Haematology

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Adding the multitargeted kinase inhibitor midostaurin to standard chemotherapy prolongs survival among patients with acute myeloid leukemia and ​​​​​​​an fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 mutation, study findings indicate.

A reduced-intensity conditioning regimen offers at least equivalent 2-year relapse-free and overall survival to a myeloablative conditioning regimen before allogeneic transplantation in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome, RICMAC researchers report.

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The US Food and Drug Administration has issued an updated safety alert regarding breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Researchers have found an association between increased abundance of a bacterial group primarily comprising Eubacterium limosum in the intestinal microbiota and a reduced risk for relapse after undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Two phase 1 trials investigating the safety and efficacy of combined idelalisib, lenalidomide, and rituximab in patients with relapsed and refractory follicular and mantle cell lymphoma have been stopped early due to excessive toxicity.

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Positive findings from two clinical trials have been published for the immunomodulatory agent lenalidomide in patients with heavily pretreated mantle cell lymphoma, and in adults with T-cell leukaemia–lymphoma or peripheral T-cell lymphoma.

Patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma receive significant progression-free and overall survival benefits from continuous treatment compared with fixed-duration therapy, suggests a pooled analysis.

Phase I trial results published in The Lancet Haematology show that the hedgehog signalling pathway antagonist PF-04449913 is tolerable and has activity in patients with haematological cancers.

A review of almost one million haematopoietic stem cell transplantation procedures has highlighted differences in the availability of the procedure and the use of autologous and allogeneic transplants across the world.

Data from Taiwan show that asthma is associated with a significant increase in the risk for pulmonary embolism, particularly in patients who experience exacerbations.

Researchers have found that those patients who develop pulmonary embolism have the poorest outcomes among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with venous thromboembolism.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis have a significantly elevated risk for venous thromboembolism, suggest study findings published in Arthritis Care and Research.

Warfarin should not be discontinued in favor of heparin before pacemaker or implantable cardioverter–defibrillator surgery in patients with a moderate-to-high risk for thromboembolism, the Bruise Control trial investigators recommend.

Researchers have discovered that mutations in the ribosomal protein SA gene are responsible for around half of all cases of isolated congenital asplenia.

Research suggests that bolus intravenous iron could be the optimal treatment for anemia in patients undergoing hemodialysis, subject to further investigation.

Compressing R-CHOP treatment cycles does not improve the outcome of elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, suggests research published in The Lancet Oncology.

Cancer survivors who are treated with chest radiation are nearly twice as likely to die in the years following major heart surgery as patients undergoing similar surgery who are never treated with radiation, a study shows.