J. Collins PhD

Haematological highlights from ESMO 2024

SUMMARY

At ESMO 2024, there were several sessions dedicated to haematological malignancies as well as CAR-T-cells and bispecifics in various haematological disorders. Here, the highlights of these talks are outlined.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2024;15(7):298–301)

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Highlights in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

SUMMARY

The EHA 2024 congress was not only the opportunity to present updates on CAR-T cell therapy in the field of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), but was also the occasion to present clinical updates on the use of blinatumomab in first-line treatment and important clinical studies for patients with Philadelphia-positive ALL. Below, we will discuss some of the key take-home messages from these sessions.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2024;15(5):201–4)

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Highlights in myeloid malignancies

SUMMARY

Myeloid malignancies encompass a group of haematopoietic disorders including acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), myeloproliferative neoplasms, and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). At EHA 2024, the most recent updates in the area of myeloid malignancies were presented.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2024;15(5):205–10)

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Fixed-duration therapies for CLL

Chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) has been the long-standing cornerstone of the first line treatment for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). More recently, however, continuous treatment with Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKis) emerged as a new standard of care frontline treatment for the majority of CLL patients. However, the continuous nature of this treatment modality is associated with a considerable treatment burden, long-term toxicity and potential clonal selection. Therefore, research efforts have focused on the development of new, time-limited and chemotherapy-free first line treatment regimens for patients with CLL.¹ In this mini review, the main clinical trial results with these different fixed-duration regimens are summarised.

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Towards a chemotherapy-free future for patients with follicular lymphoma

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and typically follows an indolent disease course. While some patients do not require treatment until certain criteria are met, others may progress to an aggressive lymphoma phenotype requiring a different treatment approach. The current standard initial treatment for FL consists of chemo-immunotherapy in which cytotoxic chemotherapy is combined with an anti-CD20 antibody. In general, this treatment strategy is highly effective, significantly delaying disease progression and postponing the need for additional therapy for many years. However, a proportion of patients may experience chemotherapy-related toxicities, while others prove to be chemotherapy-refractory. For these patients, an effective chemotherapy-free treatment approach is sought. This article provides a concise overview of the mechanisms of action of potential targeted therapies for FL and briefly discusses the available clinical trial data.¹

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