Is Follicular Lymphoma Curable?

Clinical Takeaway

: A new analysis shows that 40% of patients treated with frontline chemo-immunotherapy remained progression-free at 15 years.

Context

Follicular lymphoma is an indolent subtype of B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with a natural history of serial treatment response and relapse, and is considered to be incurable with standard therapy. This paradigm is now challenged by long-term data from a previously published trial. Over 500 patients with untreated advanced-stage follicular lymphoma were randomized to therapy with standard-dose cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP) either combined with rituximab (R-CHOP) or followed by radioimmunotherapy (CHOP-RIT) with ¹³¹I-tositumomab. Maintenance therapy was not given.

Key Results

At a median follow-up of 15.5 years:

For all patients, overall survival was 70% and progression-free survival was 40%.
Progressio…

Reviewing Author

Michael E. Williams, M.D., Sc.M.

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardAstraZeneca; BeiGene; Janssen

Grant/Research SupportJanssen; Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)

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