Results of R-CHOP and R-CHOP + interleukin-2 regimens in first-line therapy in patients with diffuse B-cell lymphoma

Abstract

The study was made to evaluate the effect of interleukin-2 (IL-2) as part of the R-CHOP regimen on the rate of a complete metabolic response (CMR) using the data of interim positron emission tomography (PET/CT) and progression-free survival compared to the standard regimen in patients with diffuse B-cell lymphoma (DCLC). The data of 152 patients with biopsy-proven DCLC who were treated in the period 2015–2020 were included. Among them, 59 patients were included in the prospective group (R-CHOP + IL-2 in a total course dose of 5,000,000 IU). The control group consisting of 93 patients received standard R-CHOP therapy. PET/CT was performed after 4 courses of therapy, metabolic response was assessed using the Deauville scale, and Deauville 1-2 was classified as CMR. The rate of CMR in the R-CHOP+IL-2 group was 67.8 %, while in the control group it was 50.5 % (pχ² = 0.044). The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) in the R-CHOP+IL-2 and R-CHOP groups was 80.7 and 64.5 %, respectively (p = 0.04). In the favorable and intermediate prognosis groups (IPI 0–3), PFS was not statistically significantly different depending on treatment. At high risk (IPI 4–5), the 5-year PFS in the R-CHOP + IL-2 and R-CHOP groups was 71.4 and 25.0 %, respectively (p = 0.02). Including IL-2 in the R-CHOP regimen in the first-line treatment of patients with DCLC increases the incidence of CMR according to 18-FDG PET/CT after 4 courses of chemoimmunotherapy and PFS in the high-risk group.