Dr. Heyman on Frontline Treatment Options in Follicular Lymphoma

Benjamin Heyman, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine, University of California, San Diego, discusses frontline treatment options for patients with follicular lymphoma.

Currently, the combination of rituximab (Rituxan) and chemoimmunotherapy is a standard of care in the frontline treatment of patients with follicular lymphoma, says Heyman.

The results of the phase III RELEVANCE trial demonstrated that the combination of rituximab and lenalidomide (Revlimid; R²) elicits similar efficacy compared with rituximab plus chemoimmunotherapy in patients with advanced, untreated follicular lymphoma.

Ultimately, patient preference and disease biology should guide treatment selection, says Heyman.

Notably, R² is given over the course of 18 months, whereas rituximab in combination with bendamustine or obinutuzumab (Gazyva) is given over the course of 6 months, says Heyman. Data with R² suggests that patients have a decreased risk of infection and cytopenia, but an increased risk of developing cutaneous toxicities.

Balancing therapy duration and potential toxicity is necessary in selecting the optimal regimen for patients, concludes Heyman.