Cancer Research in Switzerland - Krebsliga Schweiz

Zucca Emanuele et al. | International Extranodal
Lymphoma Study Group (IELSG): A network for improving
the understanding and the clinical management
of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas arising at extranodal sites
ICP OCS 01356-03-2003
Duration: 01.01.2004 – 31.12.2011
CHF 983,000.–
Extranodal lymphomas represent approximately 30–40 %
of all non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, and their incidence is increasing.
These lymphomas can develop from all organs
and sites of the body, and their clinical history varies
significantly depending on the organ of origin. Given the
relative low frequency of cases per particular body site, no
single institution worldwide would be ever able to accumulate
enough cases in order to study the respective clinical
history and to establish specific treatment strategies.
The Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI)
has been actively involved in this field in the last two decades.
Twelve years ago, we decided to create the International
Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group (IELSG) with
the operational office located at the IOSI in Bellinzona.
The IELSG is an international cooperative group of institutions
that collaborate to perform studies in patients with
extranodal lymphomas. The establishment of this group
allowed collection of clinical data and biological material
of several thousands of extranodal lymphoma cases.
Thanks to this unique worldwide work, the group has performed
more than 30 studies, many of which have been
published (see www.ielsg.org). Several other studies are
currently ongoing or planned. Originally, the IELSG conducted
retrospective studies, but now the group is mainly
engaged in prospective trials.
Of the most recent contributions of IELSG, the conclusion
of two important clinical studies is noteworthy. The IELSG
20 study was the first randomised trial of chemotherapy
for primitive lymphoma of the brain to be completed. The
study (published in The Lancet) allowed us to document
that the combination of two drugs (cytarabine and methotrexate)
when given at high doses represents the most
efficient chemotherapeutic approach for this particular
disease. Based on these results, we started the IELSG 32
study, which is currently ongoing and exploring the impact
of stem cell transplantation on the survival of patients affected
by this severe form of lymphoma.
Another important recent achievement is the conclusion
of the IELSG 19 randomised study, which showed the superiority
of the combination of chlorambucil (a chemotherapeutic
drug) and rituximab (a monoclonal antibody
targeting the B-cells) as compared to treatment with
chemotherapy alone in extranodal marginal zone lymphomas.
The results of this study were presented to the scientific
community at the most recent congress of the American
Hematology Association in December 2010.
In 2010 we also completed the accrual of a study aimed
at evaluating the role of 18-FDG-PET scanning in the
management of the primary mediastinal lymphoma. The
results of this study will be presented to the scientific
community at the 11th International Conference on
Malignant Lymphoma in Lugano in June 2011.
Project coordinator
PD Dr. Emanuele Zucca
Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland (IOSI)
Ospedale San Giovanni
CH-6500 Bellinzona
Phone + 41 (0)91 811 90 40
Fax + 41 (0)91 811 91 82
ielsg@ticino.com
In collaboration with:
– Prof. Dr. Franco Cavalli, Istituto oncologico
della Svizzera italiana, Ospedale San Giovanni,
CH-6500 Bellinzona
– Dr. Mary Gospodarowicz, Ontario Cancer Institute,
Princess Margaret Hospital, Dept. of Radiation
Oncology, Toronto Ontario, Canada
– Prof. Dr. Emilio Montserrat, Clinic Hospital Universitari,
Servicio de Hematologia, E-08036 Barcelona, España
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