title: Rituximab in relapsed lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma: long-term results of a phase 2 trial by the German Hodgkin Lymphoma Study Group (GHSG).
abstract: Because nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) express CD20, rituximab may be used as a nonmutagenic treatment option to avoid late toxicities in this rather indolent entity. Between 1999 and 2004, the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG) investigated the activity of rituximab (375 mg/m(2) in 4 doses) in a phase 2 trial in 21 relapsed or refractory NLPHL patients. The initial diagnosis of NLPHL was confirmed in 15 of the 21 enrolled patients by reference pathology. The remaining cases were reclassified as Hodgkin lymphoma transformed to T-cell rich B-cell lymphoma (TCRBCL; n = 2) or CD20(+) classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL; n = 4). In NLPHL patients the overall response rate was 94%, including 8 complete remission (CR) and 6 partial remission (PR). With a median follow-up of 63 months (range, 3-84), the median time to progression was 33 months, with the median overall survival (OS) not reached. Thus, rituximab is highly effective in relapsed and refractory NLPHL. This study is registered at http://www.klinisches-studienzentrum.de/trial/285.
authors.affiliation: Department I of Internal Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rehwald
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morschhauser
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Elter
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Driessen
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rüdiger
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borchmann
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schnell
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Diehl
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Engert
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reiser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D000069283:Rituximab; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000069283:Rituximab