Dr. Abdulhaq on the Benefits of Chemotherapy-Free Options in DLBCL

Haifaa Abdulhaq, MD, an associate clinical professor in Hematology and Oncology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the director of hematology and the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program at UCSF Fresno, discusses the benefits of chemotherapy-free options in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

There is something to be said about the safety profile of tafasitamab and how it helps patients maintain quality of life, says Abdulhaq. Patients who have relapsed/refractory DLBCL and are transplant ineligible, are often older or have comorbidities. In this patient population, maintaining a balance between efficacy and a reasonable toxicity profile is essential, according to Abdulhaql; this is a benefit provided with tafasitamab. Lenalidomide (Revlimid) is another important chemotherapy-free, oral agent that provides value to these patients, concludes Abdulhaq.