Abstract |
Alemtuzumab has been shown to be effective in poor-prognosis chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); treatment, however, has been associated with significant toxicity. With the aim of seeking better tolerability, we treated 39 patients with fludarabine-refractory CLL subcutaneous alemtuzumab 10 mg three times a week, for 18 weeks. In 18 randomly selected patients, after obtaining lymphocyte count reduction by 1 Log, the antibody was administered once weekly at the dose of 30 mg. Overall response rate was 44%, including 8% complete remissions. Median overall survival and progression free survival were 29.1 and 10.3 months, respectively. Treatment was well tolerated, severe non-CMV infection occurred in 7% of the patients. CMV reactivation was detected in 27% of the patients, with only one case of CMV disease. No deaths occurred during therapy. In conclusion, low-dose alemtuzumab shows a promising safety profile coupled with satisfactory effectiveness in this category of poor prognosis CLL patients.
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Authors | Giuseppe Gritti, Gianluigi Reda, Francesco Maura, Alfonso Piciocchi, Luca Baldini, Stefano Molica, Antonino Neri, Agostino Cortelezzi |
Journal | Leukemia & lymphoma
(Leuk Lymphoma)
Vol. 53
Issue 3
Pg. 424-9
(Mar 2012)
ISSN: 1029-2403 [Electronic] United States |
PMID | 21919823
(Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Chemical References |
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
- Antineoplastic Agents
- Chlorambucil
- Alemtuzumab
- Rituximab
- Cyclophosphamide
- Vidarabine
- fludarabine
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Topics |
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Alemtuzumab
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
(administration & dosage, adverse effects, therapeutic use)
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
(administration & dosage)
- Antineoplastic Agents
(administration & dosage, adverse effects, therapeutic use)
- Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
(therapeutic use)
- Chlorambucil
(administration & dosage)
- Cyclophosphamide
(administration & dosage)
- Cytomegalovirus
(physiology)
- Cytomegalovirus Infections
(etiology)
- Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic
- Drug Administration Schedule
- Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Hematologic Diseases
(chemically induced)
- Humans
- Infusions, Intravenous
- Injections, Subcutaneous
- Kaplan-Meier Estimate
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell
(drug therapy)
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Rituximab
- Salvage Therapy
- Vidarabine
(administration & dosage, analogs & derivatives, pharmacology)
- Virus Activation
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