title: ChlVPP alternating with PABlOE is superior to PABlOE alone in the initial treatment of advanced Hodgkin's disease: results of a British National Lymphoma Investigation/Central Lymphoma Group randomized controlled trial.
abstract: The purpose of this randomized trial was to compare the efficacy of 6 cycles of prednisolone, Adriamycin (doxorubicin), bleomycin, vincristine (Oncovin) and etoposide (PABlOE) with 3 cycles of PABIOE that alternate with 3 cycles of chlorambucil, vinblastine, procarbazine and prednisone (ChlVPP) in patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease. Between October 1992 and April 1996, 679 patients were entered onto the study. 41 of these did not match the protocol requirements on review and were excluded from further analysis, most of these being reclassified as NHL on histological review. Of the remaining 638 patients, 319 were allocated to receive PABIOE and 319 were allocated to receive ChlVPP/PABlOE. The complete remission (CR) rates were 78% and 64%, for ChlVPP/PABlOE and PABIOE respectively after initial chemotherapy (P< 0.0001). 124 patients were re-evaluated subsequently following radiotherapy to residual masses. The CR rates changed from 78% to 88% for ChlVPP/PABlOE and from 64% to 77% for PABlOE when re-evaluated in this manner (treatment difference still significant, P = 0.0002). The treatment associated mortality in the PABlOE arm was 2.2% (7 deaths), while there were no such deaths in the ChlVPP/PABlOE arm (P = 0.015). The failure-free survival was significantly greater in the ChlVPP/PABlOE arm (P< 0.0001) as was the overall survival (P = 0.01). The failure-free and overall survival rates at 3 years were 77% and 91% in the ChlVPP/PABlOE arm, compared with 58% and 85% in the PABIOE arm, respectively. These results indicate that ChlVPP alternating with PABIOE is superior to PABIOE alone as initial treatment for advanced Hodgkin's disease.
authors.affiliation: YCR Section of Clinical Oncology, Weston Park Hospital, Whitham Road, Sheffield, S10 2SJ, UK.
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Hancock
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Selby
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Maclennan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jack
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Bessell
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Linch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D002699:Chlorambucil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015996:Survival Rate; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D001761:Bleomycin; D002699:Chlorambucil; D011344:Procarbazine; D014750:Vincristine; D014747:Vinblastine; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D011239:Prednisolone; D011241:Prednisone