Safety and efficacy of arsenic trioxide in intensification therapy for newly diagnosed childhood acute promyelocytic leukemia: results from the JPLSG AML-P13 study.

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) in combination with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has been shown to be effective in both adult and pediatric patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Addition of ATO to conventional chemotherapy could lead to a reduction in the doses of cytotoxic agents, but the long-term safety of ATO is not fully understood, especially in children. The Japan Children's Cancer Group conducted a risk-stratified prospective study to investigate safety and efficacy of ATO in children with newly diagnosed APL by replacing all three intensification phases with ATO.

[Female doctors in the niche field of hematology].

Although the proportion of female doctors in Japan has increased, the proportion of female managers remains barely changed at less than 10%. This review discusses the lack of female leaders from the perspective of the impacts of society and organizations on individuals. In order for women to demonstrate leadership, they need to be prepared to continue working and to become leaders themselves.

Impact of center volume on acute graft versus host disease in allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients.

Prophylactic, diagnostic, and treatment strategies for acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) may vary across medical centers and physicians. We aimed to investigate the relationship between center volume and the incidence and outcomes of aGVHD. This retrospective study included 28,786 patients who underwent their first hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (entire cohort) and 9498 patients who developed grade II-IV aGVHD (aGVHD cohort).

Impact of center volume on outcomes in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for children.

The impact of center volume on outcomes in pediatric hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is not well established. We retrospectively analyzed data from a nationwide registry, including 6966 pediatric patients who underwent their first allogeneic HCT at 123 centers in Japan between 2001 and 2020. Centers were categorized by transplant volume as low volume centers (C1, the smallest number of transplantation), medium-low volume centers (C2), medium-high volume centers (C3), and high volume centers (C4, the greatest number of transplantation), and outcomes were compared across these categories.

Center effect on outcomes of second allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a nationwide retrospective study.

We evaluated the impact of center volume on outcomes in patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia following their second allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Our cohort included 299 patients with relapse and 68 patients with graft failure after their first allo-HSCT between 2003 and 2017. Patients were stratified into low- and high-volume groups based on the number of allo-HSCT performed at each center.

Association Between Treatment of Childhood Cancer and Its Late Effects on Gonadal or Growth Function in Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Background: The late effects on childhood cancer survivors have long been recognized, but detailed studies remain limited. The current study aimed to clarify the association between childhood cancer treatment and the incidence of late effects on gonadal or growth function in Japan.

Methods: The retrospective study included medical records of patients with childhood cancer aged up to 15 years at diagnosis, who were treated with anticancer drugs at Osaka University Hospital from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2019, and who survived at least 5 years after diagnosis.

Engraftment outcome of patients with anti-HLA antibodies in HLA-mismatched peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.

Anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies, particularly donor-specific HLA antibodies (DSA), negatively impact engraftment in hematopoietic cell transplantation. Past studies have proposed various interventions to reduce DSA, but these were primarily from single centers and not from large-scale registry data. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective analysis of nationwide registry data to examine the effects of anti-HLA antibodies on engraftment.

JCCG ALL-B12: Evaluation of Intensified Therapies With Vincristine/Dexamethasone Pulses and Asparaginase and Augmented High-Dose Methotrexate for Pediatric B-ALL.

Purpose: The JCCG ALL-B12 clinical trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of unvalidated treatment phases for pediatric ALL and develop a safety-focused treatment framework.

Patients And Methods: Patients age 1-19 years with newly diagnosed B-ALL were enrolled in this study. These patients were stratified into standard-risk (SR), intermediate-risk (IR), and high-risk (HR) groups.

Lorlatinib for the Treatment of Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are rare sarcomas composed of myofibroblastic and fibroblastic cells, accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration. Many IMTs exhibit clonal rearrangement of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). We herein report a 56-year-old woman with uterine IMT harboring a thrombospondin-1::ALK fusion that developed after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).

Center effect on allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation outcomes for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

This nationwide study retrospectively examined the center effect on allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for adult B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The cohort analyses were separated into Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive and -negative cases. The patients were divided into low- and high-volume groups according to the number of allo-HSCTs at each facility.

RhD mismatch does not affect haematopoietic recovery, graft-versus-host disease and survival in allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation: A Japanese registry-based study.

Background And Objectives: ABO blood group mismatch between the donor and the recipient can affect the success of the transplant as well as problems with the red blood cells during allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). However, the impact of the Rhesus (Rh) D mismatch on transplant outcomes in allogeneic HCT has been poorly elucidated.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the impact of the RhD mismatch on post-transplant outcomes in 64,923 patients who underwent allogeneic HCT between 2000 and 2021 using a Japanese registry database.

Impact of Center Volume on Chronic Graft Versus Host Disease in Patients With Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), negatively impacting quality of life (QoL) and increasing the risk of death. Complexity in cGVHD diagnosis and treatment causes significant variations in cGVHD management strategies across medical centers and physicians despite the existence of published guidelines. Thus, we hypothesized that center volume is associated with cGVHD incidence and outcomes after cGVHD develops.

Reduced-intensity allogenic transplantation for children and adolescents with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Survival rates of patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive ALL (Ph+ALL) have improved considerably with the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI); however, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) continues to play an important role. Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens have been widely applied particularly for older patients, but their validity for children and adolescents with Ph+ALL has not been investigated. In this study, data from patients receiving HSCT for de novo Ph+ALL in first or second remission at ages younger than 25 years and with a history of pre-HSCT TKI therapy were retrospectively collected through the nationwide registry in Japan.

Secondary leiomyosarcoma of the nasal cavity in a treated patient with possible hereditary retinoblastoma with germline reciprocal translocation of RB1 and DMXL1 and somatic TP53 mutation: A case report.

Retinoblastoma is a common primary intraocular malignant tumor that affects infants and young children. Radiation therapy for hereditary retinoblastoma increases the risk of secondary malignancy. The present report discusses the case of a retinoblastoma survivor who developed secondary leiomyosarcoma 42 years after receiving radiation therapy.

Checkpoint inhibitor-induced gastritis followed by delayed severe hepatitis in a patient with lung metastases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a case report.

Pembrolizumab, an anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) receptor monoclonal antibody, is an effective first-line therapy for metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are well-described complications of PD-1 inhibitors, and multiorgan irAEs are known to occur occasionally. We report a patient with pulmonary metastases of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), who developed gastritis followed by delayed severe hepatitis and recovered with triple immunosuppressant therapy.

Nelarabine, intensive L-asparaginase, and protracted intrathecal therapy for newly diagnosed T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children and young adults (ALL-T11): a nationwide, multicenter, phase 2 trial including randomisation in the very high-risk group.

Background: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia has distinct biological characteristics and a poorer prognosis than B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. This trial aimed to reduce the rate of radiation and haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) while improving outcomes by adding nelarabine, intensified L-asparaginase, and protracted intrathecal therapy in the Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM)-type treatment.

Methods: In this nationwide, multicenter, phase 2 trial, we enrolled patients with newly diagnosed T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (age <25 years at diagnosis) conducted by Japan Children's Cancer Group and Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group.