A new combination chemotherapy for recurrent Hodgkin's lymphoma

Thirty seven Hodgkin's lymphoma patients with recurrence after first remission induced by radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy with mustine, oncovin, procarbazine and prednisolone (MOPP) were randomised to treat with a new combination chemotherapy comprising of doxorubicin, oncovin, procarbazine and prednisolone (DOPP). While the other group received further cycles of MOPP. Twenty two patients received DOPP and out of them 14 (63.6%) showed complete remission (CR). Other group of 15 patients were treated with further cycles of MOPP and among them two (13.3%) showed CR. However, the overall response rate including CR and partial remission (PR) in both the groups were almost same, 90.9% with DOPP and 86.6% with MOPP. It is concluded that DOPP combination is satisfactory and most likely superior to MOPP for producing CR in patients treated with radiotherapy and/or MOPP.