PACIFICO: Phase III multicentre trial comparing two different Rituximab-Chemotherapy induction regimens for Follicular Lymphoma in Older Patients

Funder: CRUK

Collaborating Investigators/Institutions: Professor A R Pettitt (PI); Dr C Tudur-Smith; Dr R Marcus; Dr S E Coupland; Mrs S Dodd; Professor P Williamson; Professor P W M Johnson

Project Summary: Rituximab (R)-chemotherapy combinations have emerged as the new standard of care for the first-line treatment of follicular lymphoma (FL). FL is the most common type of indolent non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the UK. It is incurable with conventional treatment and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The optimum R-chemotherapy combination for older/less fit patients remains undefined. R-FC (rituximab, fludarabine and cyclophosphamide) is an attractive option for this patient group owing to its high efficacy and acceptable toxicity in single-arm studies and the marked superiority of FC over CVP-like chemotherapy in several phase III trials of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), which is biologically similar to FL. The research aims to compare R-FC and R-CVP in older patients with symptomatic advanced-stage FL for response rates, progression-free survival

Links: http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN99217456/pacifico ; alternatively, see: http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/trials/trials-search/trial-looking-rituximab-chemotherapy-treatment-follicular-lymphoma-elderly-patients-pacifico