Metformin enhances the cytotoxic effect of nilotinib and overcomes nilotinib resistance in chronic myeloid leukemia cells

Nilotinib is used for treating patients with imatinib-sensitive or -resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML); however, nilotinib-resistant cases have been observed in recent years. In addition, a considerable number of patients receiving nilotinib developed diabetes. Metformin is a front-line drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and several studies have shown that diabetes patients treated with metformin have reduced incidence of cancer. This study aimed to define the effect of metformin on CML cells to determine whether metformin overcomes nilotinib resistance, and to identify novel targets for the treatment of nilotinib resistance. Methods: We observed the effects of metformin and nilotinib on K562 and KU812 human CML cell lines. Nilotinib-resistant CML cell lines were generated by exposing cells to gradually increasing doses of nilotinib. Then, we investigated the driving force that makes resistance to nilotinib and the effect of metformin on the driving force. Results: Sub-toxic doses of metformin enhanced nilotinib efficacy by reducing Bcl-xL expression, which induces apoptosis in CML cells. Next, we generated nilotinib-resistant K562 and KU812 cell lines that overexpressed the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) gene. JNK silencing by a JNK inhibitor restored sensitivity to nilotinib. Furthermore, metformin was effective in decreasing phosphorylated JNK levels, restoring nilotinib sensitivity. Combined treatment with nilotinib and metformin was more effective than combined treatment with nilotinib and a JNK inhibitor in terms of cell proliferation inhibition. Conclusions: This study suggested that combination therapy with metformin and nilotinib may have clinical benefits of enhancing antileukemia efficacy and overcoming resistance to nilotinib.

Prognostic implication of systemic inflammatory markers in young patients with resectable colorectal cancer

Purpose@#The prognosis of young colorectal cancer (CRC) patients has not fully been addressed. The prognostic significance of systemic inflammatory markers was examined in those patients. @*Methods@#A total of 965 patients with resectable CRC were divided into young (≤ 50 years, n = 101) and old groups (>51 years, n = 864). Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) > 5, derived NLR (dNLR) > 3, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) 150, and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) 5, LMR 3 and those markers showed significance for PFS. LMR 150 (HR, 1.45; P = 0.036) and PNI < 45 (HR, 1.73; P = 0.002) were significant markers for PFS. @*Conclusion@#Systemic inflammation might be one of biologic factors that influence on prognosis of young CRC.

Inflammatory markers as prognostic indicators in pancreatic cancer patients who underwent gemcitabine-based palliative chemotherapy

Background/Aims@#Patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) generally have poor clinical outcomes. Early determination of their prognosis is crucial for developing a therapeutic strategy. Recently, various inflammatory markers have been validated as prognostic indicators for many cancers, including PC. However, few studies have evaluated these markers together. Thus, the purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the value of inflammatory markers as prognostic indicators in patients with advanced PC treated with gemcitabine-based chemotherapy as the first line regimen. @*Methods@#This was a single-center retrospective study evaluating 302 patients with advanced PC who began first line treatment between November 2004 and August 2016. These patients were monitored until June 2017. Survival rates were assessed with univariate and multivariate analyses. Continuous variables were separated using the normal range or ideal cut-off levels determined by receiver operating curve analyses. @*Results@#Among inflammatory markers evaluated, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) to albumin ratio (CRP-albumin ratio) were independent predictors of overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.712, 1.345, and 1.454, respectively). Difference in survival rates was significant (p < 0.001) among three groups divided by the number of marker-related risks. @*Conclusions@#Baseline inflammatory markers including NLR, PLR, and CRP-albumin ratio are useful in predicting survival rates in patients with PC. Combining these three markers is proven to be valuable.

The impact of primary tumor location in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a Korean Cancer Study Group CO12-04 study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Colorectal cancer is associated with different anatomical, biological, and clinical characteristics. We determined the impact of the primary tumor location in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). METHODS: Demographic data and clinical information were collected from 1,115 patients from the Republic of Korea, who presented with mCRC between January 2009 and December 2011, using web-based electronic case report forms. Associations between the primary tumor location and the patient's clinical characteristics were assessed, and factors inf luencing overall survival were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS: Of the 1,115 patients recruited to the study, 244 (21.9%) had right colon cancer, 483 (43.3%) had left colon cancer, and 388 (34.8%) had rectal cancer. Liver and lung metastases occurred more frequently in patients with left colon and rectal cancer (p = 0.005 and p = 0.006, respectively), while peritoneal and ovarian metastases occurred more frequently in patients with right and left colon cancer (p < 0.001 and p = 0.031, respectively). The median overall survival of patients with tumors originating in the right colon was significantly shorter than that of patients whose tumors had originated in the left colon or rectum (13.7 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 12.0 to 15.5] vs. 18.0 months [95% CI, 16.3 to 19.7] or 19.9 months [95% CI, 18.5 to 21.3], respectively; p = 0.003). Tumor resection, the number of metastatic sites, and primary tumor location correlated with overall survival in the univariate and multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Primary tumor location influences the metastatic sites and prognosis of patients with mCRC.

Novel Systemic Therapies for Advanced Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is the second leading cause of cancer mortality and the fourth most commonly diagnosed malignant diseases. While continued efforts have been focused on GC treatment, the introduction of trastuzumab marked the beginning of a new era of target-specific treatments. Considering the diversity of mutations in GC, satisfactory results obtained from various target-specific therapies were expected, yet most of them were unsuccessful in controlled clinical trials. There are several possible reasons underlying the failures, including the absence of patient selection depending on validated predictive biomarkers, the inappropriate combination of drugs, and tumor heterogeneity. In contrast to targeted agents, immuno-oncologic agents are designed to regulate and boost immunity, are not target-specific, and may overcome tumor heterogeneity. With the successful establishment of predictive biomarkers, including Epstein-Barr virus pattern, microsatellite instability status, and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, as well as ideal combination regimens, a new frontier in the immuno-oncology of GC treatment is on the horizon. Since the field of immuno-oncology has witnessed innovative, practice-changing successes in other cancer types, several trials on GC are ongoing. Among immuno-oncologic therapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors are the mainstay of clinical trials performed on GC. In this article, we review target-specific agents currently used in clinics or are undergoing clinical trials, and highlight the future clinical application of immuno-oncologic agents in inoperable GC.

Anatomical distribution and detection rate of colorectal neoplasms according to age in the colonoscopic screening of a Korean population

PURPOSE: Because data as a basis for the determination of proper age and modality for screening of colorectal neoplasms is lacking, we evaluated detection rates and anatomical distribution of colorectal neoplasms according to age in healthy individuals who underwent total colonoscopy for health checkup. METHODS: A total of 16,100 cases that had received the colonoscopic examination from January to December in 2014 were analyzed. The total number of individuals who received total colonoscopy were divided by the number of individuals harboring colorectal adenoma to calculate the detection rate of colorectal adenoma. Individuals ≤50 years old were classified as young-age group and aged >50 were old-age group. Differences in anatomical locations of colorectal neoplasms were analyzed in the 2 age groups by chi-square test. Risk factors for colorectal adenoma in each age group were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Detection rates of colorectal adenoma were 13.7% in all cases and 12.8% for those in their 40′s. The main anatomical location of colorectal adenoma was proximal colon in both age groups (P < 0.001). Hyperplastic polyp was mainly distributed to the distal colon in both age groups (P < 0.001). Distal colon was the major site for colorectal cancer in the old-age group (P = 0.001). Proximal location of neoplasms was a risk factor for colorectal adenoma in both age groups with multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: These data could be the bases for earlier initiation of screening for colorectal neoplasms with total colonoscopy to detect clinically significant colorectal polyps.

Prognostic Factor Analysis of Overall Survival in Gastric Cancer from Two Phase III Studies of Second-line Ramucirumab (REGARD and RAINBOW) Using Pooled Patient Data

PURPOSE: To identify baseline prognostic factors for survival in patients with disease progression, during or after chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We pooled data from patients randomized between 2009 and 2012 in 2 phase III, global double-blind studies of ramucirumab for the treatment of advanced gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma following disease progression on first-line platinum- and/or fluoropyrimidine-containing therapy (REGARD and RAINBOW). Forty-one key baseline clinical and laboratory factors common in both studies were examined. Model building started with covariate screening using univariate Cox models (significance level=0.05). A stepwise multivariable Cox model identified the final prognostic factors (entry+exit significance level=0.01). Cox models were stratified by treatment and geographic region. The process was repeated to identify baseline prognostic quality of life (QoL) parameters. RESULTS: Of 1,020 randomized patients, 953 (93%) patients without any missing covariates were included in the analysis. We identified 12 independent prognostic factors of poor survival: 1) peritoneal metastases; 2) Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance score 1; 3) the presence of a primary tumor; 4) time to progression since prior therapy <6 months; 5) poor/unknown tumor differentiation; abnormally low blood levels of 6) albumin, 7) sodium, and/or 8) lymphocytes; and abnormally high blood levels of 9) neutrophils, 10) aspartate aminotransferase (AST), 11) alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and/or 12) lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Factors were used to devise a 4-tier prognostic index (median overall survival [OS] by risk [months]: high=3.4, moderate=6.4, medium=9.9, and low=14.5; Harrell's C-index=0.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64–0.68). Addition of QoL to the model identified patient-reported appetite loss as an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSIONS: The identified prognostic factors and the reported prognostic index may help clinical decision-making, patient stratification, and planning of future clinical studies.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Infectious Complications Related to Implantable Venous-Access Ports

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors of infections associated with implantable venous access ports (IVAPs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From August 2003 through November 2011, 1747 IVAPs were placed in our interventional radiology suite. One hundred forty four IVAPs were inserted in patients with hematologic malignancy and 1603 IVAPs in patients with solid tumors. Among them, 40 ports (23 women and 17 men; mean age, 57.1 years; range, 13-83) were removed to treat port-related infections. We evaluated the incidence of port-related infection, patient characteristics, bacteriologic data, and patient progress. Univariable analyses (t test, chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test) and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine the risk factors for IVAP related infection. RESULTS: Overall, 40 (2.3%) of 1747 ports were removed for symptoms of infection with an incidence rate of 0.067 events/1000 catheter-days. According to the univariable study, the incidences of infection were seemingly higher in the patients who received the procedure during inpatient treatment (p = 0.016), the patients with hematologic malignancy (p = 0.041), and the patients receiving palliative chemotherapy (p = 0.022). From the multiple binary logistic regression, the adjusted odds ratios of infection in patients with hematologic malignancies and those receiving palliative chemotherapy were 7.769 (p = 0.001) and 4.863 (p = 0.003), respectively. Microorganisms were isolated from 26 (65%) blood samples, and two of the most causative organisms were found to be Staphylococcus (n = 10) and Candida species (n = 7). CONCLUSION: The underlying hematologic malignancy and the state of receiving palliative chemotherapy were the independent risk factors of IVAP-related infection.

Case Report of Pulmonary Sarcoidosis Suspected to be Pulmonary Metastasis in a Patient with Breast Cancer / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

Standard endocrine therapy and chemotherapy can induce long-term remission in breast cancer patients; however, breast cancer can recur at any site. Pulmonary nodules with lymphadenopathy in advanced cancer patients are likely to be assumed as metastases. A 44-year-old woman with a history of breast cancer was presented to our institution with abnormal findings on 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging, which suggested lung metastasis. She had previously been diagnosed with breast cancer (T1N2M0, Stage IIIa, intraductal carcinoma, triple negative cancer). Histological analysis of the mediastinal lymph node biopsy demonstrated sarcoidosis, showing a chronic, non-caseating, granulomatous inflammation. Our case highlights the need for non-malignant diagnoses in those with prior malignancies, and the need for histological evaluations in the event of first recurrence following potentially curative therapy.

Update of Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Resected Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer is the second cause of cancer that is related to death and the fourth most common cancer, worldwide. Complete resection of cancer is the only curative treatment for gastric cancer. However, even if complete resection is possible, recurrence is frequently observed in Gastric patients. Therefore, adjuvant treatment modality for resectable gastric cancer is needed to increase the survival of patients. This study wants to describe the role of adjuvant chemotherapy for resectable gastric cancer, with updated data of recent studies. Several meta-analysis studies demonstrated a benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy for resectable gastric cancer. Due to the heterogeneity of the population and regimens, there is no consensus regarding the adjuvant chemotherapy. Recently published, well designed phase III studies demonstrated the statistically significance of adjuvant chemotherapy for the resectable gastric cancer, with the extended lymph node dissection. Further phase III trials, to determine the best regimen and schedule of adjuvant chemotherapy, was suggested to use the fluoropyrimidine based regimen as control group.

Clinical Implication of Tumor Markers / 대한내과학회지

No abstract available.

A Phase II Trial of Gemcitabine plus Capecitabine for Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of treatment using gemcitabine and capecitabine for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with advanced unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma were enrolled in the study. Inclusion criteria included no prior systemic chemotherapy or radiation therapy, at least one radiographically documented and measurable tumor lesion, and adequate patient organ functions. The patients received 1,000 mg/m2 gemcitabine intravenously on days 1, 8 and 15, and 830 mg/m2 of oral capecitabine twice a day on days 1-21 of a 28-day cycle. RESULTS: Fifty patients with a median age of 53 years (range, 39 to 76 years) were enrolled in the study. The median follow-up was 10.0 months. The objective response rate of the 50 patients was 48.0% (95% CI, 22.5 to 57.1%). The median time to progression and overall survival were 6.5 months (95% CI, 2.3 to 8.7 months) and 10.0 months (95% CI, 5.7 to 16.7 months), respectively. Grade 3-4 toxicities associated with chemotherapy included neutropenia (22%), anemia (8%), thrombocytopenia (6%), and hand-foot syndrome (10%). CONCLUSION: Combination chemotherapy using gemcitabine and capecitabine was well tolerated and demonstrated promising efficacy in the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer.

Chemotherapy in Patients Older than or Equal to 75 Years with Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: As the number of elderly patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) increases, the number of these patients receiving chemotherapy also increases. However, limited data exists regarding the use of chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC patients who are 75 years of age or older. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between May 2002 and October 2008, data for 48 advanced NSCLC patients who were 75 years of age or older who had been treated with chemotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The median age of study participants at the time of first line chemotherapy was 76 years (range, 75 to 87 years) and their median Charlson comorbidity index was 2 (range, 1 to 4). Of the total 48 patients, 43 patients (90%) were treated by platinum-based doublet as a first line chemotherapy regimen. Median progression free survival for first line chemotherapy was 5.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.93 to 6.47 months) with an overall response rate of 33.3%. After first line chemotherapy, only 14 of the 48 patients (29.2%) received second line chemotherapy. The median overall survival (OS) for these patients was 8.2 months (95% CI, 4.44 to 11.96 months). Multivariate analysis results indicated that female gender and having received second-line or more chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors for increased OS for all 48 patients. Charlson Index was not a significant independent prognostic factor for survival. There were 9 treatment related deaths due to infectious causes (18.8%). CONCLUSION: Patients 75 years of age or older with advanced NSCLC may obtain clinical benefit from the administration of platinum-based doublet or single agent chemotherapy. However, oncologists must consider the aspect of safety in relation to the clinical benefits when managing this patient group.

Metastasis to the Iliopsoas Muscle from Advanced Gastric Carcinoma: an Unusual Site of Metastasis / 대한내과학회지

Advanced gastric cancer with skeletal muscle metastasis is a rare occurrence. Here, we report a rare case of gastric carcinoma with psoas muscle metastasis. This patient had advanced gastric carcinoma and complained of inability to extend the left hip joint due to pain. Because magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an iliopsoas mass showing heterogeneous signal intensity with fluid collection and enhancement around the mass, we speculated that the mass was an intramuscular metastatic tumor from primary gastric carcinoma as well as an intramuscular abscess. Histopathologically, the patient had a metastasis from primary gastric adenocarcinoma. Therefore, the patient was treated with radiotherapy and subsequent chemotherapy.

Metastasis to the Iliopsoas Muscle from Advanced Gastric Carcinoma: an Unusual Site of Metastasis / 대한내과학회지

Advanced gastric cancer with skeletal muscle metastasis is a rare occurrence. Here, we report a rare case of gastric carcinoma with psoas muscle metastasis. This patient had advanced gastric carcinoma and complained of inability to extend the left hip joint due to pain. Because magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an iliopsoas mass showing heterogeneous signal intensity with fluid collection and enhancement around the mass, we speculated that the mass was an intramuscular metastatic tumor from primary gastric carcinoma as well as an intramuscular abscess. Histopathologically, the patient had a metastasis from primary gastric adenocarcinoma. Therefore, the patient was treated with radiotherapy and subsequent chemotherapy.

Malignant Glomus Tumors of the Stomach: A Report of 2 Cases with Multiple Metastases

Glomus tumors are mesenchymal neoplasms usually developing in the dermis or subcutis of the extremities. The majority of glomus tumors are entirely benign, and malignant glomus tumors are very rare, especially those arising in the visceral organs. Here, we are presenting two cases of malignant glomus tumor, initially diagnosed in the stomach by endoscopic biopsy. Case 1 was found in the stomach, right kidney, brain and humerus of a 65-year-old woman, and Case 2 in the stomach and liver of a 63-year-old man. Histologically, the tumor was composed of solid sheets and nests of round and short-spindle shaped tumor cells with vesicular nucleus and prominent nucleolus. The tumor cells were closely admixed with blood vessels of varying size. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells showed diffuse and strong positive staining for smooth muscle actin and paranuclear, dot-like staining for synaptophysin, but negative for desmin, c-kit, CD34 and S-100 protein. These two are rare cases of a malignant glomus tumor with widespread metastases.

Clinical Factors Related to Suspected Second Primary Lung Cancer Development in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The rate of second primary lung cancer development for patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) has been noted. The aim of our study was to evaluate the incidence and clinical features of suspected second primary lung cancer that developed in patients with primary HNC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 469 patients who were newly diagnosed with HNC at the Korea University Medical Center between January 2000 and December 2006. RESULTS: A total of 469 patients were included (389 men and 80 women). Eighteen patients (3.8%) had suspected second primary lung cancers. Statistically significant clinical variables for lung cancer development included the origin site for the primary HNC (oro-hypopharynx and larynx) (p=0.048), abnormal chest x-ray findings (p=0.027) and the histological HNC type (squamous cell carcinoma) (p=0.032). When the second primary lung cancers were combined with HNCs, the adjusted overall survival of patients with a second primary lung cancer was 16 months (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Considering the relative risk factors for a second primary lung cancer developing in patients with HNC, advanced diagnostic tools, such as chest CT or PET CT scan, should be applied for the early detection of a second primary lung cancer.

Preoperative Chemotherapy in Advanced Stomach Cancer (Cons)

Surgery is the only curative modality for the treatment of gastric cancer. There has been no drastic improvement in the treatment of gastric cancer with chemotherapy. Clinical trials have attempted to demonstrate the benefit of the preoperative chemotherapy for gastric cancer. The benefit of the use of preoperative chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy has been demonstrated for other solid cancers such as breast cancer, esophageal cancer and rectal cancer. Despite the rationale of the use of preoperative chemotherapy for patients with gastric cancer, the evidence of positive results with the use of preoperative chemotherapy has not been clear. Recently the British Medical Research Council Adjuvant Gastric Cancer Infusional Chemotherapy (MAGIC) study demonstrated the survival benefit of preoperative and postoperative chemotherapy. However, this study had several problems with the use of a heterogeneous population of patients, the method of surgery and the use of perioperative chemotherapy. Further studies with new drugs are warranted to determine the role of pre-operative chemotherapy for patients with gastric cancer.

The Bone Morphogenesis Protein-2 (BMP-2) is Associated with Progression to Metastatic Disease in Gastric Cancer / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) are members of the TGF-beta superfamily and it has been demonstrated that BMPs enhance migration, invasion and metastasis. The purpose of this study was to identify the association between the serum BMP-2 level and the progression status of gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-five patients with metastatic gastric cancer (metastatic disease group), six patients with early gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis (the EGC group), and ten healthy control subjects were enrolled in this study. The serum BMP-2 level was quantified by use of a commercially available ELISA kit. In EGC group patients and patients with metastatic disease, whole blood was obtained before endoscopic mucosal resection and before the commencement of a scheduled cycle of systemic chemotherapy, respectively. RESULTS: No significant difference in the mean serum BMP-2 levels was observed between the control subjects and the EGC group patients (87.95 pg/ml for the control subjects and 84.50 pg/ml for the EGC group, p=1.0). However, the metastatic disease group patients had a significantly higher level of serum BMP (179.61 pg/ml) than the control subjects and EGC group patients (87.95 pg/ml for the control subjects and 84.50 pg/ml for the EGC group, p<0.0001). Moreover, the mean serum BMP-2 level from patients with a bone metastasis was significantly higher than the mean serum BMP-2 level from patients without a bone metastasis (204.73 pg/ml versus 173.33 pg/ml, p=0.021). CONCLUSIONS: BMP-2 seems to have a role in progression to metastatic disease in gastric cancer, especially in the late stage of tumorigenesis, including invasion and metastasis. BMP-2 may facilitate bone metastasis in gastric cancer. To confirm these findings, further studies are required with tissue specimens and the use of a cancer cell line.

Treatment Outcomes and Toxicities of ABVD Combination Chemotherapy Compared with CVPP in Hodgkin's Disease

BACKGROUND: We retrospectively evaluated the treatment outcomes and toxicities of Hodgkin's disease (HD) patients treated by ABVD (adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine) combination chemotherapy, and compared them with those of a historical group treated with a CVPP (cyclophosphamide, vinblastine, procarbazine, and prednisone) regimen. METHODS: The medical records of patients who had been diagnosed with HD histologically and treated by either ABVD or CVPP from 1997 to 2006 at the Korea University Medical Center were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Thirty patients were eligible. Nineteen patients received ABVD and eleven patients were treated with CVPP. The response rates for ABVD and CVPP were 84.21% and 54.55%, respectively. Median overall survival was 43.17 months for ABVD and 43.27 months for CVPP (P=.570). Median event-free survival was 39.03 months for ABVD and 16.73 months for CVPP (P=.088). There was no significant difference in median survival or in event-free survival between the two regimens. Hematologic toxicities were significantly more common in the CVPP group than in the ABVD group. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was observed in 72.72% of the CVPP group and in 36.84% of the ABVD group (P=.050). CONCLUSION: ABVD for HD showed significantly lower hematologic toxicities and moderately better treatment outcomes than did CVPP.