[CHOP-bleo versus m-BACOD in the treatment of intermediate and high-grade malignant lymphomas]

Eighty-three patients with malignant lymphoma of intermediate and high histologic subtypes were randomly assigned to receive induction chemotherapy with either of two intensive regimens: CHOP-Bleo (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine, prednisone and bleomycin) or m-BACOD (low-dose methotrexate, bleomycin adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine and dexamethasone). The median follow-up study is 5 years. The two therapies were not significantly different in regard to response rates (52 to 59%), duration of complete remission (27 months vs 24 months) and survival, but m-BACOD was significantly more toxic than CHOP-Bleo. The relative small proportion of long-term disease free-survivors with both regimens underscores the need for other therapeutic approaches.