Dr. Ruan on Updated Results With Lenalidomide/Rituximab in MCL

Jia Ruan, MD, PhD, associate professor of clinical medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, discusses updated results with the combination of lenalidomide (Revlimid) and rituximab (Rituxan) in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

During the 2020 ASH Annual Meeting & Exposition, findings from a 7-year analysis of a multicenter phase 2 trial evaluating lenalidomide/rituximab as up-front treatment for patients with MCL were presented virtually. The results showed that 19 of 36 evaluable patients remained in remission at the cutoff date, including 12 who remained in remission beyond 7 years.

Twelve of the 19 patients remained on study treatment, 4 remained on the doublet regimen, 7 remained on rituximab alone, and 1 remained on lenalidomide alone. Additionally, 7 patients stopped therapy after at least 3 years of doublet therapy because of toxicity or preference. Patients who opted to stop therapy remain on active surveillance, says Ruan.

Ultimately, these long-term findings demonstrate that lenalidomide/rituximab is an effective first-line, chemotherapy-free option for patients with MCL, concludes Ruan.