Safety and efficacy of subcutaneous rituximab in previously untreated patients with CD20+ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma or follicular lymphoma: results from an Italian phase IIIb study

According to results of a phase 3b study of patients with CD20+ DLBCL or follicular lymphoma, switching from intravenous to subcutaneous rituximab was associated with a low risk of administration-related reactions and satisfactory response. Only 2 patients with DLBCL (2.8%) discontinued rituximab due to treatment-related adverse events, and 65.2% and 69.7% of patients with DLBCL had complete response (CR) and CR unconfirmed, respectively. At a median follow-up of 29.5 months, EFS, PFS, and OS were 70.8%, 70.8%, and 80.6% in patients with DLBCL, respectively.