
“I think it’s really important that people keep signing up to these type of trials to push research forward.”
This trial compared chemotherapy with rituximab and chemotherapy for people with mantle cell lymphoma. The trial was for people with newly diagnosed mantle cell lymphoma.
Cancer Research UK supported this trial.
The lymphoma disappeared completely in 98 people who had FCR compared with 73 people who had FC. This is called having a complete response to treatment.
The side effects were similar in both groups. People who had rituximab had more problems with a drop in blood cells but this did not lead to more significant problems.
But a few people developed late side effects as a result of having the treatment in both arms. These side effects included developing infections and unfortunately around 3% of people in both treatment groups died as a result. The researchers say that these treatments should be given with caution in older people.
The trial team concluded that adding rituximab to chemotherapy improved both progression free survival and overall survival in this group of people.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Professor Simon Rule
Cancer Research UK
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
University College London (UCL)
This is Cancer Research UK trial number CRUK/06/013.
Freephone 0808 800 4040
“I think it’s really important that people keep signing up to these type of trials to push research forward.”