P L Zinzani

..Available clinical data therefore indicate that fludarabine has an important role to play in the treatment of patients with indolent NHL. Further, studies are warranted to identify the optimal fludarabine regimen for this patient group...

..Improved patient selection, transplant timing, ongoing improvements in supportive care, and selected phase III trials should increase outcomes further...

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..985; p = 0.049). Post-treatment hemoglobin values appear to provide a strong independent predictor of 5-year survival in elderly aggressive NHL, supporting the potential role of anemia correction in this group of patients...

..The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of positron emission tomography (PET) in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) after induction treatment...

..Our experience with a patient with a primary conjunctiva lymphoma who was treated with conventional dose of rituximab obtaining a complete response without acute and late local toxicity for the eye...

..The research of specific therapeutic protocols is needed to cure the elderly lymphoma patients reducing the risk of important toxic effects...

..In conclusion, these data underline the diagnostic utility of BAL and the therapeutic efficacy of a chemotherapeutic strategy based on regimens such as N-CVP in the context of localized MALT lymphoma of the lung...

..In this work we examine the characteristics and outcome of patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) treated with high-dose therapy (HDT) and autologous transplantation at our Institute between 1982 to 2000...

..These could include the use of more efficient preparative and purging approaches in the transplantation setting or the administration of rituximab maintenance therapy after (immuno) chemotherapy induction or transplantation...

..A retrospective analysis was performed to assess the efficacy of various treatments of non-Hodgkin's primary bone lymphomas (PBL)...

..The aim of this retrospective study was to verify the reliability of positive PET scans of the mediastinum in following up patients with mediastinal lymphoma, using histological findings as a comparison...

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..To determine the antitumor activity of the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) or peripheral T-cell lymphoma unspecified (PTCLU) with isolated skin involvement...

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..Primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (PCBCLs) are a distinct group of primary cutaneous lymphomas with few and conflicting data on their prognostic factors...

..Patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) could benefit from integration of well-established bioclinical prognostic factors with new tools - such as micro-arrays - exploring aberrant gene and/or protein expression...

..Strategies using various chemotherapy combinations, including innovative agents such as 90 Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan, show promise in the treatment of NHL, particularly indolent NHL, and hopefully will lead to an improvement in prognosis...

..PET negativity at restaging strongly suggests the absence of active disease; histopathological verification is important in patients who show PET positivity...

..These preliminary data suggest that FLUIC is a very active, well-tolerated regimen for young, untreated patients with advanced non-follicular LG-NHL...

..We performed a randomized comparative trial of FM with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) front-line chemotherapy with and without sequential rituximab...

..At present, for patients with untreated disseminated disease; recurrent disease; or high-grade disease in the presence of poor risk factors; alternative treatment strategies are needed...

..Although remission of hairy cell leukemia (HCL) after treatment with 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine (2-CdA) appears to be long lasting, few reports currently provide results from follow-up exceeding 5 years...

..In the last decade, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has played an important role in front-line and salvage treatments of indolent and aggressive NHL...

..It is important to distinguish between responders to standard treatment and non-responders Hodgkin's disease (HD) patients...

..The purpose of this review is to point out the state of the art regarding bronchus-associated lymphoid tissues lymphomas in terms of etiology, pathogenesis, clinics, and therapeutics, including our single-center experience of 23 cases...

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..Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMLBCL) with sclerosis has recently been recognized as a specific clinical and pathologic entity for which the best therapeutic approach seems to be a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy...

..A study update to assess long-term survival following fludarabine salvage treatment in previously treated patients with chronic lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL)...

..To assess the efficacy and the toxic profile of gemcitabine, a novel pyrimidine antimetabolite active against several solid tumors, we carried out a study in heavily pretreated Hodgkin's disease (HD) patients...

..Thus, it is important to evaluate such long-term outcome data in order to increase understanding of the efficacy of this agent in the management of HCL...

..We investigated the therapeutic efficacy and toxicity of the three-drug-combination VBM (vinblastine, bleomycin, and methotrexate) regimen in a group of 19 elderly HD patients...

..To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of gemcitabine, a novel pyrimidine antimetabolite with a low-toxicity profile and activity in several solid tumors, in patients with relapsed or refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphomas...

..The aim of this study was to define the therapeutic efficacy and toxicity of a combination of FLU and mitoxantrone (FN regimen) in untreated LG-NHL...

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..A first comparative trial of fludarabine (FLU) alone versus FLU plus idarubicin (FLU-ID) for indolent or mantle-cell lymphomas...

..Here we report a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial comparing the efficacy and toxicity of 8- and 12-week regimens of VNCOP-B plus G-CSF...

..This approach would maximise the therapeutic potential of this agent by encouraging its use early in the disease course of follicular lymphomas...

..We adopted the strategy of using salvage chemotherapy to debulk disease and simultaneously mobilize stem cells, using a regimen based on ifosfamide and etoposide, (drugs not usually used for front-line treatment)...

..PET restaging is very valuable for the identification of patients who would need appropriate second-line therapy because of the presence of residual active abdominal disease and should be made widely available in combination with CT...

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..However, there are no prospective studies investigating the value of serial FDG-PET over time in patients in complete remission...

..MACOP-B regimen with/without involved-field radiation therapy provides a safe and effective combined modality treatment for early-stage aggressive NHL, with the possibility to definitively cure two thirds of the patients...

..Ideally, the cytotoxic agents should lack complete cross resistance with those utilized up front...

..In particular, soluble CD30 (sCD30) levels were elevated in most patients with Hodgkin's disease (HD) and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL)...

..Although initial treatment of Hodgkin's disease induces a complete remission in most patients, approximately 50% of patients with advanced disease will not achieve a complete remission or will relapse following the first complete remission...

..We investigated the ability of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) to differentiate between residual active tumor tissue and fibrosis...

..Adult Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease. The combination of vinblastine and prednisone, given in a 6-month course, is the standard of care but prospective randomized trials are lacking...

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..Gemcitabine should be considered a suitable option. We report the long-term update of 39 pretreated T-cell lymphoma patients treated with gemcitabine...

..The authors focus on the key features of aggressive B- and T-cell lymphomas, aiming to contribute to the cross-talk between pathologists and clinicians...

..Clinical and hematologic toxicities were irrelevant. This regimen was effective in inducing a good remission rate of low-grade NHL, but a longer follow-up for definitive conclusions is warranted...

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..The authors focus on the key features of B-cell lymphomas with an indolent behavior, aiming to contribute to the cross-talk between pathologists and clinicians...

..The more recent acquisitions on the pathobiology of DLBCLs are reviewed in the light of the authors' experience, aiming to contribute to the existing debate on the topic...

..R-MACOP-B regimen followed by involved-field radiation on bulky presentation is safe and very effective in the treatment of young patients with low-risk DLBCL...

..We report a retrospective analysis of 75 patients with nongastrointestinal low-grade MALT lymphoma, presenting their clinical, therapeutic, and follow-up data with respect to the initial location of the lymphoma...

..Three CRs relapsed within 12 months from the completion of treatment. Clinical and hematological toxicity was moderate. This regimen was effective in inducing a good remission rate with moderate toxic effects in elderly DLBCL patients...

..The latter represents one of the first examples of mixed score (including patient- and tumor-specific factors) applied to malignant lymphomas and may be the basis for future prospective therapeutic trials...

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..The aim of this study was to characterise a PPFLT arising in a 4 year old boy...

..However, in some patients, these lesions persist despite antibiotic treatment...

..In this study we evaluated the effects of the combination of fludarabine and gemcitabine, a deoxycytidine analog that has shown both in vitro and in vivo activity against a variety of solid tumors...

..Sensitivity of 18F FDG-PET for extra-nodal MALT was 81%. The data show that 18FDG-PET is a useful diagnostic tool in order to stage, restage or monitor disease in patients with extra-nodal MALT lymphoma...

..Treatments adjusted to the pathobiological characteristics of the tumour in at risk patients have been proposed and are on the way to being applied...

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..They are often the result of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced proliferation of B-lymphocytes in the setting of immunosuppression...

..The recent identification of the IRTA gene family corresponding to IG-like receptors differentially expressed in B-cells might contribute to their better understanding...

..Moreover, sensitivity of Raji to Rituximab/saporin-S6 was augmented when cells were coincubated with Fludarabine. The synergistic toxic effect of the two drugs led to a total elimination of the neoplastic population...

..Immunohistochemistry confirmed aCGH results and distinguished the distribution of either amplified or deleted gene products in neoplastic Reed Sternberg (RS) cells and non-neoplastic lymph node components...

..Novel approaches, including stem cell transplantation, monoclonal antibodies and innovative agents, should be then considered for improving long-term results...

..Our study provides new relevant information on AILT biology and new candidates for possible therapeutic targets such as PDGFRA (platelet-derived growth factor alpha) and VEGF...

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..This study investigated the role of immunohistochemical discrimination between GCB and ABC&NC-DLBCL subtypes in identifying those high-risk patients who may benefit from a more aggressive first-line therapeutic approach...

..Based on historical data on the role of radioimmunotherapy (RIT) in pretreated non-Hodgkin lymphoma, we reviewed our hospital's clinical database...

..Follicular lymphomas are currently subdivided into grades I, II, IIIa and IIIb. This distinction is, however, questioned...

..This case testifies the possibility of early relapse of lymphoma even in the case of negative interim PET; it also supports the usefulness of end-treatment PET scan in lymphoma patients...

..The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of positive axillary findings in patients with Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma during follow-up with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET...

..Recently, purine analogues (pentostatin and cladribine) changed radically the treatment modality, inducing complete and durable responses in the majority of patients...

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..Recently, the superiority of R-CHOP (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine/ prednisone) over CHOP-like regimens has been demonstrated in elderly and younger patients with low-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma...

..However, it is unclear whether there is a role for allogeneic transplant as a frontline treatment option...

..These results, which might be extended to other more rare PTCL categories, provide insight into tumor pathogenesis and clinical management of PTCL/U...

..However, it differs from other aggressive B-cell lymphomas in that it shows defective immunoglobulin production despite the expression of OCT-2, BOB.1, and PU.1 transcription factors and the lack of IgV(H) gene crippling mutations...

..The relevance of the examination of trephines and surgical specimens is outlined with special reference to the identification of risk factors in individual patients...

..Within the last decade they have moved from salvage therapy to front-line studies. Further insight into the mechanism of action of the purine analogues will to lead to further advances in this group of diseases...

..Further studies using gemcitabine in combination, either contemporary or sequentially, with other drugs in patients with advanced stage, untreated CTCL are needed...

..The expression of zeta-associated protein 70 (ZAP70) is significantly associated with the more aggressive unmutated forms...

..In conclusion, the Panel recommended rasburicase for tumor lysis syndrome prophylaxis in selected patients based on the drug efficacy profile. Methodologically rigorous studies are needed to clarify its cost-effectiveness profile...

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..In this paper, we have evaluated the usefulness of the pan-leukocyte marker LSP1 and the transcription factor PU.1 for resolving such diagnostic problems...