title: Fotemustine plus etoposide, cytarabine and melphalan (FEAM) as a new conditioning regimen for lymphoma patients undergoing auto-SCT: a multicenter feasibility study.
abstract: BEAM is a widely used conditioning regimen for relapsed/refractory lymphoma patients undergoing auto-SCT. We conducted a multicenter study with an alternative regimen (fotemustine plus etoposide, cytarabine and melphalan (FEAM)) in which BCNU was substituted by the chloroethylnitrosourea fotemustine (FTM). Eighty-four patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin's (n=20) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n=64) were conditioned with a FEAM regimen (FTM 150 mg/m(2) on days -7, -6, etoposide 200 mg/m(2) and cytarabine 400 mg/m(2) on days -5, -4, -3, -2 and melphalan 140 mg/m(2) on day -1). Patients were evaluated for toxicity and engraftment parameters. Median times to neutrophil (>500 x 10(9)/l) and plt (>20 000 x 10(9)/l) engraftment were 11 and 13 days, respectively. Grade 3 mucositis occurred in 19 patients (23%), while G3 nausea/vomiting and G3 diarrhea were observed in 13 (15%) and 6 (7%) patients, respectively. No severe hepatic, renal or pulmonary toxicity was detected. Seven patients (7%) experienced G4 mucositis, while no other G4 toxicities or unexpected adverse events of any grade were recorded. Transplant-related mortality was 2.4%. We conclude that a FEAM regimen is feasible and safe. Although toxicity and engraftment times compared favorably with BEAM, longer follow-up is needed to evaluate fully its efficacy and long-term safety.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Oncohematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, La Maddalena, Palermo, Italy. mamusso@libero.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musso
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scalone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marcacci
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lanza
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Di Renzo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cascavilla
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Bartolomeo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Crescimanno
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pinto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006085:Graft Survival; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015996:Survival Rate; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds; D009943:Organophosphorus Compounds; D003561:Cytarabine; D005047:Etoposide; C054368:fotemustine; D008558:Melphalan