Treating relapsed follicular lymphoma

Advanced follicular lymphoma (FL) remains an incurable disease, at least with conventional therapy. Despite the long remission and disease-free periods that can be currently achieved with treatment, the disease will ultimately relapse in most of the patients. Areas covered: This article reviews the current spectrum of therapies for patients with relapsed FL in the rituximab area. It will revisit current therapies, approaches to therapeutic decision making and novel agents under investigation. Expert commentary: At present, rituximab or second generation anti-CD20 antibodies either as single agent or in combination with chemotherapy, anti-CD20 maintenance therapy and stem cell transplant remain effective treatment options for relapsed patients. A plethora of new targeted agents and novel approaches such as immunotherapy are currently under investigation,thus the landscape is rapidly evolving. In this context, therapeutic decisions for individual patients in a disease which is increasingly becoming a chronic condition require a tailored approach integrating multiple clinical parameters with particular considerations of patients' preferences and quality of life.