Lymphoma patients are at increased risk of thromboembolic events but thromboprophylaxis in these patients is largely underused. We sought to develop and validate a simple model, based on individual clinical and laboratory patient characteristics that would designate lymphoma patients at risk for thromboembolic event. The study population included 1,820 lymphoma patients who were treated in the Lymphoma Departments at the Clinics of Hematology, Clinical Center of Serbia and Clinical Center Kragujevac. The model was developed using data from a derivation cohort (n = 1,236), and further assessed in the validation cohort (n = 584). Sixty-five patients (5.3%) in the derivation cohort and 34 (5.8%) patients in the validation cohort developed thromboembolic events. The variables independently associated with risk for thromboembolism were: previous venous and/or arterial events, mediastinal involvement, BMI>30 kg/m(2) , reduced mobility, extranodal localization, development of neutropenia and hemoglobin level < 100g/L. Based on the risk model score, the population was divided into the following risk categories: low (score 0-1), intermediate (score 2-3), and high (score >3). For patients classified at risk (intermediate and high-risk scores), the model produced negative predictive value of 98.5%, positive predictive value of 25.1%, sensitivity of 75.4%, and specificity of 87.5%. A high-risk score had positive predictive value of 65.2%. The diagnostic performance measures retained similar values in the validation cohort. Developed prognostic Thrombosis Lymphoma - ThroLy score is more specific for lymphoma patients than any other available score targeting thrombosis in cancer patients. Am. J. Hematol. 91:1014-1019, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

This single-center study estimated the significance of pretreatment factors, including comorbidities, which may predict outcome in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia and determined how poor risk factors may be used as decision criteria for intensity of chemotherapy in this group of patients. Seventy-seven patients aged ≥ 55 years treated under four different regimens were followed up 36 month. Our results suggest that the most significant predictor for poor overall survival is comorbidity, as scored by the Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI), P = 0.008. The most significant predictor for rate of complete remission is serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, P = 0.049, and the most significant predictor of early death is leucocytosis, P = 0.007. HCT-CI ≥ 3 was the most significant factor for treatment decision making regarding intensity of chemotherapy. The use of standardized comorbidity assessment tools, such as HCT-CI, for elderly patients with AML is practical and can help to improve treatment decision regarding the intensity of chemotherapy.

The treatment of PCNSL still remains doubtful, however possible benefit from the TTR followed with HD-MTX with/without WBRT should be reconsidered.

The objective of this single-center study was to determine the pretreatment risk factors and influence of comorbidity on outcome in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The research involved 145 patients with AML during a 58-month follow-up period. The results suggest that the most significant predictor of poor overall survival (OS) is an adverse karyotype (P = 0.007), while for poor rate of complete remission (CR) it is age ≥55 years, and for early death the most significant predictor is comorbidity, as scored by the Hematopoetic Cell Transplantation Comorbidity Index (HCT-CI), P = 0.001. When we divided the patients into two groups: aged ≥55 years and aged <55 years, these predictors differed. In the group aged ≥55 years the most significant predictor of OS (P = 0.013) and for early death (P = 0.003) was HCT-CI (P = 0.013), while in the younger group it was karyotype (P < 0.001). The most significant predictor of CR in the elderly was increased serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level (P = 0.045). In the younger patients, the most significant predictor of CR was leukocytosis (P = 0.001) and for early death it was infection as the comorbidity (P = 0.007). We point out the importance of comorbidity for OS and early death, as well as the impact of infection in patients with AML.

Based on the results of clinical trials, there is no global consensus on the optimal first-line therapy for patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) with both ABVD and BEACOPP currently being used. However, the results of clinical trials are usually better than those in daily practice. We thus describe here our experience on 314 advanced classical HL patients treated with ABVD at the Clinical Center of Serbia and associated centers between 1997 and 2008. The median follow-up for all patients was 91 months; the estimated 5-yr event-free survival was 62% and the 5-yr overall survival (OS) 76%. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that patients with IPS ≥ 3 and extranodal disease involving more than one site have a poorer outcome. The data presented here show on overall improvement in outcome as compared to more previous data and illustrate the problems of treating advanced stage HL outside the setting of a clinical trial.