Anthracyline-reduced sequential combination chemotherapy for younger patients with good-prognosis aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

INTRODUCTION: Anthracyline-based chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for patients with aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). However, anthracyclines have been associated with long-term cardiac toxicity. METHODS: We conducted a study using a sequential combination chemotherapy with a reduced cumulative dose of anthracyclines in younger patients with good-prognosis aggressive NHL. Chemotherapy consisted of one cycle of vincristine, ifosfamide, etoposide, and dexamethasone, followed by three cycles of epirubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dexamethasone, and a fifth cycle containing carboplatin, etoposide, and dexamethasone. 86 patients were treated, 65 without and 21 with additional rituximab. Consolidating involved-field irradiation was applied in patients with stage I/II, bulky disease, or localized residual lymphoma. RESULTS: Complete and partial remissions were achieved in 67 and 27% of patients, respectively, and the 3-year event-free and overall survival estimates were 75 and 87%. The survival estimates were substantially better in patients who received rituximab. Main toxicity was grade 3/4 leukocytopenia in 89% patients with neutropenic fever in 30%. Two patients died of septic shock. CONCLUSION: The treatment appears to be effective in this group of patients. The hematological toxicities, particularly after the first and fifth cycle, require the use of G-CSF and/or a dose reduction in selected patients.

Treatment of relapsed idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura with the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab: a pilot study.

We performed a prospective pilot study on 12 patients to evaluate the efficacy of the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab in relapsed idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Inclusion criteria were relapse of ITP with a thrombocyte count <20 000 micro L-1 and unsuccessful corticosteroid treatment. Eleven patients had a previous splenectomy, five patients had unsuccessful cytotoxic treatment, and six patients were refractory to intravenous immunoglobulins before rituximab therapy. Response criteria were as follows. Complete remission (CR): normalization of thrombocyte count for at least 30 d. Partial remission (PR): an increase of thrombocytes to above 30 000 microL(-1) for at least 30 d. Minor response (MR): any increase above 30 000 microL(-1) for less than 30 d but more than 10 d. No response (NR): failure to achieve any of the above responses. Treatment plan: We administered 375 mg m(-2) of rituximab once weekly on up to four consecutive weeks, unless there was early CR. Five patients (41%) achieved CR, two patients (17%) PR, and two patients MR (overall response rate 75%, median follow-up of responders 320 d). Four CR patients are ongoing; one CR patient relapsed after 6 months. Adverse events included excessive thrombocytosis in one patient as well as minor infusion-related (grade I) toxicities in four patients. We conclude that rituximab is a promising agent in the treatment of relapsed ITP.

[Histiocytosis X of the lung after successfully treated pulmonary metastatic ovarian carcinoma]. / Histiozytosis X der Lunge nach erfolgreich therapiertem pulmonal metastasierenden Ovarialkarzinom.

We report a case of a woman who developed a pulmonary histiocytosis X after treatment of an ovarian cancer with intrapulmonary metastases. Development of histiocytosis X seems to be coincidental and not to be therapy induced. Inspired by this case radiological findings of pulmonary histiocytosis X are presented.