Replacing Vincristine with Velcade Looks Good Against Mantle Cell Lymphoma

Changing R-CHOP improved outcomes in patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), according to a new study presented at at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Dr. Franco Cavalli of the Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland and colleagues conducted the LYM-3002 trial, a randomized, open label phase III study in 487 patients with newly diagnosed MCL who are not eligible for a bone marrow transplant.

The patients received the VR-CAP regimen, a combination of rituximab, doxorubicin, bortezomib (Velcade), cyclophosphamide, and prednisone, or the standard R-CHOP. Patients in the first arm experienced better progression-free survival than patients treated with R-CHOP.

The only difference between the regimens is that VR-CAP uses Velcade in place of vincristine in R-CHOP.

At a median follow-up of 40 months, median progression-free survival was 24.7 months in the Velcade group compared to 14.4 months in the R-CHOP group.

"[The VR-CAP regimen] could be considered a new standard of care for newly diagnosed MCL patients not considered for intensive treatment and bone marrow transplant," said Cavalli.

Source: Oncologypractice