[Mabthera for treatment of malignant lymphoma]

The incidence of Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (NHL) is rising in the last decades. The majority of cases are from the B-cell type, characterized by expression of CD-20. Rituximab (Mabthera(r)) is a chimeric monoclonal antibody against CD-20 and has revolutionized the treatment of lymphomas of the B-cell phenotype. This antibody is generally well tolerated and can be given as an outpatient regimen. As monotherapy it has shown good response rates in all CD-20 positive NHL, even in patients with multiple prior treatments. The response rates are even higher by adding Rituximab maintenance therapy. Excellent results have been achieved by combining the antibody with chemotherapy or interferon. In conclusion Rituximab has given us interesting new possibilities in the management of patients with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, but the optimal combination, scheduling and duration of this therapy still need to be defined. This review gives an overview of the existing data of Rituximab treatment in different NHL entities.