Purpose: To compare four first generation chemotherapy regimes (FGR) used by GATLA in low and intermediate grade lymphomas. Versus a second generation regimen called CAVPE.
Patients and methods: A group of 205 patients treated with FGR (79 with BACOP, 89 with COPP, 19 with CHOP, and 18 with CNOP), and 244 others treated with the combination of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone and etoposide (CAVPE) were included. Two randomized phase III multicentric studies, COPP vs BACOPP and CHOP vs CNOP, as a whole group, were compared with the second generation scheme, CAVPE. All the patients with FGR received 6 monthly treatment courses, and the CAVPE patients were given 8 monthly courses.
Results: The median age was 55 years (18-85) for the FGR group and 51 years (15-79) for the CAVPE group. The stage distribution for both FGR and CAVPE groups was, respectively, as follows: II: 38 and 55 cases; III 80 and 84 cases; IV: 87 and 105 cases. No significant differences were found between both groups when comparing other characteristics of the patients, namely, sex, symptoms, mediastinal, abdominal or extranodal involvement, liver, spleen or bone-marrow infiltration, and bulky tumoural mass. The percentage of complete remission (CR) was 52% (107/205) in the patients treated with FGR, and 67% (163/244) in the CAVPE group (p < 0.001). The estimated probability of sustained first CR at 72 months was 38% for the FGR group and 54% for the CAVPE group (p = 0.0167), whereas 17% and 36%, respectively, of the evaluable patients were alive and well, with no signs of disease progression (p = 0.000). The 72-month survival was estimated in 32% and 51%, respectively, for each group (p = 0.0004).
Conclusions: 1. CAVPE seems to offer better responses and disease-free survival in this non-selected group of low and intermediate lymphoma patients. 2. The better results in terms of CR and lower incidence of relapses attained with CAVPE with regard to FGR are probably related with a number of facts, such as the use of more aggressive drugs, higher doses, a better drug combination rationale, the inclusion of new drugs, such as etoposide, or a selection of the patients.