Phase II Study of Rituximab in Combination With CHOP Chemotherapy in Patients With Previously Untreated, Aggressive Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

This is the first report to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the Rituxan chimeric anti-CD20 antibody in combination with standard-dose CHOP in the treatment of aggressive B-cell lymphoma. The clinical responses are at least comparable to those achieved with CHOP alone with no significant added toxicity. The presence or absence of the bcl-2 translocation did not affect the ability of patients to achieve a CR with this regimen. The ability to achieve sustained remissions in patients with an IPI score > or = 2 warrants further investigation with a randomized study.