부산대학교 도서관

Simple Summary: The initial treatment for patients with advanced-stage follicular lymphoma is usually a combo of immunochemotherapy called R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) or R-bendamustine (R-B, for short). After six cycles of R-CHOP, continuing with rituximab for two years (maintenance therapy) has demonstrated a reduction in relapses. However, determining if this approach works well after R-B has yet to be confirmed. Here, we collected data from 476 FL patients from 17 GELTAMO centers and evaluated the efficacy of both regimens followed by rituximab maintenance therapy in untreated follicular lymphoma patients. We found a better response with R-B and relapses were more frequent with R-CHOP. During the initial treatment, low blood counts were more frequent with R-CHOP but, during maintenance therapy, they were more frequent with R-B and so were infectious complications. After six years, 79% and 67% of R-B- and R-CHOP-treated patients, respectively, did not have evidence of the disease but the number of deaths was the same in both groups. In conclusion, R-B followed by rituximab maintenance therapy in patients with previously untreated follicular lymphoma showed better responses and fewer relapses, without any extra side effects in an elderly population. During maintenance, patients had more issues when using R-B but deaths were the same in both groups. Rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) and R-bendamustine (R-B) are the most common frontline treatment strategies for advanced-stage follicular lymphoma (FL). After R-CHOP induction therapy, using rituximab for maintenance therapy notably improves outcomes; however, whether this can be achieved by using the same approach after R-B therapy is still being determined. This retrospective analysis compared 476 FL patients from 17 GELTAMO centers who received R-based regimens followed by rituximab maintenance therapy for untreated advanced-stage FL. The complete response rate at the end of induction was higher with R-B and relapses were more frequent with R-CHOP. During induction, cytopenias were significantly more frequent with R-CHOP and so was the use of colony-stimulating factors. During maintenance therapy, R-B showed more neutropenia and infectious toxicity. After a median follow-up of 81 months (95% CI: 77–86), the 6-year rates of progression-free survival (PFS) were 79% (95% CI: 72–86) for R-bendamustine vs. 67% (95% CI: 61–73) for R-CHOP (p = 0.046), and 6-year overall survival (OS) values were 91% (95% CI: 86–96) for R-B vs. 91% (95% CI: 87–94) for R-CHOP (p = 0.49). In conclusion, R-B followed by rituximab maintenance therapy in patients with previously untreated FL resulted in significantly longer PFS than R-CHOP, with older patients also benefiting from this treatment without further toxicity. Adverse events during maintenance were more frequent with R-B without impacting mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]