Addition of rituximab to chemotherapy alone as first-line therapy improves overall survival in elderly patients with mantle cell lymphoma

摘要: Clinical trials have demonstrated that rituximab improves overall survival in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), except mantle cell (MCL). We used Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data to compare older MCL patients who began chemotherapy with or without within 180 days of diagnosis. Patients were followed from diagnosis (January 1999 December 2005) until death the end observation (December 2007). Medicare administrative claims identify date cause immunochemotherapy regimen. Of 638 patients, mean age at was 75 years, 75% had stage III/IV disease, 67% extranodal involvement, 64% received rituximab. The average length first-line treatment 21 weeks, no difference between 2 groups (P = .76). Median 27 months for alone, compared 37 plus < .001). In multivariate analysis 2-year survival, associated lower all-cause (hazard ratio [HR] 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.41-0.82; P .01), cancer-specific (HR 0.56; CI 0.37-0.84; .01) mortality. similar when using entire period, propensity score analysis, limiting CHOP/CHOP-like. conclude including is significantly improved diagnosed MCL.