Experts from the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center recently discussed promising advancements in treating blood cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma and highlighted new treatments that significantly improve patient survival rates and quality of life. The experts also noted that while challenges in treating blood cancers still exist, the advancements in diagnosis and treatment provide some optimism and improve survival rates.
In a retrospective, longitudinal study published in Blood Advances involving 17,192 adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), researchers sought to investigate immunoglobulin G ( IgG) testing patterns and assess the effectiveness of immunoglobulin replacement therapy (IgRT) for treating hypogammaglobulinemia and reducing infection rates in patients with CLL and NHL. The results revealed that 67% of CLL patients and 51.2% of NHL patients underwent IgG testing, while 6.5% of CLL patients and 4.7% of NHL patients received IgRT.
Based on their findings, the researchers concluded that IgRT was associated with substantial decreases in hypogammaglobulinemia, infections, severe infections, and antimicrobial use in real-world patients with CLL or NHL. The researchers also noted that optimizing IgG testing and IgRT is vital for managing secondary immune deficiencies in these patients.
In a study published in Blood Neoplasia, researchers conducted a study to investigate the use of a combination therapy in treating octogenarians and nonagenarians with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This retrospective analysis included 154 patients aged 80 years and older treated between March 2015 and April 2022. The findings indicated that the therapy was generally well-tolerated, although dose adjustments were often necessary to minimize adverse effects, such as myelosuppression. Around 23% of patients remained in remission, with a median overall survival of 8.1 months. Those who responded to the treatment had a median survival of 13.2 months, and the 30-day and 60-day mortality rates were 8.5% and 17%, respectively. Notably, patients who received the combination therapy for 14 days or less had a median overall survival of 24 months. The study concluded that combination therapy can be viable for elderly patients with AML, provided that dosing and cycle extensions are judiciously managed to ensure long-term tolerability.
The American Cancer Society indicates that factors increasing the incidence and prevalence of blood cancers include the growing aging population and improved detection methods. Research is critical to expanding the development of novel therapies to improve survival rates and address the needs of patients battling various types of blood cancers.
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