Low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: intensive combined chemotherapy

• Published in: Rinshō ketsueki Vol. 37; no. 2; p. 101
• Main Authors: Hattori, M, Motomura, S, Tomita, N, Taguchi, J, Tanabe, J, Sakai, R, Fujisawa, S, Fukawa, H, Kanamori, H, Mouri, H, Maruta, A, Kodama, F, Okubo, T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japan 01.02.1996
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Bleomycin - administration & dosage; Cyclophosphamide - administration & dosage; Doxorubicin - administration & dosage; Female; Humans; Leucovorin - administration & dosage; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - drug therapy; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin - mortality; Male; Methotrexate - administration & dosage; Middle Aged; Prednisolone - administration & dosage; Prednisone - administration & dosage; Remission Induction; Retrospective Studies; Survival Rate; Vincristine - administration & dosage
• ISSN: 0485-1439
• DOI: 10.11406/rinketsu.37.101

The efficacy of various combination chemotherapies employed for the 37 patients with low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma between 1981 and 1994 was evaluated retrospectively. The overall survival at 5 years was 68%. The 5-year survival of the 27 patients achieving complete response (CR) was 87%, which was significantly higher than that of 9 patients with partial response (p = 0.0005). The CR rate of stage III and IV patients was 64% for the 22 patients treated with ACOMP-B (D), and was 38% for 8 others treated with milder chemotherapy regimens including VEPA. The 22 advanced stage patients had a 5-year survival of 88% after the treatment with ACOMP-B (D) and 69% of them remained free of disease at 5 years. In this group no relapse occurred beyond 1.6 years after treatment. These findings suggest a possible role of third generation chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with advanced-stage low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.