Dr. Schuster on Long-Term Outcomes of Lenalidomide and Rituximab in MCL

Stephen J. Schuster, MD, professor of hematology/oncology at the University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center, discusses long-term outcomes of lenalidomide (Revlimid) and rituximab (Rituxan) in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

In a study of long-term outcomes of lenalidomide and rituximab in rituximab-resistant patients with indolent MCL and B-cell lymphomas, investigators sought to re-sensitize patients to rituximab. These are patients who have generally had multiple prior therapies without a successful outcome, says Schuster, and once a patient become refractory to rituximab, it is difficult to treat them with any other agent successfully.

Laboratory data suggest that the immunomodulatory properties of lenalidomide may be able to reverse immunosuppression. These long-term results showed that lenalidomide did reverse regulatory T cells, and patients responded to rituximab. Additionally, 25% of these patients remain in remission.