ASCO Update: Lenalidomide + Rituximab Superior to Lenalidomide Alone in Relapsed Lymphoma

John Leonard, MD

At the recent meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Dr. John Leonard, the director of the Weill Cornell Lymphoma Program, presented the results of the CALGB 50401 trial. The trial compared lenalidomide plus rituximab versus lenalidomide alone in 94 patients with previously treated follicular lymphoma.

Although significant side effects were similar in both treatment arms, the patients treated with the lenalidomide plus rituximab were more likely to respond to treatment (75% vs. 49%) and remain on treatment compared to lenalidomide alone. Based on these results, the investigators concluded that the lenalidomide-rituximab regimen should be considered as a platform for addition of new drugs in future studies.

Click here to read the published abstract.

Dr. John Leonard Discusses Antibody Therapy in Lymphoma

Weill Cornell’s Dr. John Leonard discusses antibody therapy in lymphoma in a Medscape CME program. Click here to view the presentation.

 

 

 

OncLive: Dr. John Leonard Discusses What’s New in DLBCL Treatment

At the 16th Annual International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies, Dr. John Leonard, the director of the Lymphoma Program at Weill Cornell Medical College, discussed several novel therapies currently under investigation for DLBCL. Today OncLive published an article, “Beyond R-CHOP-21: What’s New in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma” summarizing Dr. Leonard’s discussion.

“The current standard for patients with advanced diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is R-CHOP-21 (21-day rituximab-cyclophosphamidedoxorubicin- vincristine-prednisone). However, while this regimen cures approximately two-thirds of patients, a significant fraction of patients will still relapse, and the prognosis for these patients is poor.”

Approaches being evaluated include substituting an alternate chemotherapy regimen for CHOP in combination with rituximab; R-EPOCH (rituximabetoposide- prednisone-vincristine-doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide); and adding a new agent to R-CHOP-21.

Click here to read the full article in in OncLive.