| New
drug that is part of a radioimmunotherapy regimen shows promise for
patients with low-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma The first of a new class of drugs involving radioimmunotherapy benefited a significant number of patients with low-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who had exhausted treatment options, according to an article in the May 15th issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The report was based on results from a phase III study involving the drug Zevalin, the first radioimmunotherapy drug developed specifically for lymphoma. The randomized study involved 143 patients with B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who had previously failed standard chemotherapy treatments. The study found that 80 percent of patients who received Zevalin experienced a positive response -- Their tumor mass decreased--- compared with a 56 percent response rate in patients receiving only Rituxan, another drug used to treat the disease. Most noteworthy, 30 percent of the patients receiving Zevalin achieved complete remission compared with only 16 percent of patients taking Rituxan. Radioimmunotherapy combines monoclonal antibodies, produced in a laboratory to react against the malignant cells, with the toxicity of radiation. The mixture of radiation and antibodies is given intravenously and travels throughout the bloodstream. "Unlike chemotherapy which goes through the whole body, Zevalin carries the radiation payload directly to the tumor," says Thomas Witzig, M.D., lead author. "The drug radiates only about a five millimeter area around the tumor." Along with its ability to hone in on cancer cells, the drug is easier on patients physically. "One treatment is required on an outpatient basis, compared to a series of treatments with chemotherapy that can last four to six months and sometimes include hospitalization because of serious side effects," says Dr. Witzig. "There's no hair loss or prolonged fatigue, nausea or vomiting. The most significant side effect is a temporary decrease in the blood count." Dr. Witzig and Gregory Wiseman, M.D., both of the Mayo Clinic, led the phase III, multicenter research study. The cumulative results led to the recent approval of Zevalin by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of patients with relapsed B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is the
fifth most common type of cancer diagnosed in the United States.
However, although the incidence rates of most cancers have been
decreasing in the past couple of decades, the number of patients
diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has been steadily increasing.
An estimated 300,000 Americans are currently living with the disease.
Most of the patients are age 40 years and older. In patients aged
60 years and older, the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is about
100 patients per 100,000 people. |