A phase II trial of rituximab as adjuvant to intensive sequential chemotherapy in patients under 60 years with untreated poor-prognosis diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Abstract

The potential benefit of rituximab as adjuvant to highdose therapy (HDT) has been investigated in patients under 60 years with poor-risk (age-adjusted international prognostic index at 2-3) CD20 þ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The treatment consisted of four cycles of high-dose CEOP (cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, vincristine, prednisone), plus etoposide and cisplatin during the two last cycles. Peripheral blood stem cells were collected after cycle 1, and reinfused after cycles 3 and 4. Four weekly rituximab infusions were subsequently delivered. Among the 36 patients included, 30 could complete chemotherapy schedule, and 24/36 received rituximab. A complete response occured in 26/36 patients (72%). With a median follow-up of 30 months, the estimated 5-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates (mean7s.d.) were 65716 and 63715%, respectively. For the 24 patients who received both chemotherapy and rituximab, the estimated 5-year OS and EFS rates were 86714 and 82715%. These data suggest that rituximab after HDT is feasible. Both complete remission rate and survival curves compare favorably with the poor outcome usually observed in high-risk DLBCL patients managed with HDT without rituximab.

Characteristics and survival of BCR/ABL negative chronic myeloid leukemia: a retrospective analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database

“…The SEER 18 database includes data from 18 population-based registries in 14 states from 1973-2011 and covers about 28% of the US population. This includes 26% of African Americans, 38% of Hispanics, 44% of American Indians and Alaska Natives, 50% of Asians, and 67% of Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders [Coso et al 2006]. It classifies cancer histology and topography information on the basis of the third edition of the International Classifications of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O-3).…”

Impact of rituximab on stem cell mobilization following ACVBP regimen in poor‐risk patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma: results from a large cohort of patients

“…The introduction of rituximab (a humanized, chimeric, anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody) has proved to be highly effective in the treatment of B‐cell lymphoma (especially when combined with chemotherapy) 13‐21 . These strategies are now commonly used in the first‐ or second‐line therapy of patients with NHL before PBSC mobilization and may help to improve the in vivo purging of circulating lymphoma cells before the stem cell collection.…”

Long-Term Follow-Up of Tandem High-Dose Therapy with Autologous Stem Cell Support for Adults with High-Risk Age-Adjusted International Prognostic Index Aggressive non-Hodgkin Lymphomas: A GOELAMS Pilot Study

“…Rituximab, in addition to single HDT in untreated aggressive NHL, improved CR and PFS. however with mixed aa-IPI [25,26]. Rituximabcontaining induction chemotherapy followed by a single transplant is currently being compared to standard immunochemotherapy as first-line treatment by the GOELAMS group.…”