Dr. Dietrich on the Current Treatment Landscape of MCL

Martin Dietrich, MD, PhD, physician, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, assistant professor of internal medicine, University of Central Florida, discusses the current treatment landscape of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Treatment options have drastically evolved in recent years for MCL, which remains an aggressive and complex subtype of lymphoma, Dietrich says. Disease risk assessment and a patient’s performance status help inform the optimal first-line treatment, Dietrich adds. First-line treatment options include combination chemotherapy and rituximab (Rituxan) for in clinically fit and higher risk patients, and de-escalation chemotherapy strategies for patients with low-risk disease or a poor performance status, Dietrich explains.

Autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) has carved out a role in the treatment of patients with high-risk disease. However, it is unclear how impactful ASCT will remain in the future with the emergence of better subsequent therapies, Dietrich continues. For now, ASCT is still recommended for many patients, along with maintenance rituximab for patients after initial induction chemotherapy, Dietrich concludes.