Improving outcomes for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most commonly occurring form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the western world. Until the mid 1990s the incidence of DLBCL increased in both sexes, across racial categories, and across all age groups except the very young, the etiology of most cases remains unknown. DLBCL is associated with an aggressive natural history, but it can be cured with combination chemotherapy regimens like cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP), which has been the mainstay of therapy for several decades. Remarkable progress has been made in understanding the biological heterogeneity of DLBCL and in improving survival for DLBCL patients with novel combinations of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Gene expression profiling (GEP) has uncovered DLBCL subtypes that have distinct clinical behaviors and prognoses, and the addition of the monoclonal antibody, rituximab, to CHOP has markedly improved outcomes. Future approaches to DLBCL management will use molecular signatures identified through GEP to provide prognostic information and to isolate therapeutic targets that are being evaluated for DLBCL patients who relapse or those with high risk disease.