title: The rationale for and background of radioimmunotherapy: an emerging therapy for B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present the rationale for and development of radioimmunotherapy (RIT) for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), which culminated in the FDA's approval of yttrium 90 (90Y) ibritumomab tiuxetan in February 2002.
  
  
  METHODS
  Published clinical trials of 90Y ibritumomab tiuxetan and secondary literature on immunotherapy, RIT, and NHL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Monoclonal antibodies to the CD20 antigen have become an accepted therapy for NHL. Factors such as the poor vascularization of some tumors and the variable expression of the antigen can mitigate the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies, which prompted the development of a new strategy, RIT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge of the background and development of RIT is essential for nurses to educate and manage patients with NHL.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
authors.forename: Mary Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Byar
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018951:Antigens, CD20; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016499:Radioimmunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D018951:Antigens, CD20; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes; C422802:ibritumomab tiuxetan; C119496:tositumomab I-131