title: Second treatment with rituximab in B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: efficacy and toxicity on 41 patients treated at CHU-Lyon Sud.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the effect of a second treatment with rituximab for patients who progressed after a response to a first treatment. We analysed the charts of 41 patients treated at CHU Lyon-Sud between 1997 and May 2003. Patients were treated with rituximab alone or with a combination of rituximab and chemotherapy. The overall response rate (complete and partial response) was 73% for the second treatment. The median time to progression was longer but not significant for the second treatment in comparison with the first one (15.2 versus 11.3 months, P = 0.09). The second treatment was well tolerated. Thus, a second treatment with rituximab should be considered, alone or in combination with chemotherapy, for patients who progress after a first response to rituximab.
authors.affiliation: Hematology Department, Hospices civils de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard, Pierre-Benite, France.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lemieux
authors.forename: Fadhela
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bouafia
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thieblemont
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hequet
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arnaud
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tartas
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Traulle
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salles
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Coiffier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000069283:Rituximab; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000069283:Rituximab