BSH 2022 | Can we offer a curative treatment to transplant-ineligible R/R DLBCL patients?
Wendy Osborne, MBBS (Hons), MRCP, FRCPath, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle, UK, shares some insights into the possibility of offering a curative treatment to patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-SCT). First, Dr Osborne highlights the need to understand why a patient may not be fit for auto-SCT, and the importance of using this information to guide second-line therapy. Dr Osborne then discusses other treatment options for transplant-ineligible patients that offer durable responses, such as polatuzumab vedotin, bendamustine, rituximab (pola-BR), and the possibility of considering these patients as cured. However, Dr Osborne emphasizes the importance of being cautious when using the term ‘cured’ for patients with R/R disease, and ensuring that realistic conversations are had with patients and family members in this setting. This interview took place at the 62nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Society for Haematology (BSH) 2022, in Manchester, UK.
