Rituximab and subcutaneous cladribine in chronic lymphocytic leukemia for newly diagnosed and relapsed patients.
The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of combined treatment with rituximab and subcutaneous cladribine in patients with newly diagnosed and relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Forty-three patients with active CLL or small lymphocytic lymphoma received rituximab 375 mg/m(2) on day 1 and cladribine 0.1 mg/kg subcutaneously on days 2-6. The treatment was repeated every 4 weeks for a total of four cycles. Sixteen patients were pretreated. The overall response rate was 88% (50% complete remission and 38% partial remission). The median time to treatment failure was 37.9 months. Grade 4 neutropenia developed in 5% of patients. The data indicate that combination therapy with rituximab and cladribine is a valuable and safe treatment for patients with CLL.
Bertazzoni
Paola
P
Hematoncology Division, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. paola.bertazzoni@ieo.it
Rabascio
Cristina
C
Gigli
Federica
F
Calabrese
Liliana
L
Radice
Davide
D
Calleri
Angelica
A
Gregato
Giuliana
G
Negri
Mara
M
Liptrott
Sarah J
SJ
Bassi
Simona
S
Nassi
Luca
L
Sammassimo
Simona
S
Laszlo
Daniele
D
Preda
Lorenzo
L
Pruneri
Giancarlo
G
Orlando
Laura
L
Martinelli
Giovanni
G
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D017338:Cladribine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D033721:Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter 1 / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D055104:Infusions, Subcutaneous; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000069283:Rituximab; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D033721:Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter 1; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C438649:SLC29A1 protein, human; C065171:cif nucleoside transporter; D017338:Cladribine; D000069283:Rituximab