title: Intensive treatment of AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphomas with the MACOP-B protocol.
abstract: The usefulness of intensive chemotherapy with the MACOP-B protocol was evaluated in 8 patients with AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Four patients had a prior AIDS diagnosis. The median CD4+ lymphocyte count was 0.079 cells x 10(9)/l (range 0.016-0.330). All patients responded to treatment. Four patients finished chemotherapy, all with complete remission, while another 3 patients deteriorated prior to finishing treatment and died. The median survival was 4 months (range 1 to 86 months). Major causes of the poor outcome were AIDS-related opportunistic infections and meningeal CNS involvement by NHL developing during or after chemotherapy. Patients with AIDS-related NHL usually do not appear to benefit from treatment with MACOP-B protocol. Advanced immunodeficiency is associated with poor tolerance to treatment and inability to finish this chemotherapy protocol. MACOP-B chemotherapy does not prevent meningeal spread of lymphoma in spite of using repeatedly systemic methotrexate crossing the blood-brain barrier. CNS prophylaxis with repeated application of intrathecal methotrexate may lower the risk of meningeal spread of lymphoma, which developed in 1 of 5 patients given CNS prophylaxis as compared to 2 of 3 patients without CNS prophylaxis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious diseases, Rudolf Virchow University Hospital, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schürmann
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grünewald
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jautzke
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Pohle
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ruf
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016483:Lymphoma, AIDS-Related / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D002955:Leucovorin; D011241:Prednisone; D008727:Methotrexate