Immediate Effective Treatment: A New Approach

According to Dr. Avigdor Avraham, the director of the Hematology Institute at the Sheba Medical Center, Israel has the highest incidence rates of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, with 19 patients per hundred thousand people. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas are a type of cancer derived from the lymphocyte cells of the immune system. They are typically divided into two categories: T-cell lymphomas, which are relatively rare, and B-lymphocyte lymphomas, which account for 90% of all non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. The most common subgroup of B lymphomas is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), which accounts for about 30-35 percent of all non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas.

DLBCL lymphoma can occur at any age, but the average age of diagnosis is 65, with the incidence rate increasing with age. The symptoms of lymphoma usually include enlargement of the lymph nodes, resulting in noticeable swelling in the neck, armpits, or groins. Other symptoms can include weakness, high fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Despite these challenges, Dr. Avigdor is hopeful about the potential for treatment and cure.

The goal – to bring about complete healing from the beginning of the journey

Although DLBCL lymphoma is aggressive, most patients can achieve a cure with standard treatment. This treatment, which combines a type of chemotherapy and biological treatment with a monoclonal antibody, has been the standard for the past 20 years. The treatment binds to the lymphoma cells and kills them, resulting in a complete cure for approximately 60% of patients. For the remaining 40% of patients who do not respond to this first line of treatment, additional treatments are necessary.

In recent years, new treatment options have been added to the first line of treatment, including an antibody conjugated to chemotherapy. This new combination has become the standard treatment in the United States and Europe, and it is hoped that it will soon be available in Israel.

Treatment of advanced lines

In addition to these first-line treatments, new medical technologies have been developed to help those patients who were unable to achieve a cure with standard treatment. One such technology is CAR-T cell treatment, which uses the patient’s immune system to attack and kill lymphoma cells. This treatment has shown promising results, curing approximately 40% of patients who did not respond to first-line treatment. This is a significant improvement over previous years, when the cure rate was only 10-20%.

As of today, only 60% of patients achieve a full cure with first-line treatment. However, there is hope for the remaining 40% thanks to the development of new technologies. Dr. Avigdor concludes by stating that if a patient does not respond to the first treatment, the prognosis is no longer as bleak as it was a decade ago. The choice of treatment is ultimately up to the prescribing physician in consultation with the patient.

Please note that this information is accurate as of January 2024. For more information, please contact your attending physician. This article is a public service provided by Roche Pharmaceuticals (Israel) Ltd.