More than 25 years, the CHOP regimen was the standard care for aggressive lymphomas.In 2000, The French Groupe de L'Etude des Lymphomes de L'Adulte showed that the addition of the monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody, rituximab, to eight cycles of 3-weekly CHOP (CHOP-21) chemotherapy improved oue for patients with DLBCL.Similar improvement was shown by the German High-Grade Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Study Group (DSHNHL) by decreasing the chemotherapy interval for six cycles of CHOP chemotherapy from 3 to 2 weeks (CHOP-14).Improved the oue of elderly patients without increasing side-effects.The most effective treatment regimen, in terms of duration and number of cycles, is still unclear.Therefore, Professor Michael Pfreundschuh (Saarland University Medical School, Homburg, Germany) and colleagues from the German DSHNHL group recruited 1222 patients (aged 60-80 years) with DLBCL from 203 institutions in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland between 2000 and 2005.Were randomly assigned to receive six or eight cycles of CHOP-14, with or without rituximab.The researchers noted that 3-year event-free survival was 47.Cycles of CHOP- 14, 53.Eight cycles of CHOP-14, 66.Six cycles of R-CHOP-14, and 63.Eight cycles of R-CHOP-14.3-year overall survival was 67.Six cycles of CHOP-14, 66.Eight cycles of CHOP-14, 78.Six cycles of R-CHOP-14, and 72.Eight cycles of R-CHOP-14.The authors say: "Six cycles of R-CHOP-14 significantly improved event-free, progressionfree, and overall survival over six cycles of CHOP-14 treatment.Addition of chemotherapy beyond six cycles, though widely practiced, is not justified.The four regimens assessed in this study, six cycles of R-CHOP-14 is the preferred treatment for elderly patients, with which other approaches should bepared.NOTE Diffuse large B-cell, CD20+ (DLBCL) is a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).Is an aggressive lymphoma that occurs in about 3 of 10 cases of NHL.Are large, and the cancer often grows quickly.Than half the patients with DLBCL are over 60 years of age.CHOP-14 chemotherapy-cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone at 2-weekly intervals.HOW INTERESTING WAS THIS ARTICLE?Not Very.Read more Butalbital, aspirin, caffeine and codeine phosphate(butalbital, aspirin, caffeine and codeine phosphate) capsule [jerome stevens pharmaceuticals]
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