Fludarabine and Rituxan – pro
Fludarabine has been major advance for CLL, alone or in combinations. Despite the observed success with fludarabine, only 20% of previously untreated CLL patients on fludarabine alone attain a CR, and virtually allof these patients eventually experience a relapse. One of the newer combinations is with Rituxan and it is NCCN recommended both for follicular lymphom and CLL in first line. Many new combinations that build on teh success of this regimens are being tested or already been widely adopted, among the latter is the FCR regimen: Fludara, Cytoxan and Rituxan.
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Fludarabine plus rituximab for untreated B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Blood, September 15, 2003; 102(6): 2309 – 2310.
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C. S. Tam and J. F. Seymour
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Blood, April 1, 2006; 107(7): 3013 – 3014.
M.S. Czuczman, A. Koryzna, A. Mohr, C. Stewart, K. Donohue, L. Blumenson, Z.P. Bernstein, P. McCarthy, A. Alam, F. Hernandez-Ilizaliturri, et al.
Rituximab in Combination With Fludarabine Chemotherapy in Low-Grade or Follicular Lymphoma
J. Clin. Oncol., February 1, 2005; 23(4): 694 – 704.