title: Impact of high-dose salvage therapy (BEAM) on overall survival in younger patients with advanced large-cell lymphomas entered into BNLI trials.
abstract: The survival of two cohorts of patients with stage III/IV large-cell lymphomas treated by CHOP has been compared. In the first cohort of 88 patients (1974-1982), high-dose therapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) was not available as salvage therapy and in the second cohort of 87 patients (1987-1992), this was the recommended salvage for patients with disease that was still chemosensitive to conventional-dose therapy. The actuarial overall survivals at five years were 40% and 44% in the first and second cohorts, respectively, indicating that the availability of ABMT had made little impact. Of the 62 patients in the second cohort who failed CHOP therapy, 8 died before second-line chemotherapy could be given, 1 refused more therapy, and 8 were considered unsuitable for further combination chemotherapy. Seven patients with localized disease remaining received local radiotherapy. Of the 38 patients given salvage therapy, 14 had chemoresistant disease. Only 9 patients received high-dose BEAM chemotherapy and ABMT, and 7 remain disease-free. ABMT was restricted to a highly select patient group, and as a result more widespread application of this strategy might result in only a modest further improvement.
authors.affiliation: British National Lymphoma Investigation, Middlesex Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Linch
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vaughan Hudson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vaughan Hudson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002330:Carmustine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D016400:Lymphoma, Large-Cell, Immunoblastic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011034:Podophyllotoxin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011034:Podophyllotoxin; D008558:Melphalan; D002330:Carmustine; D011241:Prednisone