CHOP intensification: Not yet state of the art

摘要

Addition of the anti-CD20 agent rituximab to CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and pred-nisone) chemotherapy represents the most important progress in the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in the past 30 years. Rituximab in combination with CHOP-like chemotherapy (R-CHOP) is now the worldwide accepted standard for all patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Interval reduction between CHOP cycles from 3 weeks (CHOP21) to 2 weeks (CHOP14) improved outcomes significantly for elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; however, these elderly patients did not receive rituximab. In The Lancet Oncology, Richard Delarue and colleagues report the LNH03-6B study, a randomised comparison of eight cycles of R-CHOP every 3 weeks (R-CHOP21) or 2 weeks (R-CHOP14) in 602 elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.