Is there a benefit to adding rituximab to CHOP in the overall survival of patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a developing country?
Rituximab (R) has changed the prognosis of patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in developed countries, but its role has not been analyzed in underprivileged circumstances. One hundred and two patients with NHL treated in a developing country were analyzed: 28 patients with  follicular lymphoma (FL) and 74 with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLCL). Patients were treated upfront with either cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) or R-CHOP; the decision to employ R depending solely on the ability of patients to defray it. In DLCL, 42 were  given CHOP and 32 R-CHOP, whereas in FL, 19 were given CHOP and 9 R-CHOP. The impact of the addition of R was found to be clearer in FL than in DLCL. In patients with DLCL, the overall survival (OS) was 87% at 80 months for those treated with R-CHOP and 84% at 145 months for those treated  with CHOP (not significant). In patients with FL, the OS was 89% at 88 months for those treated with R-CHOP and 71% at 92 months for those treated with CHOP (P = 0··05). In a multivariate analysis, other variables which were identified to be associated with the  OS were IPI and number of cycles in DLCL. It is concluded that R produced a mild positive impact in the OS of patients with FL, but not in those with DLCL. Since the addition of R results in a 36-fold increase in treatment costs, these observations may be important to decide therapeutic approaches  in NHL patients living in underprivileged circumstances.
Centro de Hematología y Medicina Interna, Clínica RUIZ, Puebla, Mexico. gruiz1@clinicaruiz.com
Guillermo J
GJ
Ruiz-Delgado
David
D
Gómez-Almaguer
Luz C
LC
Tarín-Arzaga
Olga G
OG
Cantú-Rodriguez
Carlos Alarcón
CA
Urdaneta
Uxmal
U
Rodríguez-Morales
Jackeline
J
Calderón-Garcia
Omar
O
Fernández-Vargas
Maryel
M
Montes-Montiel
Mónica
M
Sánchez-Cárdenas
Guillermo J
GJ
Ruiz-Argüelles
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003906:Developing Countries; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000069283:Rituximab; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; C571759:R-CHOP protocol; D000069283:Rituximab; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone