title: L-asparaginase-based treatment of 15 western patients with extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma and leukemia and a review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, and aggressive NK-cell leukemia are highly aggressive diseases with a poor outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a multicentric French retrospective study of 15 patients with relapsed, refractory, or disseminated disease, treated with L-asparaginase-containing regimens in seven French centers. Thirteen patients were in relapse and/or refractory and 10 patients were at stage IV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All but two of the patients had an objective response to L-asparaginase-based treatment. Seven patients reached complete remission and only two relapsed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data, although retrospective, confirm the excellent activity of L-asparaginase-containing regimens in refractory extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma and aggressive NK-cell leukemia. Therefore, L-asparaginase-based regimen should be considered as a salvage treatment, especially for patients with disseminated disease. First-line L-asparaginase combination therapy for extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma and aggressive NK-cell leukemia should be tested in prospective trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Limoges, France. arnaud.jaccard@chu-limoges.fr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jaccard
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Petit
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Girault
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gressin
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Coiteux
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Larroche
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Devidas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thiéblemont
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaulard
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gachard
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bordessoule
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hermine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001215:Asparaginase / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D054391:Lymphoma, Extranodal NK-T-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D019366:Western World
chemical_list: D001215:Asparaginase