title: CHOP-VP16 chemotherapy and involved field irradiation for high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas: a phase II multicentre study.
abstract: Sixty previously untreated patients with high grade non-Hodgkin's lymphomas stages II-IV received cyclophosphamide 750 mg m2 i.v., doxorubicin 50 mg m2 i.v., and vincristine 2 mg i.v. on day 1, prednisolone 100 mg p.o. on days 1-5 and etoposide 100 mg m2 i.v. on days 3-5 (CHOP-VP16). After four courses an involved field irradiation with a total dose of 25 Gy was employed and followed by two additional courses of CHOP-VP16. The overall response rate was 93%, with 49 patients (82%) achieving a complete remission (CR). Seven patients had a partial response and four patients showed no response. During a median follow-up period of 55 months, 22 of the 49 patients with CR relapsed, seven of them achieving a second complete remission with the same drug regimen. A maintained complete remission of up to 68 months was seen in 55% of all patients initially achieving CR. The median survival is 43 months. Mean side-effects of this drug regimen were alopecia (89%), nausea/vomiting (76%) and leukopenia (61%). No therapy-related deaths were seen. The results of this study demonstrate that this combined modality treatment produces high complete remission rates and that more than half of these patients achieve long-term disease-free survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Philipps-University, Marburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Köppler
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Pflüger
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Eschenbach
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pfab
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lennert
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wellens
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Gassel
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kolb
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hässler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005860:Germany, West / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D015996:Survival Rate; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011239:Prednisolone; D011241:Prednisone