title: A new protocol (MiCEP) for the treatment of intermediate or high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in the elderly.
abstract: Age has proved to be an important prognostic factor in patients with advanced non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and these patients require intensive and extensive therapy. Dose-reduction and therapy attenuation have reduced treatment-related toxicity, but have also decreased therapeutic efficacy. Between January 1990 and December 1992, 41 previously untreated patients, 65 years with stage 2-4 intermediate- or high-grade NHL were treated with a new therapeutic scheme which included Mitoxantrone, Etoposide, Cyclophosphamide and Prednisone (MiCEP). Twenty-eight patients achieved a complete remission, ten patients partial remission (overall response rate of 93%) and two cases were resistant. The overall survival was 66% with a median follow-up of 24 months from diagnosis: three patients relapsed after a median period of 7 months. The relapse-free survival was 92% after a median follow-up of 18 months. Blood and other organ toxicity was acceptable and 12% of patients experienced a grade 4 (WHO) neutropenia. In conclusion, MiCEP was effective in inducing a good remission rate with moderate toxic effects in elderly patients with intermediate- or high-grade NHL and appears to be a useful combination to use in this group of patients.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra e Divisione di Ematolgia e Istituto di Anatomia e Istologia Patologica, Universita degli Studi e Ospedale di Careggi, Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bellesi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rigacci
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alterini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stefanacci
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Innocenti
authors.forename: I I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Lollo
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Ferrini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008942:Mitoxantrone; D011241:Prednisone