Should all patients with indolent lymphoma be treated with rituximab maintenance therapy? An overview of the data.
Indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma remains a generally incurable malignancy. Administration of the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy has become widely employed in this patient population. Although the addition of maintenance treatment after 1 course of single-agent rituximab prolongs time to progression in patients with indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a similar "duration of rituximab benefit" is observed when rituximab is administered at the time of relapse. Progression-free survival is clearly improved when rituximab is administered with chemotherapy whether it is given concomitantly, in a maintenance fashion, or both. In fact, the available data show a trend toward survival benefit with these strategies in some settings. Further follow-up will elucidate the effect of maintenance rituximab on long-term outcomes. For now, these initial data suggest that patients with indolent lymphoma might derive significant benefit from these novel therapeutic strategies.
Andemariam
Biree
B
Division of Hematology and Oncology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
Leonard
John P
JP
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018951:Antigens, CD20 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D012008:Recurrence; D000069283:Rituximab; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018951:Antigens, CD20; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000069283:Rituximab