Follicular lymphoma Flashcards
Treatment of grade 3 FL or aggressive presentation
R-CHOP chemotherapy
what is R-CHOP
rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone
Clinical benefit of maintenance rituximab
Controversial – improves PFS but no survival benefit.
Management of advanced FL
IF asymptomatic –> monitor (can live for many years)
Typical clinical course of indolent lymphomas
Respond well to therapy, but most eventually progress (largely incurable)
survival of FL
Many have long term survival (20 years)
typical course
waxing and waning
characteristic immunophenotype of FL
CD20+, CD10+, BCL2+, CD5-, cyclin D1-
lymphoma grade that tends to behave more aggressively
Grade 3 and above
Branch point in management
- Grade 1-2 – treated as indolent lymphoma
- Grade 3-4 – treated aggressively with R-CHOP
Scoring system for prognosis
FLIPI
When to initiate treatment in advanced stage:
1) B-symptoms 2) Compromise of normal organ function due to progressive or bulky disease 3) Pleural effusions or peritoneal ascites 4) Cytopenias due to extensive bone marrow infiltration 7) autoimmune hemolytic anemia 8) splenomegaly 9) involvement of 3 or more sites, each with a diameter of 3 cm or larger
Why are asymptomatic patients with single site of disease commonly treated?
There’s good evidence that these people will never relapse
Why watchful waiting is an effective strategy?
- 1) Many can live for long time
- 2) Some go into spontaneous remission
- 3) Treatments haven’t shown a survival benefit
First line Treatment options for advanced stage
- R-CHOP
- BR
- R2
- R-CVP
How to select induction therapy
- age, comorbidities (cardiac disease)
- Disease grade
Best option in research in terms of PFS
BR
What is CVP regimen?
Cyclophosphomide, vincristine, prednisone
BR is
Bendamustine, rituxan