BJH - volume 10, issue 8, december 2019
A. Van Besien MD, G. Verhoef MD, PhD, D. Dierickx MD, PhD
Classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) is one of the most frequent lymphomas in the Western world. Its incidence has a bimodal distribution with the most important peak arising in the age group of children and adolescents and a second less prominent peak in the elderly. Until recently, therapeutic options consisted solely of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Despite the achievement of relatively high cure rates with these regimens, long-term toxicity remains a great concern. Moreover, patients that relapse or are refractory to these treatments generally have a poor prognosis despite the fact that autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplantation are options in fit patients. In the last decade, increased understanding of the pathobiology of Hodgkin lymphoma has led to the identification of several molecular targets for new therapeutic agents. Several of these molecules (i.e. brentuximab vedotin, nivolumab and pembrolizumab) have already proven their benefit in clinical trials and were subsequently approved by the US Food and Drug administration (FDA) and the European Medicine Agency (EMA) as safe and efficacious therapies for relapsed or refractory (R/R) cHL. Further results of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are awaited to determine if these therapies also have a place in first-line. In the meantime, several other novel agents – ranging from checkpoint inhibitors to antibody-based drugs and cellular therapies – are being tested in clinical and preclinical studies. In this review we present an overview of the most important types of immunotherapies that are currently being used in the treatment of cHL or who demonstrated promising therapeutic potential.
(BELG J HEMATOL 2019;10(8):320–5)
Read moreBJH - volume 10, issue Abstract Book BHS, february 2019
F. Gelders , A. Laenen , A.A. Herelixka , B. Sprangers MD, PhD, D. Dierickx MD, PhD
BJH - volume 9, issue 6, november 2018
G. Swennen MD, G. Verhoef MD, PhD, D. Dierickx MD, PhD
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common lymphoma type worldwide, but the treatment still remains challenging because only 60–70% of the patients can be cured with the standard immunochemotherapy (rituximab, cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin-vincristine-prednisone) scheme. In the last twenty years, several molecular-genetic studies showed that DLBCL comprises at least two distinct molecular subtypes: the activated B-cell-like and the germinal centre B-cell-like subtype. The two groups have different genetic mutation landscapes and outcomes following treatment, with the ABC subtype having the worst prognosis. Gene expression profiling seems to be the gold standard method to subdivide DLBCL into ABC and GCB subtypes, but it is difficult to include this technology in clinical practice because it relies on fresh frozen tissue and microarray technology. To facilitate the DLBCL classification in daily clinical practice, other technologies have been developed allowing analysis of formalin-fixed paraffine embedded tissue biopsies. The unique genetic and epigenetic features of both DLBCL subtypes make targeted therapy a promising approach in the future.
(BELG J HEMATOL 2018;9(6):206–13)
Read moreBJH - volume 9, issue 5, september 2018
A. Van de Velde MD, B. Willekens , L. Vanopdenbosch MD, O. Deryck , D. Selleslag MD, M. D’Haeseleer , A. De Becker MD, B. Dubois MD, PhD, D. Dierickx MD, PhD, G. Perrotta , V. De Wilde MD, PhD, V. Van Pesch MD, PhD, N. Straetmans MD, PhD, D. Dive MD, Y. Beguin MD, PhD, B. Van Wijmeersch MD, PhD, K. Theunissen , T. Kerre MD, PhD, G. Laureys MD, PhD
Multiple sclerosis is considered to be an immune mediated inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system. It mainly affects young, socioeconomic active patients. Although our armamentarium for this disease has significantly evolved in recent years some patients remain refractory to conventional therapies. In these cases, autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation can be considered as a therapeutic option. Decreasing morbidity, mortality and increasing patient awareness have led to rising inquiry by our patients about this treatment option. With the aim of a standardised protocol and data registration, a Belgian working party on stem cell therapy in multiple sclerosis was established. In this paper, we report the consensus protocol of this working party on autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in multiple sclerosis.
(BELG J HEMATOL 2018;9(5):167–74)
Read moreBJH - 2018, issue Abstract Book BHS, february 2018
C. Kockerols , D. Dierickx MD, PhD, G. Verhoef MD, PhD
BJH - 2018, issue Abstract Book BHS, february 2018
A. Betsch , O. Rutgeerts , S. Fevery MD, PhD, B. Sprangers MD, PhD, D. Dierickx MD, PhD, M. Beckers MD, PhD
BJH - 2018, issue Abstract Book BHS, february 2018
C. Debergh , D. Dierickx MD, PhD
Top
