title: Salvage therapy with fludarabine in patients with progressive B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
abstract: Thirty patients with B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia, aged 45-82 years, were treated with fludarabine. CLL was diagnosed 8-120 months earlier. The patients had been exposed to a median of 3 different regimens before treatment with fludarabine, and all had progressive disease when they entered the study. Among the 30 patients, 1 had a metastatic carcinoma and 7 patients with WHO performance status 3 died before the second cycle of fludarabine treatment could be given. The remaining 22 patients were considered eligible for response evaluation. The response rate was 32% with 1 complete response and 6 partial responses. However, seven patients achieved stable disease and 8 progressed. The median survival for responders was 24 months and for non-responders 9 months. Response to treatment was correlated with low tumor burden and performance status. In a total of 94 treatment courses, 17 febrile episodes were registered in 10 patients. We conclude that treatment with fludarabine can be useful in patients with progressive and refractory disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Gjedde
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hansen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014740:Vidarabine; C024352:fludarabine