1. High dose methylprednisolone and rituximab is an effective therapy in advanced refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia resistant to fludarabine therapy.
- Author
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Dungarwalla M, Evans SO, Riley U, Catovsky D, Dearden CE, and Matutes E
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Antibodies, Monoclonal adverse effects, Antibodies, Monoclonal pharmacology, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived, Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic administration & dosage, Antineoplastic Agents adverse effects, Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols therapeutic use, Combined Modality Therapy, Disease-Free Survival, Drug Resistance, Neoplasm, Female, Humans, Infection Control, Infections etiology, Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell drug therapy, Male, Methylprednisolone adverse effects, Methylprednisolone pharmacology, Middle Aged, Rituximab, Vidarabine administration & dosage, Vidarabine pharmacology, Antibodies, Monoclonal therapeutic use, Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic pharmacology, Antineoplastic Agents therapeutic use, Immunotherapy adverse effects, Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell therapy, Methylprednisolone therapeutic use, Salvage Therapy, Vidarabine analogs & derivatives
- Abstract
The combination of high dose methylprednisolone and rituximab induces superior overall (93%) and complete (14%) response rates compared to high dose methylprednisolone alone (overall 43%, complete remission 0%) in heavily pre-treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with advanced disease. Despite its efficacy the combination is not easily manageable because of the high rate of opportunistic infections.
- Published
- 2008
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