Phase II study of oxaliplatin in patients with recurrent or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Oxaliplatin is a platinum derivative with a broad range of anticancer activity. The objective of the current Phase II trial was to investigate the activity of oxaliplatin in patients with recurrent or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

Patients with recurrent and refractory NHL who received a maximum of 3 previous chemotherapy regimens were considered eligible if they had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2 and adequate organ function. Oxaliplatin was administered in an outpatient setting at a dose of 130 mg/m(2) by 2-hour intravenous infusion every 21 days for < or = 6 cycles in the absence of disease progression.

Thirty-one patients (23 with aggressive NHL and 8 with indolent NHL) were enrolled, of whom 30 were assessable for toxicity, response, and survival. The median patient age was 62 years, and 20% of the patients previously received platinum-containing therapy. Eighty-three percent of the patients were refractory to their last treatment regimens. Grade 3 and 4 toxic effects (according to the National Cancer Institute's Common Toxicity Criteria [version 2.0]) included sensory neuropathy (10%), neutropenia (17%), and thrombocytopenia (20%). Objective responses occurred in 8 (27%; 95% confidence interval, 13-47%) of the patients. Responses were observed in platinum-naive patients as well as in those previously treated with platinum. The overall median failure-free survival duration was 3.0 months (range, 0.1-18.1 months).

Oxaliplatin had favorable single-agent activity in previously treated patients with refractory lymphoma. The favorable safety profile and the ease of its administration in outpatient settings warrant investigating it in combination with other active drugs for the treatment of recurrent and refractory NHL.