Comparative study between chop-like chemotherapy plus rituximab versus chop-like chemotherapy alone in young patients with good prognosis diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma

Abstract EN

Background :The role of rituximab in combination with different CHOP like chemotherapy regimens in young patients with good prognosis diffuse large B cell lymphoma remains to be defined.

Aim : We aimed to compare CHOP like chemotherapy and rituximab with CHOP like chemotherapy alone in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma who had no risk factor or one risk factor regarding response, progression free survival and overall survival as well as toxicity.

Materials and Methods: Eighty patients aged 18-60 years with histologically confirmed diffuse large B cell lymphoma who had no risk factor or one risk factor according to the age adjusted international prognostic index were treated either with: group A treated CHOP chemotherapy alone, group B treated with CHOP E (CHOP plus Etoposide), group C treated with CHOP-R (CHOP plus rituximab), group D treated with CHOP-E-R (CHOP plus Etoposid and retuximab).

Evaluation of response progression free survival overall survival as well as Results .

: Patients treated with CHOP rituximab (CHOP-R) had better response (86%) than those treated with CHOP alone or CHOP plus etoposide (CHOP E) (83%, 85%) respectively but the difference between the groups was not statistically significant.

There was no statistical significant difference between the studied groups regarding over all survival 92% in group B, 93% in group C and 91% in group D.

Conclusions: Rituximab when added to six cycles of CHOP is an effective treatment for young good prognosis diffuse large B cell lymphoma however etoposide added to six cycles CHOP is also an effective treatment for young good prong