title: Treatment of adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma by CHOP followed by therapy with antinucleosides, alpha interferon and oral etoposide.
abstract: Adult T-cell leukemia-lymphoma (ATLL) has a very bad prognosis and remains resistant to conventional therapy. Promising results have been reported with the combination of zidovudine (AZT) and alpha-interferon (IFN).
  
  
  METHODS
  A combination with IFN and antinucleoside [AZT or zalcitabine (ddC)] was applied since 1995 in Martinique (French West Indies). An initial treatment with two cycles of CHOP was added to reduce initial tumoral burden, followed by antiretroviral (ARV) therapy associated with etoposide. We report the characteristics and outcomes of 29 patients diagnosed with an ATLL between 1990 and 1999. The overall median survival was 8 months. A striking improvement of survival was observed when comparing the periods between 1990-1994 and 1995-1999 (17 months versus 3 months, p = 0.004). During the second period, seven patients received a therapy with oral etoposide, antinucleoside and IFN, among which, six patients received an initial induction CHOP chemotherapy. No major toxicity was observed with this strategy. In conclusion, the progression of survival since 1995 suggests that a therapeutic approach combining initial polychemotherapy with CHOP followed by ARV drugs, IFN and oral etoposide is an interesting option in treating patients with ATLL.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médécine Interne, CHU Pierre Zobda-Quitman, BP 632, 97261 Fort de France, Martinique, French West Indies, France.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Besson
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Panelatti
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delaunay
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gonin
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brebion
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hermine
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Plumelle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016047:Zalcitabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D015215:Zidovudine; D014750:Vincristine; D016047:Zalcitabine; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone