MITOXANTRONE ALONE OR IN COMBINATION CHEMOTHERAPY (VEMP) AS 2ND-LINE TREATMENT IN RELAPSED OR REFRACTORY POOR-PROGNOSIS NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA - A REPORT OF THE NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA COOPERATIVE STUDY-GROUP (NHLCSG)

Background and Methods. From October, 1986 to July 1989, 35 consecutive patients with high- and intermediate-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, intermediate-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, relapsed or refractory to first-line-anthracycline-containing regimens, were treated with mitoxantrone alone or in combination chemotherapy (VeMP: Ve = VP-16, M = Mitoxantrone, P = Prednisolone). Results. In the first 15 patients, treated with Mitoxantrone alone, complete response (CR) and partial response (PR) each occurred in 4 patients, for a total response rate of 54%. In the following 20 patients, treated with the VeMP regimen, CR occurred in 10 patients (50%), PR in 1. The overall three-year survival was 27% in the first group and 40% in the second. Acute toxicity was generally mild. No patient developed cardiac symptoms or other toxicities requiring discontinuation of therapy. Myelosuppression was the most important side effect, being more remarkable for patients treated with VeMP regimen. Conclusion. Mitoxantrone, alone or in combination chemotherapy, appears to be a drug with significant activity in aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphomas.