Can MOPP be replaced in the treatment of advanced Hodgkin's disease?

MOPP (mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone) was the first successful regimen for the treatment of Hodgkin's disease. It has the longest period of follow-up and is best studied as to its benefits and acute and long-term side effects. The acute toxicity of the side effects, including nausea and/or vomiting, hair loss, and myelosuppression, may have been reason to modify doses of nitrogen mustard, an agent whose dose intensity may be critical in achieving long-term benefits. The substitution of chlorambucil and vinblastine in the ChlVPP (chlorambucil, vinblastine, procarbazine, prednisone) program has relieved all of these acute toxicities, except myelosuppression. The long-term toxicity of sterility, especially in males, and myelodysplasia is most likely due to alkylating-agent toxicity and would not be influenced by the various MOPP variants, such as MVPP (mechlorethamine, vinblastine, procarbazine, prednisone), ChlVPP, and COPP (chlorambucil-vincristine, procarbazine, prednisone). Doxorubicin-containing regimens, such as ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) and ABDIC (doxorubicin, bleomycin, dacarbazine, lomustine, prednisone), have been second-line treatments that have significant antitumor effect and, as such, have resulted in few, if any, long-term cures in most series. ABVD has been incorporated into alternating MOPP/ABVD schemes or in hybrids that attempt to offer all active agents, such as MOPP/ABV. The initial experience has been encouraging with high and durable complete remissions (CRs). MOPP/ABVD x 12(1) and MOPP-2/ABVD-2(2) have been compared with MOPP alone with a significant superiority for the alternating regimens. Other randomized trials have not shown any superiority for the alternating program. The Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) has compared MOPP with MOPP/ABVD given with a third arm of ABVD alone. The complete response and time-to-treatment failure rates for MOPP/ABVD and ABVD alone were superior to those for MOPP. Significant modifications of MOPP doses may explain the differences, since only 20% of patients were receiving full doses of nitrogen mustard by the sixth dose. ABVD has unique toxicity, and myelodysplasia and sterility are not seen. Pulmonary fibrosis with radiation and bleomycin is unique to ABVD, as shown in the ABVD experience at the NCl (Milan). Can ABVD be improved? The demonstrated single-dose activity of etoposide in Hodgkin's disease has prompted its inclusion in second-line programs, such as EVA (etoposide, vincristine or vinblastine, doxorubicin). The second-line response rates in the St Bartholomew's (London, England) series (where vincristine was used) was 11 of 19 patients (58%);3 in the ongoing CALGB trial of EVA (vinblastine combination), the response rate is 67%. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)