History

After a call for tender by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in 1997 to establish clinical networks for specific disease entities, the Kompetenznetz Maligne Lymphome was established in 1999. One important part of the network grant application was the proposal to form a Cochrane Collaborative Review Group for haematological malignancies (including lymphomas).

The Exploratory Meeting was held on February 17th and 18th, 2000 in Cologne, Germany. There were 52 participants from 9 countries, representing clinical and basic sciences, biostatistics and epidemiology. The CHMG was registered as Cochrane entity on October 3rd, 2000.

Current status

The Editorial Base of CHMG is located in Cologne, Germany and affiliated with the University Hospital of Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine (Haematology and Oncology).

As of  15 May 2009, the CHMG has published 33 systematic reviews and 43 protocols (review outline). More than 40 review titles are registered with the Cochrane Collaboration and are in various stages of the editorial process. The group is international and multidisciplinary and has approximately 200 active contributors in more than 20 countries worldwide.

The CHMG is open to new contributors and participation is voluntary.

Scientific-Projects

• Intravenous versus oral versus no iron with or without erythropoiesis- stimulating agents for cancer patients: A systematic review and network meta-analysis (BMBF grant application, No: 01KG1405)

• Antibiotics versus granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs) versus a combination of both to prevent infectious complications and deaths in cancer
  patients receiving chemotherapy: A systematic review and network metaanalysis (BMBF grant application; No. 01KG1209)

• Interdisciplinary evidence-based guideline for diagnosis, therapy and follow-up of adult chronic lymphocytic leukaemia patients (Funding provided by the German Cancer Aid)

• Interdisciplinary evidence-based guideline for supportive care for cancer patients (Funding provided by the German Cancer Aid)

Protocols and Reviews in progress at the Editorial Base in Cologne

• Alemtuzumab for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
• Allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation versus conventional therapy for advanced primary cutaneous T-Cell lymphoma
• Anti-thymocyte globulins for the prophylaxis and treatment of graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic stem cell / bone marrow transplantation
• Antibiotics plus colony stimulating factors (CSFs) versus CSFs alone and antibiotics plus CSFs versus no prophylaxis for the prevention of infections in cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy or haematopoetic stem cell transplantation
• Antibiotics plus colony stimulating factors versus antibiotics alone for the prevention of infections in cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy or haematopoetic stem cell transplantation
• Antiviral agents for prophylaxis of herpesviridae infections in patients with haematological malignancies
• Chemotherapy alone versus chemotherapy plus radiotherapy for early stage Hodgkin lymphoma
• Comparison of chemotherapy including escalated BEACOPP versus chemotherapy including ABVD for patients with early unfavourable or advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma
• Corticosteroids for preventing graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic myeloablative stem cell transplantation
• CXCR4 antagonists for haematopoietic stem cell mobilisation for autologous transplantation in in malignant lymphoma or multiple myeloma patients
• Darbepoetin versus rHuErythropoetin for patients with malignant diseases
• High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation for the therapy of first relapse of Hodgkin lymphoma
• High-dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell support for first-line treatment of aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis based on individual patient data
• Hypomethylating agents or low dosed Ara-C for the treatment of patients with myeolodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukaemia
• Intravenous immunoglobulins for the treatment of infections in patients with haematological cancers
• Monoclonal anti-CD20 antibodies for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
• Myeloablative high-dose therapy with autologous stem cell transplantation versus chemotherapy or immuno-chemotherapy for follicular lymphoma in adults
• Optimisation of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for untreated Hodgkin lymphoma patients with respect to second malignant neoplasms, overall and progression-free survival
• Rituximab for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma
• The role of allogeneic stem cell transplantation for peripheral T-cell lymphomas
• The role of dose intensification with or without autologous stem cell transplantation for peripheral T-cell lymphomas
• Therapeutic interventions for Burkitt's lymphoma in children
• Vaccination for non-Hodgkin lymphoma