Dr. Rutherford on the Importance of Including Patients With Double-Hit Lymphoma in Clinical Trials

Sarah Rutherford, MD, John P. Leonard, M.D./Gwirtzman Family Research Scholar in Lymphoma, assistant professor of medicine, Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, discusses the importance of including patients with double-hit lymphoma (DHL) in clinical trials.

DHL is a relatively rare, high-risk subtype of B-cell lymphoma that is typically less responsive to standard treatments, says Rutherford.

In oncology, clinical trials may not always be representative of the standard patient population, explains Rutherford.

In a phase 1 study, investigators evaluated the combination of dose-adjusted rituximab (Rituxan), etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin (DA-EPOCH-R) plus venetoclax (Venclexta) as frontline therapy in aggressive B-cell lymphomas.

Initial findings presented at the 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program showed that the combination led to an overall response rate of 93% and a complete response rate of 87% in 15 patients with DHL.