title: G-CSF is not necessary to maintain over 99% dose-intensity with ABVD in the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma: low toxicity and excellent outcomes in a 10-year analysis.
abstract: Dose-intensity of chemotherapy is important in the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is commonly used to maintain it. We reviewed all newly diagnosed HL patients who were treated at our institution between 1996 and 2005. Fifty-nine patients received adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) chemotherapy with no dose reductions, treatment delays, and without G-CSF, regardless of absolute neutrophil count (ANC). The median ANC on all ABVD treatment days (n = 658) was 0.925 x 10(9)/l, and was <0.5 x 10(9)/l on 26% of treatment days. Median normalised ABVD dose-intensity was 99.1% (range, 93-100%) and median cycle duration was 28.2 d. Incidence of bleomycin lung toxicity was 1.6%, 0.44% treatments were complicated by febrile neutropenia, and no secondary malignancies have occurred (median follow-up 48 months; range, 11-130 months). Five-year event-free (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 92.9% and 97.4% respectively. Furthermore, the 5-year EFS and OS (87.4% and 94.1% respectively) for advanced stage patients compared favourably with a similar ABVD patient group who received routine prophylactic G-CSF (n = 23) with EFS 80.0% and OS 91.3% (P = 0.46 and 0.67 respectively). Our experience suggests that ABVD may be safely and effectively administered at >99% dose-intensity without G-CSF support, regardless of the ANC.
authors: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Lymphoma Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. a-evens@northwestern.edu
authors: Andrew M
authors: AM
authors: Evens
authors: Jeffrey
authors: J
authors: Cilley
authors: Taylor
authors: T
authors: Ortiz
authors: Mrinal
authors: M
authors: Gounder
authors: Nanjiang
authors: N
authors: Hou
authors: Alfred
authors: A
authors: Rademaker
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Miyata
authors: Kara
authors: K
authors: Catsaros
authors: Connie
authors: C
authors: Augustyniak
authors: Charles L
authors: CL
authors: Bennett
authors: Martin S
authors: MS
authors: Tallman
authors: Daina
authors: D
authors: Variakojis
authors: Jane N
authors: JN
authors: Winter
authors: Leo I
authors: LI
authors: Gordon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000473:pathology; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D001761:Bleomycin; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D014747:Vinblastine; D003606:Dacarbazine; D004317:Doxorubicin