Treatment of Older Patients With Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL): Long-Term Follow-Up of the Randomized European MCL Elderly Trial

Hanneke C. Kluin-Nelemans, Eva Hoster, Olivier Hermine, Jan Walewski, Christian H. Geisler, Marek Trneny, Stephan Stilgenbauer, Florian Kaiser, Jeanette K. Doorduijn, Gilles Salles, Michal Szymczyk, Herve Tilly, Lothar Kanz, Christian Schmidt, Pierre Feugier, Catherine Thieblemont, Josee M. Zijlstra, Vincent Ribrag, Wolfram Klapper, Christiane PottMichael Unterhalt, Martin H. Dreyling*

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

PURPOSE: In an update of the randomized, open-label, phase III European Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) Elderly trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00209209), published in 2012, we aimed to confirm results on long-term outcome focusing on efficacy and safety of long-term use of rituximab maintenance. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Five hundred sixty patients with newly diagnosed MCL underwent a first random assignment between rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) and rituximab, fludarabine, and cyclophosphamide (R-FC) induction, followed by a second random assignment in 316 responders between rituximab and interferon alfa maintenance, to be continued until progression. We compared progression-free survival from the second randomization and overall survival (OS) from the first or second randomizations. RESULTS: After a median follow-up time of 7.6 years, the previously described difference in OS between the induction arms persisted (median, 6.4 years after R-CHOP [n = 280] v 3.9 years after R-FC [n = 280]; P = .0054). Patients responding to R-CHOP had median progression-free survival and OS times of 5.4 and 9.8 years, respectively, when randomly assigned to rituximab (n = 87), compared with 1.9 years (P < .001) and 7.1 years (P = .0026), respectively, when randomly assigned to interferon alfa (n = 97). In 58% and 32% of patients treated with R-CHOP, rituximab maintenance was still ongoing 2 and 5 years from start of maintenance, respectively. After R-FC, rituximab maintenance was associated with an unexpectedly high cumulative incidence of death in remission (22% at 5 years). Toxicity of rituximab maintenance was low after R-CHOP (grade 3-4 leukopenia or infection < 5%) but more prominent in patients on rituximab maintenance after R-FC, in whom grade 3-4 leukopenia (up to 40%) and infections were frequent (up to 15%). CONCLUSION: The excellent results of R-CHOP followed by rituximab maintenance until progression for older patients with MCL persisted in a mature follow-up. Prolongation of rituximab maintenance beyond 2 years is effective and safe.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)248-256
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Clinical Oncology
Volume38
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20-Jan-2020

Keywords

  • BENDAMUSTINE PLUS RITUXIMAB
  • PROGRESSION-FREE SURVIVAL
  • MULTICENTER PHASE-II
  • FOLLICULAR LYMPHOMA
  • 1ST-LINE TREATMENT
  • PROGNOSTIC INDEX
  • B-R
  • MAINTENANCE
  • INDOLENT
  • TRANSPLANTATION

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