Ifosfamide, epirubicin, etoposide (IEV) and autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell transplant: a feasible and effective salvage treatment for lymphoid malignancies.

The IEV schedule consisted of epirubicin 100 mg/m2 on day 1, etoposide 150 mg/m2 on days 1-3, and ifosfamide 2.5 g/m2 on days 1-3. Patients who proceeded to haematopoietic stem cell transplants (HDTs) received conditioning therapy with BEAM [for the Hodgkin's Lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (NHL) groups], or melphalan 100 mg/m2 and mitoxantrone [for the multiple myeloma (MM) patients]. The study consisted of 65 patients with a median age of 53 years: 27 had aggressive NHL, 20 had HL, 7 had indolent NHL, and 11 had MM. Fifty-five patients received IEV for a disease that was refractory to conventional induction regimens, or that was in first or second relapse; 4 patients were treated with IEV while in complete response (CR) after chemotherapy in order to mobilise peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs). Ninety percent of patients with HL responded to IEV, and 85% achieved CR. Both aggressive and indolent NHLs were less responsive (ORR 50 and 33%, respectively; CRR 41 and 16.5%, respectively). MM patients displayed an intermediate responsiveness (ORR 50% and CRR 30%). IEV was well tolerated in most patients. No life- threatening infections were recorded. PBSC mobilisation was successful in 37 out of 39 patients (95%) and led to the collection of a median of 16, 12, and 13.7 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg in patients with HL, NHL, and MM, respectively. All 37 patients underwent an autologous stem cell transplant following a 1 to 2 month interval after the end of IEV. Two patients were submitted to an allogeneic transplant. The median overall survival rate in HL, aggressive NHL, and indolent NHL is 32 (5-60), 16 (2-46), and 14 (4-42) months, respectively. Median EFS is 31 (5-60), 7 (2-46), and 7.5 (4-42) months, respectively. In conclusion, our study confirms that IEV +/- HDT is a well-tolerated and effective salvage treatment for lymphoid malignancies, and that IEV acts as an excellent stem cell mobiliser.

Combination of liposomal daunorubicin (DaunoXome), fludarabine, and cytarabine (FLAD) in patients with poor-risk acute leukemia.

Sixty-two patients with high-risk acute leukemia were treated with the FLAD regimen [3 days of treatment with fludarabine 30 mg/m(2), cytarabine (AraC) 2 g/m(2), and liposomal daunorubicin 80 mg/m(2)]. The acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients were either refractory to standard induction regimens (8), were in first or second relapse (13), or received therapy as first-line treatment [21 patients, 16 were above 60 years of age and 5 had post-myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) AML]. The acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients were treated for relapsed (7) or refractory disease (10). Three patients had chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the blastic phase. FLAD was well tolerated by most patients. Ten major infectious complications were recorded while no signs of cardiac toxicity were observed. Five patients (8%) died before day 28 with hypocellular marrow, mainly of infection or hemorrhage, and response could not be evaluated. Complete response rate was 62% and 69% among AML patients treated at diagnosis or for relapsed disease, respectively, and 59% among the ALL patients. Furthermore, FLAD managed to overcome the negative impact of poor prognosis karyotype in ALL patients, since five of the seven patients with t(9;22) or complex karyotype achieved complete remission (CR). Nine patients underwent bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Among the AML patients who were treated at diagnosis or for relapse, the median duration of CR was 7 months (range: 2-18) and 8 months (range: 2-26), respectively. Median survival among these patients was 8 (range: 1-40) and 12 (range: 1-30) months, respectively. Similar values were found in ALL patients. In conclusion, FLAD may be an effective alternative treatment for patients with relapsed AML and for patients with ALL who failed first-line therapy.