aclarubicin and Leukemia-Lymphoma--Adult-T-Cell

Forty one patients with refractory malignant lymphoma were treated with a combination of VP-16, ACM, BH-AC, MTX and PDN as a salvage chemotherapy. These patients were either resistant to frontline therapy or refractory in their relapses. Three patients (7%) achieved a complete remission and 14 patients (34%) attained a partial remission. An overall response rate was 41%. Major toxicities were myelosuppression, nausea, and vomiting. However, they were well tolerated. This regimen has been effective in the treatment for the patients with refractory malignant lymphoma.

Topics: Aclarubicin; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Cytarabine; Etoposide; Female; Hodgkin Disease; Humans; Immunoblastic Lymphadenopathy; Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin; Male; Methotrexate; Middle Aged; Prednisolone

Patients with either relapsed or refractory T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (T-ALL) are candidates for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Achieving complete remission (CR) in these patients is difficult but crucial for the success of allo-HSCT. In this study, we examined 6 relapsed or refractory T-ALL patients. In the patient group, 4 were male and 2 were female, with ages ranging from 15 to 57 years (median=29 years). All 6 patients presented with the nonmature T-ALL phenotype. Cytogenetically, only one had an i(7q) anomaly, whereas the remaining 5 cases had normal karyotypes. One of these patients had the MLL/AF9 fusion transcript, as shown by molecular study. After initial remission-induction therapy, two patients achieved CR, one showed a partial remission, and all relapsed soon. The other 3 cases failed the therapy. The CAG regimen (cytosine arabinoside 10 mg/m(2) subcutaneously every 12 hr, day 1-14; aclarubicin 5-7 mg/m(2) intravenously daily, day 1-8; and concurrent use of G-CSF 200 microg/m(2)/day subcutaneously) was devised originally for the treatment of relapsed acute myelogenous leukemia. After CAG therapy, all the T-ALL patients in our study achieved CR, indicating that the CAG regimen is beneficial to the treatment of relapsed or refractory T-ALL. The efficacy of CR-induction in T-ALL patients and the adverse effects of the CAG regimen need to be further studied.

Topics: Aclarubicin; Adolescent; Adult; Antigens, CD; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Cytarabine; Female; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; Humans; Immunophenotyping; Karyotyping; Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell; Male; Middle Aged; Remission Induction