Treatment strategies for relapsed and refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
The aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) are a clinically heterogeneous group of lymphomas with disparate responses to standard chemotherapy regimens. Aggressive NHL includes diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL), among others. Significant advances have been made in the last decade in the initial treatment of DLBCL and MCL, but the treatment of relapsed or refractory disease remains difficult. The addition of rituximab to the treatment of DLBCL and MCL has improved clinical outcomes and is now a critical component of initial therapy and treatment of relapsed disease. The PTCLs, not having a similar agent to significantly change the treatment approach to these diseases, remain a difficult therapeutic problem. This review examines recent advances in the treatment of relapsed or refractory aggressive NHL and discusses novel approaches currently under investigation.
University of Virginia School of Medicine, The Hematologic Malignancies Program, Cancer Center, Hematology/Oncology Division, Department of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Mark
M
Prichard
Thomas
T
Harris
Michael E
ME
Williams
John J
JJ
Densmore
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D000069283:Rituximab; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000069283:Rituximab