Rituximab and Combination Chemotherapy in Treating Older Patients With Previously Untreated B-Cell Lymphoma

Overview

RATIONALE: Monoclonal antibodies, such as rituximab, can block cancer growth in different ways. Some find cancer cells and kill them or carry cancer-killing substances to them. Others interfere with the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving rituximab together with combination chemotherapy may kill more cancer cells. PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving rituximab together with combination chemotherapy works in treating older patients with previously untreated B-cell lymphoma.

OBJECTIVES: Primary * Determine a pharmacokinetic profile for pharmacokinetics-based or rituximab within a CHOP-14 regimen comprising cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine, and prednisone in elderly patients with previously untreated aggressive B-cell lymphoma. * To determine whether increased single-doses of rituximab for males can compensate their lower serum levels. * Evaluate the safety and toxicity profile of this regimen in male patients. Secondary * Determine the rate of complete responses, primary progressions under therapy, event-free survival, progression-free survival, and overall survival in patients treated with this regimen. * Determine the rate of primary progression in patients treated with this regimen. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. All patients undergo the following treatment. * Prephase treatment: Patients receive vincristine subcutaneously on day -6 and oral prednisone on days -6 to 0. * Immunochemotherapy and radiotherapy: Patients receive CHOP chemotherapy comprising cyclophosphamide IV over 15 minutes, doxorubicin hydrochloride IV, and vincristine IV on day 1 and oral prednisone once daily on days 1-5. Patients also receive pegfilgrastim subcutaneously on days 4, 18, 32, 46, 60, and 74. Treatment with CHOP chemotherapy repeats every 14 days for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients who show no response after course 4 of CHOP chemotherapy proceed to salvage chemotherapy off study. Patients are evaluated 2-4 weeks after completion of CHOP. Patients with initial bulky disease (i.e., diameter ≥ 7.5 cm) or extranodal involvement AND achieving complete remission (CR), unconfirmed CR (CRu), or partial remission undergo radiotherapy 5 days a week for 4 weeks. Patients who do not achieve CR or CRu 2 months after completion of radiotherapy proceed to salvage chemotherapy off study. Patients are then stratified according to center, International Prognostic Index (1-2 vs 3-5), disease involvement (bulky vs extranodal vs bulky and/or extranodal), age (61-70 years old vs 71-80 years old), and gender. Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. * Arm I (2-weekly rituximab): Patients receive rituximab IV 375 mg/m\^2 (females) and 500 mg/m\^2 (males) over 4 hours on days 0, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, 84, and 98. Patients also receive pegfilgrastim subcutaneously on day 4 of each course. * Arm II (pharmacokinetic-based dose-dense rituximab): Patients receive rituximab IV 375 mg/m\^2 (females) and 500 mg/m\^2 (males) over 4 hours on days -1, 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 42. Patients also receive pegfilgrastim subcutaneously on day 4 of each course. Some patients undergo blood sample collection periodically during and after treatment for pharmacokinetic studies. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years, every 6 months for 3 years, and then once a year therafter.