Background: Treatment of splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL) patients is not standardized. Recent data suggest that rituximab is highly effective and could be considered as initial therapy.
Aim: To assess the efficacy of rituximab monotherapy in a large series of patients with SMZL and compare these results with splenectomy results.
Methods: The studied population included 85 patients. Fifty-eight received rituximab at a dose of 375 mg/m2 per week for 6 weeks as induction followed by maintenance at the same dose every 2 months for 1-2 years, whereas 27 patients were treated using splenectomy only.
Results: The overall response rate to rituximab 2 months after the end of induction was 95% (complete response [CR], 45%; unconfirmed CR, 26%; partial response, 24%). The median times to hematologic and clinical response were 2 weeks and 3 weeks, respectively. Forty-three of 55 patients already completed the maintenance phase: 28 sustained their initial response, 14 improved their response, and one progressed. Eighty-five percent of splenectomized patients responded, and two were treated with rituximab as consolidation after splenectomy and achieved a CR. The 5-year overall and progression-free survival (PFS) rates for rituximab-treated and splenectomized patients were 92% and 77% (p = .09) and 73% and 58% (p = .06), respectively. Furthermore, maintenance therapy with rituximab resulted in a longer duration of response (at 5 years, PFS was 84% for patients receiving maintenance and 36% for patients without maintenance, p <.0001).
Conclusions: Rituximab is a very effective and well-tolerated therapy and may be substituted for splenectomy as the first-line treatment of choice for patients with SMZL.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3579603 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1634/theoncologist.2012-0251 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Evans syndrome as a presentation in systemic lupus erythematous, coexisting with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and pernicious anemia: a case report.
J Med Case Rep
December 2024
Faculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Palestine.
Background: Evans syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by the simultaneous or sequential combination of autoimmune hemolytic anemia and immunological thrombocytopenia, together with a positive direct antiglobulin test. This syndrome, which can be primary or secondary, is a rare initial manifestation of autoimmune diseases, notably systemic lupus erythematosus, with 1.7-2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn alternative multidrug regimen for multibacillary Hansen's disease: a case report.
J Med Case Rep
December 2024
Division of Infectious Diseases, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO, USA.
Background: Leprosy (Hansen's disease) is an infectious disease most common in resource-limited countries caused by the acid-fast bacilli Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis that frequently affects the skin and peripheral nerves. Prompt diagnosis and treatment with multidrug therapy is crucial to reduce disease transmission and sequelae, which include nerve function impairment, ocular injury, and stigmatizing physical deformities. Traditional treatment of multibacillary leprosy consists of 12-24 months of multidrug therapy with dapsone, rifampin, and clofazimine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClinically-enhanced digital health program for respiratory care associated with better medication use and retention.
NPJ Prim Care Respir Med
December 2024
ResMed Science Center, San Diego, CA, USA.
Digital health platforms for asthma self-management have demonstrated promise in improving clinical and quality of life outcomes. However, few studies have examined such an approach in a real-world, fully remote setting. As such, we evaluated the benefit of an evidence-based digital self-management platform for asthma-both on its own and when integrated into an established virtual clinical service.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMT: A Cross-Validated ThinPrep Pap Cervical Cytology Dataset for Machine Learning Model Training and Validation.
Sci Data
December 2024
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
In the past several years, a few cervical Pap smear datasets have been published for use in clinical training. However, most publicly available datasets consist of pre-segmented single cell images, contain on-image annotations that must be manually edited out, or are prepared using the conventional Pap smear method. Multicellular liquid Pap image datasets are a more accurate reflection of current cervical screening techniques.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComparative study of the oral hygiene status of users of mefakia (traditional tooth cleaning method) and modern toothbrushes among patients at the Holy Bethel Dental Clinic in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
BDJ Open
December 2024
School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia.
Background: Mefakia is a well-known traditional chewing wood used in Ethiopia to cleanse the mouth. Although mefakia is used in parallel with modern toothbrushes to improve oral hygiene, there is a gap in the literature regarding its comparative performance in removing plaque and maintaining good oral hygiene.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the oral hygiene status of patients using mefakia and modern toothbrushes at the Holy Bethel Dental Clinic in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!