The Year in Hematologic Malignancies
In 2014, patients with relapsed follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (FL) received a new treatment option. The FDA granted accelerated approval to idelalisib for patients with FL who have received at least two prior systemic therapies. Approval was based on a single-arm study and is good news for this very refractory population of patients, said Dr Brown.
Another noteworthy finding was a phase 2 study presented at ASH showing that single-agent ibrutinib could provide a very durable response in patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma, a rare, B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Approximately one third of patients who received this agent remained progression-free at 24 months.
Dr Brown noted that other studies demonstrated that ibrutinib is well tolerated when added to R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) and may have the potential to improve responses in patients with CD20-positive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A phase 3 trial is ongoing.
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
In 2014, patients with relapsed follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (FL) received a new treatment option. The FDA granted accelerated approval to idelalisib for patients with FL who have received at least two prior systemic therapies. Approval was based on a single-arm study and is good news for this very refractory population of patients, said Dr Brown.
Another noteworthy finding was a phase 2 study presented at ASH showing that single-agent ibrutinib could provide a very durable response in patients with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma, a rare, B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Approximately one third of patients who received this agent remained progression-free at 24 months.
Dr Brown noted that other studies demonstrated that ibrutinib is well tolerated when added to R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) and may have the potential to improve responses in patients with CD20-positive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. A phase 3 trial is ongoing.