Viola Poeschel, MD: 4 Cycles of CHOP (Instead of 6) Is Favorable for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Viola Poeschel, MD, presented the results of the phase 3 FLYER trial at ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition. The trial suggests the standard course of treatment for younger patients with low-risk DLBCL can safely be reduced by two cycles of chemotherapy. The trial tracked patients for a median of more than five years and up to 11 years and showed four cycles of chemotherapy is as effective as six cycles in terms of eradicating cancer and preventing relapse.

The trial is called “Excellent Outcome of Young Patients (18-60 years) with Favourable-Prognosis Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Treated with 4 Cycles CHOP Plus 6 Applications of Rituximab: Results of the 592 Patients of the Flyer Trial of the Dshnhl/GLA.” According to Dr. Poeschel, reducing administration of CHOP chemotherapy by two cycles appeared as effective as the standard six cycles for younger patients with low-risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Currently, six cycles of CHOP chemotherapy (which contains cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) plus six courses of rituximab (Rituxan), or R-CHOP, is the standard of care for young patients aged 18 to 60 years with DLBCL.