A New BACOPP Schedule Is Feasible and Effective in Elderly Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Patients - Interim Results of a Multicenter Phase-II Trial of the German Hodgkin Study Group (GHSG).

Introduction:

The outcome of Hodgkin’s lymphoma (HL) patients (pts) increased over the last decades. However, treatment results in HL pts > 60 years are poor, particularly in patients with advanced stage disease. Large prospective studies are still lacking in this group. Based on the results for adult HL pts, we adapted the BEACOPP schedule for elderly HL pts with an increased dose of doxorubicin while omitting etoposide.

Methods:

From December 2003 to Mai 2005, 52 HL pts with a median age of 66 (range 61 – 75 years) and newly diagnosed HL in unfavourable clinical stage (CS) I, II and CS III, IV were prospectively recruited to receive 6 to 8 cycles of bleomycin (10 mg/m2), doxorubicin (50 mg/m2), cyclophosphamide (650 mg/m2), vincristine (1.4 mg/m2), procarbazine (100 mg/m2), and prednisone (40 mg/m2) (BACOPP) followed by local radiotherapy to residual lymphoma. Epoetin beta (30.000 IE once weekly) was administered to avoid therapy induced anaemia.

Results:

Up to day, 29 pts (14 males and 15 females) were evaluable for feasibility and response of treatment. Overall response rate after chemotherapy was 83% (38% CR and 45% PR). So far 2 pts (7%) developed progressive disease during chemotherapy. The treatment was generally well tolerated with WHO grade 4 toxicities: 31% leukopenia, 14% thrombopenia and 0% anaemia. Till now one patient died several weeks after treatment under sepsis.

Conclusion:

The first interim analysis of this new BACOPP schedule showed that this regimen is feasible in elderly HL pts. Full analysis of updated results will be presented.