title: Fludarabine-containing chemotherapy as frontline treatment of nongastrointestinal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a specific clinicopathologic entity with gastric and nongastrointestinal site involvement. The authors reported the clinical outcome of patients with Stage IE nongastrointestinal MALT lymphoma treated with a frontline fludarabine-containing regimen or with a regimen containing cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone (CVP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1998 and 2001, 31 patients with Stage IE disease were referred to the Seràgnoli Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the University of Bologna (Bologna, Italy). Presenting sites included periorbital soft tissue (n = 8), lung (n = 5), skin (n = 5), salivary glands (n = 5), lacrimal glands (n = 5), and thyroid (n = 3). Twenty patients were treated with fludarabine and mitoxantrone (FM), and 11 were treated with the CVP regimen. The median follow-up was 3 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients achieved complete responses (CR). Four patients, all treated with CVP, experienced disease recurrence and then achieved a second CR after FM salvage treatment. No tumor recurrence was observed in patients with thyroid, lacrimal gland, or pulmonary lymphoma. The projected 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were 100% and 85%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The fludarabine-containing FM regimen provided a relatively effective frontline (or salvage) treatment option for patients with nongastrointestinal Stage IE MALT lymphoma and probably was superior to CVP in terms of efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Seràgnoli Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. plzinzo@med.unibo.it
authors.forename: Pier Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Zinzani
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Stefoni
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Musuraca
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tani
authors.forename: Lapo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Alinari
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gabriele
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marchi
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pileri
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baccarani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; D006801:Humans; D018442:Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014750:Vincristine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; D014740:Vidarabine; C024352:fludarabine; D011241:Prednisone