Abstract
In 2 randomized phase 3 trials BR resulted in longer progression-free survival (PFS) than frontline R-CHOP in patients with indolent and mantle cell lymphoma. However, in subset analyses of follicular lymphoma (FL), the results were incongruent. We conducted a retrospective matched-pair analysis to compare the outcome of patients with advanced stage FL, receiving frontline BR (N = 73) or R-CHOP (N = 73), matched by age, gender, stage, and FL International Prognostic Index score. On multivariable analysis, baseline maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) >13 was associated with use of R-CHOP (p = .001). After a median follow-up of 69 months for the BR arm and 126 months for the R-CHOP arm, 5-year PFS was 80% and 70%, respectively (p = .07). After adjusting for SUVmax >13, the trend for better PFS in BR was not maintained. Prospective studies are needed to validate the role of pretreatment SUVmax as a stratification factor in future randomized therapeutic trials in FL.
Author contributions
PS designed the study, analyzed data, and wrote the paper; LJN, FBH, LEF, MAR, FS, MW, JRW, HJL, SI, SP, SA, RN, RES, CF, RED and NHF provided clinical care to patients and coauthored the paper; MAA and MN collected clinical data and coauthored the paper; LF provided statistical support and coauthored the paper; SN designed the study, analyzed the data, provided clinical care to patients, and wrote the paper.
Disclosure statement
SSN received research support from Kite/Gilead, Merck, BMS, Cellectis, Poseida, Karus, Acerta, and Unum Therapeutics. SSN served as Advisory Board Member/Consultant for Kite/Gilead, Merck, Celgene, Novartis, Unum Therapeutics, Pfizer, Precision Biosciences, Cell Medica, Allogene, Incyte, and Legend Biotech.