title: A phase II study of VEPA/FEPP chemotherapy for aggressive lymphoma in elderly patients: Japan Clinical Oncology Group Study JCOG9203.
abstract: The Lymphoma Study Group (LSG) of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group conducted a phase II trial of LSG12 therapy for 45 elderly patients with aggressive lymphoma to clarify whether LSG12 reduces severe infection without lowering the complete response (CR) rate in comparison with LSG4. LSG12, which consisted of a regimen of vincristine, cyclophosphamide, prednisolone, doxorubicin, vindesine, etoposide, and procarbazine (VEPA/FEPP), excluded bleomycin and methotrexate of LSG4 therapy, reduced the dosages of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, and increased etoposide and procarbazine dosages instead. Inclusion criteria consisted of a patient age of 70 to 75 years, a World Health Organization performance status of 0 to 2, and acceptable organ function. The treatment was completed in 47% of the patients and terminated early for disease progression in 20% and for toxicity in 16%. The CR rate was 60% (95% confidence interval [CI], 44%-74%). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 42% (95% CI, 27%-57%), and the median OS time was 4.3 years. Leukopenia of grade 3 to 4 occurred in 98% of the patients, and severe infection occurred in 9%. Eight patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody showed no severe hepatic toxicity and had a better CR or OS rate than the 37 HCV-negative patients. Although the outcomes of LSG12 met our expectations with a reduction in severe infection and equivalent CR and OS outcomes compared with LSG4 and CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone), the possibility of a regimen more beneficial than LSG12 for aggressive lymphoma in the elderly patient should be explored because of frequent hematologic toxicity and poor compliance in LSG12.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Oncology, Daisan Hospital, Jikei University School of Medicine, Komaeshi, Tokyo 201-8601, Japan. fumi@jikei.ac.jp
authors.forename: Fumi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mizoroki
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.forename: Haruhiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Kensei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tobinai
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniwaki
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.forename: Kimiharu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uozumi
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukuhara
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nasu
authors.forename: Yoichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Hironobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toki
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Togawa
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Tomomitsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimoyama
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; 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; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D014751:Vindesine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011344:Procarbazine; D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011239:Prednisolone; D014751:Vindesine