Failure of conventional chemotherapy in aggressive lymphomas

Between 1975 and 1982 in 2 centres in Glasgow, 53 previously untreated patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphomas received chemotherapy consisting of one of the following regimens-CVP, MOPP, CHOP or BACOP. Twenty nine patients (55%) entered complete remission (CR), 20 (38%) had partial remission (PR) and 4 (7%) had progressive disease (PD). Of the 29 patients in CR, 9 have relapsed and died, 5 died of infection, 4 died of non-malignant causes, and 11 (21%) remain alive and disease free. The median survival for the CR group is 40 months. All of the patients in the PR and PD group are dead, median survival 11 months. These chemotherapy regimens will cure only the minority of patients with aggressive lymphomas and the use of more intensive regimens is indicated.