Dr. Foss on Pursuing New Therapeutic Options in T-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Francine Foss, MD, professor of medicine, Yale School of Medicine, discusses pursing new therapeutic options for the treatment of patients with T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

Although more than 60% of patients with aggressive T-cell NHL achieve a complete remission (CR), the rest have primary refractory disease and cannot move on to undergo transplant without additional therapy, according to Foss. Newer agents are under investigation to address this need, Foss says. For example, the incorporation of oral therapy in this setting could be promising, as most patients have already received aggressive chemotherapy, Foss adds.

Furthermore, those who relapse, either later in the course of their disease or if they have not undergone transplant, need additional therapy options. Allogeneic stem cell transplant or CAR T-cell therapies can be utilized to cure some of these patients, Foss says. It is important to pursue effective therapies that can induce CRs, even in the relapsed and refractory settings, Foss concludes.