FM in the context of
chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherap ...
means a
chemotherapy regimen
A chemotherapy regimen is a regimen for chemotherapy, defining the drugs to be used, their dosage, the frequency and duration of treatments, and other considerations. In modern oncology, many regimens combine several chemotherapy drugs in combinat ...
used as first-line therapy in indolent
lymphoma
Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlar ...
s. In combination with
rituximab
Rituximab, sold under the brand name Rituxan among others, is a monoclonal antibody medication used to treat certain autoimmune diseases and types of cancer. It is used for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (in non-geriatric p ...
it is called R-FM or RFM or FM-R or FMR.
The
FM regimen consists of:
#
(R)ituximab - an
anti-CD20
B-lymphocyte antigen CD20 or CD20 is expressed on the surface of all B-cells beginning at the pro-B phase (CD45R+, CD117+) and progressively increasing in concentration until maturity.
In humans CD20 is encoded by the ''MS4A1'' gene.
This gene e ...
monoclonal
Monoclonality refers to the state of a line of cells that have been derived from a single clonal origin. Thus "monoclonal cells" can be said to form a single clone. The term ''monoclonal'' comes from the Ancient Greek ''monos'', meaning "alone" o ...
antibody
An antibody (Ab), also known as an immunoglobulin (Ig), is a large, Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of the ...
that is able to kill both normal
B cell
B cells, also known as B lymphocytes, are a type of white blood cell of the lymphocyte subtype. They function in the humoral immunity component of the adaptive immune system. B cells produce antibody molecules which may be either secreted or ...
s and
malignant ones;
#
(F)ludarabine - an
antimetabolite;
#
(M)itoxantrone - a synthetic
anthracycline analogue (an anthraquinone) that is able to
intercalate
Intercalation may refer to:
*Intercalation (chemistry), insertion of a molecule (or ion) into layered solids such as graphite
* Intercalation (timekeeping), insertion of a leap day, week or month into some calendar years to make the calendar foll ...
DNA and prevent
mitosis
In cell biology, mitosis () is a part of the cell cycle in which replicated chromosomes are separated into two new nuclei. Cell division by mitosis gives rise to genetically identical cells in which the total number of chromosomes is mainta ...
.
Fludarabine Plus Mitoxantrone With and Without Rituximab Versus CHOP With and Without Rituximab As Front-Line Treatment for Patients With Follicular Lymphoma
/ref>
This regimen is also sometimes used in some autoimmune disorders that are inherently sensitive to rituximab, fludarabine and mitoxantrone in monotherapies (e.g. multiple sclerosis
Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...
).
Dosing regimen
References
{{reflist
Chemotherapy regimens used in lymphoma