mantle cell | Effectiveness of a new treatment

Effectiveness of a new treatment

Professor Catherine Thieblement, head of service Dermatology-oncology Àl'hôpital Saint-Louis, in Paris Professor Catherine Thieblement, head of service Dermatology-oncology Àl'hôpital Saint-Louis, in Paris
Michael Blake
Professor Catherine Thieblement, head of service Dermatology-oncology Àl'hôpital Saint-Louis, in Paris, explains the action of a targeted therapy against chronic lymphotide leukemia.

Paris Match. What are the characteristics of lymphatic cancers?
Prof. Catherine Taylor. Cancers of the lymph nodes, or lymphomas, develop from lymphocytes (white blood cells). There are about 10 000 to 12 000 per year. Among them, Lymphoïdechronique leukemia (LLC) represents 3 000 new annual cases.

What symptoms are suspected of developing an LLC?
It is suspected when the lymph nodes appear at the neck, under the arms or in the groin, associated with an increase in the number of white blood cells (blood balance). Great fatigue, night sweats, fever can also be present. This form of cancer most often reaches people over 65 years of age.

How do I obtain a definitive diagnosis?
It is established with the analysis of lymphocytes, thanks to the blood sample.

Is there a familial predisposition to the occurrence of lymphoma?
In cases of chronic lymphoid leukemia, there appears to be a predisposition with a three-fold risk if a family member is reached. For the other types, there was a suspicion of a link with certain microbial agents (e.g. Helicobacter pylori for certain stomach lymphomas).

The results indicated a clear superiority of its effectiveness with an improvement rate of 85% compared to 25%
What results are we getting?
This protocol allows a remission in about 70% of the patients. Unfortunately, relapses are inevitable.

Tell us about the new hope-bearing treatment. The drug is a detyrosine kinase inhibitor. Its action is different from chemotherapy because it acts within the cancer cell itself.

In what way?
By stopping the survival signal that the malignant cell receives through the B receiver located on its envelope. This signal, reached inside, is propagated by enzymes called "kinases". The inhibitor interrupts the signal, causing the cell to die. It is an oral treatment (3 to 4 tablets per day), less toxic than chemotherapy.

Are there any side effects?
The treatment is well tolerated. Cases of diarrhea and transient hematomas have been exceptionally reported.

Have any studies shown its effectiveness?
Two studies have been done. The first was conducted on 391 patients with LLC. The new drug was compared to conventional treatment. The results indicated a clear superiority of its efficacy with an improvement rate of 85% versus 25%, which represents a 78% decrease in the risk of disease progression. The second study was carried out on 111 patients with "mantle cell lymphoma". The new treatment yielded 68% improvement in patients already treated