Efficacy and tolerability of reduced-dose 21-day cycle rituximab and cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone therapy for elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Rituximab combined with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone (R-CHOP) is regarded as the first-line treatment for elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), but it is often necessary to reduce the dose or prolong the intervals between doses. In our center, dose reduction is performed with elderly patients with DLBCL on an individual basis: for patients in their 70s and 80s, the initial CHOP dose is reduced to 70% and 50%, respectively, and the subsequent doses are adjusted so that the patients receive, at 21-day intervals, the highest dose they can tolerate (reduced-dose R-CHOP21). To verify this practice, a retrospective analysis was performed. Between January 2004 and January 2011, 109 >= 70-year-old patients with DLBCL received reduced-dose R-CHOP21 with curative intent. The 2-year overall survival rates of the 70-79-and >= 80-year-old patients were 75.2% and 64.6%, respectively. Of 35 deaths, 20 were due to disease progression and five were related to treatment toxicity. Multivariate analysis revealed that an age of 75-79 years and an age of 80 years or older were associated with shorter survival. Given that many patients had poor performance status and comorbidities, reduced-dose R-CHOP21 may provide a reasonable balance between efficacy and tolerability for elderly patients with DLBCL.