ALBERT

Description: Background: Prognostic factors in B-ALL represent a critical role for treatment stratification. High hyperdiploids (〉50 chromosomes) have been related to better outcomes, and hypodiploids to worse prognosis. DNA Index (DI) quantifies the DNA from leukemic blast by flow cytometry and has been correlated to the number of chromosomes. Our aim was to demonstrate the prognostic value of DI for minimal residual disease in childhood B-ALL. Methods: 26 blood samples from newly diagnosed childhood B-ALL cases were analyzed between November 2017 and February 2018. DI was evaluated by flow cytometry in samples with Propidium Iodide and leukemic blasts were identified by CD19/CD22/CD10/CD20 antibodies. DI was calculated as the ratio of mean fluorescence of pathologic B blasts and normal cells (T, NK lymphocytes, neutrophils and monocytes) in G0/G1 phase. We stablished three categories: diploid (0.95 - 1.05, 46 chromosomes), hypodiploid (1.05). 8-colors FacsCanto II BD flow cytometer was also used to evaluate minimal residual disease with 0.0025% threshold of detection. Results: 26 cases were evaluated and 2 died during induction treatment. Median age was 8 years (4mo - 16years) and 54% were males. At diagnosis, 62% showed DI diploid and 38% DI hyperdiploid, no hypodiploids cases were detected. Clinical characteristics were similar between both groups. Median DI in the hyperdiploids cases was 1.25 (R: 1.12 - 1.64). We only detected two hyperdiploids cases by conventional karyotype. All patients received the same BFM-based protocol. After induction, all cases achieved complete remission and 46% had MRD negative at the 28th day. DI diploid and hyperdiploid cases achieved 47% and 44% MRD negative, respectively. At the end of consolidation (R: 6-8 Mo), 77% cases achieved MRD negative, and between categories, 62% of DI diploid cases had MRD negative and 100% of DI hyperdiploid cases were negative for MRD detection by flow (p=0.02). Conclusions: The hyperdiploid DNA index by flow cytometry is associated with minimal residual disease negative at the end of consolidation.Flow cytometry offers an alternative over the conventional karyotype to detect good prognosis groups among B-ALL cases. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Description: Background: A central venous access is essential during active treatment for most patients with hematological malignancies, and historically, the central inserted venous catheter (CVC) has been the preferred option in clinical practice. In the last years, the peripheral inserted central catheter (PICC) has increasingly been used as an alternative to CVC with less incidence of catheter related infections (CRI). Our aim was to compare the incidence of documented catheter related infections and mortality for patients with PICC versus CVC. Methods: We prospectively enrolled patients who were candidates for PICC implantation from March 2018 to February 2019, and matched them with a CVC candidate patient. PICC patients were followed at our PICC line program and CVC patients with their primary oncologist team as per institutional protocol. All patients received intensive treatment at a public tertiary cancer center in Lima-Peru (Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas). Results: We included 94 cases during the study period (44 PICC and 50 CVC cases), median age was 39 years and M:F ratio was 2:1. In the PICC group, main diagnoses were acute leukemias (46%), Lymphomas (22%) and Multiple Myeloma (16%), on the other hand, in the CVC group, acute leukemias (72%), lymphoma (16%) and multiple myeloma (8%). Mean length of catheterization was 40 and 24 days for PICC and CVC, respectively. The incidence of documented CRI was lower in PICC group (12.6 versus 3.1 per 1000 days for CVC and PICC, respectively), showing a risk reduction of 75% of bacteremia (RR: 0.25, 95%CI 0.1-0.6, p

Description: Background:Acute Myeloid leukemia (AML) and High-risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) are two aggressive myeloid neoplasms characterized by dismal outcomes in patients not suitable for intensive treatment. During the last decades, hypomethylating agents (HMA) represented a valuable treatment option for AML and MDS, particularly in older or unfit patients. However, the limited efficacy and high-costs concerns in developing countries limited its general use. Azacytidine is the most representative and available HMA in limited-sources facilities. We aimed to explore the efficacy of azacytidine as frontline treatment in terms of event-free (EFS) and overall survival (OS) for newly diagnosed patients with AML non-candidates to intensive chemotherapy and MDS in Peru. Methods: We reviewed medical records of patients diagnosed and managed for AML at three private cancer institutions in Lima-Peru (Oncosalud, Clinica Delgado and Clinica Angloamericana) between 2010 and 2019. Cytogenetics and molecular markers were not retrospectively available during data obtention. Clinical characteristics, laboratory data and outcomes were evaluated for patients with AML and MDS who received at least 1 cycle of AZA as frontline treatment. AZA was given at accumulated dose of 75mg/m2/daily for 7 days every 4 weeks, however further dose reductions were allowed by physician criteria. Best responses were assessed according to Leukemia.net consensus, but summarize as complete remission (CR), partial response (PR) and stable disease (SD). Survival curves (event-free and overall survival) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the Log-rank test. Results:A total of 76 patients were included and had sufficient data for analysis. Fifty-two cases had AML and 24 MDS. Clinical characteristics, Laboratory data, Treatment and Outcomes were summarized in Table 1. Median ages for AML was 74 and 69 for MDS, 37% and 54% had less than 70 years in AML and MDS, respectively. Female/male ratio was 1:1 for AML and 1:3 for MDS. One-third of AML cases and 48% of MDS had an ECOG performance status ≤1. Twenty-five (48%) of AML patients had Secondary AML to MDS, and 25% had prior cancer treatment. Median number of cycles of AZA was 5 for both groups. A high composite CR rates were seen for AML (39%) and MDS (25%), PR were 10% and 8% for AML and MDS, respectively. The majority of MDS cases reached stable disease (62%), and 35% in AML. Three patients underwent to allo-transplant (2 AML and 1 MDS). Relapsed rates were more frequent in AML cases (AML 63% vs. 30%), however, deaths were similar in both groups. At a median follow-up of 4-years, the EFS was 3% for AML and 20% for MDS, and OS was 16% and 30% for AML and MDS patients, respectively. Conclusions: Azacytidine represents an effective and accessible therapy for AML non-candidates to intensive chemotherapy and MDS in limited-sources settings. Access to novel effective therapies must be warranted for these highly aggressive myeloid neoplasms in developing countries. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Description: Background: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common variant of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) accounting for approximately 30% of the NHL cases worldwide. Previous reports have associated certain viral infections with the development of DLBCL such as HIV and EBV, both infections related with an aggressive clinical course and worse outcome. The human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a retrovirus regarded as the pathogenic agent for adult T-cell lymphoma/leukemia. HTLV-1 is endemic in Japan, the Caribbean basin, South America, and parts of Africa. In Peru, up to 3% of the healthy adult population carries HTLV-1. As data on the impact of HTLV-1 infection in DLBCL outcomes is scarce, we aim to describe the clinical features and outcomes of HTLV-1-positive patients with a pathological diagnosis of DLBCL. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients diagnosed and managed for DLBCL at the National Institute of Neoplastic Diseases in Lima-Peru between 2007 and 2019. Patients were evaluated for HTLV-1 infection at the time of diagnosis. Positive HTLV-1 cases were matched to negative HTLV-1 controls based on age, sex, and cancer staging. Treatment responses were assessed according to the Lugano criteria. Overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the Log-rank test to determine the impact of HTLV-1 infection. Multivariate Cox regression models were reported with adjusted Hazar Ratios (aHR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: A total of 192 patients with DLBCL were identified and had sufficient data for analysis. Seventy (37%) cases were positive for HTLV-1 infection and 122 (63%) were not. Table 1 summarizes the clinical features and outcomes of DLBCL patients according to HTLV-1 status. Overall, the majority of patients were ≥65 years (59%), had ECOG performance status ≤2 (95%) and were stage III-IV (51%) at diagnosis. One third (n=64) of patients had extranodal involvement with 71 affected sites of which bone marrow involvement was frequently found in HTLV-1-negative DLBCL cases (55% vs. 7%, p

Description: Background:Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is an aggressive lymphoma associated mainly to HIV infection, although cases in immunocompetent patients are described as well. Objective:To describe the clinicopathologic features and determine the overall survival of lymphoma patients according human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status in Peruvian patients. Methods:We reviewed the pathology databases of 2 cancer centers and a general hospital from Peru. Forty cases were documented between 2005 and 2020. Categorical variables were compared using Fisher's exact test. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Statistical analysis was based on SPSS Program version 23. All cases were reviewed by two pathologists. Results:32 patients (80%) were HIV-positive. The median age for the whole cohort was 40 years (range, 22-86). The median age for HIV-positive and HIV-negative PBL patients were 37 years (range 22-67 years) and 57 years (range 27-86 years), respectively. The proportion of patients ≥60 years was lower in HIV-positive than in HIV-negative patients (8% and 37%, respectively; p= 0.046). 80% of patients in the whole cohort were female, and 84% and 62% in the HIV-positive and HIV-negative group, respectively. Extra-oral primary sites were the most frequent primary sites in both groups (66% and 88%, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in Ann Arbor stage, Ki-67 expression, LDH levels, IPI scores, albumin levels, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio between HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients. All cases showed large lymphoid cells, of plasmablastic morphology with expression of at least one plasma cell marker (CD138, CD38, MUM1), CD45 positivity, variable expression of EMA, CD79 and CD30 and absence of expression of CD20, CD3, CD68 and LMP1; the proliferative index Ki67 varied between 60 and 90%. A small proportion of patients (18%) did not receive chemotherapy because of poor performance status or a personal decision. DA-EPOCH regimen was used in 52% and 25% of HIV+ and HIV- patients, respectively and CHOP/CHOEP regimen in 48 % and 75%, respectively. The overall response rate was 68% and 57% in HIV+ and HIV- patients with complete response (CR) in 32% and 14%, respectively. In the HIV-positive group, 66% of patients were antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naïve. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 38 months and 7 months for HIV+ and HIV- patients, and the 1-year PFS was 74% and 0%, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) was 43 months (range 0.2-86.5) in HIV-positive patients and 10 months (range 0.5-19.0 months) in HIV-negative patients and the 1-year OS were 59% y 38%, respectively (p=0.27). Conclusions: PBL is a rare lymphoma, specially, if not related to HIV infection. In this study, 60 years or older was the only variable that showed significant difference. In our cohort, HIV-positive patients had better prognosis than HIV-negative PBL patients. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Description: Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly heterogeneous disease with new cases commonly diagnosed in the elderly population. Despite advances in AML therapy, disease outcomes remain poor. Between 2010 and 2016, the reported 5-year overall survival in the U.S. was 28.7% (Source: NCI SEER 13 statistics). National based registries are vital to monitor the incidence, outcome and survivorship of AML patients. Therefore, we aim to explore the incidence and outcome of AML patients managed at the National Cancer Institute in Peru over the past decade. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all newly diagnosed AML patients seen at the National Cancer Institute (INEN) in Lima-Peru between January 2008 to December 2018. The INEN is the major governmental leukemia center providing care for about 60% of newly diagnosed AML patients in Peru. Patient eligibility screening was performed using the Flow Cytometry Core Lab Registry. We excluded patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Demographic and clinical characteristics were obtained from medical records. Place of birth and death records were confirmed using the Peruvian National Registry of Identification and Civil Status (RENIEC). Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan Meier and Log-rank tests. The cumulative 11-year AML incidence rate was calculated and plotted using a choropleth map of Peru. Results: A total of 1,499 newly diagnosed AML cases were identified and had sufficient data for analysis. Median age at diagnosis was 44 years (range: 0-92) with a female:male ratio of 0.9:1. Clinical characteristics and outcome are presented in Table 1. Twenty-two percent (n=324) of patients were older than 65 years-old at the time of diagnosis. Most patients (n=926, 62%) came from the coastal region of Peru, followed by the mountains (30%) and the rainforest (8%). The cumulative 11-year incidence rate according to geographical location is shown in Figure 1. Overall, the Peruvian hospital-based cumulative incidence rate was 4.79 AML cases per 100,000 habitants, with the highest incidence rate observed in Piura (a coastal city in Northern Peru) with 38 AML cases per 100,000 habitants. At a median follow up of 68 months, the global 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of AML cases seen in Peru was 16%. Worse survival rates were found in patients aged 66 years and older (5-year OS 3%, median survival time [MST] 2 months, p

Description: INTRODUCTION: Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a mature peripheral T-cell neoplasm caused by the Human T-cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1). HTLV-1 infects up to 10 million people worldwide and is most endemic in Southwestern Japan, the Caribbean basin, South America, and Western Africa. In Latin America (LA), Peru and Brazil have the highest prevalence of HTLV-1-related diseases, however, data on ATLL in other LA countries is scarce. ATLL carries a dismal prognosis and is essentially incurable by conventional drugs. We describe the epidemiology, clinical features, treatment, and disease outcome of ATLL encountered in 11 countries in LA. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients (pts) diagnosed with ATLL between January 1995 and December 2019. ATLL cases were classified according to the Shimoyama criteria into acute (A), lymphomatous (L), chronic (C) and smoldering (S). Treatment approaches used as first-line therapy were: 1) chemotherapy alone; 2) combined chemotherapy with zidovudine/interferon-alpha (AZT-IFN); and 3) AZT-IFN alone, as previously done with Miami cohort (Malpica and Ramos et al. Blood Advances 2018). Treatment response was assessed according to Tsukasaki et al. (JCO 2009) criteria. To be classified as complete response (CR), partial response and stable disease, these had to persist for a period of at least 4 weeks. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test. RESULTS: A total of 253 pts with ATLL were identified. Two hundred twenty six pts (L=122, A=73, C=26, S=5) had sufficient data for analysis. Demographic and clinical features are shown in Figure 1 and Table 1. Median age at diagnosis was 57 years, with a female predominance in A (58%) and S (100%) types. Most ATLL pts were from Peru (n=159, 63%) followed by Chile (n=44, 17%), Argentina (n=20, 8%) and Colombia (n=17, 7%). B symptoms were high present in A, L and C types (73%, 72%, 58% vs. 8% S type, respectively, p=0.011). Hypercalcemia was highly associated with A type (57% vs. L 27%, p=0.014). The PIT score yielded to a more aggressive risk classification compared to the IPI score (high-risk: 55% vs. 29%, respectively, p

Description: Background: The human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is an oncogenic retrovirus that affects CD4+ T-cell lymphocytes and is the cause for adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL), an aggressive peripheral T-cell neoplasm. Hodgkin-like ATLL subtype is a unique entity usually indistinguishable from Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in the setting of HTLV-1 infection. HTLV-1 proviral integration and TCR Cb1 gene rearrangement testing are often necessary to differentiate both entities. However, less is known on HTLV-1 carriers diagnosed with HL (HTLV-1+ HL). We aim to compare survival outcomes between HTLV-1+ HL and matched controls treated at the National Cancer Institute in Peru. Methods: We reviewed medical records of patients diagnosed and managed for HL at the National Cancer Institute (Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas, INEN) in Lima-Peru between 2002 and 2019. All patients should have had serologic evaluation for HTLV-1 infection at the time of diagnosis and should have had no suspicion (or confirmation) of a T-cell neoplasm during pathological examination. To investigate the impact of HTLV-1 infection on survival, we matched HTLV-1+ HL cases to HTLV-1-negative HL patients (controls) based on age, sex, cancer staging, and comorbidities. Treatment responses were assessed according to the Lugano criteria. Survival curves (event-free and overall survival) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the Log-rank test. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was fitted and reported as Hazard Ratios (HR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: A total of 68 HL patients were identified and had sufficient data for analysis. Twenty cases had HTLV-1+ HL and 48 HTLV-1-negative HL. Table 1 summarizes the clinical features and outcomes of HL patients. In all patients the median age at diagnosis was 55 years with a female/male ratio of 1:1. Histological subtypes of HL were not statistically different among both groups with mixed cellularity as the most common subtype (HTLV-1+ HL 50% vs. HTLV-1-negative HL 38%), followed by nodular sclerosis (HTLV-1+ HL 15% vs. 31%), lymphocyte-rich (HTLV-1+ HL 15% vs. 15%), and nodular lymphocyte-predominant (HTLV-1+ HL 5% vs. 4%). ECOG performance status ≤2, advanced-stage disease (III-IV), presence of B symptoms, and presence of extranodal disease at the time of diagnosis were not different in both groups. Co-infections were presented in 5 (7.4%) HL patients (1 strongyloidiasis and 3 tuberculosis in the HTLV-1+ HL group, and 1 tuberculosis in the HTLV-1 negative HL group). All HTLV-1-negative HL patients were treated with first-line ABVD regimen compared to 18 (90%) HTLV-1+ HL patients; the remaining HTLV-1+ HL patients received involved-field radiation (n=1) and best supportive care (n=1). HTLV-1+ HL patients had inferior response rates (complete and partial response) compared to the matched control group (CR: 60% vs. 71%, and PR: 15% vs. 27%, respectively, p=0.015). At a median follow-up of 5-years, the overall survival was 55% in HTLV-1+ HL versus 67% in the matched control group (aHR: 1.39, 95%CI [0.6-3.4], p=0.47) (Figure 1). In the multivariate analysis, HTLV-1 infection was not a significant prognostic factor for worse event-free or overall survival. Relapsed rates were not different between both groups (HTLV-1+ HL 25% vs. 20.8%), however, more deaths were seen in the HTLV-1+ HL group (60% vs. 35%) but this was not statistically significant. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case series describing the characteristics and outcome of HTLV-1 carriers diagnosed with HL. We found lower response rates to conventional treatment in HTLV-1+ HL patients compared to HTLV-1 negative individuals. However, long-term outcomes and relapsed rates were not different among groups. Further investigation is needed to confirm the potential impact of HTLV-1 infection in HL outcome. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Description: Background:Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare and fatal myeloid malignancy characterized by clonal proliferation of immature plasmacytoid dendritic cells. BDCN has been frequently described in men and age above 60 years, and usually involves the skin and bone marrow. Immunophenotyping is based on CD123+, CD4+ and CD56+ expression and is necessary rule out other myeloid malignancies. Objective: We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and immunophenotype of BPDCN cases diagnosed at two tertiary Peruvian cancer institutions between 2018-2019. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients diagnosed of BPDCN at two tertiary Peruvian cancer centers (Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas and Oncosalud-AUNA, Lima-Peru) between 2008 and 2019. Clinical characteristics, treatments, outcomes and immunophenotype by pathology or flow cytometry review, were collected. Patients were classified according to their maturation stage using CD34 and CD117 expression into three subgroups: Immature-Intermediate blastic (IIB-BPDCN; partial expression of CD117 and absence or minimal expression of CD34), mature (M-BPDCN; absence of CD34 and CD117) and unknown(U-BPDCN). Overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the Log-rank test to determine the impact of immunophenotype. Results: Thirty-eight cases were included during the study period. The median age at diagnosis was 38 years (7-82), only six (16%) were older than 65 years, and a notorious female predominance (F/M ratio: 1.7:1) was observed. Twenty-four cases had CD34/117 expression available and were classified according to the maturation stage in IIB-BPDCN (13) and M-BPDCN(11), additionally 14 cases had unknown stage (U-BPDCN). Table 1 summarizes clinical characteristics, treatment and outcomes according to their immunophenotype. Bone marrow infiltration was more frequent in immature phenotypes (92% IIB-BPDCN vs 73% M-BPDCN, p=0.001), as well as skin infiltration was more common in mature phenotype (72% vs 31%, p=0.008). CNS infiltration at diagnosis was 15% and 55% in IIB-BPDCN and M-BPDCN, respectively. Sixteen patients received treatment based on ALL-like protocols, 8 AML-like, 5 CHOP-like and 9 patients only palliative care. At 5 years median follow-up, median EFS and OS was 12 and 16 months, respectively. IIB-BPDCN had the lowest survival (4 months EFS and 6 months OS). Conclusions: We describe a Peruvian cohort of BPDCN patients with younger age at diagnosis and female predominance than reported previously by other series, however further studies in Latino population are required to confirm these results. Immature phenotypes based on CD34 and CD117 expression were associated with high rate of bone marrow infiltration and fatal outcomes. New successful target therapies must be warranted for this rare and fatal condition. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Description: Frequency of IKZF1 Deletions in a Peruvian Population with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Background: B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) is an aggressive disease with worse outcomes in older patients, and latino ethnicity. Additionally, Latino populations are at higher risk of developing B-ALL.IKZF1is an essential lymphoid transcription factor with deletions (ΔIKZF1)implicated in treatment failure and relapses. We aimed to evaluate the frequency ofIKZF1deletions in a cohort of Peruvian patients with newly diagnosed B-ALL. Methods: We collected diagnostic bone marrow samples from 41 consecutive patients with B-ALL diagnosed between 2015-2019 at Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas (INEN; Lima, Peru). Bone marrow samples were cryopreserved prior to induction treatment. DNA was extracted using High Pure PCR Template Preparation Kit (Roche) at INEN. Samples with adequate DNA were screened forΔIKZF1by multiplex endpoint PCR covering four main deletions - dominant negative Δ4-7 or the loss of function Δ2-7, Δ4-8, and Δ2-8 IKZF1 deletions at UCL Cancer Insitute (London, UK) using the primers described by Caye et. al. We analyzed outcomes byIKZF1status. Results: Forty-one cases were enrolled during the study period. Clinical characteristics are presented in Table 1. Median age was 20 years[1-63]. Fifteen∆IKZF1cases (37%) were detected (67%BCR-ABL1 negand 33%BCR-ABL1pos).Cases withΔIKZF1were older than those with wild-typeIKZF1(median age 31 vs 13 years, p=0.002). Median presenting white blood count (WBC) was 48 x109/L [R:2-218], with a higher WBC inΔIKZF1compared to wild-type (87 vs 24 x109/L, p=0.001). The most frequent deletion was ∆4-7 (sevenBCR-ABL1 negand threeBCR-ABL1 pos) additional deletions are described in table 2. All patients received intensive 'pediatric-based' treatment, 21 with BFM-2009 and 19 with the CALGB 10403 protocol. CR rates after induction were 67% and 92% for∆IKZF1and wild-type cases, respectively. Eleven (73%) of patients with∆IKZF1subjects (73%) were MRD positive by flow cytometry after induction compared to 11 (44%) among wild-type. At a median follow-up of 2 years EFS was 38% in the∆IKZF1group and 58% in the wild type group, correspond OS was 38% and 58%, respectively. Conclusion: A high frequency of IKZF1 deletions was found in a Peruvian population with B-ALL and was associated with older age and higher presenting white blood counts. Prospective studies with larger Latino population are warranted to confirm this finding. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.