Publication details
AKTUÁLNÍ POHLED NA UDRŽOVACÍ TERAPII RITUXIMABEM („RITUXIMAB- MAINTENANCE“) U FOLIKULÁRNÍHO LYMFOMU
| Title in English | CURRENT VIEW OF THE RITUXIMAB MAINTENANCE IN FOLLICULAR LYMPHOMA |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2008 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Transfuze a hematologie dnes |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Keywords | rituximab, maintenance, prognosis, follicular lymphoma |
| Description | Rituximab, chimaeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, improved significantly treatment results of CD20-positive non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) and has been rapidly incorporated in various combination chemotherapies as induction therapy for patients in the first-line and relapsed/refractory settings. Over the past few years it has been confirmed that rituximab maintenance is safe and effective in follicular lymphoma (FL) patients after induction with rituximab plus chemotherapy, chemotherapy alone, or rituximab monotherapy. The optimal dose, schedule and duration of rituximab maintenance therapy have not yet been defined. Recent data suggest rituximab maintenance can be safely administered for period of up to 2 years. All published maintenance schedules ranging from a single rituximab infusion 375mg/m2 every 3 months to 4x375mg/m2 weekly every 6 months have shown good and comparable effectiveness. Regarding treatment expenses, the important issue is rituximab maintenance versus retreatment upon relapse in the context of overall survival of follicular lymphoma patients. |