[Increased hematological toxicity of antineoplastic drugs with simultaneous androgenotherapy (author's transl)]

Thirty two patients with malignant lymphoma - mainly Hodgkin's disease - were randomized for simultaneous treatment by high doses of metenolone during MOPP chemotherapy, to reduce its hematological toxicity. The results have shown surprisingly an increased hemato-toxicity in patients receiving androgens, with significantly more marked anemia and thrombocytopenia, reducing the total doses of anti-cancer drugs. This side effect could be explained by a cycling of the hematopoietic stem-cells and call to some caution when androgens are used during cancer chemotherapy.