Treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (stage I, II) of the elderly: Usefulness of local and regional irradiation and reduced dose chemotherapy

• Published in: International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics Vol. 37; no. 1; pp. 87 - 92
• Main Authors: Oguchi, Masahiko, Izuno, Itaru, Takei, Kazuyoshi, Shikama, Naoto, Sasaki, Shigeru, Gomi, Koutarou, Sone, Shusuke
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 1997; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Bleomycin - administration & dosage; Chemotherapy; Combined Modality Therapy; Cyclophosphamide - administration & dosage; Doxorubicin - administration & dosage; Elderly; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Geriatric disease; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Humans; Leucovorin - administration & dosage; Leukemias. Malignant lymphomas. Malignant reticulosis. Myelofibrosis; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - drug therapy; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - pathology; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - radiotherapy; Male; Medical sciences; Methotrexate - administration & dosage; Neoplasm Staging; Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; Prednisolone - administration & dosage; Prednisone - administration & dosage; Radiation therapy; Recurrence; Survival Rate; Vincristine - administration & dosage; Chemotherapy; Radiation therapy; Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; Elderly; Geriatric disease; Human; Radiation dose; Lymphoproliferative syndrome; Treatment efficiency; Stage classification; Malignant hemopathy; Non Hodgkin lymphoma; Radiotherapy; Treatment planning
• ISSN: 0360-3016; 1879-355X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0360-3016(96)00470-1

Purpose : To examine the usefulness and safety of a new treatment regimen consisting of irradiation to the involved area and adjacent lymph node area, and reduced dose chemotherapy for elderly patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Methods and Materials : The core of this study was 38 elderly patients older than 65 years old with intermediate or high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and concomitantly suffering from some other geriatric disease. They received involved area irradiation (40 Gy), adjacent lymph node irradiation (30 Gy), and reduced dose chemotehrapy (two cycles of 50–70% ACOP: Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, Prednisone or 70% MACOP-B: Doxorubicin, Cyclophosphamide, Vincristine, Methotrexate, Bleomycin, Prednisone for 4 weeks). Results : The completion rate of the treatment regimen was 100%. The 5-year local control rate was 98%. The 5-year disease-free survival rate and the 5-year cause-specific survival rate for all patients were 70 and 82%, respectively. No treatment deaths were observed, and the rate of serious complications arising from the treatment was 3%. Conclusions : The newly conducted treatment regimen proved to be safe and useful for elderly patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma concomitantly suffering from some other geriatric disease.