title: Role of etoposide (VP-16) in preparatory regimens for patients with leukemia or lymphoma undergoing allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
abstract: In 1983, we began a series of clinical trials with the goal of reducing the relapse rate following allogeneic BMT for hematologic malignancies. Because of its anti-leukemic activity, the drug VP-16 was chosen and combined with total body irradiation (TBI). The first series (trial I) consisted of patients who had advanced leukemia. This trial showed a relapse rate of 32% and a disease-free survival rate of 43%. Thereafter, this regimen was tested in a randomized trial (trial II) under the auspices of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG study 8612). The FTBI/VP-16 regimen was compared with the combination of busulfan and cyclophosphamide (BU/CY). A recent analysis indicates a disease-free advantage for patients prepared with FTBI/VP-16; however this difference is not statistically significant. In another trial (trial III), patients in their first remission of leukemia were prepared with the FTBI/VP-16 regimen and long-term disease-free survival was found to be 60-70% with a relapse rate of approximately 10%. These results compare favorably with data obtained with alternative preparatory regimens. The FTBI/VP-16 regimen is currently being compared to the 'standard' regimen, FTBI/CY, in a prospective trial (trial IV). Since the regimen-related toxicity has been relatively low, we have added one dose of CY 60 mg/kg to the FTBI/VP-16 combination. This regimen (trial V) is currently being tested in patients with advanced leukemia. The preliminary results of this ongoing trial indicate further improvement in disease-free survival through a reduction of the post-transplant relapse rate.
authors.affiliation: Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Stanford University Medical Center, CA 94305.
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Blume
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Negrin
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kusnierz-Glaz
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Amylon
mesh_terms: D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017321:Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005047:Etoposide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D005047:Etoposide; D003520:Cyclophosphamide