MabThera (Rituximab) in Combination With CHOP (or CHOP-like) Chemotherapy in Patients With Aggressive B-Cell Lymphoma

Exclusion Criteria

• •Transformed lymphoma (secondary to "low-grade" follicular lymphoma)
• •Grade 1, 2 or 3a follicular lymphoma
• •Primary or secondary central nervous system (CNS) involvement
• •Patients with prior or concomitant malignancies except non-melanoma skin cancer or adequately treated in situ cervical cancer
• •Major surgery (excluding lymph node biopsy) within 28 days prior to registration.
• •Poor renal function: Serum creatinine \> 2.0 mg/dl (177 micromol/L)
• •Pregnancy
• •Poor hepatic function: total bilirubin \> 2.0 mg/dl (34 micromol/L), aspartate transaminase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase \[SGOT\]) or alanine transaminase (ALT) (serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase \[SGPT\]) or alkaline phosphatase (AP) \> 3 x the upper limit of normal unless these abnormalities are related to lymphoma.
• •Known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or active viral hepatitis, specifically hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
• •Serious underlying medical conditions, which could impair the ability of the patient to participate in the trial
• •Life expectancy \< 6 months
• •Known sensitivity or allergy to murine products
• •Treatment within a clinical trial within 30 days prior to trial entry