title: Ifosfamide, epirubicin and etoposide rituximab in refractory or relapsed B-cell lymphoma: analysis of remission induction and stem cell mobilization.
abstract: Chemotherapy with ifosfamide, epirubicin and etoposide (IEV) is an effective treatment regimen for refractory/relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Rituximab has been shown to improve response rates, progression-free survival and overall survival in B-cell NHL. This study included 85 patients who were treated with IEV or rituximab-IEV (R-IEV) for refractory/relapsed B-cell NHL. The overall response rate was 40.7% (IEV) versus 68.8% (R-IEV). Fever occurred after 23.4% of IEV and 19.4% of R-IEV cycles. 94.9% of patients mobilized sufficient numbers of CD34+ cells (IEV) versus 93.8% (R-IEV). Fifty-five patients (64.7%) proceeded to high-dose therapy after IEV+/-rituximab. The median survival time was 60.0 months (IEV) and 19.5 months (R-IEV), and has not been reached for patients who received high-dose therapy. The addition of rituximab to IEV salvage chemotherapy increases the response rates in B-cell NHL without affecting stem cell mobilization, but overall survival for patients proceeding to high-dose chemotherapy is not improved.
authors.affiliation: III. Medical Department, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Helge
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Menzel
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Von Schilling
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Licht
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peschel
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Keller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced; D019650:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D000069283:Rituximab; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D015251:Epirubicin; D000069283:Rituximab; D005047:Etoposide; D007069:Ifosfamide