The addition of rituximab to anthracycline-based chemotherapy significantly improves outcome in 'Western' patients with intravascular large B-cell lymphoma.
Some case reports and a Japanese series suggest benefit from the use of rituximab in patients with intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVL). Rituximab efficacy was evaluated in Western patients with IVL, comparing outcome of 10 patients treated with rituximab + chemotherapy (R-CT) and of 20 patients treated with chemotherapy alone (CT). There were no significant differences in patients' characteristics between the two subgroups. The addition of rituximab was associated with improved complete remission rate (90% vs. 50%; P = 0.04), event-free survival (3-year: 89% vs. 35%; P = 0.003) and overall survival (3-year: 89% vs. 38%; P = 0.01). In conclusion, rituximab may substantially change the dismal prognosis of IVL.
Ferreri
Andrés J M
AJ
Unit of Lymphoid Malignancies and Medical Oncology Unit, Department of Oncology, San Raffaele H Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy. sloni01@emory.edu
Dognini
Giuseppina P
GP
Bairey
Osnat
O
Szomor
Arpad
A
Montalbán
Carlos
C
Horvath
Barbara
B
Demeter
Judit
J
Uziel
Lilj
L
Soffietti
Riccardo
R
Seymour
John F
JF
Ambrosetti
Achille
A
Willemze
Rein
R
Martelli
Maurizio
M
Rossi
Giuseppe
G
Candoni
Anna
A
De Renzo
Amalia
A
Doglioni
Claudio
C
Zucca
Emanuele
E
Cavalli
Franco
F
Ponzoni
Maurilio
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000069283:Rituximab; D015996:Survival Rate; D019043:Vascular Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
D018943:Anthracyclines; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D000069283:Rituximab; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone