
Around 1 in 5 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK take part in a clinical trial.
Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.
This trial is looking at Zevalin (also called ibritumomab tiuxetan) for people over 60 with a type of non Hodgkin lymphoma called diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The people taking part have been diagnosed recently, but their lymphoma has completely disappeared after having treatment such as R-CHOP.
Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of high grade non Hodgkin lymphoma. Doctors often treat DLBCL with chemotherapy and a drug called rituximab. This treatment is known as R-CHOP.
If your lymphoma has completely disappeared after treatment (a ), you don’t need to have any further treatment. But your doctors will keep a close eye on you to look for any signs of the lymphoma coming back. This is called observation and is
for DLBCL that has completely disappeared.
In this trial, researchers are looking at a drug called Zevalin. It is a type of biological therapy called a monoclonal antibody with a radioactive substance called yttrium (pronounced it-tree-um) attached to it.
The monoclonal antibody recognises a protein on lymphoma cells. It sticks to the protein and delivers radiation directly to these cells.
In this trial, researchers are comparing Zevalin with the standard treatment of observation. The aims of the trial are to see
You may be able to enter this trial if you
You cannot enter this trial if you
This international phase 3 trial will recruit nearly 500 people. It is a randomised trial. The people taking part are put into treatment groups by a computer. Neither you nor your doctor will be able to decide which group you are in.
Half the people taking part have Zevalin. The other half have observation, which is currently the for people with DLBCL who have had a
to chemotherapy and rituximab.
If you are in the Zevalin group, you also have 2 more doses of rituximab. You have the 1st dose on its own through a drip into a vein. The following week you have another dose of rituximab. And then 4 hours later you have the Zevalin. You have this just once, through a drip into a vein.
If you are in the observation group, you don’t have any more treatment unless your lymphoma comes back.
You see the trial team and have some tests before you are put into a treatment group. The tests include
If you are in the Zevalin group, you go to hospital in weeks 1, 2, 4, 7, 12 and 13. You have rituximab in week 1. You have rituximab and Zevalin in week 2.
You have weekly blood tests for the first 3 months. You may need to have another bone marrow test if you didn’t have one after finishing chemotherapy.
If you are in the observation group, you see the doctor and have blood tests twice in the first 3 months.
After the first 3 months, people in both groups see the trial team every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months up to year 5. At each visit, you have a physical examination and blood tests. The trial team will ask you about your health and about any medication you are taking.
Everybody taking part has a CT scan every 3 months for the first year and every 6 months in the 2nd year. After that, your doctor will decide how often you need to have a scan.
If you have symptoms that could mean your lymphoma has come back, you may have a CT scan at another time. If your lymphoma does come back, your doctor will talk to you about your treatment options. You will no longer need to have the hospital visits or CT scans for this trial.
The most common side effects of Zevalin are
The most common side effects of rituximab include
We have more information about Zevalin and rituximab in our cancer drugs section.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Professor Tim Illidge
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
Around 1 in 5 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK take part in a clinical trial.