title: Elderly aggressive-histology non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: first-line VNCOP-B regimen experience on 350 patients.
abstract: Age is a risk factor and a prognostic parameter in elderly aggressive-histology non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients. Several adapted chemotherapeutic regimens have recently been designed and tested on elderly patients. Several of these trials have shown that older aggressive-histology NHL patients can benefit from specific and adequate treatment capable of curing a percentage of these patients. Between January 1992 and September 1997, 350 previously untreated aggressive-histology NHL patients greater than 60 years of age were treated with a combination therapy including cyclophosphamide, mitoxantrone, vincristine, etoposide, bleomycin, and prednisone (VNCOP-B). Complete remission (CR) was achieved by 202 (58%) patients and partial remission (PR) by 87 (25%), whereas the remaining 61 (17%) patients were nonresponders. The overall response rate (CR + PR) was 83%. Clinical and hematologic toxicities were modest, because 71% of the patients received granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). The CR rates for the three age groups (60 to 69, 70 to 79, and >/=80 years) were similar: 61%, 59%, and 56%, respectively. At 5 years, the relapse-free survival rate was 65%, the overall survival rate was 49%, and the failure-free survival rate was 33%. In the multivariate analysis, prognostic factors associated with longer survival or longer relapse-free survival turned out to be localized disease stage (P =.001) and good performance status (P =.0002). Application of the International Prognostic Factor Index was significantly associated with outcome (P =.001). These data confirm on a large cohort of patients that the VNCOP-B regimen is effective in inducing good CR and relapse-free survival rates with only moderate toxic effects in elderly aggressive-histology NHL.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hematology Seràgnoli, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Zinzani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Storti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zaccaria
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Magagnoli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pavone
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gentilini
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guardigni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Fattori
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Falini
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Lauta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bendandi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gherlinzoni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Renzo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zaja
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mazza
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bocchia
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aitini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabanelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008942:Mitoxantrone; D011241:Prednisone