Video

Dr. Xavier on Recent Updates in DLBCL

Marin F. Xavier, MD, discusses recent updates in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma based on data from the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting.

Marin F. Xavier, MD, hematologist and oncologist, Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses recent updates in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) based on data from the 2021 ASCO Annual Meeting.

During the meeting, findings from the long-term analysis of the phase 2 L-MIND trial (NCT02399085) were presented, Xavier says. The results continued to demonstrate that treatment with tafasitamab-cxix (Monjuvi) plus lenalidomide (Revlimid) followed by tafasitamab monotherapy elicited durable responses at a median follow-up of 33.9 months in patients with transplant-ineligible, relapsed/refractory DLBCL, Xavier explains. The degree of response observed in the study had not been seen before in this patient population, Xavier adds. 

Additionally, findings from subgroup analyses of the phase 2 LOTIS-2 trial (NCT03589469) were presented during the meeting. The findings confirmed that patients with heavily pretreated DLBCL derived durable responses with loncastuximab tesirine (Zynlonta) when administered at the recommended phase 2 dose. Prior to these results, on April 23, 2021, the FDA approved loncastuximab tesirine for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma following 2 or more lines of systemic therapy, including DLBCL not otherwise specified, DLBCL arising from low-grade lymphoma, and high-grade B-cell lymphoma.

Notably, based on these findings, it will be interesting to further understand the effects treatment with CD19-directed therapy has on the utility of CAR T-cell therapy, Xavier adds. The question of how bridging with CAR T-cell therapy affects the efficacy of potentially-curative cellular therapies remains unanswered, Xavier says. However, having a palliative treatment option that controls disease without the need for stem cell transplant is welcome in DLBCL, Xavier concludes.

Related Videos
Viktor Grünwald, MD, PhD
Aaron Gerds, MD
Christine M. Lovly, MD, PhD, Ingram Associate Professor of Cancer Research, associate professor, medicine (hematology/oncology), Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Haeseong Park, MD, MPH
David L. Porter, MD
Timothy Yap, MBBS, PhD, FRCP
Leo I. Gordon, MD, Abby and John Friend Professor of Oncology Research, professor, medicine (hematology and oncology), Feinberg School of Medicine, Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center
Hetty E. Carraway, MD, MBA, staff associate professor, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University; member, Immune Oncology Program, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center; vice chair, Strategy and Enterprise Development, Taussig Cancer Institute, Division of Hematologic Oncology and Blood Disorders, Cleveland Clinic
David A. Braun, MD, PhD, assistant professor, medicine (medical oncology), Louis Goodman and Alfred Gilman Yale Scholar, member, Center of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Yale Cancer Center
Julia Foldi, MD, PhD