title: Absolute lymphocyte count predicts response to rituximab-containing salvage treatment for relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with prior rituximab exposure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rituximab-containing salvage chemotherapy has shown promising efficacy in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of rituximab-containing treatment in patients with B-cell NHL who developed relapsed or refractory disease after prior rituximab use and to explore the predictive factors of response using this approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell NHL who received rituximab-containing salvage treatment after failing first-line rituximab-combining chemotherapy were enrolled in this retrospective study. The characteristics of the patients were collected and analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was used for determining predictive factors of response to rituximab-containing salvage treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 68 patients were enrolled in this study and the overall response rate to rituximab-containing salvage treatment was 61.7%. The median event-free survival and overall survival with rituximab-containing salvage treatment was 11.3 and 21.73 months, respectively. Results of a multivariate analysis showed high absolute lymphocyte count at the time of rituximab-containing salvage treatment [(ALC-R), ALC-R ≥ 1000/UL, p = 0.003)], which was the only independent factor predicting response to rituximab-containing salvage treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study results show that for patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell NHL, rituximab-containing salvage treatment is feasible and generally tolerable. A high ALC-R value was significantly associated with a better response to this treatment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Haematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Man-Hsin
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Yuan-Bin
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Liang-Tsai
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: Ying-Chung
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Jin-Hwang
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jyh-Pyng
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gau
authors.forename: Tzeon-Jye
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.forename: Po-Min
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Cheng-Hwai
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tzeng
authors.forename: Chun-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069283:Rituximab; D016879:Salvage Therapy
chemical_list: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000069283:Rituximab