Adriamycin, bleomycin, DIC, CCNU, and prednisone (ABDIC) chemotherapy in MOPP-resistant Hodgkin's disease

ABDIC was administered to 32 patients with MOPP-resistant Hodgkin's disease. Three were considered nonevaluable because of early death. All patients had received MOPP (medium of eight cycles), and five had also received other chemotherapy. Major radiotherapy had been used in 18 of the 29. Complete remission (CR) occurred in 10 of 29 (34.5%), partial remissions (PR) in 14 (48.2%), and no remissions (NR) in five (17.2%). Median survival and relapse-free survival for CR patients exceeded 28 months. Two relapsed at 8 and 18 months; one died at 9 1/2 months, and the other is disease-free with other treatment at 35 months. Seven of the remaining eight patients are alive without disease (10-35 months); 4 are on maintenance therapy, and the other died from an infection and eosinophilic granuloma of lung without evidence of recurrent Hodgkin's disease. Median survival of PR patients was eight months. One patient with Hodgkin's disease involving the liver is alive at 36 months with further therapy. Median survival of NR patients is 2.5 months, and all died within seven months. Survival of CR patients is greater than PR and NR patients (P = 0.002), and that of PR is greater than NR (P = 0.01). Four of the 29 patients had nodal relapse, and 25 had parenchymal relapse, with no difference in response rates (P = 0.47). ABDIC is useful in Hodgkin's disease patients who have had extensive prior chemotherapy and radiotherapy.