[Current therapeutic strategies for diffuse large B‑cell lymphoma]

Diffuse large B‑cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The incorporation of the CD20 antibody rituximab into CHOP polychemotherapy at the beginning of this century has considerably improved the outcome of all patients with DLBCL. Nowadays, depending on the prognostic subgroup less than one half to one third of patients die from DLBCL compared to the pre-rituximab era. Treatment is usually tailored to the individual risk profile of DLBCL patients according to the international prognostic index (IPI). Assignment of a DLBCL according to the gene expression profile to a DLBLC originating from a germinal center B‑cell (GC type) or from an activated B‑cell (ABC type) has provided novel insights into the pathogenesis of the respective DLBCL and identified molecules which are indispensable for the formation and growth of a DLBCL, thus providing targets for novel targeted therapies. Incorporating these new drugs into the current internationally recognized combination immunochemotherapy R‑CHOP or substituting single drugs in the R‑CHOP combination will result in even higher survival rates and reduction of therapeutic side effects in patients with DLBCL in the coming years.