Clinical trial seeks better first-line therapy for follicular lymphoma
Follicular lymphoma is a type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that progresses slowly. For people whose disease doesn’t yet require immediate aggressive treatment, a situation often described as low tumor burden, a common first-line therapy is rituximab. This monoclonal antibody targets a protein called CD20 on lymphoma cells (B cells), helping the immune system recognize and destroy them.
Despite the effectiveness of rituximab, questions remain. Is there an approach that could offer longer remission and better safety?
To address this question, the-National Cancer Institute (NCI)-is sponsoring a randomized-phase III clinical trial-that directly compares the standard rituximab regimen with-mosunetuzumab, a bispecific antibody that targets both CD20 on lymphoma cells and CD3 on T cells.
This approach effectively brings two arms of the immune system together to battle cancer.-
The study is made available through the Pacific Cancer Research Consortium (PCRC). Providence is enrolling patients with follicular lymphoma at four sites: Providence Cancer Institute Franz Clinic, Providence Cancer Center Oncology and Hematology Care Clinic at St. Vincent, Providence Cancer Institute Willamette Falls Clinic and Providence Cancer Institute Newberg Clinic.
Natasha Edwin, M.D., is the study champion at all sites. Dr. Edwin is a hematologist, medical oncologist and researcher at Providence Cancer Institute, and assistant member, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute.
Two-arm study design
The central goal of this trial is clear: determine which treatment leads to better-progression-free survival (PFS). Investigators are particularly interested in the-3-year PFS milestone-as a primary endpoint, but the study also will compare:
- Overall survival
- Response rates at specific assessment points
- Event-free survival
- Frequency and severity of treatment-related side effects
About 600 adults with previously untreated low tumor burden follicular lymphoma will be randomly assigned-to one of two arms.
- Arm I: Patients receive rituximab via both intravenously and subcutaneously over several cycles.
- Arm II: Patients receive mosunetuzumab subcutaneously in a shorter cycle schedule.
Why the study is important
This study has the potential to redefine care for many patients at the earliest stage of treatment. If mosunetuzumab shows superior efficacy with manageable side effects, it could become a new option that improves quality of life and long-term well-being of patients. Beyond the individual benefits to patients, the trial includes specimen banking for future correlative studies. Specimen banking provides a resource to explore biological response predictors and deepens understanding of follicular lymphoma.-
Get more details about the study:
To refer a patient:-
- Call 503-215-1979
- Send an-email---