Splenic marginal zone lymphoma study
An SWG Grant-supported project initiated by the EHA Lymphona Group.
Full project title
Long-term outcomes in patients with SMZL treated in the rituximab era.
Project lead
Dr Ahmed Ludvigsen Al-Mashhadi
Senior Registrar
Aarhus University Hospital
Denmark
Project background and aims
Splenic marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL) is a very rare, incurable, but indolent disease of the spleen with:
- Generally favorable outcomes
- High long-term survival rates
Splenectomy is an effective treatment and resolves both symptoms and cytopenias related to splenomegaly in most patients.
Rituximab, when used as a single agent in combination with chemotherapy, is also a viable treatment alternative.
However, the long-term treatment outcomes are not well-established.
There are no:
- Randomized clinical trials comparing these two treatment modalities
- Tools to aid clinicians in the decision between available treatment modalities
In addition, randomized clinical trials are not likely to be conducted due to:
- The favorable outcomes in general—that is, the low number of events
- The rarity of the disease
In our study, we wish to gather detailed medical records from more than a thousand patients across three continents and more than 25 centers in a retrospective, real-world setting.
With this large dataset, we wish to:
- Describe the outcomes of SMZL
- Generate predictive risk scores for first-line treatment with rituximab-based therapies versus splenectomy, comparing survival outcomes
With the grant, we can finalize the study with the necessary statistical assistance and cover a significant portion of other study-related activities.
Project updates
You can find out more about the status of this project by reading the latest update from Dr Ahmed Ludvigsen Al-Mashhadi.