title: Clinical value of minor responses after 4 doses of rituximab in Waldenström macroglobulinaemia: a follow-up of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group E3A98 trial.
abstract: Waldenström macroglobulinaemia is a low-grade, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma that is responsive to rituximab. We report the role of a minor response in predicting overall outcomes. We extended follow-up of a previously described cohort (n = 69) treated with 4 weekly doses of rituximab and observed durable responses (median time to progression, 30 months; 5-year survival rate, 66%). Patients achieving a minor response [25-50% immunoglobulin M (IgM) reduction] appeared to do as well as those achieving an objective response (>50% IgM reduction), which suggests that more aggressive or intensive therapy for minor responders is not required. Future studies of Waldenström macroglobulinaemia should report minor responses because they are associated with clinically meaningful benefits. This trial was registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00005609.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. gertz.morie@mayo.edu
authors.forename: Morie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gertz
authors.forename: Rafat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abonour
authors.forename: Leonard T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Heffner
authors.forename: Philip R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Greipp
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Uno
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Rajkumar
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018450:Disease Progression; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069283:Rituximab; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D008258:Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D000069283:Rituximab