Dr. Goy on the Evolution of Treatment in Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Andre Goy, MD, MS, chief, Division of Lymphoma, chairman and director, John Theurer Cancer Center, discusses the evolution of treatment in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Physicians have made significant progress in the treatment of patients with MCL, says Goy, but states that there is a disconnect between what is seen in clinical trials and the real world. The outcome with standard therapy is very dismal, so there has been a great emphasis on research in MCL.

Over the last 3 decades, the progression of treatment improved the median overall survival (OS) from 2.5 years to greater than 12 to 13 years, says Goy. Care has also extended beyond management, as there are patients with MCL who can be cured, explains Goy. This applies to younger patients who have minimal residual disease negativity after high-dose therapy and transplant as well as elderly patients who achieve a complete remission, receive maintenance rituximab (Rituxan), and demonstrate dramatic improvement in progression-free survival and OS.

Research efforts are focused on improving the different phases of treatment, states Goy. Although clinical trials have demonstrated a benefit with these approaches, the median survival in the real world ranges from 3 to 5 years.