title: Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy (dexamethasone, high-dose cytarabine, and oxaliplatin)±rituximab is an effective salvage regimen in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients affected by relapsed or primary refractory lymphomas currently have a poor prognosis and no standard salvage treatment options. This study was carried out to assess the efficacy and safety of a dexamethasone, high-dose cytarabine, and oxaliplatin as salvage therapy in those patients, replacing cisplatin with oxaliplatin in the standard dexamethasone, cytarabine, and cisplatin scheme.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin or Hodgkin lymphoma were treated from September 2001 to September 2007. The median age of patients was 51 years (range, 19-75 years). Histological subtypes were: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n=47) and Hodgkin lymphoma (n=23). The overall response rate was 73% (51 of 70), with 30 (43%) complete remissions and 21 (30%) partial remissions. Fifty-two patients were treated with dexamethasone, high-dose cytarabine, and oxaliplatin as second-line chemotherapy. Forty-eight patients were enrolled in an autologous stem cell transplantation program; forty (83%) finally proceeded to high-dose consolidation and autografting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No grade 3 or 4 nonhematological toxicity was demonstrated; in particular, no renal or neurotoxicity was reported. After a median follow-up period of 21 months (range, 2-87 months), 22 (31%) patients had died. Probabilities of 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 44% and 71%, respectively. In the chemosensitive patients, the PFS and OS were 52% and 83%, respectively. The only factor that significantly correlated with better OS was the response to therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms that dexamethasone, high-dose cytarabine, and oxaliplatin ± rituximab is an effective and feasible outpatient regimen for salvage therapy in patients affected by relapsed or refractory lymphoma. Moreover, the feasibility and efficacy of this scheme as an in vivo chemosensitive test in patients in autotransplantation programs was confirmed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy. l.rigacci@dac.unifi.it
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rigacci
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fabbri
authors.forename: Benedetta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Puccini
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Chitarrelli
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chiappella
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Vitolo
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Levis
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lauria
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D012008:Recurrence; D000069283:Rituximab; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D003561:Cytarabine; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D000069283:Rituximab; D003907:Dexamethasone