Dr. Heyman on the Use of Maintenance Rituximab in Follicular Lymphoma

Benjamin Heyman, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine, University of California, San Diego, discusses the use of maintenance rituximab (Rituxan) in patients with follicular lymphoma.

The 10-year follow-up from the phase III PRIMA study demonstrated a progression-free survival advantage versus observation as well as an improvement in the time to next chemotherapy treatment. While there was no overall survival benefit with rituximab, there are a few select situations where it may be of benefit to patients, says Heyman.

For example, rituximab can be used in a patient who does not have a complete response (CR) after induction chemotherapy. These patients are at risk of early relapse, and maintenance rituximab could help get patients to a CR, says Heyman.

Rituximab maintenance can also be used in elderly patients who may not be able to tolerate another round of chemoimmunotherapy upon relapse. Patients may also prefer to be on maintenance rituximab in order to prolong their remission despite the potential for increased toxicity, concludes Heyman.