Rituximab (R) maintenance has shown clinical benefit for patients with follicular lymphoma (FL)

Rituximab (R) maintenance has shown clinical benefit for patients with follicular lymphoma (FL):

• Rituximab (R) maintenance has shown clinical benefit for patients with follicular lymphoma (FL):

• In the relapsed setting after induction with chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy plus R (J Clin Oncol 2010;28:2853).
• In the first-line setting after induction chemotherapy alone1 or R alone2 (1 J Clin Oncol 2009;27:1607, 2 Blood 2004;103:4416).

• The role of R maintenance in FL after first-line R-chemotherapy induction remains unknown.

• Current study objective:

• Assess the benefit of R maintenance over the course of two years for patients with FL responding to first-line R-chemotherapy induction.

R maintenance for two years significantly improved PFS for patients with previously untreated FL who responded to induction with chemotherapy plus R.

• R maintenance for two years significantly improved PFS for patients with previously untreated FL who responded to induction with chemotherapy plus R.

• Benefits of R maintenance were seen in all major sub-groups.

• Consistent improvements were observed in secondary endpoints including CR, OR and time to next treatment (data not shown).

• The results of the PRIMA study provide evidence for a new standard of care for patients with FL who are in need of initial treatment.

• Data from the ongoing ECOG-E4402 (RESORT) trial will address how maintenance R compares to re-treatment with R at disease progression.