Reporting from:
American Society of Hematology Meeting, Atlanta, 10-13 December 2005
In this edition:
It is not necessary to use rituximab along with standard CVP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, predinsone) induction therapy among patients with advanced follicular lymphoma. So said Sandra Horning at a packed lymphoma meeting during the ASH confderence. According to the findings of a new study reported to the ASH conference, however, the use of rituximab mainenance, after the induction therapy, brings strong improvements in clinical outcome.
The original IRIS study showing the runaway superiority of imatinib after one year over standard treatment for cronic myeloid leukemia has now been followed up to maturity. John Goldman told the ASH audience the study results strongly endorses the use of imatinib as the gold standard treatment.
Michael Keating told the Atlanta conference that adding rituximab to standard fluydarabine plus cyclophosphamide therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia has helped patients survive longer.