European journal of haematology
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Intravenous bridging strategies increase exposure of antifungal prophylaxis in high-risk hematological patients. The cost-effectiveness of such strategies has not been analyzed. ⋯ Our health economic evaluation shows micafungin bridging in aSCT patients did not result in excess cost. Higher acquisition costs of antifungal prophylaxis were balanced by a reduced incidence of possible IFD and lower costs for empirical, preemptive, and targeted antifungal therapy as well as lower costs for diagnostic measures and laboratory tests in the micafungin bridging group.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Comparison of umbilical cord blood allogeneic stem cell transplantation vs. auto-SCT for adult acute myeloid leukemia patients in second complete remission at transplant: a retrospective study on behalf of the SFGM-TC.
This retrospective study considered the outcomes of 181 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) transplanted in second complete remission (CR2) between January 2005 and April 2012 and who received either a myeloablative autologous stem cell transplant (Auto-SCT; n = 82; median age: 48 years; median follow-up: 45 months) or an umbilical cord blood (UCB) allogeneic SCT (n = 99, median age: 46 years; median follow-up: 36 months; conditioning regimens: myeloablative n = 21, reduced n = 78; single unit n = 37, double units n = 62). Although the Auto group showed a significant better prognostic profile at transplant, with longer median interval between diagnosis and time of graft, higher incidence of good-risk cytogenetics and lower number of previously transplanted patients, 3-year OS and LFS were similar between both groups (Auto: 59 ± 6% vs. 50 ± 6%, P = 0.45; and 57 ± 6% vs. 46 ± 6%, P = 0.37). ⋯ Results from this large study suggest that UCB allo-SCT provides better disease control than auto-SCT, which is especially important in the setting of high-risk disease. However, this disease control advantage is counterbalanced by higher toxicity, highlighting the need for novel approaches aiming to decrease NRM after UCB allo-SCT.
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Observational Study
Primary antifungal prophylaxis with micafungin in patients with haematological malignancies: real-life data from a retrospective single-centre observational study.
Mould-active antifungal prophylaxis is increasingly used in patients at risk for invasive fungal disease. Between June 2011 and June 2012, one hundred patients with various haematological malignancies at risk for invasive fungal disease received primary antifungal prophylaxis with intravenous micafungin at a daily dosage of 50 mg during neutropenia. The median number of days on micafungin prophylaxis was 14 (range, 6-48 d). ⋯ Colonisation with Candida spp. was documented in 51% of the patients with none of the isolates being in vitro micafungin resistant. Compared to a historical control, receiving primary prophylaxis with posaconazole micafungin is at least as effective in preventing IFD. In both cohorts, bIFDs were exclusively caused by emerging pathogens with a highly preserved in vitro sensitivity to amphotericin B.
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Thrombocytopenia is an independent adverse prognostic factor in patients with Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Azacitidine, first-line treatment for the majority of patients with higher-risk MDS, is associated with aggravated thrombocytopenia during the first cycles. Eltrombopag is a novel thrombopoietin receptor agonist, which also has been shown to inhibit proliferation of leukaemia cell lines in vitro. This phase I clinical trial was designed to explore the safety and tolerability of combining eltrombopag with azacitidine in patients with MDS. In addition, we assessed the potential effects of eltrombopag on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from included patients. ⋯ The combination of eltrombopag with azacitidine in high-risk MDS patients is feasible and well tolerated. Improvements in platelet counts and the potential antileukaemic effect of eltrombopag should be explored in a randomised study.
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Invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). ⋯ Our results suggest that both prophylactic regimens, POS and POS-MIC are feasible, safe and effective. Our data suggest that bridging with intravenous micafungin could indeed improve exposure to antifungal prophylaxis, which may explain the reduced incidence of pneumonia and IFD in the bridging group.