Preface – ASH 2021 Amitkumar Mehta, MD, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA Dear Colleagues, The 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) took place as a hybrid event that hosted participants both online and on-site in ­Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Determining first-line CLL/SLL treatment strategies with optimized efficacy and safety GAIA: FCR compared to targeted regimens The international, randomized, phase III GAIA/CLL13 study was conducted to identify the optimal time-limited first-line treatment regimen for fit patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Standard chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) consisting of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab (FCR; patients ≤ 65 years) or bendamustin plus rituximab (BR; patients &gt

Management of patients with relapsed/refractory CLL: what is new? VISION: stop-start approach with ibrutinib/venetoclax The optimal novel-agent approach for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is subject to research. Targeted therapies have become the undisputed standard of care in both relapsing/refractory and treatment-naïve settings. The choice of regimen remains, however, disputable. Continuous BTK inhibition confers the risk of cumulative toxicity and acquired resist

Mantle cell lymphoma: refining clinical outcomes beyond the current boundaries Parsaclisib: primary analysis of CITADEL-205 Targeted therapies including BTK inhibi­tors are used in the second- and later-line treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), although intolerance and treatment failure are common, with poor survival outcomes in the relapsed and refractory setting [1, 2]. This highlights the need for novel agents such as the potent and highly selective next-generatio

Marginal zone lymphoma: PI3Kδ inhibition and beyond CITADEL-204: parsaclisib in BTK-inhibitor–naïve patients First-line treatment for patients with marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) typically includes anti-CD20-based regimens that generally evoke high response rates [1, 2]. However, in most cases, serial relapses eventually require several lines of therapy. The phase II CITADEL-204 trial evaluated the highly selective, next-generation PI3Kδ inhibitor parsaclisib in patients with relapsed/r

Phase II data on novel BTK inhibitors for patients with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia Orelabrutinib: rapid and lasting responses Second-generation BTK inhibitors such as orelabrutinib and tirabrutinib are currently being evaluated in the treatment of Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM). Orelabrutinib is a BTK inhibitor with excellent target selectivity and almost 100 % BTK occupancy [1]. At ASH 2021, Zhou et al. reported the results for 47 patients with relapsed/refractory WM who r

Promising novel approaches in various B-cell malignancies POLARIX: polatuzumab vedotin in DLBCL For more than 20 years, the R-CHOP regimen consisting of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone has been the standard of care in the first-line treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Real-world risk assessment, outcomes and adoption of novel drugs in CLL patients: insights from US databases Testing patterns after diagnosis Prognostic testing including IGHV mutation status, cytogenetic abnormalities by FISH, and immunophenotyping has been recommended after diagnosis of CLL/SLL prior to treatment initiation.

Preface – ASH 2020 Heinz Ludwig, MD, Director of the Wilhelminen Cancer Research Institute, Department of Medicine I, Center for Oncology, Hematology and Palliative Care, Wilhelminen Hospital, Vienna, Austria Dear Colleagues, The ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition is the premier event for presentation of novel data on malignant and non-malignant hematologic diseases, attracting up to 30,000 specialists from all over the world.

What is new in Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia? Constitutive activation of the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) pathway has been shown to induce malignant cell survival in patients with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM) [1, 2].

Management of CLL patients: BTK inhibition and beyond BTK inhibitors, the Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax and anti-CD20 antibodies such as obinutuzumab have dramatically changed the therapeutic landscape of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).

Insights from early clinical trials on targeted treatment in B-cell malignancies DTRM-555: fixed-dose combination Richter’s transformation (RT), which describes transformation of CLL/SLL to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) or Hodgkin lymphoma, is a rare event occurring in approximately 5–7 % of CLL cases [1].

Approaching marginal zone lymphoma from various angles Approximately 10 % of Non-Hodgkin lymphomas are classified as marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) [1].

Advancing treatment in patients with mantle cell lymphoma Update on acalabrutinib monotherapy High relapse rates after standard-of-care regimens in the frontline setting are typical of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), which is an aggressive, rare, B-cell Non-Hodgkin lymphoma [1-4].

Finding the way among a multitude of targets and regimens Stephen Opat, MD,  School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Under which conditions might patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia achieve long-term treatment-free remission?

PD-1 inhibition and (Non-)Hodgkin lymphoma: promising outcomes in an emerging field Nivolumab plus BV for MGZL treatment Mediastinal gray zone lymphoma (MGZL) is an extremely rare type of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma with a predominance in young men [1].

Bone marrow microenvironment: culprit and target  Jorge J. Castillo, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA Apart from factors such as genetic events that contribute to the malignant transformation in Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM), the bone marrow microenvironment has been identified as a crucial player in WM disease progression [1].