Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. According to Hans' algorithms, DLBCL can be identified as 2 subtypes: germinal b-cell-like(GCB) and non-germinal b-cell-like(non-GCB). Approximately 50 to 60% of diffuse large-B cell lymphoma(DLBCL) was non-GCB subtype DLBCL. Although the introduction of rituximab in immunochemotherapy has dramatically improved the outcome of patients with DLBCL, The survival was still poor in non-GCB DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP.~The LNH03-2B study has shown that R-ACVBP regimen gave a longer PFS (93% vs. 74% at 3 years, p=0.0074) and a longer OS (97% vs. 83% at 3 years, p=0.0067) than R-CHOP in young patients with non-GCB DLBCL. It also showed that R-ACVBP regimen gave a longer PFS (87% vs. 73% at 3 years, p=0.0074) and a longer OS (92% vs. 84% at 3 years, p=0.0067) than R-CHOP in young low-intermediate risk DLBCL patients. The LNH2003-3 study has shown that in high-risk (2/3 IPI factors) DLBCL patients treated with R-ACVBP followed by auto-ASCT results in a 74% PFS and 76% OS. Hematological toxic effects of the intensive regimen were raised but manageable.~The CALGB study showed that in DLBCL patients at least 18 years of age and at least stage II, DA-EPOCH-R regimen is effective in both GCB and non-GCB subtypes, with a 5-years TTP 67%, EFS 58% and OS 68% in non-GCB subtype DLBCL. It is encouraging that PETHEMA Group study showed that in the long-term follow-up of untreated DLBCL patients with poor prognosis, DA-EPOCH-R achieved a 70.8% EFS and 76.4% OS at 10 years in non-GCB subtype DLBCL.~However the efficacy of R-ACVBP compared to DA-EPOCH-R in patients with newly diagnosed non-germinal b-cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma remains unknown. All the above-mentioned results led us to propose a randomized trial comparing R-ACVBP to DA-EPOCH-R in previously untreated patients with non-GCB DLBCL.
This is a randomized, open-label, multi-center, phase 3 study evaluating the efficacy of R-ACVBP and DA-EPOCH-R in patients with newly diagnosed non-germinal b-cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma