Rituximab–EPOCH, an effective salvage therapy for relapsed, refractory or transformed B-cell lymphomas: results of a phase II study

摘要: ABSTRACT Background Relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell and mantle-cell lymphoma have a poor prognosis. The EPOCH regimen rituximab monotherapy demonstrated activity as salvage therapies. Because of their non-overlapping toxicity, we evaluated combination therapy in phase II study. Patients methods with relapsed CD20-positive were offered treatment 375 mg/m2 intravenously (i.v.) on day 1, doxorubicin 15 continuous i.v. infusion days 2–4, etoposide 65 vincristine 0.5 mg cyclophosphamide 750 5 prednisone 60 orally 1–14. Results Fifty patients, median age 56 years (range 23–72), entered the Twenty-five had primary lymphoma, 18 transformed seven lymphoma. number prior chemotherapy regimens was 1.7 one to four). cycles four six). Possible treatment-related death occurred two patients. Objective responses obtained 68% patients (28% complete responses, 40% partial responses). Nineteen received consolidating high-dose autologous stem-cell transplantation. follow-up 33 months. Three developed secondary myelodysplastic syndrome. overall survival 17.9 months; projected at 2 3 66, 42 35%, respectively. event-free 11.8 50, 30 26%, Conclusion rituximab–EPOCH is effective well tolerated, even extensively pretreated