Dr. Westin on the Role of R-CHOP in DLBCL

Jason Westin, MD, MS, FACP, director, Lymphoma Clinical Research, section chief, Aggressive Lymphoma, and associate professor, Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the role of rituximab (Rituxan), cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

R-CHOP has been the standard treatment for patients with DLBCL for many years, says Westin.

Blood tests, CAT scans, and physical examinations can help determine whether a patient is likely to benefit from R-CHOP, says Westin. If a patient is not likely to respond to R-CHOP, alternative treatment options should be considered.

Treatment-related toxicities, such as nausea, fatigue, and neutropenic infections, are fairly common with R-CHOP, and are generally well managed, says Westin. As such, the majority of patients are able to complete the full 6 cycles of R-CHOP, concludes Westin.