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A Trial Looking at Rituximab and Chemotherapy as a Treatment for Follicular Lymphoma in Elderly Patients

Purine-Alkylator Combination In Follicular Lymphoma Immuno-Chemotherapy for Older Patients: a Phase III Comparison of First-line R-CVP Versus R-FC

Status
Completed
Phases
Phase 3
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT01303887
Acronym
PACIFICO
Enrollment
680
Registered
2011-02-25
Start date
2009-10-31
Completion date
2023-05-11
Last updated
2025-04-18

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Follicular Lymphoma

Keywords

PACIFICO, Follicular Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Rituximab, R-CVP, R-FC, Older

Brief summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether R-FC is more beneficial that R-CVP in the treatment of older patients (aged 60 or over) with Follicular Lymphoma (FL).

Detailed description

FL predominantly affects the elderly, yet the optimum treatment for older patients with the disease has not been defined. The present study aims to address this question by comparing the drug combination that is currently considered the gold-standard (R-CVP) with a newer combination (R-FC) that might be more effective without being significantly more toxic. In order to take into account the balance between efficacy and toxicity, a dual primary endpoint has been employed: progression-free survival and toxicity in the form of grade 3-4 infection.

Interventions

DRUGRituximab

Rituximab 375mg/m2 IV day 1,repeated every 21 days for 8 cycles. All patients who have achieved a CR or PR to induction therapy will receive rituximab maintenance (375mg/m2 every 2 months for 2 years).

DRUGCyclophosphamide

Cyclophosphamide 250mg/m2 PO day 1-3, repeated every 21 days for 4 (R-FC) or 8 cycles (R-CVP)

DRUGVincristine

Vincristine 1.4mg/m2 IV day 1,repeated every 21 days for 8 cycles.

DRUGPrednisolone

Prednisolone 40mg/m2 PO day 1-5, repeated every 21 days for 8 cycles.

DRUGFludarabine

Fludarabine 40mg/m2 PO day 1-3,repeated every 21 days for 4 cycles

Sponsors

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
CollaboratorOTHER_GOV
Cancer Research UK
CollaboratorOTHER
Roche Pharma AG
CollaboratorINDUSTRY
University of Liverpool
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
60 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Histologically confirmed follicular lymphoma (grade 1,2, and 3a with material available for central review) * Ann Arbor stage II-IV * Aged 60 years or over, or aged less than 60 but anthracycline-based therapy contra-indicated * No prior systemic therapy (one episode of prior local radiotherapy is allowed) * At least one of the following criteria for initiation of treatment: * Rapid generalized disease progression in the preceding 3 months * Life threatening organ involvement * Renal or macroscopic liver infiltration * Bone lesions * Presence of systemic symptoms or pruritus * Haemoglobin \< 10 g/dL or WBC \< 3.0 × 109/L or platelet counts \< 100 × 109/L due to marrow involvement * Adequate haematological function (unless abnormalities are related to lymphoma infiltration of the bone marrow): * Haemoglobin ≥ 8.0 g/dL * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≥ 1.5 x 109/L * Platelet count ≥ 100 x 109/L * Written Informed Consent

Exclusion criteria

* Overt transformation to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma * Grade 3b follicular lymphoma * Presence or history of CNS disease (either CNS lymphoma or lymphomatous meningitis) * WHO performance status 3 or 4 * Impaired renal function defined as estimated Glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) \< 30 mL/min using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula * Impaired hepatic function defined as serum bilirubin more than twice upper limit of normal (unless due to lymphoma or Gilbert's syndrome) * Life expectancy less than 12 months * Pre-existing neuropathy * Active auto-immune haemolytic anaemia * Serological evidence of infection with HIV, hepatitis B (positivity for surface antigen or core antibody) or hepatitis C * Allergy to murine proteins * Corticosteroid treatment during the last 4 weeks, unless administered at a dose equivalent to no more than prednisolone 20mg/day continuously or a single course of prednisolone 1 mg/kg for up to 7 days * Concomitant malignancies except adequately treated localised non-melanoma skin cancer or adequately treated in situ cervical cancer, or cancers that have been in remission for at least 5 years following surgery with curative intent. * Major surgery (excluding lymph node biopsy) within 28 days prior to randomisation * Serious underlying medical conditions, which could impair the ability of the patient to participate in the trial (e.g. ongoing infection, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, gastric ulcers, active autoimmune disease) * Treatment within a clinical trial within 30 days prior to trial entry * Any other co-existing medical or psychological condition that will preclude participation in the study or compromise ability to give informed consent * Adult patient under tutelage (not competent to sign informed consent) * Pregnant or lactating women * All men or women of reproductive potential, unless using at least two contraceptive precautions, one of which must be a condom

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Toxicity36 monthsThe second primary outcome measure is grade 3-4 infection occurring anytime from the start of treatment until 6 months following the last dose of treatment, and this will be used as the toxicity end-point. Toxicity will be measured according to standard National Cancer Institute (NCI) Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) Version 3.0 following each cycle of treatment and at each subsequent follow-up visit until 6 months following the last dose of treatment.
Progression-free survival30 months

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Response duration30 months
Overall survivalEnd of study
Time to next treatmentEnd of study
Rate of large cell transformationEnd of study
Response rates (overall, complete and partial) following initial therapy24 weeks
Number of treatment cycles delivered30 months
Cumulative dose of individual drugs administered30 months
Quality of lifeEnd of study
Cost effectivenessEnd of study
Response to second-line therapy30 months
Response rates following maintenance therapy30 months

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026