Hematology News’ Editor-in-Chief Matt Kalaycio selected the following as his “top 10” picks for hematologic oncology abstracts at ASCO 2016:
Abstract 7000: Final results of a phase III randomized trial of CPX-351 versus 7+3 in older patients with newly diagnosed high risk (secondary) AML
Comment: When any treatment appears to improve survival, compared with 7+3 for AML, all must take notice.
Abstract 7001: Treatment-free remission (TFR) in patients (pts) with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (CML-CP) treated with frontline nilotinib: Results from the ENESTFreedom study
Comment: About 50% of the CML patients treated with frontline nilotinib are eventually able to stop the drug and successfully stay off of it. That means more patients in treatment-free remission, compared with those initially treated with imatinib.
Link to abstract 7001
Abstract 7007: Phase Ib/2 study of venetoclax with low-dose cytarabine in treatment-naive patients age ≥ 65 with acute myelogenous leukemia
Abstract 7009: Results of a phase 1b study of venetoclax plus decitabine or azacitidine in untreated acute myeloid leukemia patients ≥ 65 years ineligible for standard induction therapy
Comment: The response rates in these older AML patients are remarkable and challenge results typically seen with 7+3 in a younger population.
Link to abstract 7007 and 7009
Abstract 7501: A prospective, multicenter, randomized study of anti-CCR4 monoclonal antibody mogamulizumab (moga) vs investigator’s choice (IC) in the treatment of patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory (R/R) adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATL)
Comment: The response rate to mogamulizumab was outstanding in the largest randomized clinical trial thus far conducted for this cancer. Although rare in the USA, ATL is more common in Asia.
Link to abstract 7501
Abstract 7507: Effect of bortezomib on complete remission (CR) rate when added to bendamustine-rituximab (BR) in previously untreated high-risk (HR) follicular lymphoma (FL): A randomized phase II trial of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group (E2408)
Comment: This interesting observation of improved complete remission needs longer follow-up.
Link to abstract 7507
Abstract 7519: Venetoclax activity in CLL patients who have relapsed after or are refractory to ibrutinib or idelalisib
Comment: This study has implications for practice. Venetoclax elicits a 50%-60% response rate after patients with CLL progress during treatment with B-cell receptor pathway inhibitors.
Link to abstract 7519
Abstract 7521: Acalabrutinib, a second-generation bruton tyrosine kinase (Btk) inhibitor, in previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
Comment: This next-generation variation on ibrutinib was associated with a 96% overall response rate with fewer adverse effects such as atrial fibrillation.
Link to abstract 7521
Abstract 8000: Upfront autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) versus novel agent-based therapy for multiple myeloma (MM): A randomized phase 3 study of the European Myeloma Network (EMN02/HO95 MM trial)
Comment: Other trials are underway to address the role of upfront ASCT for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. While the last word on this issue has yet to be written, ASCT remains the standard of care for MM patients after induction.
Link to abstract 8000
LBA4: Phase III randomized controlled study of daratumumab, bortezomib, and dexamethasone (DVd) versus bortezomib and dexamethasone (Vd) in patients (pts) with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM): CASTOR study
Comment: As predicted by most, the addition of daratumumab to bortezomib-based therapy increases response rates, compared with bortezomib-based alone. Efficacy is becoming less of a concern with myeloma treatment than is economics..
Look for the full, final text of this abstract to be posted online at 7:30 AM (EDT) on Sunday, June 5.