Bendamustine plus rituximab for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma: a retrospective analysis.

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Oncology
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Treatment options for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) are limited, especially for patients ineligible for intensive chemotherapy.
• Prognosis is often poor in this patient population due to comorbidities, advanced age, or prior treatment failure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) in patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL.
• To assess overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), duration of response (DOR), and treatment-related toxicities.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 29 patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL treated with BR.
• Data collected on patient characteristics, treatment response, survival outcomes, and adverse events.

Main Results:

• An overall response rate (ORR) of 50% was observed, including 39.3% complete remission (CR) and 10.7% partial remission (PR).
• Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 8 months, and median duration of response (DOR) was 24.7 months.
• Common grade 3/4 toxicities included lymphopenia (42.8%), neutropenia (32.1%), anemia (17.2%), and thrombocytopenia (14.2%).

Conclusions:

• Bendamustine plus rituximab (BR) shows a promising role in treating relapsed/refractory DLBCL patients with limited therapeutic options.
• BR can achieve long-term remissions with an acceptable toxicity profile in this challenging patient group.