title: Single high-dose etoposide and melphalan with non-cryopreserved autologous marrow rescue as primary therapy for relapsed, refractory and poor-prognosis Hodgkin's disease.
abstract: A simplified schedule of high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) consisting of melphalan (140 mg m-2) plus VP16 (2.5 g m-2) given over 12-18 h together with autologous non-cryopreserved autologous bone marrow transplant (ABMT) was used for treatment of relapsed (37 patients) and refractory (seven patients) patients and as first-line treatment (four patients) for poor-prognosis Hodgkin's disease. Two patients had a second HDC-ABMT after relapse following prior HDC-ABMT, giving a total of 50 procedures among 48 patients. The haematological recovery rate was 98% with a complete response rate of the Hodgkin's disease of > 90%. Factors significantly influencing response rate were performance status and the presence of liver involvement. Thirty-nine patients are alive, with 37 in continuous complete remission. The median duration of survival and median duration of remission have not been reached at a median follow-up time of 45 months. Adverse prognostic factors for survival were disease status at the time of HDC-ABMT (refractory versus relapse, with primarily refractory patients showing significantly poor survival) and the presence of liver involvement. High-dose chemotherapy with short-duration chemotherapy and non-cryopreserved bone marrow is an effective and safe treatment modality for patients with relapsed and poor-prognosis Hodgkin's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Seymour
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Dansey
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Bezwoda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001853:Bone Marrow; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide; D008558:Melphalan