title: NHL-3 protocol. Six-drug combination chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: Combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT) were administered to 73 adults with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Ten cycles of the following drugs were given: intravenous Adriamycin (doxorubicin) (25 mg/m2), cyclophosphamide (700 mg/m2) and vincristine (1.5 mg/m2) on day 1; arabinosylcytosine (100 mg/m2) and methotrexate (10 mg/m2) on days 3 to 5; and oral prednisone (60 mg/m2) on days 1 to 5. Radiotherapy was given to resistant or initially bulky disease (2000 rad). Patients were also randomized to receive pseudomonas vaccine or no immunotherapy. Of 61 evaluable patients, 33 (54%) achieved a complete response (CR) and 18 (30%) a partial response (PR). Among 44 evaluable patients with diffuse histiocytic lymphoma (DHL), 22 (50%) had a CR, and 15 (34%) a PR. For 17 evaluable patients with nodular (4) and diffuse (11) mixed and poorly differentiated lymphocytic and diffuse "undifferentiated" (2) lymphomas, CR and PR rates were 65% and 18%, respectively. No statistically significant differences in response rate or duration and survival have been observed between the patients randomized to receive pseudomonas vaccine or no immunotherapy. Median follow-up time from start of treatment was 47.5 months. Median survival for all 73 patients (including inevaluables ) and for 52 DHL patients was 30.7 months. Poor prognostic features influencing survival included: female sex (P = 0.003), poor response to therapy (CR versus PR; P = 0.001), prior chemotherapy, (P = 0.01) and high levels of lactic dehydrogenase (P = 0.001). It can be concluded that this combination of cycle and phase-active agents is of similar efficacy to other reported regimens in inducing major responses and that it has the potential to prolong disease-free survival. The analysis of prognostic factors has been used to dissect poor prognostic categories that might require different modalities of treatment.
mesh_terms: 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; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D011241:Prednisone; D008727:Methotrexate