Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - rituximab

Summary

NICE has made the following recommendations about the use of rituximab (Mab Thera) to treat aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

NICE has recommended that rituximab and the CHOP combination of chemotherapy medicines (a combination of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisolone) should be the first treatment considered for people with diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma that is at stage 2, 3 or 4. (These people should have CD20 on their B cells – see full guidance document.)

Rituximab is not recommended for people who are unable to have chemotherapy with the CHOP combination.

NICE has said that rituximab should only be used in people with diffuse large-B-cell lymphoma in stage 1 if they are being treated as part of a clinical study. This is because, at present, there isn’t enough evidence that rituximab works well or that it works well enough considering its cost in this group of people for it to be used routinely.

The last recommendation from NICE is that treatment with rituximab and CHOP should be supervised by a doctor who has specialised in the treatment of lymphomas.

Documents

For healthcare professionals

• TA65 Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - rituximab: Summary
• TA65 Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - rituximab: Guidance

For patients, carers and the public

• TA65 Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - rituximab: Information for the public

Background information

• Review decision
• Review proposal
• 2003/046 NICE recommends rituximab for aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
• Assessment Report: Rituximab (MabThera) for aggressive non Hodgkin's lymphoma: systematic review

Implementing this guidance

Any further information NICE has produced to help the NHS implement this guideline locally is linked to below:

• None found