SPECIALS

Liquid biopsies for Hodgkin and DLBCL (differential) diagnosis

Cell-free plasma DNA (cfDNA) and circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) represent potential alternative sources of diagnostic information. During his lecture at the 2021 BHS general annual meeting Dr. Jo Van Dorpe discussed the potential of these liquid biopsies in the diagnostic work-up of different lymohoma subtypes.

Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria: from diagnosis to management

Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) is a rare hematopoietic stem cell disorder resulting from the somatic mutation of the X-linked PIGA gene. PNH has a very heterogeneous clinical presentation and the treatment for PNH patients depends on the severity of symptoms and the degree of hemolysis. In a special lecture at the 2021 BHS general annual meeting. Dr. Bérangère Devalet and Prof. Nicole Straetmans gave an overview of the current PNH landscape, from diagnosis to management.

CML: All needs met in 2021?

The therapeutic landscape of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) has changed dramatically over the past decades and the majority of patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) CML in chronic phase (CP) now have a near-normal life expectancy.¹ Based on two recent published guidelines (European LeukemiaNet (ELN) guideline¹ and the British Society for Haematology guideline²) and the presentation by Prof. Jane Apperley during the 2021 BHS GAM, this article will give an overview of the latest developments in the therapeutic CML landscape and address a range of the persistent unmet needs in the diagnosis and treatment of CP-CML.

Preliminary results of the BHS COVID-19 registry

The global COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on all the aspects of the healthcare system and hematology departments were no exception to this. In order to get more insights into the risk for severe COVID-19 infections among patients with hematological conditions, the Belgian Hematology Society set up the BHS COVID-19 registry. During the 2021 BHS general annual meeting preliminary results of this registry were presented.

Multiple myeloma and immune related therapies

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a clonal plasma cell malignancy affecting a predominantly elderly population. The continued development of newer therapies with novel mechanisms of action has reshaped the treatment paradigm of this disorder in the last two decades, leading to a significantly improved prognosis. Immune-based therapies, including monoclonal antibodies, and more recently also adoptive cellular therapies have emerged as therapeutic strategies in MM. During her lecture at the 2021 BHS GAM, Prof. Maria-Victoria Mateos gave an overview of the current state of affairs related to immune related therapies in MM.

Which MAC or RIC for which AML patient?

During the the 36^th general annual meeting of the Belgian Haematology Society prof. Frédéric Baron addressed an interesting question; which conditioning regimen should be chosen for which acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patient? As you will find out in this report, the answer to this question is not so straight forward.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cells: a new therapeutic option for relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancies and beyond

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a new cancer immunotherapy targeting specific cell surface antigens. This type of adoptive cell immunotherapy has been a breakthrough in the treatment of aggressive B-cell lymphoma and B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and is currently also being studied in other cancer types, including multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. This review will discuss the recent clinical developments and future perspectives of CAR T-cell therapy, with a focus on the clinical trials that led to the FDA and EMA approval of tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah®, Novartis) and axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta®, Gilead) for the treatment of childhood/adult relapsed/refractory (r/r) B-cell precursor ALL and aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

(BELG J HEMATOL 2019;10(8):301–10)