Consolidation with (90)Y ibritumomab tiuxetan radioimmunotherapy in mantle cell lymphoma patients ineligible for high dose therapy: results of the phase II multicentre Polish Lymphoma Research Group trial, after 8-year long follow-up

Polish Lymphoma Research Group performed a phase-II trial to test whether (90)Y ibritumomab tiuxetan radioimmunotherapy (Y90) may constitute an alternative consolidation for mantle cell lymphoma patients unfit for high-dose therapy. Forty-six patients were consolidated with Y90 following response to the 1st (n = 34) or 2nd line (n = 12) (immuno)chemotherapy. Majority of the patients had advanced disease (stage IV and presence of B-symptoms in 85% and 70%, respectively) and high MIPI (5.8, range 4-7). Consolidation with Y90 increased the complete remission (CR) rate obtained by the 1st line therapy from 41% to 91% and allowed for median PFS of 3.3 and OS of 6.5 years. In the first relapse, CR rate increased from 16% to 75%, while median PFS and OS totaled 2.2 and 6.5 years, respectively. At 8 years, 30% of patients, consolidated in the 1st line CR were alive, without relapse. Toxicity associated with Y90 is manageable, more severe after fludarabine-based regimens.