As first-line treatment for patients with CLL, alemtuzumab demonstrated significantly improved PFS, time to alternative treatment, ORR and CR, and minimal residual disease-negative remissions compared with chlorambucil, with predictable and manageable toxicity.

Purpose Obinutuzumab (GA101), a novel glycoengineered type II anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, demonstrated responses in single-arm studies of patients with relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This is the first prospective, randomized study comparing safety and efficacy of obinutuzumab with rituximab in relapsed indolent lymphoma. The primary end point of this study was the overall response rate (ORR) in patients with follicular lymphoma after induction and safety in patients with indolent lymphoma. Patients and Methods A total of 175 patients with relapsed CD20+ indolent lymphoma requiring therapy and with previous response to a rituximab-containing regimen were randomly assigned (1:1) to four once-per-week infusions of either obinutuzumab (1,000 mg) or rituximab (375 mg/m2). Patients without evidence of disease progression after induction therapy received obinutuzumab or rituximab maintenance therapy every 2 months for up to 2 years. Results Among patients with follicular lymphoma (n = 149), ORR seemed higher for obinutuzumab than rituximab (44.6% v 33.3%; P = .08). This observation was also demonstrated by a blinded independent review panel that measured a higher ORR for obinutuzumab (44.6% v 26.7%; P = .01). However, this difference did not translate into an improvement in progression-free survival. No new safety signals were observed for obinutuzumab, and the incidence of adverse events was balanced between arms, with the exception of infusion-related reactions and cough, which were higher in the obinutuzumab arm. Conclusion Obinutuzumab demonstrated a higher ORR without appreciable differences in safety compared with rituximab. However, the clinical benefit of obinutuzumab in this setting remains unclear and should be evaluated within phase III trials.

Linezolid demonstrated efficacy and similar safety outcomes equivalent to those for vancomycin in febrile neutropenic patients with cancer.

No abstract

No abstract

Angiogenesis is a physiologic process of new blood vessels formation mediated by various cytokines called angiogenic and angiostatic factors. Although its potential pathophysiologic role in solid tumors has been extensively studied for more than 3 decades, enhancement of angiogenesis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and other malignant hematological disorders has been recognized more recently.An increased level of angiogenesis has been documented by various experimental methods both in bone marrow and lymph nodes of patients with CLL. Although the role of angiogenesis in the pathophysiology of this disease remains to be fully elucidated, experimental data suggest that several angiogenic factors play a role in the disease progression. Biologic markers of angiogenesis were also shown to be of prognostic relevance in CLL. The current findings provide the rationale for investigating antiangiogenic agents in CLL. In the current review angiogenesis in CLL is discussed and its potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Cancer 2006;107:925-34.

No abstract

No abstract