Does 8 cycles of R-CHOP lead to better survival than 6 cycles for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma?

This study examined whether 6 or 8 cycles of R-CHOP-21 (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone) chemotherapy led to better survival outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. This study concluded that outcomes following 6 or 8 cycles of R-CHOP-21 are similar for these patients.

R-CHOP-21 is the current standard treatment for adults with diffuse large-B cell lymphoma. This regimen is administered over 21 days (3 weeks). Previous research has typically involved 8 cycles of chemotherapy. However, 6 cycles are more commonly used in clinical practice. Whether 8 cycles leads to better survival outcomes compared to 6 cycles in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is unclear.

This study compared the impact of 8 versus 6 cycles of R-CHOP on survival outcomes in adults with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. This study involved 1170 patients. 87% of patients received six cycles and 13% received eight cycles of treatment. The average follow-up period was 5 years.

Eight cycles of treatment were not associated with a significantly improved overall survival compared to six cycles. Overall, the probability of survival after 5 years was similar for patients treated with six cycles (74%) or eight cycles (72%).

To adjust for differences in the patient population, 157 patients from each group were also compared. The probability of survival after 5 years remained similar for patients treated with six cycles (76%) or eight cycles (72%).

No difference in survival outcomes were observed based on age or disease risk status (low versus high-risk).

This study concluded that 6 or 8 cycles of R-CHOP-21 are similarly effective for patients with newly diagnosed diffuse large-B cell lymphoma.

This study was retrospective, meaning it looked back in time to analyze data. Also, patients who received 8 cycles of R-CHOP had slightly poorer disease status than patients who received 6 cycles.