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Occupational and Environmental Medicine Sep 2020Recent evidence has accumulated that the immune system is intimately intertwined with cancer development. Two key characteristics of carcinogens in which the immune... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Recent evidence has accumulated that the immune system is intimately intertwined with cancer development. Two key characteristics of carcinogens in which the immune system plays a central role are chronic inflammation and immunosuppression. In this systematic review, we investigated the association of chronic inflammatory and immunosuppressive outcomes with benzene, a widely used industrial chemical. Benzene has been confirmed to cause acute myeloid leukaemia and suspected to cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma, two cancers of the blood-forming system that affect immune cells.
METHODS
We systematically searched PubMed and Embase for all relevant studies using a combination of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and selected key words. The detailed review protocol, including search strategy, was registered with PROSPERO, the international prospective register of systematic reviews (#CRD42019138611).
RESULTS
Based on all human studies selected in the final review, we report new evidence of a benzene-induced immunosuppressive effect on the immune system and activation of the immune system to cause inflammation. In particular, benzene significantly lowers the number of white blood cells, particularly lymphocytes such as CD4 T-cells, B-cells and natural killer cells, and increases proinflammatory biomarkers at low levels of exposure.
CONCLUSION
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive review of benzene's immunotoxicity in humans. Based on results obtained from this review, we propose two potential immunotoxic mechanisms of how benzene induces leukaemia/lymphoma: (1) cancer invasion caused by proinflammatory cytokine production, and (2) cancer promotion via impaired immunosurveillance. Further studies will be required to confirm the connection between benzene exposure and its effects on the immune system.
PubMed: 32938756
DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2020-106517 -
International Journal of... Oct 2020: The aim of this review was to evaluate the influence of aberrant phenotypes in prognosis and survival in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients by multiparametric flow... (Review)
Review
: The aim of this review was to evaluate the influence of aberrant phenotypes in prognosis and survival in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients by multiparametric flow cytometry. : Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a review of PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct and Web of Science was carried out through 1998 to 2016, conducted by two reviewers independently, evaluating titles, abstracts and full-texts of the selected studies. : Ten studies were included on this review, in which the aberrant phenotype expression of 17 markers were detected in AML patients. From these, 11 aberrant phenotypes were associated with prognosis, which eight had shown negative impact on prognosis: CD7, CD56, CD15, CD2, CD3, CD90, CD123, CD117, and three others were associated with good prognosis: CD19, CD98 and CD117/CD15. Meta-analysis showed that aberrant expression of CD56 as a poor prognostic marker with unfavorable outcomes is implicated in decreased overall survival in AML patients in 28 months (95% CI: 0.62 to 0.92). This was observed when there was association between CD56 expression and other prognostic factors, influencing on patients' management care and treatment.
PubMed: 33603989
DOI: 10.18502/ijhoscr.v14i4.4484 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Sep 2019Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens are established options for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML)... (Review)
Review
Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens are established options for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). However, the efficacy of RIC regimens for patients with high-risk disease is limited. The addition of a fludarabine, amsacrine, and cytarabine (FLAMSA)-sequential conditioning regimen was introduced for patients with high-risk MDS and AML to combine a high anti-leukemic activity with the advantages of RIC. The current systematic literature review and meta-analysis was conducted with the aim of identifying all cohort studies of patients with AML and/or MDS who received FLAMSA-RIC to determine its efficacy and toxicity. Out of 3044 retrieved articles, 12 published studies with 2395 overall patients (18.1-76.0 years; 96.8% AML and 3.2% MDS; follow-up duration of 0.7-145 months; 50.3% had active AML disease before HSCT) met the eligibility criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. In the pooled analysis, the 1- and 3-year overall survival (OS) rates were 59.6% (95% confidence interval (CI), 47.9-70.2%) and 40.2% (95% CI, 28.0-53.7%), respectively. The pooled 3-year OS rate of the patients who achieved CR1 or CR2 prior to HSCT was 60.1% (95% CI, 55.1-64.8%) and the percentage of those with relapse or refractory disease was 27.8% (95% CI, 23.3-32.8%). The pooled 3-year leukemia-free survival (LFS) rate was 39.3% (95% CI, 26.4-53.9%). Approximately 29% of the patients suffered from grades 2-4 acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), while 35.6% had chronic GVHD. The pooled 1- and 3-year non-relapse mortality (NRM) rates were 17.9% (95% CI, 16.1-19.8%) and 21.1% (95% CI, 18.8-23.7%), respectively. Our data indicates that the FLAMSA-RIC regimen is an effective and well-tolerated regimen for HSCT in patients with high-risk AML and MDS.
PubMed: 31514339
DOI: 10.3390/jcm8091437 -
Clinical and Experimental Medicine Sep 2023Immunotherapy is the main standard treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Immune suppressive cells in tumor microenvironment can counteract its... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Immunotherapy is the main standard treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Immune suppressive cells in tumor microenvironment can counteract its efficacy. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) include two major subsets: polymorphonuclear (PMN-MDSCs) and monocytic (M-MDSCs). Many studies explored the prognostic impact of these cell populations in NSCLC patients. The aim of this systematic review is to select studies for a meta-analysis, which compares prognosis between patients with high vs low circulating MDSC levels. We collected hazard ratios (HRs) and relative 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) or recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS). Among 139 studies retrieved from literature search, 14 eligible studies (905 NSCLC patients) met inclusion criteria. Low circulating MDSC levels favor a better PFS/RFS (HR = 1.84; 95% CI = 1.28-2.65) and OS (HR = 1.78; 95% CI = 1.29-2.46). The subgroup analysis based on MDSC subtypes (total-, PMN-, and M-MDSCs) obtained a statistical significance only for M-MDSCs, both in terms of PFS/RFS (HR = 2.67; 95% CI = 2.04-3.50) and OS (HR = 2.10; 95% CI = 1.61-2.75). NSCLC patients bearing high M-MDSC levels in peripheral blood experience a worse prognosis than those with low levels, both in terms of PFS/RFS and OS. This finding suggests that detecting and targeting this MDSC subset could help to improve NSCLC treatment efficacy.
Topics: Humans; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells; Prognosis; Lung Neoplasms; Proportional Hazards Models; Tumor Microenvironment
PubMed: 36401744
DOI: 10.1007/s10238-022-00946-6 -
PharmacoEconomics Jun 2012The pharmacoeconomics of the myeloid growth factors (MGFs) is an important topic that has received substantial attention in recent years. The use of the MGFs as primary... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The pharmacoeconomics of the myeloid growth factors (MGFs) is an important topic that has received substantial attention in recent years. The use of the MGFs as primary prophylaxis to prevent febrile neutropenia (FN) has grown considerably over the past decade and professional guidelines regarding their use have broadened the settings in which these agents are indicated. Recent data also suggest a potential role for them in reducing infection-related and all-cause mortality. The cost and effectiveness of these agents will continue to gain visibility as companies pursue approval for biosimilar agents in the US, similar to their recent approval in Europe.
OBJECTIVES
The objective of this paper is to review the available pharmacoeconomic literature on the MGFs, which is particularly timely in light of the recent passage of healthcare reform and the increasing focus on cost control. The cost of treating cancer in the US is rising faster than the already rapid increase in overall medical expenditure. The clinical utility and cost effectiveness of supportive care measures in oncology must therefore be weighed carefully. This review focuses on the use of different formulations of MGFs for primary and secondary prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.
METHODS
A MEDLINE search was performed to find studies that became available since the prior review of this topic was published in Pharmacoeconomics in 2003.
RESULTS
Acceptable cost-minimization estimates for primary prophylaxis with the MGFs in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy have been provided by several studies in the US. Of the commonly used agents in the US, pegfilgrastim appears to be superior to the currently recommended dose and schedule of filgrastim in terms of cost minimization, and primary prophylaxis appears to be less costly than secondary prophylaxis. However, the cost benefits of primary prophylaxis in Europe are not as pronounced as in the US, due to the lower costs of medical care. Data continue to emerge suggesting a decreased risk of early mortality from averted infections as well as the possibility of a disease-specific mortality benefit through maintaining the relative dose intensity of chemotherapy with MGF support.
CONCLUSION
This evidence will prove valuable in assessing the overall cost effectiveness and cost utility of the MGFs in patients receiving cancer chemotherapy.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Biosimilar Pharmaceuticals; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Drug Costs; Economics, Pharmaceutical; Europe; Fever; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; Humans; Neoplasms; Neutropenia; United States
PubMed: 22540394
DOI: 10.2165/11590130-000000000-00000 -
Health Technology Assessment... 2012Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a form of cancer affecting the blood, characterised by excessive proliferation of white blood cells in the bone marrow and circulating... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a form of cancer affecting the blood, characterised by excessive proliferation of white blood cells in the bone marrow and circulating blood. In the UK, an estimated 560 new cases of CML are diagnosed each year.
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of dasatinib and nilotinib in the treatment of people with imatinib-resistant (ImR) and imatinib-intolerant (ImI) CML. A systematic review of the clinical effectiveness literature, a review of manufacturer submissions and a critique and exploration of manufacturer submissions for accelerated phase and blast crisis CML were carried out and a decision-analytic model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of dasatinib and nilotinib in chronic phase CML. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW METHODS: Key databases were searched for relevant studies from their inception to June 2009 [MEDLINE (including MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations), EMBASE, (ISI Web of Science) Conference Proceedings Citation Index and four others]. One reviewer assessed titles and abstracts of studies identified by the search strategy, with a sample checked by a second reviewer. The full text of relevant papers was obtained and screened against the full inclusion criteria independently by two reviewers. Data from included studies were extracted by one reviewer and checked by a second. Clinical effectiveness studies were synthesised through narrative review. ECONOMIC EVALUATION METHODS: Cost-effectiveness analyses reported in manufacturer submissions to the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence were critically appraised and summarised narratively. In addition, the models for accelerated phase and blast crisis underwent a more detailed critique and exploration. Two separate decision-analytic models were developed for chronic phase CML, one simulating a cohort of individuals who have shown or developed resistance to normal dose imatinib and one representing individuals who have been unable to continue imatinib treatment owing to adverse events. One-way, multiway and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to explore structural and parameter uncertainty.
RESULTS
Fifteen studies were included in the systematic review. Chronic phase: effectiveness data were limited but dasatinib and nilotinib appeared efficacious in terms of obtaining cytogenetic response and haematological response in both ImR and ImI populations. In terms of cost-effectiveness, it was extremely difficult to reach any conclusions regarding either agent in the ImR population. All three models (Novartis, PenTAG and Bristol-Myers Squibb) were seriously flawed in one way or another, as a consequence of the paucity of data appropriate to construct robust decision-analytic models. Accelerated and blast crisis: all available data originated from observational single-arm studies and there were considerable and potentially important differences in baseline characteristics which seriously undermined any process for making meaningful comparisons between treatments. Owing to a lack of available clinical data, de novo models of accelerated phase and blast crisis have not been developed. The economic evaluations carried out by the manufacturers of nilotinib and dasatinib were seriously undermined by the absence of evidence on high-dose imatinib in these populations.
LIMITATIONS
The study has been necessarily constrained by the paucity of available clinical data, the differences in definitions used in the studies and the subsequent impossibility of undertaking a meaningful cost-effectiveness analyses to inform all policy questions.
CONCLUSIONS
Dasatinib and nilotinib appeared efficacious in terms of obtaining cytogenetic and haematological responses in both ImR and ImI populations. It was difficult to reach any cost-effectiveness conclusions as a consequence of the paucity of the data. Future research should include a three-way, double-blind, randomised clinical trial of dasatinib, nilotinib and high-dose imatinib.
Topics: Benzamides; Blast Crisis; Clinical Trials as Topic; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Dasatinib; Decision Support Techniques; Disease Progression; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Health Care Costs; Humans; Imatinib Mesylate; Incidence; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive; Leukemia, Myeloid, Accelerated Phase; Leukemia, Myeloid, Chronic-Phase; Models, Economic; Piperazines; Prognosis; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Pyrimidines; Quality of Life; Thiazoles
PubMed: 22551803
DOI: 10.3310/hta16220 -
Surgical Neurology International 2022Myeloid sarcoma (MS), or chloroma, is a rare extramedullary malignant tumor that consists of undifferentiated granulocytic cells, and it is most commonly associated with...
BACKGROUND
Myeloid sarcoma (MS), or chloroma, is a rare extramedullary malignant tumor that consists of undifferentiated granulocytic cells, and it is most commonly associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Intracranial MS accounts for 0.4% of MS cases, and involvement of the skull base and visual dysfunction is rarely reported. However, the optimal treatment and response to treatment of skull base MS in the presence of visual symptoms is unknown.
CASE DESCRIPTION
A 30-year-old male with a history of AML presented with rapidly progressive vision loss and a sellar and parasellar mass with bilateral cavernous sinus and optic nerve encasement. The patient underwent endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal biopsy revealing intracranial MS. He was treated postoperatively with high-dose intravenous and intrathecal cytarabine and had complete restoration of his vision by postoperative day 11. A systematic review of the literature identified six cases of skull base MS, five of whom presenting with visual symptoms. All patients underwent systemic chemotherapy with cytarabine and/or cyclophosphamide, with infrequent use of intrathecal chemotherapy or radiation. Those with reported visual outcomes were diagnosed 4 months or longer after symptom onset and demonstrated no visual improvement with treatment.
CONCLUSION
Skull base MS is a rare disease entity with a high prevalence of visual dysfunction. Our patient's complete disappearance of intracranial disease and resolution of visual symptoms with systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy highlight the importance of timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment without a need for direct surgical decompression.
PubMed: 35673665
DOI: 10.25259/SNI_255_2022 -
Patient Preference and Adherence 2021Suboptimal adherence to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is a widely recognized issue compromising the disease control and survival of patients with chronic myeloid... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Suboptimal adherence to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is a widely recognized issue compromising the disease control and survival of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). A recently published review by Heiney et al reported inconclusive findings on the effects of a broad range of adherence enhancing interventions. The current systematic review aimed to identify studies that evaluated adherence-enhancing interventions implemented by healthcare professionals and determine their effect on CML patients' medication adherence and clinical outcomes.
METHODS
A systematic literature search was performed in 5 databases for articles published between 2002 and 2021. Studies that compared adherence enhancing interventions implemented by healthcare professionals with a comparison group were included. Relevant data on study characteristics were extracted. Medication adherence and clinical outcomes between intervention and control arms were compared.
RESULTS
Nine studies were included in two randomised controlled trials, four cohort studies, and three before-and-after comparison studies. All the included studies incorporated complex interventions, including intensive education or consultation with pharmacists, nurses or multidisciplinary team, in combination with one or more other strategies such as structured follow-up, written materials or video, psychotherapy, medication reminder or treatment diary, with the overall goal of monitoring and improving TKI adherence. Most (7 out of 9) studies demonstrated significantly better adherence to TKIs in the intervention group than the comparison group. The relative proportion of participants who adhered to TKIs ranged from 1.22 to 2.42. The improvement in the rate of TKI doses taken/received ranged from 1.5% to 7.1%. Only one study showed a significant association between intervention and clinical outcomes, with a 22.6% higher major molecular response rate and improvement in 6 out of 20 subscales of health-related quality-of-life.
CONCLUSION
Complex interventions delivered by healthcare professionals showed improvement in adherence to TKIs in CML patients. Further studies are required to clarify the cost-effectiveness of adherence-enhancing interventions.
PubMed: 34819724
DOI: 10.2147/PPA.S269355 -
European Journal of Cancer Prevention :... Sep 2017Parental alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy has been linked to adverse outcomes in the offspring including leukemogenesis. We, therefore, aimed to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Parental alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy has been linked to adverse outcomes in the offspring including leukemogenesis. We, therefore, aimed to systematically assess and quantitatively synthesize published data on the association of paternal consumption during preconception and maternal consumption during pregnancy with leukemia risk in childhood (0-14 years). Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we searched PubMed (until February 2016) and the reference lists of the relevant studies. Observational studies examining the association between parental alcohol consumption and childhood leukemia were considered eligible. Data extracted from 39 case-control studies (over 16 000 leukemia cases and 30 000 controls) were pooled and summary-effect estimates were calculated. Subgroup analyses were carried out by main acute leukemia type [lymphoblastic or myeloid), cytogenetics/genetic polymorphisms, and specific alcohol beverages. We found a statistically significant dose-response association of any level of maternal alcohol consumption compared with nondrinking during pregnancy exclusively with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) [odds ratio (OR)moderate consumption: 1.64, 95% confidence intervals (CIs): 1.23-2.17 and ORhigh consumption: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.60-3.49]. In contrast, no association of paternal preconception consumption with any leukemia type was noted. In beverage-specific analyses, only a positive association of maternal wine drinking with childhood AML was found, which was more pronounced in analyses including only studies on infant leukemia (ORwine: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.16-3.90). The largest ever meta-analysis shows a sizeable, statistically significant dose-response association of maternal alcohol consumption during index pregnancy with AML risk. Future research exploring the role of genetic polymorphisms is anticipated to shed light on the underlying pathophysiology.
Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholic Beverages; Female; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Male; Maternal Exposure; Odds Ratio; Paternal Exposure; Polymorphism, Genetic; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Risk Factors
PubMed: 28379884
DOI: 10.1097/CEJ.0000000000000350 -
Farmacia Hospitalaria : Organo Oficial... 2023Several studies quantitatively described patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia on active treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, however there are few qualitative... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Several studies quantitatively described patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia on active treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, however there are few qualitative studies that focus their results on how to accompany patients in the course of the disease over time. The objective of this review is to find out what are the expectations, information needs and experiences that determine adherence to treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in qualitative research articles published in the scientific literature.
METHODS
A systematic review of qualitative research articles published between 2003-2021 was carried out in PubMed/Medline, Web of Science and Embase databases. Main keywords used were: "Leukemia, Myeloid" and "Qualitative Research". Articles on the acute phase or blast phase were excluded.
RESULTS
184 publications were located. After elimination of duplicates, 6 (3%) were included and 176 (97%) publications were excluded. Studies show that the illness is a turning point in patients' lives, and they develop their own strategies for managing the adverse effects. The factors that determine medication experiences with tyrosine kinase inhibitors should be addressed by implementing personalized strategies: this would result in early detection of problems, reinforce education at each stage and promote open discussion about complex causes underlying the treatment failure.
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic review provides evidence that implementation personalized strategies must be done to adress the factors that determine the illness experience with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and receiving treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Topics: Humans; Antineoplastic Agents; Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl
PubMed: 36870818
DOI: 10.1016/j.farma.2023.02.002