Treatment of Burkitt's/Burkitt-like lymphoma in adolescents and adults: a 20-year experience from the Norwegian Radium Hospital with the use of three successive regimens.
BACKGROUND
Burkitt's/Burkitt-like lymphoma (BL/BLL) are highly aggressive lymphomas mainly affecting children and young adults. We report the results in adolescent and adult patients with the use of three successive regimens.


METHODS
Forty-nine patients aged 15-70 years admitted to the Norwegian Radium Hospital in the period 1982-2001 with a diagnosis of BL/BLL on histological review and who were given chemotherapy with curative intent are included in this analysis. Up to 1987 patients were given doxorubicin-based chemotherapy supplemented with intravenous and intrathecal methotrexate (MmCHOP). From 1987 to 1994, patients who obtained complete remission upon this regimen were consolidated with high-dose therapy with stem-cell support (MmCHOP + HDT). In 1995 we introduced as frontline therapy the German Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (BFM) regimen.


RESULTS
By intention to treat analyses, the progression-free survival rates for patients who received MmCHOP (n=13), MmCHOP + HDT (n=17) or BFM therapy (n=19) are 30.8%, 70.6% and 73.7%, respectively. In the groups of patients who received either the BFM regimen or MmCHOP + HDT, all patients who obtained complete remission upon induction therapy are continuously disease free. There was no treatment-related death.


CONCLUSIONS
BL/BLL in adolescents and adults can successfully be treated with 5-day blocks of intensified chemotherapy such as the BFM regimen or CHOP/methotrexate-based chemotherapy consolidated with high-dose therapy. Using the BFM regimen, continuous remissions are obtained without additional myeloablative chemotherapy.
Smeland
S
S
Department of Medical Oncology, Norwegian Radium Hospital, University of Oslo, Montebello, Oslo, Norway.
Blystad
A K
AK
Kvaløy
S O
SO
Ikonomou
I M
IM
Delabie
J
J
Kvalheim
G
G
Hammerstrøm
J
J
Lauritzsen
G F
GF
Holte
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009664:Norway; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D004317:Doxorubicin; D008727:Methotrexate