How Fear of COVID-19 Can Affect Treatment Choices for Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphomas ALK+ Therapy: A Case Report

Sica, Antonello and Sagnelli, Caterina and Casale, Beniamino and Svanera, Gino and Creta, Massimiliano and Calogero, Armando and Franco, Renato and Sagnelli, Evangelista and Ronchi, Andrea (2021) How Fear of COVID-19 Can Affect Treatment Choices for Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphomas ALK+ Therapy: A Case Report. Healthcare, 9 (2). p. 135. ISSN 2227-9032

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Abstract

Background: The t (2; 5) chromosomal rearrangement of the ALK gene with nucleophosmin 1 gene (NPM1), resulting in an NPM1–ALK fusion, was first demonstrated in 1994 in anaplastic large cell lymphoma, (ALCL), a T-cell lymphoma responsive to cyclophosphamide, abriblastine, vincristine and prednisone in approximately 80% of cases; refractory cases usually respond favorably to brentuximab vedotin. These treatments are regarded as a bridge to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). Nowadays, transplant procedures and the monitoring of chemotherapy patients proceed very slowly because the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has heavily clogged the hospitals in all countries. Results: A 40-year-old Caucasian woman was first seen at our clinical center in June 2020. She had ALCL ALK+, a history of failure to two previous therapeutic lines and was in complete remission after 12 courses of brentuximab, still pending allo-SCT after two failed donor selections. Facing a new therapeutic failure, we requested and obtained authorization from the Italian drug regulatory agency to administer 250 mg of crizotinib twice a day, a drug incomprehensibly not registered for ALCL ALK +. Conclusions: The response to crizotinib was optimal since no adverse event occurred, and CT-PET scans persisted negative; this drug has proved to be a valid bridge to allo-SCT.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: Journal Eprints > Medical Science
Depositing User: Managing Editor
Date Deposited: 24 Jan 2023 05:37
Last Modified: 27 Feb 2024 04:18
URI: http://repository.journal4submission.com/id/eprint/709

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