Physician Assistant Perspectives: Importance of Patient Shared Decision-Making and Multidisciplinary Team Approach in R/R FL

EP: 1.Overview of R/R FL: Focus on the 3rd-Line Setting and Beyond START

EP: 2.Managing 3rd-Line R/R FL: Recognizing Progression, Performing Rebiopsies, and Rechecking for CD20 Positivity

EP: 3.Aligning Treatment Goals in R/R FL: Physician vs Patient Perspectives

EP: 4.Clinical Scenario: A 73-Year-Old Patient With R/R FL Requires Treatment in the Third-Line Setting

EP: 5.Expert Perspectives: Tazemetostat in R/R FL

EP: 6.Choosing Between Tazemetostat and Zanubrutinib+Obinutuzumab: Key Factors & Patient Conversations

EP: 7.Assessing CAR T and Bispecifics for R/R FL: Identifying the Right Candidates & Factoring in CD20 and CD19 Negativity or Positivity

EP: 8.Navigating Treatment Choices in R/R FL: Patient Values and Shared Decision-Making

EP: 9.Managing R/R FL: Evolving Sequencing Strategies

EP: 10.Key Strategies and Perspectives: How Novel 2nd-Line Therapy Options May Impact 3rd-Line Treatment Landscape in R/R FL and Bridging Strategies to CAR T

EP: 11.Collaborating With Community Providers in Treating Patients With Complex R/R FL

EP: 12.Looking Ahead in R/R FL: Unmet Needs and What’s Next

EP: 13.Physician Assistant Perspectives: Aligning Patient Goals in R/R FL and Navigating Third-Line Treatment Options

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EP: 14.Physician Assistant Perspectives: Importance of Patient Shared Decision-Making and Multidisciplinary Team Approach in R/R FL

EP: 15.Physician Assistant Perspectives: When to Consider Tazemetostat in R/R FL

Over the past decade and a half, significant advances in follicular lymphoma treatments have provided numerous options beyond second and third lines, extending even to fourth- and fifth-line settings. This wealth of options allows for a collaborative decision-making process between provider and patient, emphasizing individualized care that fits each patient’s lifestyle and goals. Many patients with follicular lymphoma tend to be older, often retired, with active lifestyles that include travel and family time. When discussing treatment options, it’s important to consider efficacy, speed of response, toxicity, financial burden, and accessibility—especially since many patients face challenges such as limited transportation or support. Educating patients early about the incurable nature of follicular lymphoma and setting realistic expectations helps them feel more comfortable and engaged in treatment decisions as their disease progresses.

A multidisciplinary approach plays a critical role in managing relapse or refractory follicular lymphoma. In an academic center setting, patient cases are reviewed collaboratively by a team that includes hematologists, advanced practice providers, nurse navigators, infusion nurses, radiation oncologists, radiologists, and pathologists to ensure a comprehensive assessment. Beyond medical care, the team also integrates nutrition, psychosocial support, social work, psychology, and chaplaincy services to address patients’ holistic needs. Such support is particularly valuable as patients navigate complex treatment decisions and cope with the psychological impact of their illness.

Additionally, pharmacists and nurse navigators are essential team members who assist patients in managing medication interactions and coordinating care logistics. Pharmacists provide detailed medication reviews tailored to patients’ existing conditions and drugs, while nurse navigators ensure seamless scheduling of scans, labs, and treatment visits. This multidisciplinary model enhances patient comfort, supports shared decision-making, and helps deliver personalized, high-quality care throughout the patient’s treatment journey.