SummaryWe report our experience with 129 cases of double hit lymphoma (DHL), defined as B-cell lymphoma with translocations and/or extra signals involving MYC plus BCL2 and/or BCL6. All cases were reviewed for histopathological classification. Median age was 62 years (range, 18-85), 84% of patients had advanced-stage disease, and 87% had an International Prognostic Index score ≥2. Fourteen patients (11%) had a history of low-grade follicular lymphoma. MYC translocation was present in 81%, and extra signals of MYC in 25% of patients. IGH-BCL2 translocation was present in 84% and extra signals of BCL2 in 12% of patients. Two-year event-free survival (EFS) rates in all patients and patients who received R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone), R-EPOCH (rituximab, etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin), and R-HyperCVAD/MA (rituximab, hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, dexamethasone, alternating with cytarabine plus methotrexate) were 33%, 25%, 67% and 32%, respectively. In patients achieving complete response with initial therapy (n = 71), 2-year EFS rates in patients who did (n = 23) or did not (n = 48) receive frontline stem cell transplantation were 68% and 53%, respectively (P = 0Á155). The cumulative incidence of central nervous system involvement was 13% at 3 years. Multivariate analysis identified performance status ≥2 and bone marrow involvement as independent adverse prognostic factors for EFS and OS. Further research is needed to identify predictive and/or targetable biological markers and novel therapeutic approaches for DHL patients.

Primary cutaneous lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of diseases. They often remain localized, and they generally have a more indolent course and a better prognosis than lymphomas in other locations. They are highly radiosensitive, and radiation therapy is an important part of the treatment, either as the sole treatment or as part of a multimodality approach. Radiation therapy of primary cutaneous lymphomas requires the use of special techniques that form the focus of these guidelines. The International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group has developed these guidelines after multinational meetings and analysis of available evidence. The guidelines represent an agreed consensus view of the International Lymphoma Radiation Oncology Group steering committee on the use of radiation therapy in primary cutaneous lymphomas in the modern era.

Total skin electron beam followed by allogeneic stem-cell transplantation merits additional evaluation for a selected group of patients with refractory, advanced, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with evidence for graft-versus-tumor effect.

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Nelarabine, a water soluble prodrug of 9‐β‐D‐arabinofuranosylguanine (ara‐G), is a T‐cell specific purine nucleoside analogue. Given its activity in relapsed and refractory T acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T‐ALL) and T lymphoblastic lymphoma (T‐LBL), we sought to define its role in the frontline treatment of adult patients. Therefore, we conducted a single arm phase 2 study to determine the safety and efficacy of nelarabine in combination with hyper‐CVAD in newly diagnosed patients. For induction/consolidation, patients received eight cycles of hyper‐CVAD alternating with high‐dose methotrexate and cytarabine plus two cycles of nelarabine given at a dose of 650 mg/m2 intravenously daily for 5 days. This was followed by thirty months of POMP maintenance chemotherapy with two additional cycles of nelarabine given instead of cycles 6 and 7 of POMP maintenance. Sixty‐seven patients, including 40 with T‐ALL and 26 with T‐LBL, were enrolled. Complete response rates in both T‐ALL and T‐LBL were 87% and 100% respectively. Grade 3 to 4 neurotoxic adverse events were reported in 5 patients. There were 21 relapses (31%) including 2 after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Median duration of follow‐up was 42.5 months. The 3‐year complete remission duration (CRD) and overall survival (OS) rates were 66% and 65%, respectively. Compared to our historic hyper‐CVAD data, there was no survival benefit with the addition of nelarabine. In conclusion, hyper‐CVAD plus nelarabine was well tolerated and active in the frontline treatment of adult T‐ALL/LBL patients.