Vinorelbine in the treatment of lymphoma

Seventeen patients with previously treated Hodgkin's disease or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) were treated with single-agent vinorelbine (Navelbine Pierre-Fabre Medicament) in an open study to assess the activity of this new-generation vinca alkaloid. Responses were obtained in four out of eight patients with Hodgkin's disease and four out of nine patients with NHL, including four patients who had been previously treated with high-dose therapies. Toxicity was very mild. The study demonstrates worthwhile activity and justifies the inclusion of vinorelbine in combination therapies for lymphoma.