This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Save to my personal folders Download to citation manager Rights & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rummel, M. J. Articles by Mitrou, P. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rummel, M. J. Articles by Mitrou, P. S. Social Bookmarking                            What's this?

Bendamustine Plus Rituximab Is Effective and Has a Favorable Toxicity Profile in the Treatment of Mantle Cell and Low-Grade Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

From the Med. Klinik II, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitätsklinik, Frankfurt/Main; II. Med. Klinik, Krankenhaus Nordwest, Frankfurt/Main; St.-Marienkrankenhaus, Hamm; Medizinische Hochschule, Hannover; Städtische Kliniken, Darmstadt; Onkologische Schwerpunktpraxen in Aschaffenburg, Wiesbaden, Krefeld, Cottbus, Germany

Address reprint requests to Mathias J. Rummel, MD, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University Hospital, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt/Main, Germany; e-mail: rummel{at}em.uni-frankfurt.de

PURPOSE: The aim of this multicenter-study was to evaluate the progression-free survival, response rate and toxicity of the combination of bendamustine and rituximab (BR) in patients with mantle cell or low-grade lymphomas in first to third relapse or refractory to previous treatment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 245 courses (median, four courses per patient) were administered to 63 patients. Bendamustine was given at a dose of 90 mg/m² as a 30-minute infusion on days 1 and 2, combined with 375 mg/m² rituximab on day 1, for a maximum of four cycles every 4 weeks. Histologies were 24 follicular, 16 mantle cell, 17 lymphoplasmacytoid, and six marginal zone lymphoma.

RESULTS: Fifty-seven of 63 patients responded to BR, corresponding to an overall response rate of 90% (95% CI, 80% to 96%) with a complete remission rate (CR) of 60% (95% CI, 47% to 72%). The median time of progression-free survival was 24 months (range, 5 to 44+ months), and the median duration of overall survival has not yet been reached. In mantle cell lymphomas, BR showed a considerable activity, achieving a response rate of 75% (95% CI, 48% to 93%) with a CR rate of 50%. Myelosuppression was the major toxicity, with 16% grade 3 and 4 leukocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia was rare, with only 3% grade 3 and 4.

CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the BR combination is a highly active regimen in the treatment of low-grade lymphomas and mantle cell lymphomas.

Authors' disclosures of potential conflicts of interest are found at the end of this article.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				W. U. Knauf, T. Lissichkov, A. Aldaoud, A. Liberati, J. Loscertales, R. Herbrecht, G. Juliusson, G. Postner, L. Gercheva, S. Goranov, et al. Phase III Randomized Study of Bendamustine Compared With Chlorambucil in Previously Untreated Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia J. Clin. Oncol., September 10, 2009; 27(26): 4378 - 4384. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Alonso, M. Lopez-Guerra, R. Upshaw, S. Bantia, C. Smal, F. Bontemps, C. Manz, T. Mehrling, N. Villamor, E. Campo, et al. Forodesine has high antitumor activity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and activates p53-independent mitochondrial apoptosis by induction of p73 and BIM Blood, August 20, 2009; 114(8): 1563 - 1575. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Ghielmini and E. Zucca How I treat mantle cell lymphoma Blood, August 20, 2009; 114(8): 1469 - 1476. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. D. Cheson and M. J. Rummel Bendamustine: Rebirth of an Old Drug J. Clin. Oncol., March 20, 2009; 27(9): 1492 - 1501. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Roue, M. Lopez-Guerra, P. Milpied, P. Perez-Galan, N. Villamor, E. Montserrat, E. Campo, and D. Colomer Bendamustine Is Effective in p53-Deficient B-Cell Neoplasms and Requires Oxidative Stress and Caspase-Independent Signaling Clin. Cancer Res., November 1, 2008; 14(21): 6907 - 6915. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. S. Robinson, M. E. Williams, R. H. van der Jagt, P. Cohen, J. A. Herst, A. Tulpule, L. S. Schwartzberg, B. Lemieux, and B. D. Cheson Phase II Multicenter Study of Bendamustine Plus Rituximab in Patients With Relapsed Indolent B-Cell and Mantle Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma J. Clin. Oncol., September 20, 2008; 26(27): 4473 - 4479. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. W. Friedberg, P. Cohen, L. Chen, K. S. Robinson, A. Forero-Torres, A. S. La Casce, L. E. Fayad, A. Bessudo, E. S. Camacho, M. E. Williams, et al. Bendamustine in Patients With Rituximab-Refractory Indolent and Transformed Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Results From a Phase II Multicenter, Single-Agent Study J. Clin. Oncol., January 10, 2008; 26(2): 204 - 210. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. M. Leoni, B. Bailey, J. Reifert, H. H. Bendall, R. W. Zeller, J. Corbeil, G. Elliott, and C. C. Niemeyer Bendamustine (Treanda) Displays a Distinct Pattern of Cytotoxicity and Unique Mechanistic Features Compared with Other Alkylating Agents Clin. Cancer Res., January 1, 2008; 14(1): 309 - 317. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Schmitz, P. Dreger, B. Glass, and A. Sureda Allogeneic transplantation in lymphoma: current status Haematologica, November 1, 2007; 92(11): 1533 - 1548. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]