Treatment of indolent
lymphoma has improved significantly in recent decades since the advent of
rituximab (anti-CD20
monoclonal antibody). Although, some
patients with limited
disease can be cured with
radiation therapy alone, most
patients experience
disease progression and
recurrence during follow-up despite early initiation of
treatment. Thus, watch-and-wait is still regarded the standard for asymptomatic
patients.
Patients with indolent
lymphoma have a significant heterogeneity in terms of
tumor burden, symptoms (according to anatomical sites) and the need for instant
therapy. Therefore, the initiation of
treatment and
treatment option should be decided with a clear
goal in each
patient according to the need for
therapy and clinical benefits with the chosen
treatment. In this
review, we cover the current
treatment of
follicular lymphoma and marginal zone
lymphoma.