title: High-dose chemotherapy with tandem autologous transplantation as part of the initial therapy for aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility and the efficacy of employing a high-dose chemotherapy (HDT) regimen with tandem peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) supported transplantation in the initial treatment of aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). HDT was preceded by a standard course of conventional dose chemotherapy in 17 out of the 25 patients treated, while in 8 cases it was delivered after only one or two cycles. HDT was a three-step procedure which included high-dose (6-7 g/m2) cyclophosphamide (CY) supported by haematopoietic growth factors, the first myeloablative course with mitoxantrone (NOV) 60, 75 or 90 mg/m2 plus melphalan (L-PAM) 140-180 mg/m2 with haematopoietic rescue, and the second myeloablative course with etoposide (VP) and carboplatin (CARBO) given at 1.5 g/m2 each with haematopoietic rescue. PBPC were collected after CY administration. Twenty-two patients (88%) completed the HDT, haematological reconstitution was rapid and complete at each step and there were no toxic deaths. The activity of the treatment was high with a CR rate over 90% in the entire patient population. The 2-year overall survival (OS) and failure-free survival (FFS) rates of patients in both Age-Adjusted International Prognostic Index (A-AIPI) groups 2 and 3 are 79% and the disease-free survival (DFS) rate for the CRs is 85%. In A-AIPI group 1 the 2-year OS and FFS rates are both 91%.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Interna, Universita di Genova, I-16132 Genova, Italy. ballestr@unige.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ballestrero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clavio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrando
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gonella
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garuti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sessarego
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Patrone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016298:Hematopoietic Cell Growth Factors; D005047:Etoposide; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D016190:Carboplatin; D008942:Mitoxantrone; D008558:Melphalan