title: Combination therapy with purine nucleoside analogs.
abstract: Pentostatin (Nipent) has demonstrated significant activity as a single agent in patients with low-grade B- and T-cell lymphomas, but thus far, clinical experience with combinations of pentostatin and other agents is limited. A study of alternating administration of pentostatin and high-dose interferon-alfa-2a (Roferon A) in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma patients has been undertaken and has demonstrated a 41% response rate, with tolerable toxicity. Studies combining pentostatin with alkylating agents, including chlorambucil (Leukeran) and cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan, Neosar) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) have reported significant immunosuppression and have required dose modifications of one or both agents. Recently, a clinical trial was initiated to evaluate the combination of pentostatin and cordycepin, a novel purine analog, in patients with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-positive acute lymphocytic leukemia, based on in vitro data demonstrating the significant synergy of this combination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology/Oncology, Tufts New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Foss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003839:Deoxyadenosines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015649:Pentostatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011684:Purine Nucleosides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D003839:Deoxyadenosines; D011684:Purine Nucleosides; D015649:Pentostatin; D007372:Interferons; D014740:Vidarabine; C058120:cordycepin; C024352:fludarabine