Has single-agent rituximab replaced watch-and-wait for a patient with asymptomatic low-grade follicular lymphoma?

To date, no overall survival benefit has been proven from the immediate treatment of patients with asymptomatic follicular lymphoma (FL) compared with expectant management. Watchful waiting therefore became the standard of care, with patients closely monitored for symptoms or critical progression, necessitating commencement of active therapy. With this approach, patients could avoid the adverse effects of chemotherapy or radiotherapy, at least for a while. However, with the advent of rituximab-containing regimens, the standard of care for FL patients requiring treatment has been rewritten. Upfront rituximab monotherapy can produce impressive response rates with low associated toxicity, and a recent randomized trial has shown a significant delay in the need for other treatment, with possible improvements in quality of life. Even without the longer-term survival data, this has reignited the debate over initial management in FL.