[Contribution of anthracyclines in treatment of lymphoproliferative disorders]

Adriamycin is the most successful anthracycline in malignant lymphomas. Epirubicine is too new to be fully appreciated. Others anthracyclines have no real efficacy in nonleukemic lymphoid malignancies. The prognosis of malignant lymphomas has been transformed since the introduction of this drug in the chemotherapeutic protocols: the level of complete remission increased from 25% with CVP protocols to 50% with CHOP-types protocols, and to more than 70% with intensive chemotherapy protocols (m-BACOD, LNH-80). The number of live patients at 2 years grew in the same proportions. The efficacy of adriamycin in follicular lymphomas is of less value. In Hodgkin's disease the efficacy of adriamycin pull it to first line protocols (ABVD) with identical results to those obtained with MOPP chemotherapy. This drug has its place in the treatment of myeloma patients and in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients with stage C.