How Effective is R-CHOP vs BR Treatment for Follicular Lymphoma?

Patients with follicular lymphoma who need to start their first treatment have several options. A few of these include BR (bendamustine plus rituximab) and R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin, Oncovin, and prednisone). 

To learn about when treatment may be needed based on your follicular lymphoma stage, click here. 

Dr. Margaret Kelsey Baron and colleagues from Huntsman Cancer Institute conducted a study to review how BR and R-CHOP compare in their effectiveness for treating follicular lymphoma. Learn insights from their conclusions below. 

Does BR or R-CHOP Better Extend the Time to Next Treatment for Follicular Lymphoma?

The researchers evaluated the data of over 2,000 follicular lymphoma patients who had received either BR or R-CHOP as their first treatment. The majority of these patients had advanced-stage cancer at the time of their diagnosis. 

The researchers’ main goal was to find which group had a longer period of time without needing the next treatment, referred to as “time to next treatment”. 

They found that follicular lymphoma patients treated with BR had a longer time to their next treatment than those who were treated with R-CHOP. The average amount of time for each group was: 

• 8 years for patients treated with BR
• 6.5 years for patients treated with R-CHOP 

Additional Insights from the Study 

Other findings gained from the study included: 

• Overall survival: Patients treated with BR had slightly better overall survival outcomes than patients treated with R-CHOP, meaning they lived for a longer amount of time.
• Rituximab maintenance: Continuing therapy with rituximab after the first treatment was associated with better outcomes in terms of the amount of time to the next treatment and overall survival.
• Transformation rates: The chance of the cancer transforming into a more aggressive form like DLBCL was slightly higher in patients treated with R-CHOP, especially for those with grade 3A follicular lymphoma.
• Use of stem cell transplant: In cases where the cancer advanced quickly after patients’ first treatment, the use of autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) was similar between the two treatment groups.

Summary

For patients with follicular lymphoma needing their first treatment, the study conducted by Dr. Margaret Kelsey Baron and her team at Huntsman Cancer Institute suggests that BR (bendamustine plus rituximab) might be a more effective option than R-CHOP. It was found that BR extended the time to the next treatment more significantly, offering patients about 8 years before needing further treatment, compared to 6.5 years with R-CHOP. Additionally, BR showed a slight improvement in overall survival rates and was associated with lower transformation rates into more aggressive cancer forms.

If you are considering one of these treatment combinations for your follicular lymphoma treatment, we invite you to talk to your specialist about what would be right for your personal case. 

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Source: 

• Real-World Outcomes in Patients with Follicular Lymphoma Treated with R-CHOP vs BR