The increased risk for pneumocystis pneumonia in patients receiving rituximab-CHOP-14 can be prevented by the administration of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole: a single-center experience.

Recent studies suggest an increased risk for Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in adults receiving short-interval rituximab-CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) therapy for diffuse large cell B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). This retrospective study evaluates precise PJP incidence and the efficacy of anti-PJP prophylaxis in DLBCL. Patients with DLBCL, aged ≥18 years and treated between December 2004 and December 2010, were included. Details of treatment-related respiratory infections, focusing on PJP incidence, risk factors and prophylaxis, were assessed. A total of 132 patients were analyzed; 47 were treated with rituximab-CHOP therapy every 21 days (R-CHOP-21) and 85 were treated every 14 days (R-CHOP-14). The incidence of treatment-related respiratory infections was higher in patients receiving R-CHOP-14. PJP was diagnosed in 5 patients: 4 in the R-CHOP-14 (6.6%) and 1 in the R-CHOP-21 cohort (2.6%), using triplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for PJ in bronchoalveolar fluid. None of the patients receiving P.jirovecii prophylaxis (n = 33) developed PJP, compared with 6.6% of those treated with R-CHOP-14 without such prophylaxis. An older age and R-CHOP administered every 14 rather than every 21 days increased the PJP risk. Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis is found to be highly efficient in preventing this life-threatening complication and, therefore, should be recommended for patients receiving the R-CHOP-14 regimen.