Six-month rituximab-lenalidomide regimen in advanced untreated follicular lymphoma: SAKK 35/10 trial 10-year update

Abstract: The Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK) and the Nordic Lymphoma Group conducted the SAKK 35/10 randomized phase 2 trial to compare rituximab (R) alone vs R plus lenalidomide (L) as initial treatment for follicular lymphoma (FL). Patients with grade 1 to 3A FL, requiring systemi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Eva Kimby, Sämi Schär, Maria Cristina Pirosa, Anna Vanazzi, Ulrich M. Mey, Daniel Rauch, Björn E. Wahlin, Felicitas Hitz, Micaela Hernberg, Ann-Sofie Johansson, Peter de Nully Brown, Hans Hagberg, Andrés José María Ferreri, Fatime Krasniqi, Michèle Voegeli, Urban Novak, Thilo Zander, Hanne Bersvendsen, Christoph Mamot, Walter Mingrone, Anastasios Stathis, Stefan Dirnhofer, Stefanie Hayoz, Bjørn Østenstad, Emanuele Zucca
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-04-01
Series:Blood Advances
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2473952925000618
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract: The Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK) and the Nordic Lymphoma Group conducted the SAKK 35/10 randomized phase 2 trial to compare rituximab (R) alone vs R plus lenalidomide (L) as initial treatment for follicular lymphoma (FL). Patients with grade 1 to 3A FL, requiring systemic therapy, were randomized to either R (n = 77; 375 mg/m2 IV × 1, weeks 1-4) or rituximab-lenalidomide (RL) (n = 77; R on the same schedule and L at 15 mg daily continuously). Responders (evaluated at 10 weeks) repeated R during weeks 12 to 15 with or without L (for a total of 18 weeks). Both arms had 47% of patients with a poor risk score on the FL International Prognostic Index. The primary end point, complete response (CR)/CR unconfirmed rates at 6 months, was superior with the combination, and after a median follow-up of 9.5 years, this has translated into a longer duration of response (median, not reached vs 3.2 years; hazard ratio [HR], 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21-0.86; P = .014), progression-free survival (9.3 vs 2.3 years; HR, 0.57; 95% CI: 0.37-0.89; P = .0128), and time to next treatment (median, not reached vs 2.1 years; HR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.27-0.67; P < .001). Over 60% of RL responders remained in first CR at 10 years. Overall survival was similar in both arms (77% vs 78% at 10 years; P = .881). Toxicity was more common with RL but manageable. The SAKK 35/10 trial's long-term results confirmed a durable benefit of a short-term chemotherapy-free first-line RL regimen in symptomatic FL. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT0137605.
ISSN:2473-9529