Corrado, Claudia

TPS8118 Background: Effective DLBCL adjuvant therapy after first-line chemotherapy is needed as high-risk DLBCL is associated with a poor 4-year overall survival (OS) rate (Sehn et al, Blood 2007;109:1857-61). In a phase II study of the oral mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor everolimus in relapsed, aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma, DLBCL patients (n=47) had a 30% overall response rate (Witzig et al, Leukemia 2011;25:341-7). Methods: PILLAR-2 is an ongoing international, randomized, double-blind, phase 3 study designed to compare everolimus efficacy and safety with that of placebo in poor-risk DLBCL patients who achieved complete response (CR) with first-line rituximab-based chemotherapy (R-chemo) (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00790036; sponsor: Novartis Pharmaceuticals). Eligibility criteria include age ≥18 years; confirmed stage II bulky, III, or IV DLBCL and International Prognostic Index 3-5 at diagnosis; confirmed CR per revised International Workshop Response Criteria for malignant lymphoma (Cheson et al, J Clin Oncol 2007;25:579-86) after first-line R-chemo regimen completed 6-14 weeks before study drug start; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≤2; no ongoing or post–R-chemo radiation; and no myelosuppressive chemotherapy or biologic therapy within 3 weeks. Patients are randomized 1:1 to everolimus 10 mg once daily or matching placebo and treated for 12 months or until disease relapse, unacceptable toxicity, or death. Radiologic tumor assessment is performed at baseline, every 12 weeks during years 1 and 2, every 24 weeks during years 3 and 4, and annually thereafter until start of new anticancer therapy or 5 years after last patient randomization. The primary endpoint is disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary endpoints are OS, lymphoma-specific survival, and safety. Expected enrollment is 687 patients. Final analysis will be performed when 279 DFS events occur; survival follow-up will continue until 338 deaths occur and the last randomized patient has been followed for ≥5 years. Currently, 422 patients are enrolled. The data monitoring committee last reviewed the trial in July 2011 and recommended that it continue as planned.