Minimal residual disease monitoring in early stage follicular lymphoma can predict prognosis and drive treatment with rituximab after radiotherapy
Since 2000, we have investigated 67 consecutive patients with stage I/II follicular lymphoma (FL) for the presence of BCL2/IGH rearrangements by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) and digital droplet PCR (ddPCR). All patients were treated with involved-field radiotherapy (IF-RT) (24–30 Gy). From 2005, patients with minimal residual disease (MRD) after IF-RT received rituximab (R) (375 mg/m2, 4 weekly administrations). The median follow-up is 82 months (17–196). At diagnosis, 72% of patients were BCL2/IGH+.