title: Front-line high-dose chemotherapy with rituximab showed excellent long-term survival in adults with aggressive large b-cell lymphoma: final results of a Phase II GOELAMS Study.
abstract: To evaluate the effect of rituximab in poor-prognosis patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a multicenter phase II trial combining rituximab with chemotherapy followed by high-dose therapy (HDT) with autologous stem cell transplant was conducted by the Groupe Ouest-Est des Leucémies et des Autres Maladies du Sang (GOELAMS). Patients were aged 18 to 60 years, with newly diagnosed CD20-expressing DLBCL, and at least 2 adverse risk factors as defined by the age-adjusted International Prognostic Index (aa-IPI). The treatment consisted of 2 courses of high-dose CHOP-like regimen on day 1 and 15 and 1 course of methotrexate and cytarabine on day 36. Four doses of rituximab (375 mg/m(2)) were infused on days 1, 15, 22, and 36. For patients who achieved at least a partial remission (PR), HDT followed by autologous stem cell transplant was performed on day 66. From April 2002 to May 2003, 42 patients were eligible. Half were high aa-IPI risk patients. Thirty-eight patients (90%) completed the treatment. Treatment-related mortality was 7% and no toxic death was related to rituximab. Complete response rate after the end of the full treatment was 67%. With a median follow-up of 66 months, event-free survival and overall survival rates were 55% and 74%, respectively. Median survival was not reached. First-line HDT with rituximab offers promising results for young adults with intermediate high or high aa-IPI high-grade lymphoma. Immediate and late toxicities were low. This treatment is being randomly compared prospectively with CHOP-14-rituximab in young adults with DLBCL (GOELAMS 075 trial).
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Hôpital Haut Lévèque, CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France.
authors.forename: Marie-Sarah
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Dilhuydy
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lamy
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Foussard
authors.forename: Remy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gressin
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Casassus
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Deconninck
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Le Maignan
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Damotte
authors.forename: Noel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Milpied
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D012307:Risk Factors; D000069283:Rituximab; D015996:Survival Rate; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D003561:Cytarabine; D000069283:Rituximab; D008727:Methotrexate