Gemcitabine-Based Treatment in Poor-Prognosis Patients with Relapsed and Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma--a Multicenter Polish Experience.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) remains challenging. Gemcitabine is a cytidine analog with a wide spectrum of antitumor activity. Gemcitabine treatment is widely used to treat patients with certain solid tumors and relapsed/refractory hematological malignancies. There are several reports indicating that this compound is active in lymphoid malignancies. In patients with relapsed or refractory HL and NHL, gemcitabine has demonstrated efficacy as a single agent and in combination with other cytostatics.

OBJECTIVES:

The aim of the study was to analyze the efficacy and toxicity of gemcitabine-based chemotherapy in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphomas.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

The study evaluated 68 heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory HL and NHL. The median age of the patients was 36 years. All the patients received gemcitabine-based chemotherapy (gemcitabine monotherapy or gemcitabine in combination with other cytostatics).

RESULTS:

The overall response rate was 46%. Complete response was achieved by 21% of the patients and partial response by 25%. Out of those who responded to gemcitabine treatment, 26 patients proceeded to autologous stem cell transplant. Toxicities connected with gemcitabine therapy occurred in 44% of the patients and included grade 3/4 neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and anemia.

CONCLUSIONS:

The results suggest that gemcitabine-based salvage chemotherapy is effective and well tolerated in patients with relapsed/refractory HL and NHL.

• Authors: Justyna Rybka, Wojciech Jurczak, Agnieszka Giza, Ewa Paszkiewicz-Kozik, Beata Kumiega, Joanna Drozd-Sokołowska, Aleksandra Butrym, Kazimierz Kuliczkowski, Tomasz Wróbel
• Journal: Advances in clinical and experimental medicine : official organ Wroclaw Medical University (Adv Clin Exp Med) 2015 Sep-Oct Vol. 24 Issue 5 Pg. 783-9 ISSN: 1899-5276 [Print] Poland
• PMID: 26768628 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study)

Chemical References

• Deoxycytidine
• Gemcitabine

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Anemia (chemically induced)
• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Deoxycytidine (administration & dosage, adverse effects, analogs & derivatives)
• Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
• Exanthema (chemically induced)
• Female
• Hodgkin Disease (drug therapy, pathology)
• Humans
• Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin (drug therapy, pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
• Neutropenia (chemically induced)
• Poland
• Prognosis
• Salvage Therapy (methods)
• Survival Analysis
• Thrombocytopenia (chemically induced)
• Treatment Outcome
• Young Adult
• Gemcitabine