Bendamustine plus mitoxantrone--a new effective treatment for advanced chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: results of a phase I/II study.
The toxicity arid efficacy of the combination bendamustine plus mitoxantrone (BM) was evaluated in 22 patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Twenty out of twenty-two patients had received at least one prior regimen. Median age was 71 years (range 53-86). Six out of twenty-two patients were Binet stage B and 16/22 Binet stage C. Bendamustine was given in escalating doses from 80 up to 240 mg/m2 divided in two to three doses per course, mitoxantrone was given as short infusion with 8 up to 10 mg/m2 per course. The number of courses was limited to six and chemotherapy stopped when a complete remission (CR) or partial remission (PR) according to NCI-Criteria was achieved. Haematotoxicity and infection were dose limiting with 4/6 patients suffering from grade 3 infectious complication in the bendamustine level with 240 mg/m2. Six out of twenty-two patients achieved a CR and 13/22 patients a PR resulting in an overall response rate of 86% (19/22 patients). Median time to progression was 10 months (range 4-22) and median survival 39 months (range 6-50). For further studies we recommend a bendamustine dose of 150 mg/m2 combined with 10 mg/m2 mitoxantrone.
Haematology/Oncology Group Practice, Nevers Strable 5, 56068 Koblenz, Germany.
Hubert
H
Köppler
Jochen
J
Heymanns
Annette
A
Pandorf
Rudolf
R
Weide
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D000069461:Bendamustine Hydrochloride; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009588:Nitrogen Mustard Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000139:chemically induced; D012074:Remission Induction; D016019:Survival Analysis
D009588:Nitrogen Mustard Compounds; D000069461:Bendamustine Hydrochloride; D008942:Mitoxantrone