Value of gemcitabine treatment in heavily pretreated Hodgkin's disease patients.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy and the toxic profile of gemcitabine, a novel pyrimidine antimetabolite active against several solid tumors, we carried out a study in heavily pretreated Hodgkin's disease (HD) patients.


METHODS
From May 1997 to January 1999, 14 pretreated patients (10 relapsed and 4 refractory to previous treatments) were enrolled in a phase II trial and treated with gemcitabine. The drug was given on days 1, 8 and 15 of a 28-day schedule at a dose of 1,200 mg/m2 intravenously for a total of 6 cycles.


RESULTS
Two (14%) patients achieved complete remission (CR) and 4 (29%) had partial responses (PR), giving an overall response rate of 43%. In the relapsed subset there was an overall response rate of 50% with 2 CR and 3 PR. Among the refractory patients there was only 1 PR (25%). Both patients who had relapsed after autologous bone marrow transplant achieved a response (1 CR and 1 PR). No major toxic effects were recorded.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that gemcitabine is an effective drug with a low toxicity profile in patients with heavily pretreated HD. Further trials using gemcitabine in combination with other conventional drugs are needed.
Zinzani
P L
PL
Istituto di Ematologia e Oncologia Medica "Seràgnoli", Policlinico S.Orsola, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. plzinzo@med.unibo.it.
Bendandi
M
M
Stefoni
V
V
Albertini
P
P
Gherlinzoni
F
F
Tani
M
M
Piccaluga
P P
PP
Tura
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000633:toxicity; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D012008:Recurrence; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine