Malignant T-cells show very high CD 52 expression, and promising results have been obtained in T-PLL and in Sezary patients (pts) treated with alentuzumab (Campath ®). Here we report the preliminary results of standard CHOP therapy plus Campath (CHOP-C) in untreated PTCL pts. Starting from January 2003, 20 consecutive PTCL pts were treated by CHOP for 8 courses, preceded on day -1 by Campath 30 mg. s.c. The diagnosis was PTCL-U in 13 pts, AILD-T in 5, and ALCL Alk- in 2. Clinical characteristics of the 20 pts: mean age 53.3 years (28–69), stage III-IV in 18, bulky in 2, B-symptoms in 9, high LDH in 11, bone marrow attainment in 8, aaIPI 2–3 in 10 pts. 15/20 pts are valuable for the analysis. After a median follow-up of 253 days (105–773), 10/15 pts are still alive and 5/15 have died of lymphoma. 8/15 achieved CR 1 PR and 1 MR; 5 pts showed progression; 3/5 pts in Pro,1 pt in RP, and 1 pt in MR have died of lymphoma. 2 pts. relapsed +62 and +119 days after CR. The median OS and DFS were 461 and 264 days, respectively (Fig. 1). No toxic death was recorded. WHO grade 4 neutropenia was seen in 38/90 courses (42%), grade 4 thrombocytopenia in 4/90 (4%), CMV reactivation in 15/90 (17%), local erythema in 2/90, mild fever in 5/90. Major infections were J-C virus reactivation in 1 pt, pulmonary Invasive Aspergillosis in 1, sepsis in 1, pneumonia in 1. The feasibility of CHOP-C in PTCL pts aged up to 70 years has been proven, and the toxicity acceptable; however the efficacy of this regimen should be confirmed on a larger cohort of pts.

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Topics:
alemtuzumab, chemotherapy regimen, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, prednisone, and vincristine, lymphoma, t-cell, peripheral, brachial plexus neuritis, lymphoma, angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy, aspergillosis, invasive, cmv reactivation, erythema

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2005, The American Society of Hematology
2005
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