Key clinical point: Compared with the standard intravenous (IV) rituximab induction therapy, a short subcutaneous rituximab maintenance therapy after subcutaneous rituximab induction therapy improves complete response (CR) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with CD20 + low-tumor burden follicular lymphoma (FL).
Major finding: Patients receiving rituximab induction (first IV and then subcutaneous) followed by a short subcutaneous rituximab maintenance therapy (four infusions; experimental arm) vs four weekly IV rituximab infusions (control arm) had significantly higher 4-year PFS (58.1% vs 41.2%; hazard ratio 0.585; P = .008) and CR (59.0% vs 36.3%; P = .001) rates.
Study details: Findings are from a phase 3 study, FLIRT, that included 202 patients with CD20 + low-tumor burden FL who were randomly assigned to the control or experimental arm.
Disclosures: This study was supported by the Lymphoma Academic Research Organization (LYSARC), France. Some authors declared serving as consultants or advisors for or receiving honoraria, research funding, or travel and accommodation expenses from various sources.
Source: Cartron G et al. Randomized phase III trial evaluating subcutaneous rituximab for the first-line treatment of low–tumor burden follicular lymphoma: Results of a LYSA study. J Clin Oncol. 2023 (Apr 18). Doi: 10.1200/JCO.22.02327