Impact of Dara-VTD induction therapy on stem cell mobilization outcomes in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation: a multicenter study.

Daratumumab combined with bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone (Dara-VTD) is a highly effective induction therapy for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients eligible for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). However, its impact on stem cell mobilization requires a critical evaluation. This study examines the effects of Dara-VTD on stem cell mobilization and collection outcomes.

Old Therapy, New Questions: Rethinking Phlebotomy in a Pharmacologic Landscape.

Therapeutic phlebotomy remains a key intervention in the management of erythrocytosis and iron overload disorders, particularly polycythemia vera (PV) and hereditary hemochromatosis. Despite its historical origins as an ancient practice, venesection continues to be recommended in international guidelines for the reduction of hematocrit and iron burden, thereby mitigating thrombotic and organ-related complications. However, the evolving landscape of targeted pharmacologic therapies is reshaping the therapeutic paradigm.

Revised "iRR6" model in intermediate-1 risk myelofibrosis patients treated with ruxolitinib.

Background: The response to ruxolitinib after 6 months (RR6) model allows early identification of ruxolitinib-treated myelofibrosis (MF) patients with poorer overall survival (OS); however, it is less applicable to lower-risk patients.

Methods: To further explore this, the authors performed a subanalysis of the "RUX-MF" study (NCT06516406) with an aim to validate the RR6 and to develop a score specific for intermediate-1 DIPSS/MYSEC-PM risk patients.

Results: Among the 776 evaluable patients, 34.

Exploring thromboembolic risk factors in polycythemia vera: from current evidence to PROSPERO study design.

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm with a substantial risk of thromboembolic events (TEs), which contribute to morbidity and mortality. Traditional thrombotic risk stratification primarily considers age and thrombosis history, yet these parameters alone do not capture the complexity of thrombotic risk. Growing evidence highlights the role of additional factors influencing the risk of TEs, underscoring the need for a more comprehensive approach to patient stratification.

Ultrasonography-Guided Core-Needle Biopsy for Newly Diagnosed Large B-Cell Lymphomas: Analysis on Diagnostic Efficacy and Safety in an Italian Retrospective Study.

Introduction: Excisional biopsy (EB) is the gold standard for large B-cell lymphomas (LBCLs) diagnosis. Based on recent advances in interventional radiology enabling accurate sampling with core needle biopsy (CNB), we evaluated efficacy and safety of CNB under imaging guidance for diagnosing LBCLs.

Methods: At the Hematology and Pathology Units of the Federico II University Medical School of Naples (Italy), we retrospectively collected patients with lymphadenopathies suspected of lymphomas (during 2009-2022) of which the ultrasonography (US)-guided CNB lymph node samples were available.

Elastography Enhances the Diagnostic Performance of Conventional Ultrasonography in Differentiating Benign from Malignant Superficial Lymphadenopathies.

Background/objectives: Lymph node (LN) evaluation is critical in diagnosing, staging, and managing various diseases, particularly lymphoma and metastatic cancer. Although conventional ultrasound (US) is widely used for this purpose, its limitations in reliably differentiating between benign and malignant LNs persist. Ultrasound elastography (US-E), which evaluates tissue stiffness, has emerged as a promising adjunct to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Disease Phenotype Significantly Influences the Outcome After Discontinuation of Ruxolitinib in Chronic Phase Myelofibrosis.

Introduction: In patients with myelofibrosis (MF), overall survival (OS) after ruxolitinib discontinuation is poor, with leukemic transformation, clonal evolution and thrombocytopenia as the main factors worsening prognosis.

Patients And Methods: To assess the impact of disease phenotype on outcome after ruxolitinib discontinuation in chronic phase patients, we performed a sub-analysis of the "RUX-MF" study (NCT06516406), which now includes 1055 MF patients who received ruxolitinib in a real-life context.

Results: After a median follow-up of 3.

Spleen volume assessment in Ph-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms: a real-life study comparing ultrasonography vs. magnetic resonance imaging scans.

Splenomegaly is a quite common clinical feature of Philadelphia (Ph) negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) and its presence may, in some cases, drives treatment decision. Most importantly, palpable splenomegaly is a minor criterion for both pre-fibrotic/early primary myelofibrosis and primary myelofibrosis (PMF) diagnosis, even if clinical assessment by physical examination is poorly reliable and accurate. On the other hand, despite the International Working Group-Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Research and Treatment and European LeukemiaNet guidelines defined spleen response criteria by palpation, they also recognized the highly subjective nature of spleen size assessment by physical examination, and recommended objective confirmation of volume reduction via computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Impact of calreticulin mutations on treatment and survival outcomes in myelofibrosis during ruxolitinib therapy.

Calreticulin (CALR) mutations are detected in around 20% of patients with primary and post-essential thrombocythemia myelofibrosis (MF). Regardless of driver mutations, patients with splenomegaly and symptoms are generally treated with JAK2-inhibitors, most commonly ruxolitinib. Recently, new therapies specifically targeting the CALR mutant clone have entered clinical investigation.

Cyclic Neutropenia Mimicking Crohn's Disease: Two Case Reports and a Narrative Review.

Cyclic neutropenia is a rare hematological condition characterized by periodic fluctuations in neutrophil counts, with a 21-day periodicity. Clinical presentation varies from mild to severe forms of the disease, with the onset of recurrent fever, painful oral ulcers, recurrent bacterial infections, peritonitis, and septic shock. The availability of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) has revolutionized the management and natural history of this disease, regulating the proliferation, differentiation, and maturation of the progenitor cells, and reducing the duration of neutropenia.

Ultrasonography-guided core-needle biopsy of lymphadenopathies suspected of lymphoma: Analysis on diagnostic efficacy and safety of 1000 front-line biopsies in a multicenter Italian study.

The reliability and safety of front-line ultrasonography guided core needle biopsy (UG-CNB) performed with specific uniform approach have never been evaluated in a large series of patients with lymphadenopathies suspected of lymphoma. The aim of this study was to assess the overall accuracy of UG-CNB in the lymph node histological diagnosis, using a standard reference based on pathologist consensus, molecular biology, and/or surgery. We retrospectively checked the findings concerning the application of lymph node UG-CNB from four Italian clinical units that routinely utilized 16-gauge diameter modified Menghini needle under power-Doppler ultrasonographic guidance.

Intravascular Complications of Central Venous Catheterization by Insertion Site in Acute Leukemia during Remission Induction Chemotherapy Phase: Lower Risk with Peripherally Inserted Catheters in a Single-Center Retrospective Study.

The basilic/brachial (BBV), internal jugular (IJV), and subclavian veins (SCV) are commonly used as central venous catheter (CVC) sites. A BBV approach [peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC)] is increasingly used for short- to intermediate-term CVCs for acute leukemias undergoing cytotoxic intensive regimens. In this retrospective study, the catheterization of the BBV, IJV, and SCV in patients with previously untreated acute leukemia was assessed.

Lamivudine 24-month-long prophylaxis is a safe and efficient choice for the prevention of hepatitis B virus reactivation in HBsAg-negative/HBcAb-positive patients with advanced DLBCL undergoing upfront R-CHOP-21.

Introduction: Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is a condition where replication-competent hepatitis B virus-DNA (HBV-DNA) is present in the liver, with or without HBV-DNA in the blood [<200 international units (IU)/ml or absent] in HB surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative/HB core antibody (HBcAb)-positive individuals. In patients with advanced stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) undergoing 6 cycles of R-CHOP-21+2 additional R, OBI reactivation is a frequent and severe complication. There is no consensus among recent guidelines on whether a pre-emptive approach or primary antiviral prophylaxis is the best solution in this setting of patients.

Treatment of Advanced Systemic Mastocytosis with Midostaurin: Practical Guidance for Optimal Therapy and Management.

Systemic mastocytosis (SM) is a rare disease with a range of clinical presentations, and the vast majority of patients have a KIT D816V mutation that results in a gain of function. The multikinase/KIT inhibitor midostaurin inhibits the D816V mutant and has a well-established role in treating advanced SM. Even if considered the standard of therapy, some open questions remain on optimizing midostaurin management in daily practice.

Liposomal doxorubicin supercharge-containing front-line treatment in patients with advanced-stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma or classical Hodgkin lymphoma: Preliminary results of a single-centre phase II study.

We evaluated the impact of liposomal doxorubicin (NPLD) supercharge-containing therapy on interim fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (interim-FDG-PET) responses in high-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or classical Hodgkin lymphoma (c-HL). In this phase II study (2016-2021), 81 adult patients with advanced-stage DLBCL (n = 53) and c-HL (n = 28) received front-line treatment with R-COMP-dose-intensified (DI) and MBVD-DI. R-COMP-DI consisted of 70 mg/m of NPLD plus standard rituximab, cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone for three cycles (followed by three cycles with NPLD de-escalated at 50 mg/m ); MBVD-DI consisted of 35 mg/m of NPLD plus standard bleomycin, vinblastine and dacarbazine for two cycles (followed by four cycles with NPLD de-escalated at 25 mg/m ).

Sulfur Exafluoride Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Showing Early Wash-Out of Marked Degree Identifies Lymphoma Invasion of Spleen with Excellent Diagnostic Accuracy: A Monocentric Study of 260 Splenic Nodules.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) use for detecting lymphoma in the spleen was questioned because of the risk of its inadequate diagnostic accuracy. The aim of the present study was to validate CEUS exam for the identification of spleen involvement by lymphoma in patients at risk. A total of 260 nodules from the spleens of 77 patients with lymph node biopsy-proven non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL; n = 44) or Hodgkin lymphoma (HL; n = 33) at staging (n = 56) or follow-up (n = 21) were collected in a hematology Italian center and retrospectively analyzed.