Treatment approaches to asymptomatic follicular lymphoma.
Follicular lymphoma is a heterogeneous disease in which some patients present an indolent evolution for decades and others, a rather aggressive form of the disease requiring immediate therapy. While immunochemotherapy has emerged as a standard of care for symptomatic patients, treatment of the asymptomatic population remains controversial. Since the disease is still considered incurable, delayed initiation of therapy is an acceptable option. However, four single injections of rituximab can result in an acceptable clinical response and can improve the duration of the interval without cytotoxic therapy. With recent therapeutic approaches that enable substantial improvements in life expectancy for follicular lymphoma patients, limiting short- or long-term treatment toxicities appears as a new concern in the asymptomatic population. Based on these options, the challenge is to preserve patient quality of life and prolong survival: from the patient's perspective, his/her opinion is therefore of significant importance.
Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Service d'Hématologie, Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud (CHLS), Pierre Bénite, France.
Clémentine
C
Sarkozy
Gilles
G
Salles
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018951:Antigens, CD20 / Q000276:immunology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000532:radiotherapy; D000069283:Rituximab
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D018951:Antigens, CD20; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D006454:Hemoglobins; D000069283:Rituximab; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; C119496:tositumomab I-131