What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 68 patients with lymphoma. The study was sponsored by National Cancer Institute (NCI) and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was mid-stage testing (phase 2/3). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
95–100% of patients were alive and cancer-free after 6–7 years on this gentler regimen.
The New England journal of medicine · 2013 · NCT00006436
These findings — that nearly all patients survived long-term with this gentler chemotherapy approach — were published in the The New England journal of medicine and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 68 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with lymphoma, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
This was a mid-stage study showing promising results with EPOCH-R. The treatment combines several existing chemotherapy drugs with rituximab in a lower-intensity approach. These drugs are FDA-approved for various lymphomas, and this combination may be available through specialized cancer centers. Ask your oncologist whether this regimen or similar approaches are options for your situation.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open lymphoma trials
Current Practice of Ventilation Strategies in Children Undergoing General Anesthesia
Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) are common in children undergoing general anesthesia and are associated with prolonged stay in the hospital and high costs. Development of PPCs is associated with ventilator settings in adult patients undergoing general anesthesia. Data on perioperative ventilator settings in children are lacking, leaving the anaesthetist without guidance. Consequently, the current standard of care in perioperative mechanical ventilation in children is expected to be extremely heterogeneous, leading to ventilation with higher levels of energy than necessary. Therefore, it is highly necessary to evaluate the current practice in perioperative ventilation in children and to determine associations with PPCs.
Zanubrutinib With Obinutuzumab in Untreated Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia or Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma
The goal of this phase II randomized open label study is to compare the rate of complete remission (CR) with undetectable minimal residual disease (uMRD) obtained with zanubrutinib in combination with obinutuzumab with two different schedules of administration of obinutuzumab (starting obinutuzumab at cycle 2 or 12 months) in patients with previously untreated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) or Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL). There is scarce information about which is the most appropriate schedule of combining the BTKi and the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, and whether treatment can be safely stopped in those patients attaining deep responses (CR with uMRD) remains to be determined. Response will be assessed after 20 cycles of treatment for the primary objective of the study. Patients attaining uMRD will stop treatment with zanubrutinib, whereas the rest of patients will continue on treatment with zanubrutinib until progression, unacceptable toxicity, or trial completion, whichever comes first.