You are 3 times more likely to have atezolizumab.
You have treatment in
cycles. Each treatment period is 2 weeks. You have up to 6 cycles of treatment. This takes about 3 months in total.
The first day of each cycle is called day 1. On day 1 you have:
- rituximab
- gemcitabine
- oxaliplatin
For those having atezolizumab, you start it with the second cycle of treatment. You have it from cycle 2 to cycle 6. You have it with the other drugs on day 1 of the second cycle.
For cycle 1 all of these drugs are given as a drip into a vein. For the rest of the cycles you have:
- gemcitabine and oxaliplatin as a drip into a vein
- rituximab as an injection under the skin
- atezolizumab as a drip into a vein
R-GemOx group
After 6 cycles you stop treatment. The trial team will follow you up regularly, every 3 weeks either by telephone or at the hospital for check ups for 6 months.
R-GemOx and atezolizumab group
After 6 cycles you have further atezolizumab if your lymphoma hasn’t got worse. We call this maintenance treatment. Some people might have radiotherapy before starting atezolizumab. Your doctor can tell you more about this. The aim is to keep the lymphoma under control for longer. You have this once every 3 weeks for 6 months.
Everyone has a CT scan after the 3rd cycle of treatment. And a PET-CT scan after the 6th cycle.
You stop treatment if your lymphoma gets worse. Your doctor will talk to you about other treatment options. A month after treatment finishes you see the trial team for a check up.
Research samples
You give some extra blood samples during treatment. You give the samples at specific times and the trial team will provide you with information about this. They plan to use the samples to:
- see how well the treatment is working
- find what happens to the drugs in the body
- look at genes to help understand more about DBCL
- look for biomarkers to predict who will benefit from treatment
The doctors will ask permission to collect and store some of your blood and a sample of your lymphoma (tissue sample). This is for future research.