For Immediate Release 
December 8, 2007 at 5:30 pm

 BUFFALO, NY – Myron S. Czuczman, MD, Departments of Medicine and Immunology, at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, will present an update of the completed database from a phase I/II study showing the clinical efficacy, without cardiac toxicity, of Rituxan and Doxil in patients with relapsing or refractory B-cell lymphoma, at the 49^th Annual Meeting & Exposition of the American Society of Hematology, December 8, at 5:30 pm*, in the Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA.

Dr. Czuczman and colleagues designed a formal phase I/II clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combining Rituxan (R) and Doxil (D) in this patient population based on in vitro data demonstrating synergistic activity between R and D.

Thirty-six of 42 patients have been enrolled in the study. Preliminary data show an overall response rate of 64% (42% complete response and 22% partial response), and responses have been equally distributed between indolent and aggressive histologies. The combination appears to be well-tolerated by patients, with manageable side effects. No clinical cardiotoxicity was seen and comparison of pre- and post-treatment left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) calculations remained greater than 50% in all patients completing therapy.

Dr. Czuczman concludes that, “R plus D immunotherapy is a unique, well-tolerated, non-cardiotoxic and effective salvage therapy for patients with either indolent or aggressive relapsed B-cell lymphoma.” 

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. Roswell Park has affiliate sites and collaborative programs in New York, Pennsylvania, and in China. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

*Dr. Czuczman’s presentation (Abstract 1369) will be part of a Poster Session titled, “Lymphoma: Chemotherapy, excluding Pre-Clinical Models – Indolent Lymphoma, Rare Lymphoma Subtypes, and Innovative Chemotherapy,” Board #523-I, December 8, 5:30-7:30 pm.

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