Dr. Ansell on the Evolving Treatment Landscape in DLBCL

Stephen M. Ansell, MD, PhD, chair, Faculty Development and Recruitment, consultant, Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, discusses the evolving treatment landscape in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

As the field of treatment in DLBCL continues to evolve, frontline treatment decisions can impact subsequent therapeutics in later settings, Ansell says. In the frontline setting, the phase 3 POLARIX trial (NCT03274492) explored on the addition of polatuzumab vedotin-piiq (Polivy) to R-CHOP (rituxan, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) minus vincristine, compared with standard R-CHOP, Ansell explains. Data showed a benefit to the addition of polatuzumab vedotin, and this combination could become the standard of care in the frontline setting, Ansell adds.

Traditionally, polatuzumab vedotin has had a role in the relapsed/refractory setting, Ansell continues. If polatuzumab vedotin becomes a preferred agent in the frontline setting, it could limit its usage in later settings, Ansell concludes.