Treatment of advanced resistant Hodgkin's disease with lomustine, etoposide, and prednimustine.

Fifteen patients with Hodgkin's disease resistant to the chemotherapy combinations of cyclophosphamide, vinblastine, procarbazine and prednisone and doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine were treated with lomustine, etoposide, and prednimustine. Four of them achieved complete remission and two achieved partial remission (overall response rate, 40%). The median duration of response was 5.5 months, with two complete responders relapsing at 4 and 17 months and the other two remaining disease-free at 7 and 18 months, whereas disease progression was observed at 2.5 and 6 months in the partial responders. Extrahematological toxicity was scarce. Severe myelosuppression was observed in only three patients. These results indicate that lomustine, etoposide, and prednimustine can play a role in the treatment of advanced resistant Hodgkin's disease.