rising in the frontline treatment setting for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, regardless of age. According to Nitin Jain, MD, ongoing phase III trials will bring additional modifications to the treatment landscape.

In an interview with&nbsp;<em>Targeted Oncology </em>during the 2019 SOHO Annual Meeting, John F. DiPersio, MD, PhD, discussed the challenges in research surrounding immunotherapies for AML, including DARTs, BiTEs, ADCs, and CARs.

In a retrospective study of patients with replaced or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma, checkpoint inhibition prior to haploidentical stem cell transplantation improved progression-free survival and risk for relapse, based on results presented at the 2019 SOHO Annual Meeting.

In the phase III QUAZAR AML-001 trial, an investigational oral azacitidine therapy, CC-486, induced a statistically significant improvement in overall survival compared with placebo when used as a maintenance therapy in the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia who achieved a complete response or CR with incomplete blood count recovery following treatment with induction chemotherapy.

Graft versus Host Disease

David S. Snyder, MD, discusses using ruxolitinib to prevent patients receiving stem cell transplantation from developing graft versus host disease.

Two analyses of the phase II DUO trial show that modifying the dosage of duvelisib or interrupting treatment in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, does not compromise outcomes or increase toxicity.

Jorge E. Cortes, MD, discusses the frontline treatment options for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia.

The FDA has granted a fast track designation to magrolimab for the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

Here&#39;s a look back on the FDA happenings for the month of August 2019, including FDA approvals, priority reviews, and breakthrough designations.

The addition of ixazomib to a combination of mitoxantrone, etoposide, and cytarabine demonstrated a promising rate of responses among patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia, according to the results of a phase I/II trial.

Graft versus Host Disease

In an interview with&nbsp;Targeted Oncology, Sattva S. Neelapu, MD, discussed the evolving role for CAR T-cell therapy in patients with B-cell lymphomas. He also highlighted the toxicities commonly associated with these therapies and how physicians can treat these AEs as they arise.