Activity of esorubicin in recurrent malignant lymphoma: a Southwest Oncology Group study

• Published in: Journal of clinical oncology Vol. 9; no. 7; p. 1204
• Main Authors: Miller, T P, Dahlberg, S, Salmon, S E, Williamson, S K, Belt, R J, Dana, B W, Fisher, R I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.07.1991
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - administration & dosage; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - adverse effects; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic - therapeutic use; Doxorubicin - administration & dosage; Doxorubicin - adverse effects; Doxorubicin - analogs & derivatives; Doxorubicin - therapeutic use; Female; Hodgkin Disease - drug therapy; Hodgkin Disease - mortality; Hodgkin Disease - pathology; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - drug therapy; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - mortality; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - drug therapy; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - mortality; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - pathology; Survival Rate
• ISSN: 0732-183X
• DOI: 10.1200/JCO.1991.9.7.1204

A phase II trial of esorubicin (4' deoxydoxorubicin) was conducted by the Southwest Oncology Group in 88 assessable patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and Hodgkin's disease (HD) at the time of first relapse. Esorubicin was administered at two dose levels: 25 mg/m2 for patients at risk for excessive myelosuppression, and at 30 mg/m2 for all others at 21-day intervals. Overall, 33 of 88 patients (38%) responded to treatment including three complete remissions (CRs; 3%) and 30 partial remissions (PRs; 34%), with the median duration of response lasting 6.2 months. Response rates did not differ significantly by histologic subtype: 31% of 26 patients with favorable NHL, 33% of 43 patients with unfavorable NHL, and 58% of 19 patients with HD. Twelve of 33 responding patients (36%) had relatively durable remissions lasting from 1 to more than 4 years. Leukopenia (less than 3,000 cells per microliter) was seen in 65 of 88 patients (74%) and was severe (less than 1,000 cells per microliter) in 20 of 88 patients (23%). Clinical signs or symptoms of congestive heart failure were not seen and the ejection fraction (EF) fell 10% to 20% in three patients. Esorubicin is an active agent in patients with NHL or HD at the time of first relapse.