Impact of immunochemotherapy regimens on outcomes of patients with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma in the IELSG37 trial

E Emanuele Zucca (Institute of Oncology Research, Bellinzona, Switzerland) L Luca Ceriani (2Institute of Oncology Research, Bellinzona, Switzerland) G Giovannino Ciccone (5Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Oncology Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino and Centro di Riferimento Regionale per l’Epidemiologia e la Prevenzione Oncologia Piemonte Piemonte, Turin, Italy) A Alice Di Rocco (6Division of Hematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy) M Maria Cristina Pirosa (1Clinic of Hematology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona, Switzerland) I Iryna Kriachok (7Onco-Hematology Department, National Cancer Institute, Kyiv, Ukraine) B Barbara Botto (8Department of Hematology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza, Turin, Italy) M Monica Balzarotti (9Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy) A Alessandra Tucci (10Department of Haematology, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy) S Sara Veronica Usai (11Unità Operativa Ematologia e Centro Trapianto di Midollo Osseo, Ospedale Oncologico Businco, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu, Cagliari, Italy) V Vittorio Ruggero Zilioli (12Division of Hematology, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy) E Elsa Pennese (13Unità Operativa Semplice Dipartimentale Centro Diagnosi e Terapia Linfomi, Presidio Ospedaliero Pescara, Pescara, Italy) L Luca Arcaini (Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy) A Anna Dabrowska-Iwanicka (16Department of Lymphoid Malignancies, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland) A Andrés J. M. Ferreri (IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute) F Francesco Merli (19Department of Hematology, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy) W Weili Zhao L Luigi Rigacci (21Department of Hematology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy) C Claudia Cellini (22Department of Hematology, Ospedale Santa Maria delle Croci, Ravenna, Italy) D David Hodgson C Codruta Ionescu (24Department of Radiation Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland) C Carla Minoia (25Department of Hematology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Istituto Tumori Giovanni Paolo II, Bari, Italy) E Elisa Lucchini (26Unit of Hematology, Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale, Udine, Italy) M Michele Spina (Centro di Riferimento Oncologico IRCCS, Aviano, Italy) A Alexander Fosså A Andrea Janíková (26Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic) K Kate Cwynarski (15Department of Haematology, University College London, London, United Kingdom) N N. George Mikhaeel (32Clinical Oncology Department, Guy’s Cancer Center, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom) M Mats Jerkeman A Anastasios Stathis (Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzoona, Switzerland) K Kelly Cozens (34Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom) N Nicoletta Ielmini (2Institute of Oncology Research, Bellinzona, Switzerland) I Iolanda De Martino (35Fondazione Italiana Linfomi Onlus, Alessandria, Italy) J Jan Walewski (16Department of Lymphoid Malignancies, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland) M Marek Trneny F Franco Cavalli (2Institute of Oncology Research, Bellinzona, Switzerland) U Umberto Ricardi P Peter W. M. Johnson (38Clinical Trials Unit, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom) A Andrew Davies M Maurizio Martelli (12Hematology Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Abstract The IELSG37 trial enrolled 545 patients with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) and demonstrated that consolidation radiotherapy (RT) can be omitted in patients with complete metabolic response, defined by the Lugano classification as Deauville score (DS) 1 to 3. This report evaluates outcomes after different frontline rituximab- and doxorubicin-based immunochemotherapy regimens chosen according to local practice. Patients treated with R-CHOP21 (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisolone, administered every 21 days) showed a significantly higher percentage of DS 5 than those on other regimens (23.8% vs 8.2% average; P < .001) and a trend toward additional unplanned treatments (53.2% vs 46.9%; P = .30). The increased risk of poor response was confirmed in a multinomial logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, international prognostic index score, and performance status. R-CHOP21 was also associated with smaller reductions in metabolic tumor volume and less pronounced decreases in maximum standardized uptake value. Patients with DS 5 more often received additional treatment (RT and/or salvage chemotherapy with or without autologous consolidation) after induction immunochemotherapy (96% vs 41%; P < .001) and experienced significantly poorer outcomes. Although differences in progression-free and overall survival between R-CHOP21 and more aggressive regimens were not statistically significant, R-CHOP21 may increase the risk of additional treatments and may be inadvisable as frontline therapy for PMBCL. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01599559.

Article Details

Journal Blood
Volume / Issue Vol. 146, Issue 23
Published December 04, 2025
Pages 2758-2764
ISSN 0006-4971
Publisher Elsevier BV

Journal Info

Blood

Elsevier BV

ISSN: 0006-4971 Health Sciences

Authors (40)

E

Emanuele Zucca

Institute of Oncology Research, Bellinzona, Switzerland

L

Luca Ceriani

2Institute of Oncology Research, Bellinzona, Switzerland

G

Giovannino Ciccone

5Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Oncology Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino and Centro di Riferimento Regionale per l’Epidemiologia e la Prevenzione Oncologia Piemonte Piemonte, Turin, Italy

A

Alice Di Rocco

6Division of Hematology, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

M

Maria Cristina Pirosa

1Clinic of Hematology, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzona, Switzerland

I

Iryna Kriachok

7Onco-Hematology Department, National Cancer Institute, Kyiv, Ukraine

B

Barbara Botto

8Department of Hematology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza, Turin, Italy

M

Monica Balzarotti

9Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy

A

Alessandra Tucci

10Department of Haematology, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy

S

Sara Veronica Usai

11Unità Operativa Ematologia e Centro Trapianto di Midollo Osseo, Ospedale Oncologico Businco, Azienda Ospedaliera Brotzu, Cagliari, Italy

V

Vittorio Ruggero Zilioli

12Division of Hematology, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy

E

Elsa Pennese

13Unità Operativa Semplice Dipartimentale Centro Diagnosi e Terapia Linfomi, Presidio Ospedaliero Pescara, Pescara, Italy

L

Luca Arcaini

Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy

A

Anna Dabrowska-Iwanicka

16Department of Lymphoid Malignancies, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland

A

Andrés J. M. Ferreri

IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute

F

Francesco Merli

19Department of Hematology, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy

W

Weili Zhao

L

Luigi Rigacci

21Department of Hematology, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy

C

Claudia Cellini

22Department of Hematology, Ospedale Santa Maria delle Croci, Ravenna, Italy

D

David Hodgson

C

Codruta Ionescu

24Department of Radiation Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

C

Carla Minoia

25Department of Hematology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Istituto Tumori Giovanni Paolo II, Bari, Italy

E

Elisa Lucchini

26Unit of Hematology, Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale, Udine, Italy

M

Michele Spina

Centro di Riferimento Oncologico IRCCS, Aviano, Italy

A

Alexander Fosså

A

Andrea Janíková

26Department of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

K

Kate Cwynarski

15Department of Haematology, University College London, London, United Kingdom

N

N. George Mikhaeel

32Clinical Oncology Department, Guy’s Cancer Center, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom

M

Mats Jerkeman

A

Anastasios Stathis

Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, Bellinzoona, Switzerland

K

Kelly Cozens

34Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom

N

Nicoletta Ielmini

2Institute of Oncology Research, Bellinzona, Switzerland

I

Iolanda De Martino

35Fondazione Italiana Linfomi Onlus, Alessandria, Italy

J

Jan Walewski

16Department of Lymphoid Malignancies, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland

M

Marek Trneny

F

Franco Cavalli

2Institute of Oncology Research, Bellinzona, Switzerland

U

Umberto Ricardi

P

Peter W. M. Johnson

38Clinical Trials Unit, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom

A

Andrew Davies

M

Maurizio Martelli

12Hematology Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy