Review article
Monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas
Ivo Radman
; Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Zagreb University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
Branka Petričević
; Department of Pathophysiology, Zagreb University Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies are an exciting advance in the treatment of lymphoma. They are safe and well-tolerated, and exhibit little cross-resistance with conventional chemotherapeutic agents. In indolent lymphomas, antibody has shown useful response rates both as first line therapy and in relapsed disease. Follicular lymphomas appear to be particularly sensitive to rituximab, and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia to alemtuzumab. In aggressive lymphomas, the addition of rituximab to CHOP chemotherapy significantly prolongs disease-free and overall survival compared to CHOP alone as first-line therapy. Novel agents, including radiolabelled antibodies are showing promise in phase I and II trials in a variety of clinical settings.
Keywords
monoclonal antibodies; lymphoma; immunotherapy
Hrčak ID:
281502
URI
Publication date:
7.12.2006.
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