Is there a role for a maintenance rituximab in indolent lymphoproliferative diseases other than follicular lymphoma?
Rituximab (R) is an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody which has become an essential component for the treatment of B-cell lymphomas. When associated to chemotherapy it improves the outcome of the patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, follicular lymphoma, and other lymphoproliferative diseases in comparison to chemotherapy alone. For patients with newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma achieving at least a partial response to initial immuno-chemotherapy, maintenance R was associated with an improvement in progression-free survival and a meta-analysis of randomized maintenance trials suggests an overall survival advantage. The role of maintenance R in other indolent diseases is less well-defined. In this article, we summarize the data available for this strategy in less frequent subtypes of indolent B-cell lymphomas.
a Department of Medical Oncology , Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland , Bellinzona , Switzerland.
Alden A
AA
Moccia
a Department of Medical Oncology , Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland , Bellinzona , Switzerland.
Emanuele
E
Zucca
a Department of Medical Oncology , Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland , Bellinzona , Switzerland.
Michele
M
Ghielmini
D000074322:Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D060046:Maintenance Chemotherapy; D000069283:Rituximab / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000074322:Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological; D000069283:Rituximab
Maintenance; indolent; lymphoma; rituximab