title: Rituximab-based chemoimmunotherapy prolongs survival of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia independently of the time of administration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The combination of purine analogues (PA) and rituximab (chemoimmunotherapy) is considered the treatment of choice for CLL. The aim of this study was to determine whether chemoimmunotherapy prolonged the overall survival in patients with CLL from a single center.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1980 to 2010, 273 patients with CLL received: (1) PA (n = 159); and (2) PA plus rituximab (PA+R) (n = 114). All treated patients were included in the analysis, regardless of time at which treatment was administered, duration of therapy, and response.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients from the PA and PA+R groups were well balanced for demographic, clinical, and biologic features. At 8 years, the survival from diagnosis of the PA+R group was 88% (95% confidence interval [CI], 82-94%) compared with 68% (95% CI, 60-76%) for the PA group (P < .001). When survival of patients treated with PA+R was analyzed according to the time of treatment administration (first- [n = 55] vs. second or more lines [n = 59]), no significant differences were observed (8-year overall survival 89% vs. 87%, respectively; P = .8).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Chemoimmunotherapy prolonged the survival of patients with CLL and this effect was independent of the phase of the disease at which treatment was given.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Hematology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Hematology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ghita
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Hematology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Tycho
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Hematology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Santacruz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Hematology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dlouhy
authors.affiliation: Hematopathology Unit, Department of Pathology, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aymerich
authors.affiliation: Hematopathology Unit, Department of Pathology, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rozman
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Creus
authors.affiliation: Department of Hemotherapy and Hemostasis, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Hematology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: emontse@clinic.ub.es.
authors.forename: Emili
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Montserrat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011687:Purines / Q000819:agonists; D000069283:Rituximab; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011687:Purines; D000069283:Rituximab; C030985:purine
keywords: Anti-CD20; CLL; OS; Purine analogues; Treatment