BJH - volume 12, issue 8, december 2021
M. Beckers MD, PhD
Luspatercept, a first-in-class erythroid maturation agent is approved by the European Medicine Agency (EMA) for the treatment of adult patients with transfusion-dependent anaemia due to very low, low and intermediate-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with ring sideroblasts, who had an unsatisfactory response to or are ineligible for erythropoietin-based therapy. Luspatercept showed promising activity for treating anaemia in lower risk myelodysplastic syndrome with ring sideroblasts. Both the PACE and MEDALIST trial showed high rates of durable red blood cell transfusion independence and hematological improvement with luspatercept and a manageable toxicity profile.
(BELG J HEMATOL 2021;12(8):344–8)
Read moreBJH - 2021, issue 2, march 2021
M. Beckers MD, PhD, S. Sid MD, A. De Becker MD, B. Heyrman MD, N. Granacher MD, D. Mazure MD, S. Meers MD, PhD, M.C. Vekemans MD, On behalf of the other members of MDS and MPN committee
Chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML) is a rare haematological disease. Hallmark of the diagnosis is chronic monocytosis. Other clinical features include cytopenia, dysplasia with the associated complaints like fatigue or leucocytosis, splenomegaly with constitutional symptoms. Predicting prognosis and choosing the correct treatment can be challenging for the clinician. These guidelines cover the diagnosis and treatment of CMML and provide information on morphology, cytogenetics and molecular testing, clinical features including autoimmune manifestations, prognosis and risk assessment and a treatment algorithm for both the fit and unfit CMML patient.
(BELG J HEMATOL 2020;12(2):66-76)
Read moreBJH - volume 11, issue 7, november 2020
J. Loos MD, M. Beckers MD, PhD, V. Beckers MD, M. Hoyoux MD, prof. dr. W. Peetermans MD, PhD, A. Van De Velde MD, PhD, V. Van Hende MD, A. Vanderfaeillie MD, Y. Van Laethem MD, PhD, A. Janssens MD, PhD
Patients with hematological malignancies suffer from widely varying degrees of immunodeficiency, which leads to an increased susceptibility to a wide range of infections. Some of these, such as influenza and invasive pneumococcal disease, are vaccine preventable. During the Covid19 pandemic these past months patients with hematological malignancies have already shown to be at greater risk of dying, with mortality rates of up to 30% in hospitalized patients.1,2 This has once again highlighted the importance of robust and widely spread vaccination strategies, also we eagerly await an available vaccine for Covid19. In this review, the advisory board on vaccination of the Belgian Hematological Society (BHS), consisting of experts from various disease committees as well as two infectious disease experts attempts to provide clear recommendations regarding vaccinations in patients with hematological malignancies and asplenia. Although transplant recipients share many of the immunodeficiencies of those not transplanted, clear guidelines and vaccination schedules have already been published.3
(BELG J HEMATOL 2020;11(7):305-316)
Read moreBJH - 2018, issue Abstract Book BHS, february 2018
A. Betsch , O. Rutgeerts , S. Fevery MD, PhD, B. Sprangers MD, PhD, D. Dierickx MD, PhD, M. Beckers MD, PhD
BJH - 2018, issue Abstract Book BHS, february 2018
Ir J. Van Ham , M. Delforge MD, PhD, A. Janssens MD, PhD, J. Raddoux , M. Beckers MD, PhD, T. Devos MD, PhD, D. Dierickx MD, PhD, V. Vergote MD, J. Maertens MD, PhD, H. Schoemans MD, PhD, P. Vandenberghe MD, PhD
BJH - volume 7, issue 6, december 2016
M. Beckers MD, PhD, D. Dierickx MD, PhD, T. Devos MD, PhD, S. Fevery MD, PhD, B. Sprangers MD, PhD
One of the hallmarks of failure of elimination of malignant cells by activated T-cells is the immunosuppressive environment of the tumour. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells contribute to this immunosuppressive environment by inhibition of the adaptive and innate immune system. In this article we describe the current knowledge of the role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the progression of haematological malignancies.
(BELG J HEMATOL 2016;7(6):213–6)
Read moreBJH - volume 7, issue 3, june 2016
L. Barrios MD, M. Beckers MD, PhD, G. Verhoef MD, PhD, D. Dierickx MD, PhD
Primary central nervous system lymphoma is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder confined to the central nervous system. Here we report a case of a 73-year-old female with an intracerebral lymphoma, discussing clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment. Primary central nervous system lymphoma is a subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma which, in more than 90% of the cases, are diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. Clinical presentation is broad; the most common presentation in an immunocompetent patient is a focal neurological deficit. The neuroimaging technique of choice for diagnosis is contrast enhanced magnetic resonance. Histopathologic diagnosis is essential, which is mostly performed by a stereotactic guided biopsy. The backbone of treatment for primary central nervous system lymphoma is high-dose methotrexate, which can be combined with other chemotherapy, whole brain radiotherapy, corticosteroids and rituximab.
(BELG J HEMATOL 2016; 7(3):118–22)
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