Proliferation predicts failure-free survival in mantle cell lymphoma patients treated with rituximab plus hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone alternating with rituximab plus high-dose methotrexate and cytarabine.
BACKGROUND
It has been demonstrated that the tumor proliferation index has prognostic significance in patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Patients in most of studies, however, have been treated with relatively traditional chemotherapy regimens. At the authors' institution, patients with MCL received an aggressive chemotherapy regimen: rituximab plus hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone alternating with rituximab plus high-dose methotrexate and cytarabine (R-hyper-CVAD).


METHODS
The authors assessed the proliferation rate of MCL using immunohistochemistry and an antibody specific for Ki-67 in 71 untreated patients who subsequently received R-hyper-CVAD. The study group included 59 patients who had classic MCL and 12 patients who had the blastoid variant of MCL.


RESULTS
For the entire study group and for the group of patients with classic MCL, a proliferation index of >20% Ki-67-positive cells was correlated significantly with shorter failure-free survival. There was no correlation between the proliferation index and overall survival.


CONCLUSIONS
The current results indicated that the proliferation index in patients with MCL predicted prognosis in those who uniformly received the R-hyper-CVAD chemotherapy regimen.
Garcia
Mar
M
Department of Hematopathology, Box 72, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Romaguera
Jorge E
JE
Inamdar
Kedar V
KV
Rassidakis
George Z
GZ
Medeiros
L Jeffrey
LJ
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D020522:Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D000069283:Rituximab; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D003561:Cytarabine; D000069283:Rituximab; D014750:Vincristine; D003907:Dexamethasone; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008727:Methotrexate