Etoposide in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas

Although etoposide has become one of the most active drugs for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, its optimal use remains to be determined. Nevertheless, it has been used judiciously in a wide variety of treatment settings, including management of aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, in combinations testing an aggressive approach for the treatment of advanced indolent lymphomas, integrated combined-modality therapy for localized aggressive lymphoma, salvage therapy, and induction regimens with autologous bone marrow transplantation. It has also been used in assorted combinations attempting to maximize antitumor efficacy while minimizing toxicity in elderly patients with lymphomas. This paper reviews the studies using etoposide in these various management situations.