Long‐term efficacy in patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma achieving a complete response with pixantrone.

Introduction: The prognosis of diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients with refractory or multiply relapsed (R/R) disease is disappointing. Pixantrone is currently approved as third or fourth line regimen, with encouraging results, even if long‐term follow‐up data are limited. Methods: In this post‐hoc analysis of our observational study, we retrospectively investigated disease outcome and clinical characteristics of 16 R/R DLBCL patients who achieved a complete response with pixantrone. Results: Pixantrone was administered as third or fourth line in 12/16 (75%) and 4/16 (25%) cases. After a median follow‐up of 24 months, 14/16 patients (87.5%) were alive (causes of death were progressive disease and secondary acute myeloid leukemia, one case each). Median progression‐free survival was 23.8 months, median duration of response was 17.8 months and median overall survival (OS) was not reached (2‐years OS was 84%). A significant proportion of patients achieved a long‐lasting response >12 months (7/16 cases). Response to prior therapy did not influence long‐term remission after pixantrone. Conclusion: In this real‐life experience, pixantrone demonstrated long‐term efficacy in a cohort of R/R DLBCL cases who had previously received at least two prior regimens; many of whom had characteristics associated with poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]