BEAM vs. 90-Yttrium Ibritumomab Tiuxetan (Zevalin®)/BEAM With ASCT for Relapsed DLBCL

This randomized phase III trial studies 90-yttrium ibritumomab tiuxetan and combination chemotherapy compared with combination chemotherapy alone before stem cell transplant in treating patients with diffuse large b-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma that has returned after a period of improvement. Radioactive substances linked to monoclonal antibodies, such as 90-yttrium ibritumomab tiuxetan, can bind to cancer cells and give off radiation which may help kill cancer cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as carmustine, etoposide phosphate, cytarabine, and melphalan (BEAM), 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. It is not yet known whether 90-yttrium ibritumomab tiuxetan and BEAM before a stem cell transplant are more effective than BEAM alone in treating patients with diffuse large b-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.