Malnutrition in Australian hospitals is a continuing health concern and is associated with increased LOS and decreased survival after 12 months. The present study revealed that malnourished patients were not regularly identified. Further studies are required to determine whether routine identification of malnutrition and subsequent nutritional intervention are effective in improving clinical outcomes in these individuals.

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) are a rare and heterogeneous subset of lymphomas with a poorer prognosis compared with B-cell lymphomas. We conducted a retrospective study of 82 patients who received high-dose therapy for PTCL (autologous SCT (ASCT) N ¼ 64; allogeneic SCT (Allo-SCT) N ¼ 18). With a median follow-up from ASCT of 37 months from transplant, 33 patients were alive; 20 died of progressive disease, 10 died from non-relapse mortality (NRM) with 1 unknown cause. Three-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 53% (95% confidence interval (CI) 42, 67) and 50% (95% CI 39, 64), respectively. Factors significantly affecting OS and PFS on univariate analysis were histological subtype and chemotherapy sensitivity. In a multivariate analysis, the only factor with significant impact was chemotherapy sensitivity. After a median follow-up from Allo-SCT of 57 months, five patients were alive; five died of progressive disease and eight died from NRM. The 3-year OS and PFS were 39% (95% CI 22, 69) and 33% (95% CI 17, 64), respectively, and the 3-year relapse rate was 28% (95% CI 6, 50). These results demonstrate that high-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue has a substantial role in the management of T-cell lymphoma. The use of full-intensity allogeneic transplantation is limited by high transplant-related mortality, and exploration of reduced intensity regimens is warranted.

This study characterized the contribution of bone marrow-derived cells to human neoplasia and the perineoplastic stroma. The Australasian Bone Marrow Transplant Recipient Registry was used to identify solid organ neoplasia that developed in female recipients of male allogeneic stem cell transplants. Eighteen suitable cases were identified including several skin cancers, two gastric cancers, and one rectal adenoma. Light microscopy, fluorescence and chromogenic in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry were performed to determine the nature and origin of the neoplastic and stromal cells. In contrast to recent reports, donor-derived neoplastic cells were not detected. Bone marrow-derived neoplasiaassociated myofibroblasts, however, were identified in the rectal adenoma and in a gastric cancer. Bone marrowderived cells can generate myofibroblasts in the setting of human gastrointestinal neoplasia.

AIMHigh dose melphalan (HDM) and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) retains a central role in the treatment of myeloma. The aim of this study was to determine whether HDM exposure (area under the concentration vs. time curve, AUC), is significantly associated with transplant outcomes. METHODSMelphalan concentrations were measured in six to 11 plasma samples collected after HDM (median 192 mg m -2 ) to determine melphalan AUC for a total of 114 patients. Binary logistic regression was used to assess whether melphalan AUC was associated with severe (≥ grade 3) oral mucositis. Multivariate Cox regression was used to assess whether melphalan AUC was significantly associated with time to progression, progression-free survival and overall survival (OS). RESULTSMelphalan AUC ranged from 4.9 to 24.6 mg l -1 h, median 12.84 mg l -1 h. Melphalan AUC above the median was a risk factor for severe mucositis (HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.06, 1.38, P = 0.004) but was also associated with significantly improved overall survival (OS) (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.20, 0.81, P = 0.001), with an estimated median survival of 8.50 years vs. 5.38 years for high vs. low AUC groups. Multivariate analysis did not identify melphalan AUC as being significantly associated with time to progression or progression-free survival. CONCLUSIONSThis large scale pharmacodynamic analysis of HDM demonstrates that high melphalan exposure is associated with improved survival, with an acceptable increase in transplant toxicity. These results suggest studies targeting a higher AUC are warranted in patients undergoing HDM and ASCT for myeloma.

This analysis is the largest to date on PTLD in heart and lung transplant recipients. It provides a detailed analysis of the disease in this group of patients and identifies unique prognostic features to aid risk stratification and guide treatment allocation.

Recent studies have shown comparable survival outcomes for unrelated donor (URD) stem cell transplantation in chronic myelogenous leukemia compared to sibling donors. We compared outcomes for 105 patients aged 16 to 59 years undergoing URD transplants for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) who were reported to the Australasian Bone Marrow Transplant Recipient Registry between 1992 and 2002, and a strictly selected matching set of 105 HLA-matched sibling donor (MSD) transplants. There was no significant difference between URD and MSD controls in the distributions of time from diagnosis to transplant, donor-recipient sex match, prior therapies, donor age, or performance status. The median follow-up of live URD patients was 4.4 years and for live MSD controls was 6.3 years. There were 18 good risk (complete remission [CR]1) and 87 poor risk (>CR1) recipients in both URD and sibling groups. Five-year disease-free survival (DFS) was not significantly different for good-risk URD and sibling donor recipients (62% versus 40%, P = .2), or poor-risk URD and sibling recipients (21% versus 25%, P = .2). In a stratified multivariate Cox regression model, the independent adverse risk factors for DFS were recipient cytomegalovirus positivity (P = .01) and the interaction of URD and earlier year of transplant (P = .006). Both neutrophil and platelet engraftment were significantly more rapid in the sibling group, but transplant-related mortality at 100 days was not significantly different. There was no difference in the cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease grade II or above at 100 days. Relapse occurred in 28% of good risk URD subjects and 16% of siblings (P = .3), and in poor risk subjects 39% and 29%, respectively (P = .2). Based on this data, URD allografts should be considered in AML patients without a matched sibling donor. This study provides a rationale for a larger prospective study of risk factors in allogeneic transplantation for AML and a guide on the subset of patients who may most benefit from an unrelated donor allograft in AML.

Summary:Haemorrhagic cystitis (HC) is the syndrome of haematuria and symptoms of lower urinary tract irritability in the absence of bacterial infection. We report a low incidence of HC (18.2%) in 681 haemopoietic stem cell transplant patients, using a prophylactic regimen of hyperhydration and forced diuresis. The incidence of grade 3-4 disease is 3.4%. There was a marked difference in incidence between allogeneic and autologous transplant populations, 24.2% vs 3.5% (P Ͻ 0.0005). Busulphan conditioning, acute GVHD, interstitial pneumonitis and use of methotrexate and cyclosporin immune suppression were associated with significantly increased incidence of HC in the allogeneic population. This may reflect the numerous factors that contribute to the greater immunosuppression and consequent increased risk for HC in allogeneic transplantation.

Total body irradiation (TBI) has been included in standard conditioning for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) before hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Non-TBI regimens have incorporated busulfan (Bu) to decrease toxicity. This retrospective study analyzed TBI and Bu on outcomes of ALL patients 18-60 years old, in first or second complete remission (CR), undergoing HLA-compatible sibling, related, or unrelated donor HCT, who reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research from 2005 to 2014. TBI plus etoposide (25%) or cyclophosphamide (75%) was used in 819 patients, and intravenous Bu plus fludarabine (41%), clofarabine (30%), cyclophosphamide (15%), or melphalan (13%) was used in 299 patients. Bu-containing regimens were analyzed together, since no significant differences for patient outcomes were noted between them. Bu patients were older, with better performance status; took longer to achieve first CR and receive HCT; were treated more recently; and were more likely to receive peripheral blood grafts, antithymocyte globulin, or tyrosine kinase inhibitors. With median follow-up of 3.6 years for Bu and 5.3 years for TBI, adjusted 3-year outcomes showed treatment-related mortality Bu 19% versus TBI 25% (P = .04); relapse Bu 37% versus TBI 28% (P = .007); disease-free survival (DFS) Bu 45% versus TBI 48% (P = .35); and overall survival (OS) Bu 57% versus TBI 53% (P = .35). In multivariate analysis, Bu patients had higher risk of relapse (relative risk, 1.46; 95% confidence interval, 1.15 to 1.85; P = .002) compared with TBI patients. Despite the higher relapse, Bu-containing conditioning led to similar OS and DFS following HCT for ALL.