Clinically significant bleeding can occur as a consequence of surgery, trauma, obstetric complications, anticoagulation, and a wide variety of disorders of hemostasis. As the causes of bleeding are diverse and not always immediately apparent, the availability of a safe, effective, and non-specific hemostatic agent is vital in a wide range of clinical settings, with antifibrinolytic agents often utilized for this purpose. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is one of the most commonly used and widely researched antifibrinolytic agents; its role in postpartum hemorrhage, menorrhagia, trauma-associated hemorrhage, and surgical bleeding has been well defined. However, the utility of TXA goes beyond these common indications, with accumulating data suggesting its ability to reduce bleeding and improve clinical outcomes in the face of many different hemostatic challenges, without a clear increase in thrombotic risk. Herein, we review the literature and provide practical suggestions for clinical use of TXA across a broad spectrum of bleeding disorders.

There is a paucity of large‐scale data delineating outcomes and prognostication of older patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). We retrospectively analyzed 539 newly‐diagnosed PCNSL patients ages ≥60 years across 20 U.S. academic centers. The median age was 70 years (range 60–88); at least one geriatric syndrome was present in 46%; the median Cumulative Index Ratings Scale‐Geriatrics (CIRS‐G) score was 6 (range, 0–27); and 36% had impairment in activities of daily living (ADL). The most common induction regimens were high‐dose methotrexate (HD‐MTX) ± rituximab; methotrexate, temozolomide, rituximab (MTR); and rituximab, methotrexate, procarbazine, vincristine (R‐MPV). Overall, 70% of patients achieved remission, with 14% undergoing consolidative autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) and 24% receiving maintenance. With 58‐month median follow‐up, median progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 17 months (95% CI 13–22 months) and 43 months (95% CI 31–56 months), respectively. Three‐year PFS and OS were highest with MTR (55% and 74%, respectively). With single‐agent methotrexate ± rituximab, 3‐year PFS and OS were 30% (p = .0002) and 47% (p = .0072). On multivariate analysis, increasing age at diagnosis and Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) was associated with inferior PFS; age, hypoalbuminemia, higher CIRS‐G score, and ECOG PS adversely affected OS. Among patients receiving maintenance, 3‐year PFS was 65% versus 45% without maintenance (p = 0.02), with 3‐year OS of 84% versus 61%, respectively (p = .0003). Altogether, outcomes in older PCNSL patients appeared optimized with HD‐MTX combination induction regimens and maintenance therapy. Furthermore, several prognostic factors, including geriatric measures, were associated with inferior outcomes.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is a common procedure, with 22 000 cases performed in the US per year at a total cost of 1.3 billion dollars per year. 1 To our knowledge, an evaluation of the quality and level of evidence of society guidelines in HCT has not been performed. In the 1980s, oncologists adopted autologous stem cell transplant for metastatic breast cancer following high-dose chemotherapy based on uncontrolled studies only to find no clinical benefit in randomized clinical trials (RCTs). 2,3 In this study, we seek to quantify the number of RCTs in the literature for each indication by disease type and status. We then describe the published literature of the past 5 years. eligible patients at time of diagnosis with minimal restrictions on donor or induction regimens in both transplant and nontransplant cohorts would provide crucial information for informed decisions in patient care.

Background Primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare non-Hodgkin lymphoma that is often associated with immunosuppressed states. The Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) may play a role in tumor pathogenicity in some cases. The objective of this study was to examine the patient characteristics, tumor pathology, and survival outcomes associated with EBV tumor status in patients with PCNSL. Methods This was a retrospective subset analysis from 17 academic medical centers that included 439 patients of ages 60 years and above with PCNSL (David K et al. ASH 2020). The associations between EBV status and clinical or demographical variables were tested by Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, or CMH trend test. Kaplan-Meier estimator was used to estimate survival probability. Survival difference between groups was tested by log-rank test for statistical significance. Confidence interval of survival rate was calculated using Greenwood's formula. Results A total of 247 patients with available EBV status were included in this analysis. Median age was 71 (range 60-84) and 44.5% were male. Notably, none of the patients were HIV-positive. Twenty-five patients (10.1%) had EBV positive tumors as detected by EBER (EBV-encoded RNA) in-situ hybridization or LMP1 immunohistochemistry (IHC), 17 of which were solid organ transplant (SOT)-related post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) and 8 of which were not PTLD. All EBV-positive non-PTLDs were diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Three (15%) SOT-related PTLDs were EBV-negative. Patient characteristics analyzed included age at diagnosis, sex, ECOG performance status, history of prior or concurrent malignancies, history of solid organ transplant or autoimmune disease, history of allogeneic stem cell transplant, and immunosuppressive treatment. Of these, only a history of solid organ transplant or autoimmune disease (P<0.0001) and immunosuppressive treatment (P<0.0001) were highly correlated with EBV-positivity; there were no other patient factors associated with EBV status. For patients with EBV-positive SOT-related PTLD, the most common immunosuppressive medications were mycophenolate (n=13), calcineurin inhibitors (n=11), and prednisone (n=9). Only 1 of the EBV-positive non-PTLD cases had a history of autoimmune disease and was on mycophenolate and hydroxychloroquine. Tumor characteristics analyzed included expression of C-MYC, BCL2, CD5, cell of origin markers (BCL6, MUM1, CD10), and CD20 through IHC, C-MYC and BCL2 translocation through FISH, histology, and involvement of brain parenchyma, CSF, spinal cord, and eyes. EBV-positive tumors were associated with low C-MYC (p=0.047) and BCL6 (p=0.0006) expression on immunohistochemistry, but not other factors. There were no significant differences in tumor characteristics between those with EBV-positive PTLD and EBV-positive non-PTLD. Among patients with PTLD, 30% (n=6) did not receive primary chemotherapy, and the most common treatment regimens were high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) with or without rituximab (n=5) and rituximab alone (n=3). However, there was no significant difference in outcomes among PTLD patients who received chemotherapy or those who did not. Among EBV-positive non-PTLD patients, only 12.5% (n=1) did not receive primary chemotherapy and the most common treatment regimens were methotrexate/rituximab/temozolomide (n=3) and HD-MTX with or without rituximab (n=3). There was no difference in overall or progression free survival between patients with EBV-positive and EBV-negative tumors, or in outcomes among SOT-related PTLD patients regardless of EBV status. However, patients with EBV-positive non-PTLD PCNSL had better overall survival compared to patients with EBV-positive PTLD and EBV-negative tumors (p=0.033, Figure). Conclusions In this large observational study of older patients with PCNSL, the incidence of EBV positive tumors was overall low and was most commonly associated with SOT-related PTLD. Mycophenolate mofetil was the most common immunosuppressive medication. In those without PTLD, there were no patient or tumor factors that were associated with EBV status. Unexpectedly, non-PTLD EBV-positive PCNSL had superior outcomes to EBV-positive PTLD and EBV-negative PCNSL. Future studies of EBV-positive non-PTLDs are warranted to further evaluate the potential impact of EBV latency and the immune response on the tumor microenvironment. Disclosures Reddy: BMS: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy; Genentech: Research Funding; KITE Pharma: Consultancy. Bachanova:Karyopharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Research Funding; FATE: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding; Gamida Cell: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding. Bond:Seattle Genetics: Honoraria. Goldlust:Tocagen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: travel; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: travel; WEX: Consultancy, Other: travel; Cortice Bio: Consultancy, Other: travel; Boston Biomedical: Consultancy; COTA: Other; Novocure: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: travel, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Spurgeon:Gilead: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Cardinal Health: Honoraria; Bristol-Myers Squibb: Research Funding; VelosBio: Consultancy, Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; AstraZeneca: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Beigene: Research Funding; Verastem: Research Funding; Genmab: Research Funding. Epperla:Verastem Oncology: Speakers Bureau; Pharmacyclics: Honoraria. Karmali:AstraZeneca: Speakers Bureau; Karyopharm: Honoraria; Takeda: Research Funding; BeiGene: Speakers Bureau; Gilead/Kite: Honoraria, Other, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau; BMS/Celgene/Juno: Honoraria, Other, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau. Naik:Celgene: Other: advisory board; Sanofi: Other: advisory board. Smith:Janssen: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy; FortySeven: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Research Funding; Acerta: Research Funding; Genentech/Roche: Consultancy, Other: Support of parent study and funding of editorial support, Research Funding; TG Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding. Rubenstein:Kymera: Research Funding. Kahl:BeiGene: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene Corporation: Consultancy; AbbVie: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Acerta: Consultancy, Research Funding; ADC Therapeutics: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Roche Laboratories Inc: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics LLC: Consultancy. Evens:Abbvie: Consultancy, Honoraria; Research To Practice: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Honoraria; Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Honoraria; Merck: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Epizyme: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding; Mylteni: Consultancy, Honoraria; Seattle Genetics: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Martin:Kite: Consultancy; Morphosys: Consultancy; Regeneron: Consultancy; Incyte: Consultancy; Cellectar: Consultancy; Beigene: Consultancy; Bayer: Consultancy; I-MAB: Consultancy; Sandoz: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Karyopharm: Consultancy, Research Funding; Teneobio: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy.

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