Highlights in follicular lymphoma from the 2022 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting are discussed by Dr Thomas Rodgers of the Durham VA Medical Center.
Dr Rodgers begins with a prognostic model designed to evaluate the risk for disease progression in high-risk patients within 24 months of starting first-line treatment with the intention of better individualizing management in this group.
Next, he presents long-term phase 3 data comparing first-line rituximab with a watch-and-wait approach. After 12 years of follow-up, results showed no significant difference in overall survival between watch and wait, rituximab induction, and rituximab induction plus maintenance, suggesting to Dr Rodgers that individualized upfront management can lead to similarly excellent outcomes in patients with low tumor burden.
Turning to relapsed/refractory disease, Dr Rodgers cites a study comparing rituximab plus lenalidomide with rituximab plus placebo. The combination yielded superior results and more durable efficacy than did the control group.
He also discusses studies on the use of novel agent tazemetostat in combination with lenalidomide, and the bispecific monoclonal antibody mosunetuzumab as monotherapy. The US Food and Drug Administration approved mosunetuzumab in December, expanding the armamentarium for patients with follicular lymphoma who have undergone multiple lines of therapy.
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Thomas Rodgers, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapy, Duke University; Staff Physician, Department of Hematology/Oncology, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
Thomas Rodgers, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.