A great advance has just been made in the treatment of lymphomas. A global study, led by Professor Tilly from the Becquerel center in Rouen (Seine-Maritime), has discovered a very promising new treatment.
Professor Hervé Tilly is an eminent hematologist from the Center Henri Becquerel de Rouen. For several years, he piloted a study on the treatment of certain lymphomas. The results are very encouraging and have been published in the prestigious journal The new England journal of medicine. The article was titled « Polatuzumab Vedotin in previously untreated diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma ».
Lymphomas are cancers of the lymph and lymph nodes. It is sixth incidence of cancer in France (after cancers of the breast, prostate, lungs, etc.). In all, approximately 16,000 new patients are affected by this disease each year in the country. There are several types of lymphoma.
The most common is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. It is an aggressive lymphoma, which represents approximately 45% of lymphomas and it is very scalable. We can die from it if we are not treated. It is on this type of cancer that the study focused.
For 20 years, he has been treated with chemotherapy and the administration of an antibody. With this treatment the chances of recovery are around 65%. The treatment proposed in Professor Tilly’s study allowed a 27% decrease in relapses and deaths. This new drug contains a specific antibody which recognizes lymphoma cells and which is coupled: a molecule of chemotherapy is attached to it, which it will bring specifically to the cancerous cell, where the previous treatment affected all the cells. Only the diseased cell is treated.
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Our journalist went to meet Professor Tilly in Becquerel. He detailed this clinical trial:
« The study was conducted internationally: 23 countries participated. Nearly 900 patients were included in this study. France played an important role in this because there is the LISA network in our country: a group of doctors who deal with lymphoma. In France, 45 hospitals including the Henri Becquerel center took part in this trial. This patient network is quite unique in the world. »
Up to 40% of patients receiving the standard R-CHOP regimen for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma have refractory disease or relapse. A modified regimen might improve outcomes. New research findings are summarized in a short video. https://t.co/WZ0xuPhotS pic.twitter.com/cO0I6nOj95
– NEJM (@NEJM) January 29, 2022
What was the study about?
“The trial involved replacing one of the old treatments. For 20 years, there was no benefit in the treatment of lymphoma. It was important to look for a drug that could lead to a gain. This new drug will specifically target lymphoma cells. In this new combination, it was compared to the old treatment and it is shown that there is more efficacy with this treatment and there is no more toxicity with this targeted treatment. »
Will this treatment soon be offered to patients in France?
” We hope ! He still has steps to go. We have to take a step back from the data, the agencies also have to see the file and we have to offer the possibility of using it and reimbursing it. »
What was the role of the patients who participated in this protocol?
“We especially thank the patients who participate in the clinical trials. It is not easy because these are new treatments with the possibility of significant side effects and whose effectiveness is not always known. In this trial, two treatments were randomly selected. The patients didn’t know what treatment they were having, I didn’t either. We must thank these patients who give hope for them but also in a very supportive way vis-à-vis the next patients. »
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A reciprocal recognition as evidenced by this patient whose examination results are reassuring today: “In my family, we have always had a medical problem. I have always donated my blood, it was after a blood donation that my cancer was detected. I’ve always wanted to give thanks to medicine in my own way. This is my way of thanking the medical world. I never hesitated, I said yes right away. ” precise Annette, patient followed by Professor Tilly.
If this new treatment is validated by the drug agency and the ministry, it will take at least a year before it is put on the market. If so, this treatment will be given to all patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
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