A study to understand more about the growth and treatment of a rare type of non Hodgkin lymphoma (IELSG 26)

Cancer type:

Blood cancers
High grade lymphoma
Lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Status:

Results

Phase:

Phase 2

This study looked at tissue samples and PET scans to learn more about ‘primary mediastinal diffuse large B cell lymphoma’ (PMBL) and the best way to treat it.

Cancer Research UK supported this study.

More about this trial

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a type of high grade non Hodgkin lymphoma. ’Mediastinal’ means it started in the glands (lymph nodes) in the centre of the chest (the ‘mediastinum’). Primary mediastinal diffuse large B cell lymphoma (PMBL) is a rare type of Non Hodgkin lymphoma.

PMBL can be treated with chemotherapy and a monoclonal antibody called rituximab. You could have one of several chemotherapy combinations. After this, you may also have radiotherapy to your chest.

In this study researchers looked a samples of lymphoma tissue. They also looked at PET-CT scans taken before and after chemotherapy. The aims of this study were to:

  • understand more about PMBL and the best way to treat it
  • see if PET-CT scans would be useful in showing how well the treatment had worked

Summary of results

The study team found that PET-CT scans could possibly be used to show how successful treatment for PMBL might be.

This was a phase 2/3 study. 125 people took part.  

A 103 people had a scan before starting chemotherapy. Everyone had a PET-CT scan after finishing chemotherapy.

PET-CT scans show the activity of cancer cells. The researchers looked at 3 different activities to see if they could show how well the chemotherapy worked.

Total lesion glycolysis (TLG) was one of these activities. It shows how much sugar cancer cells uses in relation to its size.

After 5 years follow up, the team looked at the percentage of people who were still alive and the percentage of people who were alive with no sign of their cancer. They also looked the level of TLG in the 1st PET-CT scan of these people.

For those whose scan showed a low level of TLG they found:

  • they were all alive (100%)
  • 99 out of every 100 people (99%) had no sign of their cancer

For those whose scan showed a high level of TLG they found:

  • 80 out of every 100 people (80%) were still alive
  • 64 out of every 100 people (64%) had no sign of their cancer

The study team said that the TLG on the 1st PET-CT scan appeared to be a good predictor of how well treatment might work. They recommend further studies to confirm this.

We have based this summary on information from the research team. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists (peer reviewed Open a glossary item) and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team who did the research. We have not analysed the data ourselves.

Recruitment start:

Recruitment end:

How to join a clinical trial

Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.

Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.

Chief Investigator

Professor Peter Johnson

Supported by

Cancer Research UK
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
International Extra nodal Lymphoma Study Group (IELSG)
University of Southampton Clinical Trials Unit

Other information

This is Cancer Research UK trial number CRUKE/06/035.

If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses

Freephone 0808 800 4040

Last review date

CRUK internal database number:

2133

Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.

Charlie took part in a trial to try new treatments

A picture of Charlie

“I think it’s really important that people keep signing up to these type of trials to push research forward.”

Last reviewed:

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