RCHOP plus BTK inhibitor improves clinical outcomes in double expressor diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, unlike RCHOP plus lenalidomide

Background

Double-expressor diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DE-DLBCL) has a poor prognosis, and optimal treatment strategies remain unclear. This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of RCHOP, R2-CHOP (RCHOP plus lenalidomide), and RCHOP plus Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase inhibitors (BTKi) in DE-DLBCL treatment.

Methods

Data from 213 DE-DLBCL patients treated from January 2019 and February 2024. Among them, 112 received R-CHOP, 65 received R2-CHOP, and 36 received R-CHOP plus BTKi. We evaluated clinical characteristics, overall response rate (ORR), complete response (CR) rate, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse events (AEs) for each groups.

Results

Baseline characteristics were comparable across groups. ORRs were 95.5 % for R-CHOP, 96.9 % for R2-CHOP, and 97.2 % for R-CHOP plus BTKi, with CR rates of 76.5 %, 80 %, and 75 %, respectively. BTKi significantly improved PFS (p=0.033) but not affect OS (p=0.165). Lenalidomide showed no benefit in PFS (p=0.153) or OS (p=0.351). With median follow-up times of 20.6 months for R-CHOP, 23.5 months for R2-CHOP, and 17.6 months for R-CHOP plus BTKi, the 1-year PFS rates were 73.6 %, 82.2 %, and 93.3 %, and the 1-year OS rates were 96.2 %, 93.2 %, and 100 %, respectively. Grade 3–4 adverse events included leukopenia, neutropenia, and anemia, and thrombocytopenia, with no significant differences among groups.

Conclusion

The addition of BTK inhibitor enhances progression-free survival in DE-DLBCL, especially in advanced-stage patients, without introducing new severe adverse reactions. In contract, adding lenalidomide does not offer additional efficacy or survival benefits.