COVID-19 Pandemic Delaying Treatments of Hematologic Cancers
Some US medical centers have canceled treatments and all centers have altered their policies and procedures out of precaution related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
General Hematology
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Persistent Leukocytosis as a Marker for Disease Progression in Polycythemia Vera
Although most notably associated with erythrocytosis, hematologic manifestations of polycythemia vera may also include leukocytosis and thrombocytosis.
Supine-to-Prone Positioning Improved Lung Function in Mechanically Ventilated Patients With COVID-19-Related ARDS
Alternating patient position during PEEP was found to improve lung recruitability of patients with ARDS related to COVID-19 infection.
Futile Diagnosis: A Utility Score Is Needed, According to Clinicians
Whether aggressively pursuing diagnosis in some cases retains the margin between benefit and consequence is, unfortunately, often unclear.
FDA Allows Use of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma for Severely Ill Patients Under Emergency IND
Convalescent plasma, which is collected from patients who have recovered from COVID-19, contains antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease.
Fast-Track Clinic, Communications Reduce Infusion Clinic Wait Times
After identifying bottlenecks at a VA hospital infusion clinic in Alabama, better communications and establishing a fast-track clinic for some patients led to a 23% reduction in infusion clinic wait times.
Case Study: Understanding May-Hegglin Anomaly
During a routine physical examination, a clinician suspects May-Hegglin anomaly because of the patient’s low platelet count and hearing loss.
Second Cancers Pose Significant Mortality Risk in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms
Researchers sought to determine whether second cancers associated with MPNs affect a patient’s prognosis, and whether cytoreductive or antiplatelet therapies affect outcomes.
Nivolumab Promising for Relapsed or Refractory EBV-Associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis
For this retrospective analysis, researchers reviewed data from 7 patients treated with nivolumab for relapsed/refractory EBV-HLH to determine its effectiveness in this setting.
Expert Opinion on Addressing Psychosocial Needs of Children Receiving CAR-T Therapy
The authors of this article emphasized the importance of actively involving a diverse group of interdisciplinary team members in the psychosocial care of these patients.
Glyphosate Exposure and Relative Risks of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma or Multiple Myeloma
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 7 studies involving NHL and 3 focused on MM to determine the role of occupational exposure to glyphosate in terms of risk.
Increased Risk of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Myelofibrosis
One finding from this study was that VTE was more likely to occur at atypical sites in patients with myelofibrosis compared to those without the disease.
Increasing the Representation of Older Adults in Blood Cancer Trials
Older adults are often underrepresented in trials either because of comorbidities that cause them to be excluded, or through unconscious bias on the part of study teams.
Combating COVID-19: Best Practices That Clinicians Need to Know
How should clinicians combat coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in their practice settings?
Team-Based Approach Effective in Addressing Oncology Clinician Burnout
Preliminary results of a study on burnout among oncology clinicians, researchers report that a team-oriented program can be effective.
Do Patients With Cancer Need Disease-Specific Precautions to Prevent COVID-19 Infection?
Although some patients with cancer are at higher risk of developing severe disease should they become infected, these experts suggest the precautions being given to the general population are sufficient — at least for now.
Mucosal Barrier Injuries and Bloodstream Infections Associated With Hematologic Cancer Treatments Reduced With Nurse-Driven Protocol
A 3-cycle Plan-Do-Study-Act intervention resulted in increased nurse and physician education on mucositis and a nurse-driven protocol that reduced MBI-LCBIs by 25%.
Ropeginterferon Alfa-2b as a New First-Line Therapy for Polycythemia Vera
In the extension study, 53% of patients receiving ropeginterferon alfa-2b met the primary end points, compared with 38% of patients receiving hydroxyurea.
Toxicity Management in the Era of Novel Therapies for Hematologic Malignancies
Researchers provided an overview of toxicities associated with the use of novel agents to treat hematologic malignancies, as well as potential management strategies.
Higher Microbiota Diversity Linked To Lower Risk of Mortality After Transplant
Lower microbiota diversity both before and after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation was associated with poorer survival.
Pregnancy in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: Aspirin May Raise Likelihood of Live Birth
Researchers examined pregnancy outcomes in 102 patients with essential thrombocythemia.
Ruxolitinib May Be Effective for Reducing Spleen Length in Patients With Myelofibrosis
By week 24 of the study, a reduction in palpable spleen length of at least 50% was reported in more than half of patients who underwent splenomegaly.
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea Prevention With Olanzapine Plus Standard Antiemetic Therapy
Higher proportions of patients receiving olanzapine reported only mild or no nausea compared with patients receiving placebo.
Peripheral Neuropathy Complicates Treatment of Hematologic Malignancies
Treatment regimens including immunomodulatory agents or proteasome inhibitors could lead to development of peripheral neuropathy.
Clinical Biomarkers May Assist in Management of Persistent Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease
Symptom burden may be higher in patients with persistent cGVHD compared with patients with recently diagnosed cGVHD.
Hematologic Abnormalities in Patients With Eating Disorders
Researchers assessed the incidence of various hematologic disorders in patients with bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa.
Clonal Mutations in Donors May Show Expansion in Recipients After HSCT
Of clonal mutations found in donors, 84.2% were predicted to be molecularly pathogenic and 100% engrafted in recipients.
Personalizing Intensive Therapy for Older Patients With Hematologic Cancers
Several factors need to be considered when choosing optimal therapy for older patients with hematologic malignancies, particularly when it comes to managing toxicity.
Low-Dose Aspirin in Children With Kawasaki Disease
For children with Kawasaki disease (KD), the use of low-dose aspirin, rather than high-dose aspirin, may not increase risk for recrudescent fever when given in combination with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), according to study results published in JAMA Network Open. The study was a retrospective cohort analysis that included 260 patients with KD who were treated…
Why Do Patients With Myelofibrosis Discontinue Ruxolitinib?
Researchers assessed how the reasons that led to discontinuation of ruxolitinib influenced survival in patients with myelofibrosis.
Ruxolitinib Plus PEG-IFNα2 for Patients With Polycythemia Vera or Myelofibrosis
The study’s primary endpoint was efficacy, determined by complete remission, peripheral blood cell count remission, quality of life, and JAK2 V617F allele burden.
Haymarket Medical Education Receives Interprofessional Joint Accreditation for the Healthcare Team
Caroline O. Pardo, Ph.D., General Manager for Haymarket Medical Education, is pleased to announce that HME, based in Paramus, NJ, has been accredited as a provider of interprofessional continuing education by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, and the American Nursing Credentialing Center.
Reversal of Low PAC-1 Expression in Patients With Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Using Low-Dose Aspirin
Patients who received aspirin exhibited levels of PAC-1 binding to platelets similar to those seen in healthy control individuals.
Novel Risk Factors Associated With Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease Severity
Researchers identified 3 risk factors that were associated with the development of moderate to severe chronic graft-versus-host disease.
Differences in the Perceived Chance of Cure Between Patients and Hematologists
Patient-hematologist discordance in perceived chance of cure appears to improve after a hematology consultation.
Hematologic Response With Daratumumab in Relapsed/Refractory Systemic Light-Chain Amyloidosis
Infection occurred in 60% of patients with systemic light-chain amyloidosis who were treated with intravenous daratumumab.
A Multipronged Approach to Geriatric Assessment Before Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Researchers implemented a multidisciplinary team clinic approach to assess candidacy of older adults for hematopoietic cell transplantation.
Alemtuzumab for Graft-Versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis With Allogeneic HSCT
Researchers assessed clinical outcomes and characteristics of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease after prophylaxis with alemtuzumab.
British Society of Hematology Guideline Update for Point-of-Care Testing in Hematology
Researchers reviewed currently available point-of-care technology and provided recommendations for standardizing use of this technology.
Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Prophylaxis May Be Associated With Birth Rate, Maternal Outcomes
Treatment with aspirin or interferon was associated with increased odds of live birth among pregnant patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms.
RBC Count, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate May Be Useful Biomarkers of Polycythemia Vera
Although some red blood cell-related parameters used in the diagnosis of PV may be misleading in the setting of iron-deficiency, RBC count may be an effective biomarker for PV when combined with ESR.
Salvage Therapy With Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a Benefits High-Risk Myeloproliferative Neoplasms Previously Treated With Hydroxyurea
This nonrandomized study enrolled more than 100 patients with essential thrombocythemia or polycythemia vera resistant to or intolerant of hydroxyurea to determine if interferon alfa-2a is effective in these patients.
Gene Therapy Gets Orphan Drug Status for Gaucher Disease
An investigational gene therapy has been granted Orphan Drug designation from the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Gaucher disease.
Outcomes After Delaying Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Children With Viral Respiratory Infections
Patients with viral respiratory infections exhibited poorer outcomes following transplantation compared with patients without infection.
Barriers to Patient Access to Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Poverty was associated with lower rates of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, even after adjusting for race and rural residency.
Discussing Goals of Care With Oncologist, Earlier May Decrease Use of Intensive Health Care at End of Life
Patients with blood cancers were more likely to enroll in hospice earlier if they included a hematologic oncologist in their first discussion about their goals of care.
Differences in Obstetric Antiphospholipid Syndrome: Sydney Criteria vs Noncriteria Groups
Patients demonstrated similar rates of live births and thrombotic complications, but the most common complication was different for each group.
Global Need for Blood Products Outweighs Supply
Researchers found a 1.12 ratio of blood product need to supply, and 61% of countries included in the analysis had an insufficient supply of blood products.
Red Blood Cell Distribution Width May Be Prognostic for Survival in Light-Chain Amyloidosis
Red blood cell distribution width above the calculated cutoff of 13.8% was significantly associated with poorer overall survival.
Clinical Outcomes of Patients With AF and Contraindications to Oral Anticoagulation
Older patients with AF who have contraindications to oral anticoagulation because of high bleeding risk have increased mortality compared with untreated patients who have no contraindications.
Low-Dose Methotrexate May Decrease Symptom Burden in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms
In a retrospective service evaluation of patients with MPNs, researchers found that low-dose methotrexate eased symptom burden of comorbidities not related to the patient’s MPN.
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