Rituxan use in older patients - observational study

[Guest guest]

This study looks at SEER data on older CLL patients (66 years +) that receive

infusion therapy.

There were 6,433 CLL patients identified, and 2,040 received infused therapy.

Treated patients were categorized as receiving rituximab monotherapy (16%),

rituximab plus chemotherapy (14%), and chemotherapy alone (70%) based on the

initial 60 days after infusion.

According to this study the use of rituximab plus chemotherapy compared to

chemotherapy alone was associated with a 25% lower risk of overall mortality .

Restricting to patients age 70 did not change the risk reduction for rituximab

plus chemotherapy.

Hematological interventions were more common with rituximab plus chemotherapy

compared to chemotherapy alone, but there was no difference in all-cause

hospitalizations.

The study concludes; " These analyses, though based on observational and not

clinical trial data, suggest that the benefits of initial therapy with rituximab

in a heterogeneous group of older CLL patients are comparable to those

demonstrated in earlier studies and in younger patients. "

I wonder how these patients will do at 3 years rather than 60 days after

infusion????

~chris

CLL CANADA

[Guest guest]

sorry...i'm a bit confused...chemo brain already? lol...did

this show that those who had rituximab plus chemotherapy had

the 25% lower risk of overall mortality or vis-a-versa...

________________________________

According to this study the use of rituximab plus

chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone was associated

with a 25% lower risk of overall mortality .

Chris