Maintenance immunotherapy with BCG in non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphomas: a progress report of randomized trial.
Ninety-eight patients with non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma were first put into complete remission by a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and then received one course of chemotherapy as reinforcement. They were then randomized to receive either maintenance BCG therapy or no other treatment. Ninety-three patients were available for this analysis. There was a significant difference (P = 0.021) in relapse-free survival times between the two groups of patients. This difference is particularly significant in male patients, in patients ages 50-65 years, in all histologic classes, in patients treated after an initial relapse, and in clinical stages I and II. There was also a difference in crude survival, but the difference was not significant.
D000368:Aged; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology*