ASCO 2012 Report: Malignant Hematology

New therapies for patients with lymphoma and myeloma

First-Line Bendamustine Effective for Indolent B-Cell or Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Bendamustine has shown high single-agent activity in patients with relapsed lymphoma and has demonstrated a favorable toxicity profile compared with other cytotoxic agents. Now, Rummel and colleagues in Germany have conducted the multicenter, randomized, phase III StiL NHL1 study [Abstract 3] to prove noninferiority of front-line bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) versus the commonly used R-CHOP regimen (rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) in 514 patients with indolent B-cell or mantle cell lymphoma.

At median follow-up of 45 months, patients who received BR versus R-CHOP achieved superior progression-free survival (PFS; 69.5 vs.…

Author

Michael E. Williams, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAbbVie; AstraZeneca; Beigene; Janssen; Pharmacyclics

Grant/Research SupportJanssen

Editorial BoardsAmerican Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Hematology Longitudinal Knowledge Approval Committee

Michael E. Williams, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAbbVie; AstraZeneca; Beigene; Janssen; Pharmacyclics

Grant/Research SupportJanssen

Editorial BoardsAmerican Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Hematology Longitudinal Knowledge Approval Committee