Obinutuzumab- and rituximab-chemotherapy reduced lymphoma-related symptoms and treatment-related side effects, thus improving health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for patients with previously untreated, advanced follicular lymphoma (FL), according results from the GALLIUM study (Ann Hematol. 2020. doi:10.1007/s00277-020-04021-6).
“Meaningful improvements in [HRQoL] and the effect that serious or persistent treatment-related symptoms have on patients are important factors to consider, notably with the increased chances of prolonged survival following treatment,” wrote Andrew Davies, PhD, Cancer Research UK Centre, Southampton, and colleagues.
The phase 3 GALLIUM trial randomized 1202 patients in a 1:1 ratio to receive induction therapy with either obinutuzumab- (n = 601) or rituximab-chemotherapy (n = 601) and maintenance in responders.
The Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment-Lymphoma questionnaire was used to assess HRQoL at baseline, during induction, maintenance, and follow-up (maximum 84 months).
Overall, 557 (92.7%) patients in the obinutuzumab-chemotherapy arm and 548 (91.2%) in the rituximab-chemotherapy arm completed all Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment-Lymphoma scales at baseline.
The mean HRQoL remained similar in both arms over the course of treatment. Both arms achieved minimally important difference by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment-Lymphoma lymphoma-specific subscale and summary scales throughout induction, maintenance, and follow-up. Roughly 50% of patients in each arm achieved minimally important difference by maintenance month 2.
“In GALLIUM, similar improvements in health-related quality of life were seen with obinutuzumab- and rituximab-chemotherapy, suggesting that both treatments reduced lymphoma-related symptoms, and treatment-related side effects did not abrogate these improvements in well-being,” Dr Davies and colleagues concluded.—Lisa Kuhns
