title: Efficacy of rituximab in gastric diffuse large B cell lymphoma patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate retrospectively the efficacy of rituximab plus chemotherapy in gastric diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty patients (median age: 58 years) with histologically confirmed gastric DLBCL treated at four Italian institutions between 2000 and 2007, were included in this analysis. Patients were selected by stage (I-IV, Lugano staging system), European Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (0-2) and treatment strategies. Treatment strategies were chemotherapy alone (group A, n = 30) [scheduled as cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (CHOP) and CHOP-like], and chemotherapy combined with rituximab (group B, n = 30). The primary end point of the study was complete response (CR) rate; the secondary end points were disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 years and overall survival (OS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median follow-up was 62 mo (range: 31-102 mo). We observed a significant difference between the two groups (A vs B) in terms of CR [76.6% (23/30) vs 100%, P = 0.04) and DFS at 5 years [73.3% (22/30) vs 100%, P = 0.03). To date, 19 group A (63.3%) patients are alive and 11 have died, while all group B patients are alive. No significant differences in toxicity were observed between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rituximab in combination with chemotherapy improves CR rate, DFS and OS. Further prospective trials are needed to confirm our results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Clinical Oncology, University Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leopardo
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Lorenzo
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Renzo
authors.forename: Piera
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Federico
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luponio
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buonerba
authors.forename: Elide
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matano
authors.forename: Gerardina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Merola
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imbimbo
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Montesarchio
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.forename: Maria-Carmela
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Merola
authors.forename: Sabino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Placido
authors.forename: Giovannella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palmieri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000069283:Rituximab; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000069283:Rituximab