The Stanford experience with high-dose etoposide cytoreductive regimens and autologous bone marrow transplantation in Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: Preliminary data

Seventy-seven Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients received high-dose etoposide in combination with cyclophosphamide and either fractionated total body irradiation (TBI) (n = 28) or carmustine (n = 49) prior to autologous bone marrow transplantation. Marrow from NHL patients was purged in vitro with a panel of monoclonal B- and T-cell antibodies and complement. Six toxic deaths (8%) occurred, all in patients who received carmustine. With a median follow-up of 1 year, 57 patients are alive and free from progressive disease. The 1-year actuarial survival and freedom from progression are 85 and 73% in fractionated TBI/etoposide/cyclophosphamide-treated patients and 79 and 72% in carmustine/etoposide/cyclophosphamide-treated patients. Forty-five of these patients participated in prospective trials for which eligibility criteria were (1) less than 25% curability with conventional therapy; (2) achievement of minimal disease state with conventional therapy; and (3) transplantation early in the course of disease. One-year actuarial survival for 18 patients with relapsed Hodgkin's disease is 80% and for 21 relapsed intermediate and high-grade NHL patients, 70%. One NHL Burkitt's patient was transplanted on a protocol for high-risk intermediate and high-grade NHL in first remission. Five patients with follicular mixed or small cleaved NHL were also transplanted in first remission.