A kinetically designed chemotherapeutic regimen for advanced refractory lymphoma patients

Three patients with Hodgkin disease, eight with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and one with chronic lymphocytic leukemia refractory to conventional combination chemotherapy were treated for remission induction with a new kinetically designed four-drug combination consisting of bleomycin, vincristine, adriamycin, and prednisone and given the acronym "BOAP." Eight patients had prior radiotherapy, included two who had total nodal irradiation. Eight patients (all three with Hodgkin disease and five of eight with non-Hodgkin lymphoma) achieved complete remission (73% of the lymphoma patients). An additional two patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma sustained partial remissions, for an overall response rate of 91%. Toxicity caused the interruption of therapy in three patients and an additional patient might have sustained a drug-related death. This study compares favorably with other studies investigating primary or secondary combination chemotherapy of advanced lymphomas.