Rituximab in combination with CNOP chemotherapy in patients with previously untreated indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody, produces response rates of up to 73% in patients with previously untreated indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and has high activity when combined with chemotherapy. The purpose of this phase II study was to determine the efficacy and safety of rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, mitoxantrone, vincristine and prednisone (CNOP) chemotherapy in patients with indolent NHL. In all, 42 patients (median age 67 years) with previously untreated follicular, marginal zone or small lymphocytic/lymphoplasmacytic NHL received six infusions of rituximab (375 mg/m(2)) in combination with six cycles of CNOP.