Lymphoid Malignancy Treatment Considerations

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In July 2014, the HDAC inhibitor belinostat gained FDA approval as a treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). The approval was based on results from the phase II BELIEF trial, which demonstrated an overall response rate (ORR) of 26% with second-line belinostat. However, the true potential for this therapy is in combination strategies, notes Steven M. Horowitz, MD.

Other novel agent, such as dasatinib and PI3 kinase inhibitors, are also being explored in PTCL, Horowitz adds. These agents have demonstrated promise in early phase clinical trials. At this point, it remains unclear whether targeting a specific isoform of PI3K is most effective, notes Anas Younes, MD.

Novel therapies are set to revolutionize the treatment of patients with lymphoid malignancies. These next step for research will be selection criteria, such as biomarkers and genetics, believes Younes. In the future, the emphasis will not be on the malignancies, but rather the genetics, adds Lauren C. Pinter-Brown, MD. These advances further emphasize the need for well-organized clinical trials, suggests Andrei R. Shustov, MD.