All content on this site is intended for healthcare professionals only. By acknowledging this message and accessing the information on this website you are confirming that you are a Healthcare Professional. If you are a patient or carer, please visit the Lymphoma Coalition.

The Lymphoma Hub uses cookies on this website. They help us give you the best online experience. By continuing to use our website without changing your cookie settings, you agree to our use of cookies in accordance with our updated Cookie Policy

Introducing

Now you can personalise
your Lymphoma Hub experience!

Bookmark content to read later

Select your specific areas of interest

View content recommended for you

Find out more
  TRANSLATE

The Lymphoma Hub website uses a third-party service provided by Google that dynamically translates web content. Translations are machine generated, so may not be an exact or complete translation, and the Lymphoma Hub cannot guarantee the accuracy of translated content. The Lymphoma Hub and its employees will not be liable for any direct, indirect, or consequential damages (even if foreseeable) resulting from use of the Google Translate feature. For further support with Google Translate, visit Google Translate Help.

Steering CommitteeAbout UsNewsletterContact
LOADING
You're logged in! Click here any time to manage your account or log out.
LOADING
You're logged in! Click here any time to manage your account or log out.

The Lymphoma & CLL Hub is an independent medical education platform, sponsored by Beigene and Roche, and supported through educational grants from Bristol Myers Squibb, Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Pfizer, and Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company and Janssen Biotech, Inc., administered by Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC. View funders.

2024-02-12T14:33:58.000Z

HOVON NHL 24 trial: Rituximab plus MBVP in PCNSL

Feb 12, 2024
Share:
Learning objective: After reading this article, learners will be able to cite a new clinical development in primary central nervous system lymphoma.

Bookmark this article

Studies have reported conflicting results on the benefit of rituximab in combination with chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL). Here, we summarize the long-term results after a median follow-up of 82.3 months of phase III HOVON NHL 24 trial published by Bromberg et al.1 in Neuro-oncology investigating patients treated with methotrexate, BCNU (bis-chloroethylnitrosourea, carmustine), teniposide, and prednisolone (MBVP) with and without rituximab.

Study design1

  • In total, 199 patients with newly diagnosed PCNSL were enrolled and randomized to MBVP with and without rituximab
  • The primary endpoint was event-free survival

Results1

  • Patients were aged 18–70 years
  • Event-free survival hazard ratio was not statistically different between treatment groups (0.85, p = 0.33)
  • Overall survival rate at 5 years was higher in patients treated with rituximab than without (53% vs 49%, respectively)
  • Mortality and disease progression were higher in patients treated with MBVP alone compared with in combination with rituximab (64% vs 55.5% and 63% vs 48%, respectively)

Safety1

  • PCNSL was the most common cause of death in patients treated with and without rituximab (69% and 70%, respectively), complication of treatment was the second most common cause of death (6% and 5%, respectively)

Key learnings

  • Rituximab did not improve survival outcomes and therefore, may not be beneficial to patients with newly diagnosed PCNSL
  • A significant proportion of patients have persistent clinically relevant fatigue after MBVP treatment confirming further treatment options are required to target this

  1. Bromberg JEC, Issa S, van der Holt B, et al. Survival, neurocognitive function, and health-related quality of life outcomes after rituximab—methotrexate, BCNU, teniposide, and prednisolone for primary CNS lymphoma: Final results of the HOVON 105/ALLG NHL 24 study. Neuro-Oncol. Published online ahead of print. DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noad224

Understanding your specialty helps us to deliver the most relevant and engaging content.

Please spare a moment to share yours.

Please select or type your specialty

  Thank you

Your opinion matters

HCPs, what is your preferred format for educational content on the Lymphoma Hub?
27 votes - 2 days left ...

Newsletter

Subscribe to get the best content related to lymphoma & CLL delivered to your inbox