Interferon alfa combined with cytotoxic chemotherapy for patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
BACKGROUND
Interferon alfa has been found to be effective as an antitumor agent (with a response rate of 30 percent) in patients with low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but its effectiveness in those with intermediate-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has been less adequately tested. In a prospective randomized study we evaluated the effectiveness of adding interferon alfa to cytotoxic chemotherapy in patients with clinically aggressive, low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and certain histologic variants of intermediate-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, not including diffuse histiocytic lymphoma.


METHODS
The patients were randomly assigned to a regimen of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone, and doxorubicin or to this regimen combined with recombinant interferon alfa. Treatment was administered every four weeks, for 8 to 10 cycles.


RESULTS
The two regimens produced comparable objective responses, but the regimen including interferon had a greater effect in prolonging the time to treatment failure (P < 0.001) and the duration of complete response (P = 0.03). Interferon alfa also had a greater effect on overall survival (P = 0.014) when the results were adjusted for important covariates.


CONCLUSIONS
Interferon alfa, when added to a four-drug doxorubicin-based chemotherapy regimen, is an effective antitumor agent in patients with clinically aggressive low-grade or intermediate-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Smalley
R V
RV
University of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center, Madison.
Andersen
J W
JW
Hawkins
M J
MJ
Bhide
V
V
O'Connell
M J
MJ
Oken
M M
MM
Borden
E C
EC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone