title: Long-term results of pirarubicin versus doxorubicin in combination chemotherapy for aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: single center, 15-year experience.
abstract: Pirarubicin is an analog of doxorubicin. Few studies have compared the long-term outcomes of patients receiving pirarubicin-based THP-COP and doxorubicin-based CHOP in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). We retrospectively compared the efficacy and safety of these two regimens in 459 previously untreated aggressive NHL patients admitted to Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center from 1987 to 2003. For initial treatment, 205 patients received the THP-COP regimen, and 254 patients received the CHOP regimen. The patients' characteristics were well balanced. The groups did not differ in the complete remission rate (THP-COP, 57.1% vs. CHOP, 57.0%; P = 0.998) or response rate (THP-COP, 82.9% vs. CHOP, 81.5%; P = 0.691). At a median follow-up of 95.7 months, the 8-year survival rates were also similar (overall survival: THP-COP, 55.8% vs. CHOP, 56.7%; progression-free survival: THP-COP, 47.3% vs. CHOP, 43.5%; lymphoma-specific survival: THP-COP, 51.2% vs. CHOP, 48.5%). The THP-COP group had fewer cases of alopecia (P < 0.001) and gastrointestinal toxicities (P = 0.015). A tendency toward decreased arrhythmia (P = 0.075), especially in elderly patients (P = 0.030), was found. In combination chemotherapy for aggressive NHL, pirarubicin has comparable efficacy to doxorubicin and has a lower incidence of alopecia, gastrointestinal toxicities, and arrhythmia. Further studies are warranted to confirm these results.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Department of Medical Oncology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dong Feng Road East, 510060, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Linzhu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Chengcheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yabing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Jiajia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Huiqiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zhongzhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Tongyu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; C027260:pirarubicin; D011241:Prednisone