Dr. Epstein-Peterson on Pivotal Clinical Trials in MCL

Zachary Epstein-Peterson, MD, hematologist oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses pivotal clinical trials in the treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Several clinical trials in MCL have shaped the way patients are treated, including the phase 3 SHINE trial (NCT01776840), Epstein-Peterson says. The trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) given in combination with bendamustine and rituximab (Rituxan) in patients who are 65 years of age or older with newly diagnosed MCL. Notably, the SHINE trial has informed new practices for transplant-ineligible patients, Epstein-Peterson adds.

In the transplant-eligible population, cytarabine is an important backbone of therapy, specifically for patients with newly diagnosed, TP53 wild-type disease, Epstein-Peterson continues. The importance of rituximab maintenance post stem cell transplant has also been emphasized with recent trials and has become an important conversation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, Epstein-Peterson concludes.