Advances and application of radioimmunotherapy in non-Hodgkin lymphoma

The activity of radio-immuno conjugate in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) has resulted in FDA approval of two antibodies, Y(90) Ibritumomab tiuxetan and I(131) tositumomab. Both these agents target CD20, a receptor widely expressed in B-Cell NHL. These immunoconjugates deliver their radioactive payload to the malignant clone in the bone marrow and lymph node. Their use has been associated with modest improvement in survival end points among several lymphoma histologies. The promising effect on disease control as well as their efficacy in disease relapse is encouraging in low grade lymphoma. Radioimmunotherapy (RIT) is increasingly being explored in the setting of consolidation as well as conditioning regimens prior to stem cell transplantation. Here, we summarize the clinical use, complications and future applications of RIT in NHL.