title: High dose of idarubicin-based regimen for diffuse large cell AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intensive chemotherapy (CHT) in AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (AIDS-NHL patients) is a vexing problem. Our purpose was to evaluate the feasibility of a high dose idarubicin (HD-IDA)-based regimen in diffuse large cell (DLC) AIDS-NHL patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen stage I-IV untreated DLC AIDS-NHL patients with a performance status <3 and no prior AIDS-related diseases received CIOD: cyclophosphamide, HD-IDA (25 mg/m2 in 8 patients, 20 mg/m2 in 6 patients) vincristine and dexamethasone plus granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and prophylaxis against infections. The outcomes measured were: rate of response, disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS) and the impact of chemotherapy on immunologic and virological parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete response was achieved in 13/14 cases (response rate: 93%). The median time of response and survival was 33 (range 5-79) and 35.5 (range 6-84) months, respectively. At 60 months the DFS and OS were 71% and 44%, respectively. CIOD with idarubicin 20 mg/m2 was better tolerated than that with 25 mg/m2 and was administered with a higher mean average-relative-dose-intensity (95.38+/-7% vs 83.35+/-15.59%, p=0.0001). Opportunistic infections were more frequent in patients with a baseline CD4 <100 than those with >100 cells/microL (4/5 vs 1/9: p=0.0229). After 3 CIOD courses the mean CD4 cells/microL was significantly lower (p=0.001) and the mean HIV.1 RNA load was significantly higher (p=0.045) than at baseline.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proposed chemotherapeutic regimen for AIDS-related non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is feasible in an outpatient setting in selected patients with relatively well-preserved immune function.
authors.affiliation: Ematologia, Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Cellulari ed Ematologia, University "La Sapienza" of Rome, via Benevento, 6 00161 Rome, Italy. gastaldi@bce.med.uniroma1.it
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gastaldi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cafolla
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cordone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giannini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torromeo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Palmisano
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Picardi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andreotti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Avvisati
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mandelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015255:Idarubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016483:Lymphoma, AIDS-Related / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D015255:Idarubicin