PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Addition of rituximab to conventional chemotherapies was shown to improve outcome in phase 3 trials of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). As the challenge in the rituximab era is to increase treatment efficacy, the present review attempts to assess the results of high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) as front-line treatment for poor-prognosis DLBCL patients. RECENT FINDINGS: French and Italian groups demonstrated in several phase 2 series that high-dose front-line treatment with rituximab plus ASCT gave better results than without rituximab. In relapse, the CORAL study, a worldwide collaborative effort, showed that assessment of the latest results for ASCT should also take account of other prognostic factors, including advanced stage, chemo/rituximab refractory disease and a short interval between remission and relapse. This underscores the need for innovative therapeutic strategies such as radiolabelled conditioning regimens and maintenance after ASCT. Allogeneic transplantation, which generates a graft-versus-lymphoma effect that reduces the likelihood of relapse, may also be beneficial for high-risk patients. SUMMARY: In this setting, new approaches based on improved understanding of the biology of the disease will play a key role.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Addition of rituximab to conventional chemotherapies was shown to improve outcome in phase 3 trials of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). As the challenge in the rituximab era is to increase treatment efficacy, the present review attempts to assess the results of high-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) as front-line treatment for poor-prognosis DLBCL patients. RECENT FINDINGS: French and Italian groups demonstrated in several phase 2 series that high-dose front-line treatment with rituximab plus ASCT gave better results than without rituximab. In relapse, the CORAL study, a worldwide collaborative effort, showed that assessment of the latest results for ASCT should also take account of other prognostic factors, including advanced stage, chemo/rituximab refractory disease and a short interval between remission and relapse. This underscores the need for innovative therapeutic strategies such as radiolabelled conditioning regimens and maintenance after ASCT. Allogeneic transplantation, which generates a graft-versus-lymphoma effect that reduces the likelihood of relapse, may also be beneficial for high-risk patients. SUMMARY: In this setting, new approaches based on improved understanding of the biology of the disease will play a key role.
Authors: Jordina Rovira; Alexandra Valera; Lluis Colomo; Xavier Setoain; Sonia Rodríguez; Alejandra Martínez-Trillos; Eva Giné; Ivan Dlouhy; Laura Magnano; Anna Gaya; Daniel Martínez; Antonio Martínez; Elías Campo; Armando López-Guillermo Journal: Ann Hematol Date: 2014-12-14 Impact factor: 3.673