FM (chemotherapy)

FM in the context of chemotherapy means a chemotherapy regimen used as first-line therapy in indolent lymphomas. In combination with rituximab it is called R-FM or RFM or FM-R or FMR.

The [R]-FM regimen consists of:

1. (R)ituximab - an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that is able to kill both normal B cells and malignant ones;
2. (F)ludarabine - an antimetabolite;
3. (M)itoxantrone - a synthetic antracycline analogue (an antraquinone) that is able to intercalate DNA and prevent mitosis.

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).