Abstract:
Objective To observe the clinical efficacy and toxicities of bendamustine hydrochloride in patients with rituximab-refractory indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).
Methods A total of 25 patients with rituximab-refractory NHL received bendamustine hydrochloride 120 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1 and 2 of the 21-day cycle. The short-term response, progression free survival, and toxicities were evaluated.
Results The total number of chemotherapy of the 25 patients was 122 cycles, and the median number was 5 cycles. All patients could be evaluated for efficacy. Among the patients, 6 had complete remission, 13 had partial remission, 3 had stable disease, and 3 had progression disease. The overall response rate and clinical benefit rate were 76% and 88%, respectively. Until the deadline, 13 patients had progression disease. The median duration of response was 8 months, and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 9.3 months. Subgroup analysis showed that PFS is significantly related to bone marrow involvement and serum LDH level (P < 0.05). The main adverse effects were myelosuppression, gastrointestinal reactions, and infection. Rash was found in 2 patients, and 1 case of gastric cancer was discovered after 5 cycles of treatment.
Conclusion Bendamustine hydrochloride was effective and tolerable in patients with rituximab-refractory indolent B-cell NHL.