The effect of Rituximab on patients with follicular and mantle-cell lymphoma. Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK).
BACKGROUND
Clinical activity of the anti CD-20 monoclonal antibody Rituximab has been reported in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) and mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL).


METHODS
120 patients with bi-dimensionally measurable FL or MCL (R.E.A.L. Classification) were treated with Rituximab 375 mg/m2/week for 4 weeks. A central pathology review confirmed the diagnosis of FL in 76 of 78 and of MCL in 39 of 42 cases. The response was evaluated after 8 weeks and confirmed after 12 weeks from the start of treatment.


RESULTS
The toxicity of the treatment was, as expected, grade 1-2 fever and rigors during the first infusion and mild asthenia during the treatment period. Serious adverse events, probably or possibly related to the study treatment, included four deaths (3 of cardiac origin, 1 caused by P. carinii pneumonia) and 10 further nonfatal cases, including a permanent agranulocytosis and one case of heart failure. Response rate at week 12 was 52% for FL and 22% for MCL. After treatment, the BCL-2 rearrangement disappeared in 15 of 29 blood but only in 5 of 23 bone marrow samples; BCL-1 disappeared in 5 of 12 blood and 0 of 7 bone marrow specimens, as determined by PCR.


CONCLUSIONS
Rituximab is an active agent for the treatment of FL, while its efficacy is modest in MCL. The effect in reducing minimal residual disease is more pronounced on the blood than it is on the bone marrow.
Ghielmini
M
M
Istituto Oncologico della Svizzera Italiana, Deparment of Medical Oncology, Lugano, Switzerland. mghielmini@ticino.com
Schmitz
S F
SF
Bürki
K
K
Pichert
G
G
Betticher
D C
DC
Stupp
R
R
Wernli
M
M
Lohri
A
A
Schmitter
D
D
Bertoni
F
F
Cerny
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D020522:Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D000069283:Rituximab; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000069283:Rituximab