Durable remission induced by rituximab-containing chemotherapy in a patient with primary refractory Burkitt's lymphoma.
We describe a 65-year-old man diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma arising from the intestine. The tumor cells had a mature B-cell immunophenotype and rearrangement of the c-myc gene. The patient was treated with intensive multiagent chemotherapy. After four courses of chemotherapy, an ileus developed due to a residual abdominal disease. We administered rituximab in combination with the same chemotherapy regimen. A dramatic clinical improvement was observed and abnormal uptake by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography disappeared. The patient experienced complete remission for 1 year. This encouraging result indicates that rituximab might be an important treatment choice in management of Burkitt's lymphoma.
D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000378:metabolism; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000378:metabolism; D012074:Remission Induction; D000069283:Rituximab; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D000069283:Rituximab; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase