[Chemotherapy for advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with CVP therapy]

Thirty-one patients with advanced non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were treated with a combination chemotherapy (VCP therapy), including vincristine (1 mg, weekly), cyclophosphamide (350mg/m2, IV every two weeks) and prednisolone (60mg/day, 1-5 days PO, every two weeks), as an out-patient basis, from May 1974 to October 1977. Characteristics of 31 patients were as follows: median age (56 years), histological types by Rappaport's classification (nodular 2, diffuse 29, NPDL 2, DWDL 5, DPDL 10 and DH 14), clinical stages (II 4, III 9, IV 18), systemic symptoms (A 13, B 18), extranodal presentation (28) and prior treatment (17). Response was evaluated in 28 patients with measurable disease. Complete response (CR) was obtained in 15 patients (53%) and partial response (PR) in 5 (18%). Median time to CR was 20 (6-79) days, and response duration of CR was 14 (1.5-78+) months. Survival time was 19 (1-76) months for all patients, 26 (3-78) months for patients with CR, 9 (3-51) months for patients with PR, and 4 (1-41) months for non-responders. Survival of complete responders was significantly better than that of patients with non-CR. Survival rates of complete responders were 80% (1 year), and 47% (3 year). Toxicities of VCP therapy were relatively mild and reversible with peripheral neuropathy, hair loss and leukopenia. The results indicate that it is necessary to perform more intensive combination chemotherapy adding potent agents for a higher CR rate and a longer CR duration.