Rituximab-Lenalidomide(R2) Maintenance Is Superior to Rituximab Maintenance after First Line Immunochemotherapy in Mantle Cell Lymphoma: Results of the MCL R2 Elderly Clinical Trial

Background: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) formally remains an incurable disease. After immunochemotherapy induction, rituximab (R) maintenance can prolong remission duration, but most patients are highly exposed to relapse. The chemotherapy-free combination of lenalidomide and rituximab combo (R2) has demonstrated its activity in MCL, but has never been used as maintenance after immunochemotherapy and never been compared to RM. In the MCL R2 Elderly clinical trial (EUDRACT: 2012-002542-20), we studied different induction regimens and randomized R and R2 maintenance in responders to first-line induction. Here the results of the maintenance phase are reported.