Inpharma 1468 - 18 Dec 2004

Dose-intense, dose-dense,sequential NHL-15 protocol in

aggressive NHLThe dose-intense, dose-dense, sequential NHL-15

protocol of doxorubicin, vincristine and high-dosecyclophosphamide warrants further evaluation as atreatment for aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma(NHL), according to US-based researchers.

168 chemotherapy-naive patients with aggressiveNHL were treated with IV doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 onweeks 1, 3, 5 and 7, plus IV vincristine 1.4 mg/m2 onweeks 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 (induction), followed by IVcyclophosphamide 3000 mg/m2 on weeks 9, 11 and 13with SC granulocyte colony-stimulating factor 5 µg/kgon days 3–10 after each dose (intensification). Therewere predefined indications for dose modifications.

The patients were followed up for a median of6.9 years. Complete remission was achieved by 72.1%of patients. The 5-year progression-free survival rate was43% of patients. A retrospective comparison with theInternational Prognostic Index (IPI) and age-adjusted IPImodel indicated that the regimen may be superior tostandard CHOP* in the intermediate prognosticcategories.

In general, only routine medical management wasrequired for the toxicity of this regimen. The researcherscomment that, "the NHL-15 protocol . . . can be deliveredsafely at near ideal dose intensity".* cyclophosphamide plus doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone

Portlock CS, et al. The NHL-15 protocol for aggressive non-Hodgkin’slymphomas: a sequential dose-dense, dose-intense regimen of doxorubicin,vincristine and high-dose cyclophosphamide. Annals of Oncology 15: 1495-1503,No. 10, Oct 2004 800979546

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Inpharma 18 Dec 2004 No. 14681173-8324/10/1468-0001/$14.95 Adis © 2010 Springer International Publishing AG. All rights reserved