Clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of patients with mantle cell lymphoma. Recommendations from the GEL/TAMO Spanish Cooperative Group

Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is considered a distinct type of B-cell lymphoma genetically characterized by the t(11;14) translocation and cyclin D1 overexpression. There is also a small subset of tumors negative for cyclin D1 expression that are morphologically and immunophenotypically indistinguishable from conventional MCL. Although in the last decades, the median overall survival of patients with MCL has improved significantly, it is still considered as one of the poorest prognoses diseases among B-cell lymphomas. Election of treatment for patients with MCL is complex due to the scarcity of solid evidence. Current available data shows that conventional chemotherapy does not yield satisfactory results as in other types of B-cell lymphomas. However, the role of other approaches such as autologous or allogenic stem cell transplantation, immunotherapy, the administration of consolidation or maintenance schedules, or the use of targeted therapies still lack clear indications. In view of this situation, the Spanish Group of Lymphomas/Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation has conducted a series of reviews on different aspects of MCL, namely its diagnosis, prognosis, first-line and salvage treatment (both in young and elderly patients), new targeted therapies, and detection of minimal residual disease. On the basis of the available evidence, a series of recommendations have been issued with the intention of providing guidance to clinicians on the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of patients with MCL.