Weekly chemotherapy using PMitCEBO in the palliation of recurrent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

A chemotherapy schedule comprising mitozantrone, cyclophosphamide, etoposide alternating weekly with bleomycin and vincristine with oral prednisolone throughout (PMitCEBO) has been evaluated in patients relapsing after previous chemotherapy and radiotherapy as a palliative chemotherapy schedule in advanced disease. Treatment was given weekly up to a maximum of 12 weeks, the median duration being 8 weeks (range 2-12 weeks). In 20 patients, median age 70 years (range 52 82), of whom 10 had low-grade NHL and 10 relapsed intermediate/high-grade NHL, the objective response rate was 75% (15/20) with a median duration of response of 12 months (range 1-27 months). Toxicity was restricted to grade 3/4 alopecia and bone marrow depression with three episodes of neutropenic sepsis but no treatment-related deaths.