Published in:
01-07-2006 | Original Article
CHOP plus etoposide and gemcitabine (CHOP-EG) as front-line chemotherapy for patients with peripheral T cell lymphomas
Authors:
Jong Gwang Kim, Sang Kyun Sohn, Yee Soo Chae, Dong Hwan Kim, Jin Ho Baek, Kyu Bo Lee, Je-Jung Lee, Ik-Joo Chung, Hyeoung-Joon Kim, Deok-Hwan Yang, Won-Sik Lee, Young-Don Joo, Chang-Hak Sohn
Published in:
Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology
|
Issue 1/2006
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Abstract
Objective: The present study evaluated the feasibility of CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) plus etoposide and gemcitabine (CHOP-EG) as front-line chemotherapy in patients with peripheral T cell lymphomas (PTCLs). Patients and methods: Twenty-six patients with newly diagnosed PTCLs were enrolled into the pilot study. Treatment consisted of classical CHOP plus etoposide 100 mg/m2 intravenously (i.v.) on day 1 and gemcitabine 600 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1 in a 3 week interval. Results: Fifteen complete responses (CR, 57.7%) or one unconfirmed complete response (uCR, 3.8%) and four partial responses (PR, 15.4%) were confirmed, giving an overall response rate of 76.9% (95% CI, 58.3–96.3%). Median survival has not yet been reached, while median event free survival was 215 days at a median follow-up duration of 383 days. Estimated overall survival at 1 year was 69.6%. The most severe haematological adverse event was neutropaenia, which occurred with a grade 4 intensity in 14 patients (53.8%). Additionally, febrile neutropaenia was observed in four patients (15.4%). However, there was no treatment-related death. Conclusion: The CHOP-EG regimen was found to be feasible in patients with PTCLs. For further investigation on the role of gemcitabine in the treatment of PTCLs, a more large scale phase II or phase III study is warranted.