[The COP-BLAM therapy for malignant lymphoma]

COP-BLAM therapy, which has recently been reported to be useful in the treatment of malignant lymphoma, was performed on 36 patients, and the results and adverse effects of treatment were evaluated. Complete remission (CR) and partial remission (PR), was obtained in 32 (88.9%) and in 4 (11.1%) out of the 36 patients, respectively. So the effective ratio was 100%. Analyzing results according to staging classification, CR was obtained in all of those in stages I and II, and in 84% of those in stages III and IV. The four patients with recurrent disease after CHOP therapy exhibited a CR ratio of 50% indicating that therapy is effective in recurrent cases. Adverse effects observed among the patients included leukocytopenia under 1,000/microliters (5.6%), thrombocytopenia under 5 x 10(4)/microliters (2.8%), gastrointestinal symptoms (25%), peripheral neuropathy (8.3%) and alopecia (27.3%). The efficacy of COP-BLAM therapy appears to be satisfactory with malignant lymphoma, and all adverse effects were of mild degree. In addition, it may be effective in the treatment of recurrent cases which remitted after CHOP and other therapies.