Rituximab - Inmunotherapy Combined with Chemotherapy, CHOP for the Treatment of Patients with Difusse Large B - Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL).

Several studies (GELA 98.5, MInT) have demonstrated the benefit of combination rituximab (R) with chemotherapy to improve event free and overall survival in patients with DLBCL.

We analyzed retrospectively the safety of combination R-CHOP for 6 cycles (rituximab 375 mg/m² day 1; cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m² day 1; doxorrubicin 50 mg./m² day 1; vincristine 1.4 mg/m² day 1 and prednisone 100 mg/m² day 1 to 5) the tolerance and adverse effects. We evaluated the response (R), event free survival (EFS) and the overall survival (OS).

Between March to December 2004, 28 patients with DLBCL were evaluated, 17 men and 11 women, with a median age 57 years old (range 28 – 84).

They were IPI low 21,4 %, low - intermediate 25%, high - intermediate 35,7 % and high risk 17,9 %.

Elevated LDH was present en 14 patients, bulky disease > 7 cm in 50% of cases.

During the treatment they presented hematologic toxicity grade III 21,4 % and grade IV 25% of cases; 1 patient had anaphilactic reaction; 2 patients pneumonia; 1 patient sepsis; 4 patients neutropenia and fever; and gastric bleeding 1 patient.

Response was achieve in 71,4 %: complete response (CR) in 57,1%, parcial (PR) in 14.3 %, and there was no response in 8 patients (28.6%).

With follow up of 10 months (range 2 to 18.5) 15 patients were in CR 53,6%, 8 patients died, 7 of then primary no responders. Analyzed by IPI, 60% of CR in intermediate high and high was obtained.

The R-CHOP combination is a feasible and safe treatment in our hospitals, and 71,4 % of response was obtained in all patients and 60% of CR in high risk group.