title: VACOP-B, high-dose cyclophosphamide and high-dose therapy with peripheral blood progenitor cell rescue for aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with bone marrow involvement: a study by the non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Co-operative Study Group.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sequential treatment with the addition of high-dose therapy (HDT) and peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) rescue has been reported to be active as front-line therapy in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) with bone marrow (BM) involvement. We designed an intensive sequential therapy as front-line therapy in this subset of patients and conducted a phase II study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and BM involvement at diagnosis received 8 weeks of VACOP-B chemotherapy as induction therapy. The second phase included high-dose cyclophosphamide (HDCY) (7 g/m(2)) with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) followed by leukaphereses. The third phase included HDT according to the BEAM protocol or melphalan (140 mg/m(2)) plus total body irradiation (8 Gy in a single dose).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty patients were included in the study. According to the intention-to-treat, after VACOP-B, 11 (27.5%) and 22 (55%) patients achieved complete remission (CR) and partial remission (PR), respectively. Thirty-four received HDCY. After HDCY, 18 patients (45%) were in CR and 13 (32.5%) in PR. Twenty-nine underwent HDT plus peripheral blood cell rescue (PBPC) rescue. At the completion of treatment 29 patients (72.5%) were in CR, and 3 patients (7.5%) in PR. The actuarial 3-year overall survival, disease free survival and failure free survival are 48%, 55% and 40%, respectively. Overall severe toxicity was 7.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This phase II study suggests that the intensified treatment described is feasible and active in aggressive NHL with BM involvement. A randomized trial is now underway to test this approach.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Ematologia I, Azienda Ospedaliera S. Martino, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genova, Italy. ginosantini@smartino.ge.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coser
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Congiu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salvagno
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Souza
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sertoli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olivieri
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chisesi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rubagotti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Truini
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Contu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Porcellini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zambaldi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nati
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rizzoli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin; D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone