Dr. Ansell on Promising Combinations Being Studied in MCL

Stephen M. Ansell, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, Mayo Clinic, discusses promising combinations in the pipeline for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

There are several clinical trials exploring combination regimens in MCL, one of which is lenalidomide (Revlimid) and rituximab (Rituxan) in the frontline setting, Ansell explains. The exciting part of this study, he adds, is that the response rates have been high in patients receiving the combination. This has also challenged researchers' thinking that they only need to use aggressive treatments.

Immunotherapy could also have potential in treating these patients, he says. The current challenge, however, is that there are little data on how well immune checkpoint therapies work in MCL. Prior clinical studies included a small portion of patients with MCL, and there has not really been an MCL-focused trial. Many trials are ongoing, so longer follow-up will determine whether this is a promising treatment, he adds.