Articles

Big Children or Small Adults? Leukaemia Treatment in Adolescence and Young Adulthood

BJH - volume 11, issue 3, may 2020

R. Callens MD, B. De Moerloose MD, PhD, T. Kerre MD, PhD, M. Quaghebeur , J. De Munter , I. Moors MD

SUMMARY

The outcome of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) has improved dramatically over the last decades by using paediatric and paediatric-inspired protocols in this age group. The outcome of different paediatric, paediatric-inspired and adult-based regimens are compared in this review. Despite pre-existing fear among clinicians to use these high-intensity paediatric regimens in AYAs, toxicities seem manageable, with treatment-related mortality comparable to that seen with adult protocols. In paediatric protocols, the use of allogeneic stem cell transplantation is restricted to certain high-risk groups and prophylactic cranial irradiation is omitted. In recent years, evaluation of minimal residual disease is increasingly used as prognostic marker and as a tool to guide therapy. In Philadelphia-positive ALL, the use of tyrosine-kinase inhibitors has completely changed prognosis and therapeutic decisions.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2020;11(3):88–97)

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P.45 Development of a knowledge test on Immuno-T, a motion comic explaining immunotherapy to patients and their caregivers

BJH - volume 11, issue Abstract Book BHS, february 2020

W. Vandemoortele , G. Vanbutsele , M. Valcke , T. Kerre MD, PhD

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O.4 An in-depth investigation of the causes of treatment failure in AML

BJH - volume 11, issue Abstract Book BHS, february 2020

S. Bonte PhD, S. Van Gassen , A. Couckuyt , V. Janda , I. Moors MD, dr. A. Delie MD, S. Kennes MD, J. Philippé MD, PhD, Y. Saeys , T. Kerre MD, PhD

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O.6 Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells for poor graft function after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation – a multicenter prospective study

BJH - volume 11, issue Abstract Book BHS, february 2020

S. Servais MD, PhD, prof. F. Baron , C. Lechanteur PhD, E. Baudoux MD, A. Briquet PhD, D. Selleslag MD, J. Maertens MD, PhD, X. Poiré MD, PhD, W. Schroyens MD, PhD, C. Graux MD, PhD, A. De Becker MD, R. Schots MD, PhD, P. Zachée MD, PhD, A. Ory , J. Herman , T. Kerre MD, PhD, Y. Beguin MD, PhD

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Chimeric antigen receptor T-cells: a new therapeutic option for relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancies and beyond

BJH - volume 10, issue 8, december 2019

T. Feys MBA, MSc, G. Roex , Y. Beguin MD, PhD, T. Kerre MD, PhD, X. Poiré MD, PhD, P. Lewalle MD, PhD, P. Vandenberghe MD, PhD, D. Bron MD, PhD, S. Anguille MD, PhD

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a new cancer immunotherapy targeting specific cell surface antigens. This type of adoptive cell immunotherapy has been a breakthrough in the treatment of aggressive B-cell lymphoma and B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and is currently also being studied in other cancer types, including multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. This review will discuss the recent clinical developments and future perspectives of CAR T-cell therapy, with a focus on the clinical trials that led to the FDA and EMA approval of tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah®, Novartis) and axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta®, Gilead) for the treatment of childhood/adult relapsed/refractory (r/r) B-cell precursor ALL and aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2019;10(8):301–10)

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Guidelines of the Belgian Hematology Society on the use of stem cell transplantation in lymphoproliferative diseases

BJH - volume 10, issue 2, march 2019

S. Snauwaert MD, PhD, J. Lemmens MD, A. Janssens MD, PhD, T. Kerre MD, PhD

High-dose chemotherapy and autologous or allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation are widely used in the treatment of lymphoproliferative diseases. For chemo-sensitive relapsed lymphoma (Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation are generally accepted as a standard treatment. Emerging data exist for the use of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in other disease stages for mantle cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma and some T-cell lymphomas. The use of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in other conditions is more controversial and remains a clinical option for selected patients or experimental within the framework of a clinical trial.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2019;10(2):69–79)

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01 A pilot study to assess the feasibility of unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation with coinfusion of third-party mesenchymal stromal cells after myeloablative or non-myeloablative conditioning in patients with haematological malignancies

BJH - volume 10, issue Abstract Book BHS, february 2019

A. De Becker MD, R. Schots MD, PhD, T. Kerre MD, PhD, D. Mazure MD, J. Maertens MD, PhD, E. Baudoux , C. Lechanteur , Y. Beguin MD, PhD

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