Three drug regimens offer modest survival in patients with R/R DLBCL

Three anticancer drug regimens deliver moderate survival benefits to patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) transplant-ineligible diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), particularly between the last treatment course and death, according to a study.

The above-mentioned regimens were gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GEMOX); ifosfamide and etoposide (IE); and cyclophosphamide, etoposide, procarbazine, and prednisone (CEPP). Each of these anticancer drug regimens were combined with rituximab (R).

Sixty-two patients (median age 78 years) with predominantly stage III-IV DLBCL (n=49, 79 percent), nongerminal center-B like (n=27, 44 percent) were included in the analysis.

The median overall survival (OS) was 9 months (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 3‒10), while the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 4 months (95 percent CI, 2‒13) for R-GEMOX. The respective OS and PFS were 4 (95 percent CI, 2‒6) and 1 month (95 percent CI, 1‒4) for R-IE and 5 (95 percent CI, 3‒6) and 3 months (95 percent CI, 2‒15) for R-CEPP.

In univariate analysis, ECOG, aa-IPI scores, LDH rate, and Ann-Arbor stage correlated with survival outcomes, with no independent association in multivariate analysis.

The “[e]mergence of bispecific antibodies and Cart-cells for which real-life benefits have yet to be demonstrated could be coupled with improved access to early palliative care,” the investigators said.

This retrospective study included R/R DLBCL patients ineligible for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) who received at least one cycle of R-GEMOX, R-IE, or R-CEPP between 2010 and 2022. The investigators collected demographic, clinical, biological, and survival data. They also conducted univariate and multivariate analyses to identify variables associated with survival outcomes.

“Patients with R/R DLBCL ineligible for HSCT may benefit from a second-line anticancer drug regimen, but real-life outcomes are lacking,” the investigators said.