Combination Chemotherapy and Rituximab in Treating Patients With Untreated Mantle Cell Lymphoma

This phase II trial is studying how well giving rituximab together with combination chemotherapy and bortezomib works in treating patients with untreated mantle cell lymphoma. Monoclonal antibodies, such as rituximab, can block cancer growth in different ways. Some block the ability of cancer cells to grow and spread. Others find cancer cells and help kill them or carry cancer-killing substances to them. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and dexamethasone, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or stopping them from dividing. Bortezomib may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Giving rituximab together with combination chemotherapy and bortezomib may kill more cancer cells. Treatment consists of six agents: bortezomib (Vc), rituximab (R), cyclophosphamide (C), vincristine (V), doxorubicin (A), and dexamethasone (D) (VcR-CVAD).

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To evaluate the complete response (CR) rate in patients with mantle cell lymphoma, who are treated with VcR-CVAD. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To evaluate the overall response rate to VcR-CVAD. II. To evaluate the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients receiving maintenance rituximab after VcR-CVAD induction. III. To evaluate the PFS and OS of patients who receive autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) after VcR-CVAD induction. IV. To evaluate the toxicity of VcR-CVAD. TERTIARY OBJECTIVES: I. Evaluation of antigen expression patterns to determine or confirm possible unique expressions of MCL. II. To evaluate the percentage of circulating mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) cells. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Induction therapy (VcR-CVAD): Patients receive VcR-CVAD comprising bortezomib 1.3 mg/m2 IV over 3-5 seconds on days 1 and 4; rituximab 375 mg/m2 IV over 3-4 hours on day 1; doxorubicin hydrochloride 25 mg/m2/d IV over 48 hours on days 1 and 2; cyclophosphamide 300 mg/m2 IV over 3 hours every 12 hours on days 1-3; vincristine 1 mg IV over 3-5 seconds on day 3; and dexamethasone 40 mg IV or orally once daily on days 1-4. Patients also receive filgrastim (G-CSF) subcutaneously (SC) or IV once daily beginning on day 5 or 6 and continuing until blood counts recover OR pegfilgrastim SC on day 5 or 6. Treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Maintenance therapy: Beginning 4-8 weeks after completion of induction therapy, patients receive rituximab IV over 3-4 hours once weekly for 4 weeks. Treatment repeats every 6 months for up to 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of induction therapy, patients who are eligible may have the option to receive consolidation therapy for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) (off-study). These patients undergo stem cell harvest during courses 4, 5, or 6 of induction therapy. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed periodically for up to 10 years.