title: Dose-dense CHOP plus rituximab (R-CHOP14) for the treatment of elderly patients with high-risk diffuse large B cell lymphoma: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) require intensive therapies which seemed impracticable in elderly patients. Dose reduction and therapy attenuation reduced treatment-related toxicity, but also decreased therapeutic efficacy. In elderly patients too, the achievement of complete remission is the most important prognostic factor affecting outcome. Therefore, we have treated elderly patients with a dose-intensified protocol. Aim of the study was to verify the feasibility of this scheme in a subset of patients with high-risk aggressive lymphomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between June 2002 and June 2004, 26 patients over the age of 60 years with a diagnosis of aggressive NHL and an intermediate-high or high International Prognostic Index were treated with biweekly CHOP plus rituximab with the support of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen patients (65%) regularly kept the interval between cycles. Haematological and extrahaematological toxicities were moderate in all the patients. Twenty (77%) patients achieved complete remissions, 6 (23%) partial remissions with an overall response rate of 100%. After a median follow-up of 23 months, the overall survival was 79%; after a median follow-up of 17 months, the disease-free survival was 70%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results confirm that a dose-dense CHOP programme can be administered safely and effectively in a subset of elderly patients with high-risk aggressive NHL. The addition of rituximab could increase the response rate without adding toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Careggi Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. l.rigacci@dac.unifi.it
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rigacci
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nassi
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alterini
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carrai
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bernardi
authors.forename: Varesco
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosi
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D011379:Prognosis; D000069283:Rituximab; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D000069283:Rituximab; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011241:Prednisone