Efficacy and Safety of Bendamustine-Rituximab for Nodular Lymphocyte Predominant Hodgkin Lymphoma
Alexander Robin1, Carolyn Owen1, Sarah Perry1
1Alberta Health Services and University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.
Introduction:
Bendamustine-rituximab (BR) has demonstrated efficacy and tolerability in the treatment of various indolent B-cell lymphomas, but there is limited data regarding its outcomes in nodular lymphocyte predominant B-cell (Hodgkin) lymphoma (NLPBL).
Methods:
This retrospective, population-based study included consecutive patients ≥ 18 years old who received BR for NLPBL in Alberta, Canada.
Results:
The study population comprised 23 patients with a median age of 39 years (range 18-74) who received BR for treatment-naive (n = 17) or relapsed/refractory (n = 6) NLPBL. Advanced stage disease was present in 18 (78%), splenic involvement in 9 (39%), and bone marrow involvement in 8 (35%) patients. The response rate to BR was 100%, with a complete response in 78% and a partial response in 22%. After a median follow-up of 4.3 years (range 0.8-9.0), the 4-year progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 83% (95% CI: 55%-94%) and 87% (95% CI: 58%-97%) for all patients and 84% (95% CI: 50%-96%) and 91% (95% CI: 51%-99%) for recipients of first-line BR, respectively. The safety profile was in keeping with the known toxicities of BR, with the most common adverse events consisting of neutropenia, rash, and infusion reactions.
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that BR is a promising treatment option for NLPBL, with a favorable efficacy and safety profile.
