These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Complete remission of a primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma of the lower leg by first-line monotherapy with the CD20-antibody rituximab.
    Author: Bonnekoh B, Schulz M, Franke I, Gollnick H.
    Journal: J Cancer Res Clin Oncol; 2002 Mar; 128(3):161-6. PubMed ID: 11935303.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Rituximab is a genetically engineered antibody recognizing the CD20 antigen known to be expressed by more than 95% of B-cell lymphomas. Recently the antibody has been approved for routine administration in primary extracutaneous, treatment-refractory or relapsed low-grade, follicular non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas. With regard to the pathogenetically related primary cutaneous lymphomas, the so-called large B-cell lymphoma of the leg represents a distinct, but rare subentity. In an 89-year-old, multimorbid patient who was affected by such a non-resectable CD20+ large B-cell lymphoma limited to the skin of both lower legs, rituximab was used as a first-line monotherapy in order to avoid local or systemic toxicities inevitably linked to conventional treatment modalities, i.e., radio- or chemotherapy. METHODS: Rituximab was administered at a dosage of 375 mg/m(2) i.v. eight times in weekly intervals. As a premedication we used prednisolone 150 mg i.v. as well as loratadine 10 mg p.o. 1 h before each rituximab infusion. RESULTS: The treatment was well tolerated without any adverse reactions, but was accompanied by a mild transient blood eosinophilia. The histologically proven, exophytic, multi-nodular lymphoma showed a substantial regression already at 2 weeks after the onset of the rituximab treatment. At 8 weeks we observed a complete clinical remission which is now stabile for a follow-up period of 6 months without any maintenance therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Our case observation demonstrates that an intensified, i.e. eightfold, rituximab application in weekly intervals may be a highly effective, tumor target cell-specific first-line monotherapy in the management of primary cutaneous large B-cell lymphoma of the leg. Given the rareness of the disease, the result as well as the possible contribution of the prednisolone premedication will have to be evaluated in a future, controlled, multi-centre study.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]