ALBERT

Description: Abstract 6 Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a curable disease, and contemporary treatment based on the combination of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) with anthracyclines results in overall survival (OS) rates of around 90% at five years. Unfortunately, the treatment outcome of patients with APL in developing countries is significantly less. A recent Brazilian study had reported an OS of 53% with a first 5-days mortality of 13.4%. The International Consortium on Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (IC-APL) is an initiative of the International Members Committee of the ASH and the project aims to reduce this gap through the establishment of international network, which was launched in Brazil, México and Uruguay. All patients with a suspected diagnosis of APL were immediately started on ATRA, while bone marrow samples were shipped to a national central lab where genetic verification of the diagnosis was performed. Results of the immunofluorescence for PML was obtained within hours and upon confirmation of the diagnosis, patients were enrolled in a protocol identical to the PETHEMA-LPA 2005, except for the replacement of idarubicin by daunorubicin. Supportive care aimed at maintaining platelet counts above 30,000/μl and fibrinogen levels above 150 mg/dl. In each country, cases were discussed every other week through internet and whenever needed international experts were involved. As of June 2009, 102 (70 Brazil, 25 Mexico, 7 Uruguay) APL patients were enrolled. The median age was 34 y (range: 9–72y) with 55 males (54%).The median white blood cell counts (WBC) at baseline was 3.6×109 /L(range: 0.2–149.7). The distribution of the relapse risk score at diagnosis according to PETHEMA-GIMEMA criteria was 14 low (14%), 54 intermediate (53%) and 34 high risk(33%) respectively. The incidence of low risk APL appeared lower than the values reported in developed countries. Of 102, 97 patients have toxicity and response data available. Of these 97, 12 (12.3%)experienced at least three symptoms/signs of differentiation syndrome (DS) and 77 (79%) patients achieved a complete remission (CR). Twenty-three deaths occurred and the cause of deaths included 9 hemorrhage, 8 infection, 2 DS . The 7 and 30 day mortality rates were 8% and 19.6%, respectively, and the one- year overall survival was 75% (95%CI:68%–84%). The median follow-up time among survivors was 14 months (range: 1.3–35). Among 77 patients who achieved CR, the 1-year OS and disease-free survival from the date of CR was 95% (95% CI: 89%–100%). Only one patient relapsed. For patients surviving a minimum of 30 days the outcome was similar to that reported by the twin PETHEMA-LPA 2005 protocol in European patients. Prognostic factors for overall survival were examined using log-rank test as well as multivariate Cox models. Factors predicting OS were a high relapse risk score at baseline (1-year OS: 59% for high, 87% for intermediate, 91% for low, p=0.0007) and age. The 1-year OS was 85% for age

Description: Abstract 3289 Poster Board III-1 Imatinib dose escalation has been used in sub-optimal response and therapeutic failure to imatinib in conventional doses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of imatinib dose increase in CML patients in CP who did not achieve the best response to imatinib 400 mg QID. Patients and methods: All CML patients in CP treated in our institution with imatinib 400mg between March 2002 and December 2008 were evaluated. Imatinib was escalated to 600–800mg in cases with sub-optimal response or failure, according to Leukemia Net or IRIS Trial criteria. All survival curves were calculated from date of dose increase: overall survival (OS) until death or last follow-up, event free survival (EFS) until loss of complete hematological response (CHR) or major cytogenetic response (MCyR), progression to accelerated phase (AP) or blast crisis (BC) or death from any cause. Transformation free survival (TFS) was calculated from dose increase until progression to AP, BC or death. Results: 137 patients in CP were treated with imatinib 400 mg. Dose was escalated in 55 (40%) patients due to loss or failure to achieve CRH (13 = 24%); progression to BC (2 = 3.5%); no CCR (11 = 20%); loss of RCC (5 = 9%); CCR without major molecular response (MMR) after 18 months of imatinib (24 = 43.5%). Males: 37, females 18 cases. Median age: 44 (16–74) years. Twenty-eight patients (49%) were treated with imatinib as first line therapy and 51% had used IFN previously. Median time between diagnosis and imatinib start was 4.5 (0–94) months. Responses: 94% achieved CHR; 58% CCR and 34% MMR. After dose increase, 31 (56%) responded: 58% of the patients with previous sub-optimal molecular response achieved MMR. Among those who benefited from dose increase, only 3 cases lost the response: one with hematological resistance and two with cytogenetic resistance (2 lost CCR and one CHR). Seven out of 16 patients who increased dose due to cytogenetic failure (loss of response, failure and sub-optimal response) achieved response: one had partial cytogenetic response (PCyR) and 6 CCR. Five patients with hematological failure presented response: CHR (2), CCR (1), PCyR (1) and MMR (1). Patients with BC (2 cases) did not respond to dose escalation. TFS was 89% and 67% in 2 and 5 years, respectively. EFS was 71% and 64% in 2 and 5 years respectively. When stratified by the type of failure, EFS was 100%, 49% and 34% in the group with molecular sub-optimal response with median time of 22 (4–41) months, cytogenetic 17 (1.2–42) and hematological failure 7.7 (0.2–57), respectively (P

Description: Background: Gastric lymphoma is the most common extra nodal B cell Non Hodgkin Lymphoma and DLBCL accounts for 70% of cases in the stomach. The clinical course is heterogeneous and clinical symptoms, laboratorial abnormalities and Helicobacter pylori and hepatitis B and C infections, in addition to classical IPI factors, have been related to prognosis. Different clinical behaviors may reflect distinct pathogenic mechanisms. In order to improve outcomes, a better characterization of prognostic factors is required. Aim: We aimed to identify factors with a potential prognosis impact in a consecutive series of gastric DLBCL patients diagnosed and treated in three referee Centers in Brazil, Portugual and Italy, by analyzing demographic and clinical characteristics, response to treatment and outcome (overall survival). The clinical picture of European and Brazilian populations was also compared. Patients and Methods: Between January 2010 and May 2015, 104 DLBCL were enrolled in this study. In order to establishing correlations between the clinical features and response to treatment the following parameters were analyzed: clinical symptoms, serum albumin, serum lactate dehydrogenize (LDH),b 2microglobulin, tumor bulky stage of disease, age-adjusted international prognostic index (aaIPI), and response to treatment. Statistical analysis using SPSS software included descriptive analyses, Kaplan-Meyer estimates for overall survival and Cox regression;p values

Description: Abstract 3536 ΔNp73 is an alternative TP73 gene transcript lacking the transactivation (TA) domain that is generated via alternative splicing and/or P2 promoter. The encoded protein acts as a potent transdominant inhibitor of wild type TP53 and full-length TAp73. In several human malignancies the unbalanced expression of transcriptionally active (TAp73) and inactive (ΔNp73) variants correlates with treatment outcome. We have previously reported that higher ΔN/TA isoform expression ratio was associated with poorer prognosis and resistance to cytarabine induced apoptosis in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (Lucena-Araujo et al., 2008). In acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), both isoforms are expressed, but the clinical significance remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether the ΔN/TA expression ratio was associated with treatment outcome of APL patients and to investigate the mechanisms by which ΔNp73 may contribute to PML-RARa+ cell survival. Using isoform-specific probes for ΔNp73 and TAp73, their expression was analyzed in 166 APL patients by Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR). Patients were divided into tertiles for ΔN/TA expression ratio (median value=23.62; 33rd/66th percentiles=12.8/42.3) and their clinical and laboratory characteristics were compared. Patients in the highest tertile presented higher white blood cells (WBC) counts than those in intermediate/lower tertiles (p