Dr. Epperla on Future Research Efforts in MCL

Narendranath Epperla, MD, MS, a hematologist specializing in the treatment of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center—James, discusses future research efforts in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Tremendous progress has been made in terms of conducting research in the MCL space, Epperla says. Several ongoing clinical trials are currently examining the use of chemotherapy-free or targeted frontline regimens to achieve improved or similar benefit to cytotoxic chemotherapy, he says.

Another area of importance is the question of whether patients with MCL require autologous stem cell transplant as consolidation therapy. While this has been an active area of debate, the ongoing phase 3 ECOG-ACRIN (4151; NCT03267433) will help answer this question. The first read out of the study should take place within the next few years, Epperla concludes.