Outcomes in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia have improved; however, a subset of patients relapse despite receiving all-trans-retinoic acid and/or arsenic-based therapies. Among 40 patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia who were treated at our institution (1980–2010), 24 received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) (autologous HCT, 7; allogeneic HCT, 14; both, 3); 16 received chemotherapy only. All 3 strategies (autologous HCT, allogeneic HCT, chemotherapy) were feasible in patients with relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia and result in long-term disease control in selected patients. Background Outcomes in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) have improved; however, a significant number of patients still relapse despite receiving all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic-based therapies. Patients and Methods Outcomes of patients with relapsed APL who were treated at our institution (1980–2010) and who received HCT were compared with those who received chemotherapy (CT) only. Results Among 40 patients, 24 received HCT (autologous [auto] HCT, 7; allogeneic [allo] HCT, 14; both, 3); 16 received CT only. The median age at diagnosis was 36 years (range, 13–50 years), 31 years (range, 16–58 years), and 44 years (range, 24–79 years) for the auto-HCT, allo-HCT, and CT groups, respectively. Ten (100%) patients who received auto-HCT and 12 (71%) who received allo-HCT were in complete remission at the time of the HCT. The median follow-ups in the auto-HCT, allo-HCT, and CT groups were 74 months (range, 26–135 months), 118 months (range, 28–284 months), and 122 months (range, 32–216 months), respectively. Transplantation-related mortality (1 year) after auto-HCT and allo-HCT were 10% and 29%, respectively. The 7-year event-free survival after auto-HCT and allo-HCT was 68.6% and 40.6%, respectively (P = .45). The 7-year overall survival was 85.7%, 49.4%, and 40% in the auto-HCT, allo-HCT, and CT groups, respectively (P = .48). Conclusion Both auto-HCT and allo-HCT are associated with durable remission and prolonged survival. All 3 strategies (auto-HCT, allo-HCT, CT) were found to be feasible in the relapsed APL setting and result in long-term disease control in selected patients. In this retrospective analysis, overall survival for patients who received HCT was not significantly better than patients who received CT only, but a trend toward better outcomes was seen in patients who underwent auto-HCT, although not statistically significant.

Bladder carcinoma is the fourth most common cancer in men and the ninth most common cancer in women in the United States. In 2010, approximately 70,000 new cases of bladder carcinoma (52,000 in men and 18000 in women) and approximately 14000 deaths were expected in the United States. More than 90% of bladder carcinomas are classified as urothelial carcinoma (UC), which arise from the urothelium. This epithelium, also known as transitional cell epithelium, lines the urinary tract, which extends from the renal pelvis through the ureters, bladder, and urethra. Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder may present as a non-muscle-invasive, muscle-invasive, or metastatic malignancy. In noninvasive tumors, treatment by cystoscopic resection and intravesical therapy is directed at reducing recurrences and preventing progression to a more advanced stage. The goal in invasive tumors is a combination of radical cystectomy and perioperative cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy to enhance outcomes by reducing the high risk of distant recurrences. Outcomes in metastatic UC are dismal with current cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy, and progressive disease after frontline chemotherapy is characterized by a short survival. Therefore, clinical trials should be the focus for metastatic UC. It is important for primary care physicians to recognize the early signs and symptoms of bladder carcinoma, initiate the proper work-up, and refer promptly to a urologist to evaluate suspicious signs and symptoms.

Background Comorbidities have been shown to play an important role in prognostic assessment of several hematologic conditions; however, the role of comorbidities in primary myelofibrosis has not been studied. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence and impact of comorbidities in patients with primary myelofibrosis (PMF) using the Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 (ACE-27). Methods In this retrospective observational cohort study, we evaluated 349 consecutive patients with a confirmed diagnosis of PMF who presented to our institution from 2000 to 2008. We evaluated the frequency and severity of comorbidities in these patients and assessed their impact on survival in a bivariable model that included the ACE-27 and Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System (DIPSS) scores as covariates. Results Sixty-four percent of patients had at least one comorbid condition, and diseases of the cardiovascular system (63%) were most common. Comorbidities had a significant negative impact on survival (P < 0.001). Patients with severe comorbidities had twice the risk of death as those with no comorbidities. When stratified by demographic and clinical characteristics, comorbidities were significantly associated with worse survival in patients younger than 65 years (P < 0.001) and those with performance status < 1 (P < 0.001). In a multivariable model that included the ACE-27 and Dynamic-International Prognostic Scoring System scores, comorbidities retained a significant association with shorter survival (P ≤ 0.001). Conclusions Assessment of comorbid conditions in patients with PMF, particularly those who are younger and with good performance status, has important implications for overall prognosis and treatment planning.

Chromosome 12 (Chr12) abnormalities have been described for individual patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (Ph-neg MPN), however the frequency, characteristics, and outcomes of such patients as a whole have not been investigated. We reviewed a database of 1787 consecutive Ph-neg MPN patients seen at our institution and determined that 2% of Ph-neg MPN patients harbored an alteration involving Chr12 by cytogenetic evaluation. Retrospective chart review revealed that patients with Chr12 abnormalities had a higher likelihood of having myelofibrosis (MF) compared to patients without a Chr12 abnormality, and were more likely to have post-polycythemia vera MF. The most common alterations in Chr12 in MF patients involved 12q13, 12q15, 12q24, and trisomy 12, and >40% of Chr12 Ph-neg MPN patients had cytogenetic evolution. Chr12 abnormalities did not significantly correlate with JAK2 status, progression to acute myeloid leukemia, or survival, however patients with 12q24 abnormalities trended towards poorer outcomes.

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