Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) can be divided into two general prognostic groups: the indolent lymphomas and the aggressive lymphomas. Indolent lymphomas have a relatively good prognosis, with median survival time as long as 10 years, but they are not usually curable in advanced stages. Aggressive NHL constitutes about half of all cases of NHL in North America and Western Europe. Of the aggressive lymphomas, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type, accounting for up to 30 percent of newly diagnosed cases. The aggressive type of NHL has a shorter natural history; approximately 50-60% of these subjects can be cured with combination chemotherapy regimens. Even with recent advances, many patients with advanced stage DLBCL are not cured with conventional therapy. This leaves a subset of subjects who will eventually relapse or who are refractory to treatment.
Due to the variation in the clinical behavior of the different types of aggressive NHL, it is important to test lenalidomide in DLBCL. Other studies are addressing the activity of lenalidomide in the other types of aggressive lymphomas, as well as in indolent NHL. It is important to test lenalidomide in combination therapy. This study is focused on treating subjects with relapsed or refractory DLBCL using oral lenalidomide in combination with oral dexamethasone.
