German-Austrian multicenter trial for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphomas: COP-BLAM/IMVP-16 chemotherapy with randomized adjuvant radiotherapy

Perspective of rhGM-CSF in the treatment of neutropenic infections and aggressive lymphomas

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) of intermediate and high-grade malignancy respond well to doxorubicin-containing regimens, but long-term survival does not exceed 30% in large studies with long-term follow-up. Any attempt to improve this somehow disappointing result by adding more drugs, increasing doses or shortening time intervals of chemotherapy have so far failed in randomized settings. Even autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) could not improve long-term survival when applied in first remission of the disease. Prophylactic use of hematopoietic growth factors in the chemotherapy of aggressive NHL did prevent neutropenia and positively influenced the occurrence of infectious complications, and also led to an increase of dose intensity (DI) by 15% but this did not affect survival. In contrast, a retrospective analysis of an NHL study showed that a high DI may in fact be deleterious rather than beneficial. Thus the prophylactic use of hematopoietic growth factors still has to be considered experimental in the chemotherapy of NHL and should be studied in controlled settings like the one proposed here.

Intermediate-grade lymphomas treated with cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin- vincristine-prednisone-bleomycin alternated with cyclophosphamide-methotrexate-etoposide-dexamethasone. Application of prognostic models to data analysis

BACKGROUND

Numerous treatment strategies have been tried with the aim of improving results for patients with intermediate-grade lymphomas (IGL) over those achieved with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, and bleomycin (CHOP-Bleo), and numerous prognostic models have been developed to identify and separate risk groups. This study reports on a new protocol for Ann Arbor Stages II-IV IGL that consists of CHOP-Bleo alternated with a new regimen of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, etoposide, and dexamethasone (CMED) and radiation therapy and demonstrates the usefulness of prognostic models for identifying risk groups and comparing treatment programs.

METHODS

One hundred seventy patients with Ann Arbor Stages II-IV IGL were treated with alternating cycles of CHOP-Bleo and CMED for a total of 12 cycles. Involved field radiation therapy was interspersed with courses of chemotherapy for patients with Stage II and Stage III disease. Results were analyzed and compared with those of the authors' previous study of CHOP-Bleo and radiation therapy using the Ann Arbor staging system, their earlier prognostic model, and the recently published International Index.

RESULTS

A complete remission occurred in 78% of the patients. The overall 5-year survival rate was 67%. Survival was better for patients with Ann Arbor Stage II disease (80%) than for those with Stage III or Stage IV (67% and 58%, respectively). High tumor burden, above-normal levels of serum lactic dehydrogenase, serum beta 2-microglobulin, and Ann Arbor Stage IV disease were adverse factors. The International Index and the authors' earlier prognostic model separated four prognostic groups. CHOP-Bleo/CMED was generally well tolerated. Neutropenic fever was the major complication that occurred in 25 patients during treatment. Six of these patients died of sepsis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that CHOP-Bleo/CMED is a well-tolerated regimen that produced better results than those reported for a former study that used CHOP-Bleo alone. Further, results for CHOP-Bleo/CMED compared favorably with those of other second- and third-generation regimens. The study also validated the usefulness of prognostic models and, in particular, the new International Index for identifying risk groups.

Influence of cytostatic treatment on the coagulation system and fibrinolysis in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and acute leukemias

Cytostatic therapy is known to aggravate tumor-induced coagulopathy. Therefore, we have studied the effect of different chemotherapeutic regimens on the activation of coagulation and fibrinolysis in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas or acute leukemias. In non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients treated with an aggressive protocol (COL-BLAM) and in leukemia patients (TAD-9) fibrinopeptide A, prothrombin fragment (F1 + 2) and thrombin antithrombin III complexes (TAT) increased (Tables 4 and 6), while D-dimer did not deviate significantly. The ratio D-dimer/TAT consequently showed a significant decrease, indicating increased formation of thrombin after release of procoagulant factors, which is not paralleled by an activation of fibrinolysis. Both these groups were also characterized by an increase in uric acid and in C-reactive protein and plasminogen-activator inhibitor, two acute-phase reactants. In contrast, patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphomas treated with a less aggressive protocol (COP) showed no significant changes in hemostatic variables, uric acid, or acute-phase reactants. The release of procoagulant factors relates to the cytostatic sensitivity of the tumor and to a high tumor-cell destruction. Our results further emphasize the need for large-scale studies on antithrombotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing cytostatic treatment.

Prospective multicenter trial for the response-adapted treatment of high-grade malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphomas: updated results of the COP-BLAM/IMVP-16 protocol with randomized adjuvant radiotherapy

In a prospective multicenter trial the efficiency of the response-adapted COP-BLAM/IMVP-16 protocol to induce complete remissions (CR) in high-grade malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphomas as well as the prognostic relevance of adjuvant radiotherapy were investigated. From 1986-1989, 548 patients (median age 56 years) with stage II-IV (Ann Arbor) disease were treated with five cycles of COP-BLAM followed by two cycles of IMVP-16. If only a partial remission was obtained at the time of first restaging (RS) after three cycles (delayed response), treatment was switched to IMVP-16 (two to five courses) immediately. Patients achieving CR by the second RS after chemotherapy were randomized to adjuvant radiotherapy or observation. Responses to chemotherapy were 63% CR in patients completing the second RS (N = 350) or 72% if patients achieving late CR by consolidating radiotherapy are added; responses were 58% or 65% if all deaths prior to the second RS are included (N = 50). Overall and relapse-free survival were 71% and 68% at one year and 63% and 61% at two years. Multivariate risk factor analysis proved the early (by first RS) CR response to possess predominant prognostic relevance for survival. A significant advantage of adjuvant radiotherapy over no further treatment for duration of CR is not yet discernible. These results emphasize the importance of a rapidly achieved CR, thus contributing to the design of future trials.

Etoposide, ifosfamide, and methotrexate with or without bleomycin in refractory or recurrent lymphomas

The prognosis of patients with refractory or relapsed malignant lymphoma is poor. To improve the outcome of such patients, a therapeutic regimen of VIM +/- B (etoposide/ifosfamide plus mesna/methotrexate/ with or without bleomycin) was administered. Of 47 patients treated, 15 had relapsed following complete remission (CR) after first-line chemotherapy, 28 had failed to achieve CR with first-line therapy, and four failed to respond to multiple salvage regimens. All patients had received extensive prior chemotherapy, and 36 had received combinations containing doxorubicin. Eight patients had low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), 28 had high-grade NHL, and 11 patients had Hodgkin's disease. Overall response rate was 87%, with 45% CR and 42% partial remission (PR). Median relapse-free interval was 8 months in patients with CR and 6 months in those with PR. Of patients with CR, 43% were predicted to be without relapse at 2 years and 31% at 5 years. Median survival time for all patients treated with 14 months-22 months for those with CR and 10 months for those with PR. Probability of survival at 2 years was 30% in all patients, 50% in patients with CR, and 15% in those with PR. VIM +/- B appears to be effective against refractory or recurrent lymphoma, resulting in response in a large number of patients and long-term survival and possible cure in a small but significant number. Results indicate that VIM +/- B is particularly effective in patients with high-grade NHL who have responded suboptimally to primary therapy.

Long-term follow-up of CHOP-treated non-Hodgkin lymphoma of high-grade malignancy

The long-term outcome of 116 NHL patients (38 CB, 33 IB, 24 LB, 11 high-grade unclassified, 9 PTCL, 1 Ki-1 lymphoma - see list of abbreviations) treated with an age-adjusted CHOP regimen from 1980-85 was evaluated. The median age was 64 years. Of these patients 28% had significant comorbidity. CB patients had the best outcome; the median survival was not reached after 110 months. However, the differences in survival of all histological entities are not significant (P = 0.08). Fifty-six percent of the patients had clinical stages I-II. The CR rate of all 116 patients was 47%. After a median follow-up of 58 months, 30% of the patients are alive and disease-free. Of 14 relapses 11 occurred within 2 years. The median time period before relapse was 9 months. Salvage therapy failed, as none of the IB and LB patients achieved CR. Five CB patients had CR with second-line therapy, four had PR after induction therapy, one patient relapsed after 30 months. Of the CR patients 15% developed second or third neoplasms. Only one instance of acute myeloblastic leukemia was observed. These results indicate that age-adjusted CHOP is a well-tolerated therapy.

MACOP-B chemotherapy for the treatment of high grade and intermediate grade non Hodgkin's lymphoma

Between Nov. 1985 and Nov. 1988, sixty-three patients with high grade malignant (hg) and intermediate grade malignant (img) Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) were treated with MACOP-B (methotrexate, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone and bleomycin). Thirty-seven patients received MACOP-B as an upfront treatment modality, whereas twenty-six patients had relapsed disease and received MACOP-B as a salvage protocol. Four weeks after termination of therapy, 75% of patients with de novo NHL and 72% of the patients with relapsed NHL were in complete remission (CR). In the group of newly diagnosed NHL, 22% achieved partial remission (PR) and 3% no change (NC), whereas in the group with relapsed disease 14% had PR and 14% had progressive disease (PD). At a medium follow-up of 12 months (range 1 month to 33 months), 74% of patients with de novo NHL continued to be in CR whereas the continuous CR rate in patients with relapsed disease was 35%. Overall survival after 30 months of observation for the patient group with de novo NHL was 75% and 40% for patients with relapsed NHL. The mean duration for completion of the projected 12 chemotherapy cycles, given in weekly intervals, was 12.9 and 13.5 weeks in upfront or salvage therapy, respectively. With low incidence of major toxicities, application of drugs on an outpatient basis, and high efficacy, MACOP-B shows substantial advantages for therapy of de novo and relapsed NHL.