Imatinib (400 mg daily) is considered the best initial therapy for patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the chronic phase. However, only a minority of patients treated with imatinib have a complete molecular remission.

To evaluate the prognostic significance of clinicobiologic and pathological features in angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL), 157 AITL patients were retrieved from the GELA LNH87-LNH93 randomized clinical trials. One hundred forty-seven patients received a cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP)–like regimen with intensified courses in half of them. Histologically, 41 cases were classified as “rich in large cells” and 116 as “classic” (including 19 rich in epithelioid cells, 14 rich in clear cells, and 4 with hyperplastic germinal centers). Sixty-two cases were scored for CD10 and CXCL13 expression according to the abundance of positive lymphoid cells. Median age was 62 years, with 81% advanced stage, 72% B symptoms, 65% anemia, 50% hypergammaglobulinemia, and 66% elevated LDH. Overall 7-year survival was 30%. In multivariate analysis, only male sex (P = .004), mediastinal lymphadenopathy (P = .041), and anemia (P = .042) adversely affected overall survival. Increase in large cells and high level of CD10 and CXCL13 did not affect survival. Intensive regimen did not improve survival. In conclusion, AITL is a morphologically heterogeneous T-cell lymphoma commonly expressing CXCL13 and CD10 and carrying few prognostic factors. It portends a poor prognosis even when treated intensively. However, AITL is not always lethal with 30% of patients alive at 7 years.

Among patients with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection (also known as Covid‐19), pneumonia, respiratory failure, and acute respiratory distress syndrome are frequently encountered complications (Zhou et al, 2020). Although the pathophysiology underlying severe Covid‐19 remains poorly understood, accumulating evidence argue for hyperinflammatory syndrome causing fulminant and fatal cytokines release associated with disease severity and poor outcome (Mehta et al, 2020). However, the spectrum of complications is broader and include among others various auto‐immune disorders such as autoimmune thrombocytopenia, Guillain‐Barré and antiphospholipid syndrome (Zhang et al, 2020; Zulfiqar et al, 2020; Toscano et al, 2020). In this report we describe 7 patients from 6 French and Belgian Hospitals who developed a first episode of autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) during a Covid‐19 infection.

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy and toxicity of chemoimmunotherapy followed by either whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) or intensive chemotherapy and autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT) as a first-line treatment of primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Immunocompetent patients (18 to 60 years of age) with untreated PCNSL were randomly assigned to receive WBRT or ASCT as consolidation treatment after induction chemotherapy consisting of two cycles of R-MBVP (rituximab 375 mg/m² day (D) 1, methotrexate 3 g/m² D1; D15, VP16 100 mg/m² D2, BCNU 100 mg/m² D3, prednisone 60 mg/m²/d D1-D5) followed by two cycles of R-AraC (rituximab 375 mg/m² D1, cytarabine 3 g/m²/D, D1, and D2). Intensive chemotherapy consisted of thiotepa (250 mg/m²/d D9; D8; D7), busulfan (8 mg/kg D6 through D4), and cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg/d D3; D2). WBRT delivered 40 Gy (2 Gy/fraction). The primary end point was 2-year progression-free survival. Cognitive outcome was the main secondary end point. Analysis was intention to treat in a noncomparative phase II trial. RESULTS: Between October 2008 and February 2014, 140 patients were recruited from 23 French centers. Both WBRT and ASCT met the predetermined threshold (among the first 38 patients in each group, at least 24 patients were alive and disease free at 2 years). The 2-year progression-free survival rates were 63% (95% CI, 49% to 81%) and 87% (95% CI, 77% to 98%) in the WBRT and ASCT arms, respectively. Toxicity deaths were recorded in one and five patients after WBRT and ASCT, respectively. Cognitive impairment was observed after WBRT, whereas cognitive functions were preserved or improved after ASCT. CONCLUSION: WBRT and ASCT are effective consolidation treatments for patients with PCNSL who are 60 years of age and younger. The efficacy end points tended to favor the ASCT arm. The specific risk of each procedure should be considered.