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In the October issue of Prescrire International:
Rituximab in lymphoma maintenance therapy

FREE DOWNLOADFavourable short-term results need longer-term confirmation in terms of effects on survival. They also need to be weighed against the risk of serious adverse effects: infections, cardiac and gastrointestinal disorders.
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Abstract

  • In patients with advanced stage follicular lymphoma, initial treatment with rituximab plus the CHOP or mini-CHOP chemotherapy regimen increases recurrence-free survival time but not overall survival.
  • Available short-term results, although encouraging, are insufficient to judge the impact of rituximab on overall survival.
  • Serious risks: rituximab maintenance therapy exposes patients to serious adverse effects, including infections and cardiac and gastrointestinal disorders.