Background & objective: CHOP regimen is a standard treatment for patients with diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and its 5-year overall survival (OS) rate is 30%-40%. Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody (MoAb) directly against CD20-positive B cells, and has good effect on diffuse large B-cell NHL. Rituximab combined with standard chemotherapy has been approved for treating aggressive B-cell NHL in Europe and the US. This study was to determine efficacy and safety of the combination of Rituximab and CHOP regimen in treating Chinese patients with CD20-positive diffuse large B-cell NHL.
Methods: From Sep. 2003 to Nov. 2004, a total of 63 patients in 9 centers were enrolled. All the patients were randomized into 2 groups: 32 received CHOP regimen alone (CHOP group), and 31 received Rituximab and CHOP regimen (R-CHOP group). All patients signed informed consent. The complete response rates, overall response rates, and side events of the 2 groups were compared.
Results: The complete response rates were similar in R-CHOP and CHOP groups (41.9% vs. 37.5%, P=0.719); the overall response rates were slightly higher in R-CHOP group than in CHOP group (83.8% vs. 65.6%, P=0.096). Disease progression during treatment was reported for 7 (21.9%) patients in CHOP group and 1 (3.2%) patient in R-CHOP group (P=0.026). The occurrence rates of adverse events were similar in R-CHOP and CHOP groups (65.6% vs. 67.7%, P=0.859). The most common adverse event was leukopenia; fever and chills were rather common in R-CHOP group. Clinically relevant toxicity was similar in both groups.
Conclusion: When compared with standard CHOP alone, the addition of Rituximab to standard CHOP regimen reduces the risk of treatment failure in patients with diffuse large B-cell NHL, and doesn't increase the occurrence of chemotherapy-related adverse events.