title: [New antitumor drugs for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma].
abstract: We summarize in this article the antitumor activity of newly developed drugs against non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The Taxans (paclitaxel and docetaxel), complex polycyclic organic chemicals isolated from the yew tree, have a broad antitumor spectrum with impressive activity in solid tumors. In the SWOG Phase II study on relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, paclitaxel (Taxol), showed 30% CR and 14% PR. In the CALGB study on docetaxel, a 14.5% response rate (12.5% for low-grade lymphoma and 16.1% for intermediate-high grade lymphoma) was found. In the Japanese phase II study of docetaxel, the response rate was 29.4% for all patients (14.3% for low-grade lymphoma and 40.0% for intermediate-high grade lymphoma). Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody directed against the B-cell specific antigen CD20. A phase II trial was conducted with four weekly infusions of 375 mg/m2 in patients with relapsed low-grade or follicular lymphoma. The response rate was 46%. A clinical trial combining Rituximab with 6 cycles of CHOP chemotherapy in newly diagnosed patients has recently been completed. Early evaluation of this experience suggests that this combination resulted in a PR or CR in all patients. New purine nucleoside analogs (fludarabine, cladribine, pentostatin) are active against common and generally incurable low-grade lymphoproliferative disorders. These new drugs combined with other chemotherapeutic reagents are expected to overcome refractory or incurable non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Internal Medicine III, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohnishi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ohno
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000069283:Rituximab; D043823:Taxoids; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; C080625:taxane; D000069283:Rituximab; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D017239:Paclitaxel; D011241:Prednisone