Lifetime treatment burden of patients with follicular lymphoma: real-world study using real-world multicenter data

Although follicular lymphoma is characterized by long natural histroy and frequent relapses, data on the number of patients receiving subsequent therapy lines are scarce. A simulation study on the basis of retrospectively obtained multicenter data of 743 patients with follicular lymphoma found that in 20 years, 97% (2.5-97.5 percentile range: 96%-98%), 66% (61%-70%), 34% (30%-41%), and 15% (9%-18%) of the patients received first-line, second-line, third-line, and fourth-line therapies, respectively. The median number of therapy lines received by each patients was two. The authors conclude that despite long remissions, approximately two-thirds of the patients receive at least two lines, and one-third at least three lines of therapy during their lifetime.