Loncastuximab Tesirine and Rituximab Followed by DA-EPOCH-R for Treating Patients With High-Risk Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma

This phase II trial evaluates whether loncastuximab tesirine and rituximab followed by dose-adjusted doxorubicin, etoposide, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and prednisone works to treat patients with high risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Loncastuximab tesirine is a monoclonal antibody called loncastuximab, linked to a drug called tesirine. It is a form of targeted therapy because it attaches to specific molecules (receptors) on the surface of cancer cells, known as CD19 receptors, and delivers tesirine to kill them. Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody. It binds to a protein called CD20, which is found on B cells (a type of white blood cell) and some types of cancer cells. This may help the immune system kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs such as doxorubicin, vincristine, and cyclophosphamide work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Etoposide is in a class of medications known as podophyllotoxin derivatives. It blocks a certain enzyme needed for cell division and DNA repair and may kill cancer cells. Prednisone is in a class of medications called corticosteroids. It is used to reduce inflammation and lower the body's immune response to help lessen the side effects of chemotherapy drugs. Giving loncastuximab tesirine and rituximab in combination with dose-adjusted doxorubicin, etoposide, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and prednisone may be more effective at treating high risk diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients than standard treatments.