Articles

BHS guidelines for the treatment of marginal zone lymphomas

BJH - volume 5, issue 1, march 2014

D. Bron MD, PhD, E. Van den Neste MD, PhD, A. Kentos MD, F. Offner MD, PhD, W. Schroyens MD, PhD, C. Bonnet MD, PhD, A. Van Hoof MD, PhD, G. Verhoef MD, PhD, A. Janssens MD, PhD

Summary

Marginal zone lymphomas are a heterogeneous subtype of indolent B-non-Hodgkin Lymphoma that includes three distinct diseases: Extranodal mucosa associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, nodal marginal zone lymphoma and splenic marginal zone lymphoma lymphocytes +/− villous lymphocytes. The different diagnosis, work up and treatment options are discussed in these guidelines.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2014;5(1):12–21)

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Treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphomas: recommendations of the Belgian Hematological Society (BHS)

BJH - volume 4, issue 3, september 2013

F. Van Obbergh MD, A. Van Hoof MD, PhD, G. Verhoef MD, PhD, D. Dierickx MD, PhD, V. De Wilde MD, PhD, F. Offner MD, PhD, D. Bron MD, PhD, A. Sonet MD, M. André MD, A. Janssens MD, PhD, C. Bonnet MD, PhD, B. Deprijck MD, P. Zachée MD, PhD, A. Kentos MD, W. Schroyens MD, PhD, E. Van den Neste MD, PhD

Summary

The sub-committee on lymphoproliferative disorders of the Belgian Hematological Society has met several times to prepare guidelines on the management of patients with peripheral T-cell lymphomas. Each panellist’s expert provided interpretation of the evidence, based on literature review and personal experience. The available evidence was systematically discussed prior to formulating recommendations. A systematic approach to obtain consensus of expert opinion was used. After each meeting, the draft guideline was circulated to all experts for comment and approval. The present guidelines focus on general management of peripheral T-cell lymphomas with special emphasis on more specific disease-adapted strategies.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2013;4(3):90–101)

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P.07 Interim analysis of the randomized EORTC/ LYSA/FIL Intergroup H10 trial on early PET-scan driven treatment adaptation in stage I/II Hodgkin lymphoma

BJH - 2013, issue BHS Abstractbook, january 2013

P. André , E. Van den Neste MD, PhD, G. Verhoef MD, PhD, D. Bron MD, PhD, A. Van Hoof MD, PhD, P. Zachée MD, PhD, S. van Steenwegen , B. De Prijck MD, N. Straetmans MD, PhD, M. Maerevoet MD, D. Boulet , F. Offner MD, PhD, P. Pierre , V. Mathieux MD, PhD, P. Mineur MD, T. Connerotte , M. Federico , J. Raemaekers

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BHS guidelines for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia anno 2012

BJH - volume 3, issue 4, december 2012

A. Janssens MD, PhD, E. Van den Neste MD, PhD, W. Schroyens MD, PhD, M. André MD, A. Van Hoof MD, PhD, V. De Wilde MD, PhD, G. Verhoef MD, PhD, F. Offner MD, PhD, D. Bron MD, PhD

Summary

Tremendous improvements in treatment outcome have been obtained over the past decade but for most of the patients chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) still remains an incurable disease. We eagerly await tools incorporating patient related, disease related and treatment related factors, in order to balance efficacy and toxicity and to personalise treatment in a more rational manner. No treatment is necessary for patients without active and/or advanced disease, regardless of prognostic factors. When treatment is indicated we recommend fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, rituximab (FCR) as front-line strategy for fit patients, bendamustine, rituximab (BR) for patients unfit for FCR and chlorambucil for older patients with a geriatric profile or patients with major comorbidities or a reduced performance status. The choice of treatment for patients with recurrent advanced and/ or active disease depends on the duration of response to the previous treatment and on the type of treatment refractoriness. Reduced intensity conditioning allogeneic stem cell transplantation should be considered for patients with a de novo or an acquired 17p deletion, for patients refractory to F, or F and alemtuzumab, or for patients with an early relapse after chemo-immunotherapy.

We encourage patients to enter clinical trials exploring new agents. Among these new approaches, the signal transduction inhibitors have shown remarkable activity in very advanced disease, independent of genetic aberrations.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2012;3: 134–143)

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Guidelines of the Belgian Hematological Society for newly diagnosed and relapsed follicular lymphoma 2012

BJH - volume 3, issue 2, june 2012

S. Debussche MD, A. Van Hoof MD, PhD, A. Sonnet MD, PhD, C. Bonnet MD, PhD, A. Janssens MD, PhD, G. Verhoef MD, PhD, D. Dierickx MD, PhD, V. De Wilde MD, PhD, D. Bron MD, PhD, W. Schroyens MD, PhD, E. Van den Neste MD, PhD, F. Offner MD, PhD

Summary

Follicular lymphoma is an indolent lymphoma that has occurred more frequently over the last decades. In this article we present an overview of the diagnosis and initial work-up, prognostic scoring system and choice of therapy. For limited stage disease radiotherapy is the treatment of choice, and may have a curative potential. For advanced stages treatment should be initiated upon certain criteria, and is essentially based on immunochemotherapy, rituximab plus chemotherapy. The choice of chemotherapy depends on age, frailty, and specific toxicities of chemotherapy. Maintenance therapy with rituximab after induction has become standard practice. Since virtually all patients relapse eventually, an overview of the treatment in the relapsed setting is given. The treatment is then again based on immunoche-motherapy but there is also a place for radio-immunotherapy, or immunotherapy alone. For young patients, high dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell rescue should be considered. A brief overview on novel agents, and agents that are in the pipeline, is given. We conclude with some recommendations for follow-up.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2012;3:41–50)

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