Fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Abstract

BACKGROUND. The combination of fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FC-R) shows significant in vitro synergism and may improve patient outcome with little overlapping toxicity. METHODS. Between December 2000 and June 2005, 77 patients completed therapy after a median of 4 cycles of FC-R (fludarabine at a dose of 25 mg/m2 intravenously [i.v.] on Days 1-3, cyclophosphamide at a dose of 250 mg/m2 i.v. on Days 1-3, and rituximab at a dose of 375 mg/m2 on Day 1). The median age of the patients was 59 years, 65% were male; 31% had previously untreated disease; and 44% had chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), 29% had follicular lymphoma, and 27% other indolent lymphoid malignancies. In addi..