R2CHOP shows promising efficacy in DLBCL. The addition of lenalidomide appears to mitigate a negative impact of non-GCB phenotype on patient outcome.

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The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signal transduction pathway members are often activated in tumor samples from patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Everolimus is an oral agent that targets the raptor mammalian target of rapamycin (mTORC1). The goal of this trial was to learn the antitumor activity and toxicity of single-agent everolimus in patients with relapsed/refractory aggressive NHL. Patients received everolimus 10 mg PO daily. Response was assessed after two and six cycles, and then every three cycles until progression. A total of 77 patients with a median age of 70 years were enrolled. Patients had received a median of three previous therapies and 32% had undergone previous transplant. The overall response rate (ORR) was 30% (95% confidence interval: 20–41%), with 20 patients achieving a partial remission and 3 a complete remission unconfirmed. The ORR in diffuse large B cell was 30% (14/47), 32% (6/19) in mantle cell and 38% (3/8) in follicular grade 3. The median duration of response was 5.7 months. Grade 3 or 4 anemia, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 14, 18 and 38% of patients, respectively. Everolimus has single-agent activity in relapsed/refractory aggressive NHL and provides proof-of-concept that targeting the mTOR pathway is clinically relevant.

Primary systemic amyloidosis (AL) is a fatal plasma cell disorder. Pilot data suggest survival is better in patients undergoing peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT), but the selection process makes the apparent benefit suspect. We have reported that circulating cardiac biomarkers are the best predictors of survival outside of the transplantation setting. We now test whether cardiac troponins (cTnT and cTnI) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are prognostic in transplant recipients. In 98 patients with AL undergoing PBSCT, serum cardiac biomarkers were measured (cTnT, 98 patients; cTnI, 65 patients; and NT-proBNP, 63 patients). Elevated levels of cTnT, cTnI, and NTproBNP were present in 14%, 43%, and 48% of patients, respectively. At 20 months median follow-up, median survival has not been reached for patients with values below the thresholds; in patients with values above the thresholds, median survival is 26.1 months, 66.1 months, and 66.1 months, respectively.Our previously reported risk systems incorporating these markers were also prognostic, notably the cTnT/NT-proBNP staging. Using this system, 49%, 38%, and 13% of patients were in stage I, stage II, and stage III, respectively. Determining levels of circulating biomarkers may be the most powerful tool for staging patients with AL undergoing PBSCT. (Blood.

Purpose Everolimus is an oral antineoplastic agent that targets the raptor mammalian target of rapamycin (mTORC1). The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/mTOR signal transduction pathway has been demonstrated to be activated in tumor samples from patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL). The goal of this trial was to learn the anti-tumor activity and toxicity of everolimus in patients with relapsed/refractory HL. Patients and Methods Patients were eligible if they had measurable disease, a platelet count ≥75,000 and an absolute neutrophil count ≥1,000. Patients received everolimus 10 mg PO daily. Dose reductions were allowed. Response was assessed after 2 and 6 cycles and then every 3 cycles until progression. Patients could remain on drug until progression or toxicity. Results Nineteen patients were enrolled. Median age was 37 years (range, 27-68). Patients had received a median of 6 prior therapies (range, 3-14) and 84% had undergone prior autologous stem cell transplant. The ORR was 47% (95% CI: 24-71%) with 8 patients achieving a PR and 1 patient achieving a CR. The median TTP was 7.2 months. Four responders remained progression free at 12 months. Patients received a median of 7 cycles of therapy. Of the 19 patients, 1 remains on therapy at 36 months; the others went off-study due to progressive disease (16), toxicity (1), and death from infection (1). Four patients experienced a grade three or higher pulmonary toxicity. Conclusions Everolimus has single-agent activity in relapsed/refractory HL and provides proof-of-concept that targeting the mTOR pathway in HL is clinically relevant.