title: Purine nucleoside analogs in indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: This article details both the contribution of the purine nucleoside analogs to the current management of relapsed indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and the role of pentostatin (Nipent) in that management. Of the three purine nucleoside analogs, pentostatin has received the least attention with regard to the management of indolent NHL. Although data in the literature appear to indicate that fludarabine (Fludara) and 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine (cladribine [Leustatin]) are more active in NHL, this conclusion could be flawed because many of the studies investigating pentostatin in indolent NHL have contained a large number of patients previously treated with the other purine analogs. As these agents are most likely cross-resistant, it is unfair to conclude that pentostatin is less active. Recently, there has been interest in using a new, more protracted schedule of 2 mg/m2/d of pentostatin for 5 days. Although the schedule used in the trials conducted in indolent NHL might not be optimal, pentostatin has nevertheless shown significant activity in these disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cabanillas
mesh_terms: D058892:Adenosine Deaminase Inhibitors; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017338:Cladribine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015649:Pentostatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001084:Vidarabine Phosphate / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D058892:Adenosine Deaminase Inhibitors; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D001084:Vidarabine Phosphate; C042382:fludarabine phosphate; D015649:Pentostatin; D017338:Cladribine