memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

2016 memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

doi: 10.1007/s12254-016-0277-1

Hilbe, Wolfgang; Radlherr, Waltraud

2016 memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

doi: 10.1007/s12254-016-0273-5

Bartsch, Rupert

2016 memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

doi: 10.1007/s12254-016-0286-0

Zojer, Niklas

2016 memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

doi: 10.1007/s12254-016-0280-6

Hilbe, Wolfgang; Bartsch, Rupert; Zielinski, Christoph

2016 memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

doi: 10.1007/s12254-016-0281-5

Heintel, Daniel

2016 memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

doi: 10.1007/s12254-016-0285-1

This review discusses promising new approaches in the management of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that were recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology meeting in 2015. In total, 405 abstracts concerning biological and clinical aspects of CLL were presented. The review concentrates on clinical data regarding improved treatment strategies for treatment-naïve patients as well as those with relapsed/refractory disease.

Pfeilstöcker, Michael

2016 memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

doi: 10.1007/s12254-016-0275-3

Despite of the progress achieved in recent years for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment, there is still a need for improvement, both for younger and elderly patients. This review covers studies for AML presented at the ASH 2015 annual meeting. The presentations selected offer a glimpse of the future of AML treatment. Also in AML insights into the molecular pathogenesis can be translated into clinical practice where a major step has been set with the first positive trial with respect to overall survival for the tyrosine kinase inhibitor midostaurin. Also for older patients, unfit for chemotherapy, therapy options are increasingly available. Individualized therapies will require both new trial designs and new approaches for patient assessment and clinical decision making.

Nösslinger, Thomas

2016 memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

doi: 10.1007/s12254-016-0274-4

At the last American society of hematology (ASH) meeting new genetic prognostic tools for follicular lymphoma (FL) were presented. Recent clinical data support the potential use of chemotherapy-free combinations in treatment-naïve FL, but potential additive toxicities have to be considered. In relapsed disease the bcl2 inhibitor venetoclax (ABT-199) is very promising in combination with chemo-immunotherapy. Furthermore the concept of CAR-T cell therapy seems to be appropriate in highly refractory disease.

Fridrik, Michael

2016 memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

doi: 10.1007/s12254-016-0271-7

Out of the numerous papers dealing with lymphoma at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) 2015 meeting, three could change clinical practice. The DA-EPOCH-R regimen has improved the evidence for efficacy in Burkitt lymphoma. For lymphoproliferative disease after solid organ transplantation rituximab is a reasonable first-line treatment and nonresponders can be salvaged with R‑CHOP. For anaplastic large cell lymphoma the addition of etoposide to the CHOP regimen is an option. However, better regimens with new drugs are eagerly awaited.

Zojer, Niklas

2016 memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

doi: 10.1007/s12254-016-0283-3

Multiple myeloma was prominently featured during the American Society of Hematology 2015 meeting. Important presentations were related to standards of first-line therapy of myeloma, disease assessment, and treatment of relapsed disease. New innovative treatments for myeloma are emerging, which will likely open new therapeutic avenues in the near future. This review aims to give a brief overview of the topic, focusing on presentations with relevance for clinical practice.

Feistritzer, Clemens; Schmidt, Stefan

2016 memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

doi: 10.1007/s12254-016-0284-2pmid: 27752290

During the 57th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology 2015 in Orlando, Florida, various aspects in the field of hemostaseology were presented. The Choosing Wisely® campaign pointed out the importance of the critical use of diagnostic tools to rule out pulmonary embolism and questioned the relevance of thrombophilia testing in women undergoing routine infertility evaluation. Furthermore, the approval of idarucizumab, a specific antidote for the reversal of the anticoagulant effects of the direct thrombin inhibitor dabigatran, was highlighted. Finally, hemophilia specialists awaited the results of the SIPPET Trial, which were presented for the first time during the plenary session. Replacement therapy of previously untreated hemophilia A patients with plasma-derived factor VIII containing von Willebrand factor resulted in a lower incidence of inhibitors compared with patients treated with recombinant factor VIII.

Clausen, Johannes

2016 memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

doi: 10.1007/s12254-016-0276-2

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains one of the most dynamic fields in hematology, as reflected by the large number of abstracts on new developments and establishing concepts in this scientific and clinical area, presented at the ASH meeting in December 2015. The role of haploidentical transplantation for recipients lacking an HLA-matched donor was further strengthened, and the use of an intelligently designed and carefully developed concept of immunomodulation, namely posttransplant cyclophosphamide, enabling successful transplantation across the multi-antigeneic HLA-barrier. Furthermore, with the development of novel antineoplastic therapies, both effective bridging to transplant, as well as prophylactic and preemptive interventions post HSCT will help increase the overall success of increasingly complex and individualized treatment concepts. Finally, novel cellular immunotherapies, most notably the genetically engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell concepts, will extend the therapeutic options for patients with hematological malignancies.

Reinthaller, Alexander

2016 memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

doi: 10.1007/s12254-016-0282-4pmid: 27752291

Angiogenesis plays a pivotal role in normal ovarian physiology as well as in the formation and progression of ovarian cancer. Several well-designed phase II and III trials studied the efficacy of antiangiogenic agents in advanced ovarian cancer. The results of these trials demonstrated significantly prolonged progression-free survival when antiangiogenic agents were used as a maintenance therapy. To date, no effect on overall survival could be ascertained. The most widely studied antiangiogenic agent, bevacizumab – a monoclonal humanized antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor – was effective in all phases of the disease (first-line therapy, platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant recurrence). These results led to regulatory approval in many countries including the European Union. Other anti-VEGF agents such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors have not shown increased activity but increased toxicity relative to bevacizumab. Agents targeting angiopoietin-1 and -2 are in development and new combinations with PARP inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors are studied. This review summarizes the current data and knowledge on the clinical use of antiangiogenic agents in advanced ovarian cancer.

Mihaylov, Georgi; Mihaylova, Zhasmina; Drgona, Lubos; Cipkova, Andrea; Novak, Jan; Petrova, Roumyana

2016 memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology

doi: 10.1007/s12254-016-0279-z