Aiming At A Curative Strategy For Follicular Lymphoma

摘要

Follicuiar lymphoma is often managed as an incurable disease. However, a substantial and growing fraction of patients are achieving long-term disease-free survival from aggressive treatment approaches. The application of novel therapeutic tools, including monoclonal antibodies, radioimmunotherapy, and vaccines, as well as new and more active chemo-therapeutic agents, is producing complete responses in the majority of treated patients, with a 2-fold increase in disease- and progression-free survival in randomized trials. For some of these treatment approaches, follow up has not yet been long enough to determine a median response duration, but it certainly exceeds the "2 to 3 years" that is routinely stated as dogmarnto patients with this illness. Furthermore, some patients remain in complete remission beyond a decade from their initial treatment, implying that the assumption of inevitable relapse also must be challenged. One clear fact is that no patients will ever be cured by adopting a palliative treatment approach. The assumption that patients with follicuiar lymphoma are incurable is certain to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Here the author summarizes the large and growing body of knowledge that suggests an expectant approach to management is not appropriate for all patients.