Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 13, 1734-1741, Copyright © 1995 by American Society of Clinical Oncology
Results of a salvage treatment program for relapsing lymphoma: MINE consolidated with ESHAP
MA Rodriguez, FC Cabanillas, W Velasquez, FB Hagemeister, P McLaughlin, F Swan and JE Romaguera
Department of Hematology, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
PURPOSE: We report the results of a prospective trial in which patients
with relapsing non-Hodgkin's lymphomas were sequentially treated with two
regimens (mesna, ifosfamide, mitoxantrone, and etoposide [MINE], and
etoposide, methylprednisolone, cytarabine, and cisplatin [ESHAP]) if they
had no history of disease resistance to these drugs. PATIENTS AND METHODS:
Ninety-two patients received MINE (mesna 4 g/m2, ifosfamide 4 g/m2,
mitoxantrone 8 mg/m2, and etoposide 195 mg/m2) for a maximum of six courses
followed by ESHAP (etoposide 240 mg/m2, methylprednisone 500 mg/d,
high-dose cytarabine 2 g/m2, and cisplatin 100 mg/m2) for three courses to
consolidate complete response (CR) or for a maximum of six cycles after a
partial response (PR) or no response to MINE. Pretreatment serum levels of
lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2M) were
documented in 80 of 92 patients. RESULTS: The response rate to MINE-ESHAP
was 69% (48% CRs and 21% PRs), with a median survival time of 24 months and
median time to treatment failure of 12 months. The median time to treatment
failure according to histology was as follows: low-grade histologies, 16
months; low-grade transformed to intermediate-grade, 8 months; and
intermediate-grade, 5 months. The most serious complication was
myelosuppression, which resulted in two deaths due to neutropenic sepsis. A
risk factor model based on beta 2M and LDH levels before salvage treatment
showed three categories of risk, with 36-month survival rates as follows:
low (beta 2M < 3 mg/dL and LDH normal), 61%; intermediate (beta 2M >
or = 3 mg/dL or LDH above normal), 23%; and high (beta 2M > or = 3 mg/dL
and LDH above normal), 0%. CONCLUSION: MINE-ESHAP is an effective salvage
strategy for patients with recurrent lymphoma. Toxicity was acceptable.
Factors that determine prognostic categories at relapse merit further
study.