title: BEAC or BEAM high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients: comparative analysis of efficacy and toxicity.
abstract: The treatment of choice for relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) consists of high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Little is known, however, regarding the comparative toxicity and efficacy of various HDC regimens applied in NHL. We have retrospectively evaluated the clinical aspects of the BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine, and cyclophosphamide (BEAC) and BCNU, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan (BEAM) regimens for ASCT. Between April 1994 and February 2005, 97 NHL patients underwent HDC with BEAC (N = 69) or BEAM (N = 28), followed by ASCT, at the Asan Medical Center. We matched each BEAM patient with two BEAC patients having the same International Prognostic Index. Thus, 84 patients (56 BEAC and 28 BEAM) were analyzed. Median age was 40.5 years, and baseline characteristics were well balanced between the two groups. The median time to neutrophil engraftment (>500/mm(3)) was significantly longer with BEAC than with BEAM (12 vs 11 days, P = 0.001), as was the total amount of red blood cell transfusion (6.5 vs 3.7U, P = 0.037), but the median time to platelet engraftment (>20,000/mm(3)) and the total amount of platelet transfusion did not differ between the two groups. BEAM patients had significantly more frequent World Health Organization grade greater than or equal to 2 diarrhea than BEAC patients (46.4 vs 19.6%, P = 0.010), but the incidence of mucositis, nausea/vomiting, and bleeding and the number of episodes of febrile neutropenia and septicemia did not differ between the two groups. Median follow-up for survivors was 33 months in the BEAM group and 89 months in the BEAC group. Median overall survival and median event-free survival were not reached in the BEAM group and were 7.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1-14.8 months, P = 0.003) and 3.7 months (95% CI, 0.1-7.2 months, P = 0.001), respectively, in the BEAC group. BEAM appeared to be superior to BEAC for survival. Regimen-related toxicities were similar, except that BEAM was associated with more frequent but acceptable diarrhea.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 388-1 Pungnap-2dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 138-736, South Korea.
authors: Jae-Cheol
authors: JC
authors: Jo
authors: Byung Wook
authors: BW
authors: Kang
authors: Geundoo
authors: G
authors: Jang
authors: Sun Jin
authors: SJ
authors: Sym
authors: Sung Sook
authors: SS
authors: Lee
authors: Ja Eun
authors: JE
authors: Koo
authors: Jong Wook
authors: JW
authors: Kim
authors: Shin
authors: S
authors: Kim
authors: Jooryung
authors: J
authors: Huh
authors: Cheolwon
authors: C
authors: Suh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002330:Carmustine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011034:Podophyllotoxin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011034:Podophyllotoxin; D008558:Melphalan; D002330:Carmustine